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<p><s id="n1" xml:id="d1p1s1">Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens
</s><s id="n2" xml:id="d1p1s2">CHAPTER I. Dombey and Son.
</s><s id="n3" xml:id="d1p1s3">Dombey sat in the corner of the darkened room in the great arm-chair by the bedside, and Son lay tucked up warm in a little basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new.
</s><s id="n4" xml:id="d1p1s4">Dombey was about eight-and-forty years of age. </s><s id="n5" xml:id="d1p1s5">Son about eight-and-forty minutes. </s><s id="n6" xml:id="d1p1s6">Dombey was rather bald, rather red, and though a handsome well-made man, too stern and pompous in appearance, to be prepossessing. </s><s id="n7" xml:id="d1p1s7">Son was very bald, and very red, and though (of course) an undeniably fine infant, somewhat crushed and spotty in his general effect, as yet. </s><s id="n8" xml:id="d1p1s8">On the brow of Dombey, Time and his brother Care had set some marks, as on a tree that was to come down in good time-remorseless twins they are for striding through their human forests, notching as they go-while the countenance of Son was crossed with a thousand little creases, which the same deceitful Time would take delight in smoothing out and wearing away with the flat part of his scythe, as a preparation of the surface for his deeper operations.
</s><s id="n9" xml:id="d1p1s9">Dombey, exulting in the long-looked-for event, jingled and jingled the heavy gold watch-chain that depended from below his trim blue coat, whereof the buttons sparkled phosphorescently in the feeble rays of the distant fire. </s><s id="n10" xml:id="d1p1s10">Son, with his little fists curled up and clenched, seemed, in his feeble way, to be squaring at existence for having come upon him so unexpectedly.
</s><s id="n11" xml:id="d1p1s11">"The House will once again, Mrs Dombey," said Mr Dombey, "be not only in name but in fact Dombey and Son;" and he added, in a tone of luxurious satisfaction, with his eyes half-closed as if he were reading the name in a device of flowers, and inhaling their fragrance at the same time. </s><s id="n12" xml:id="d1p1s12">"Dom-bey and Son!"
</s><s id="n13" xml:id="d1p1s13">The words had such a softening influence, that he appended a term of endearment to Mrs Dombey's name (though not without some hesitation, as being a man but little used to that form of address): and said, "Mrs Dombey, my-my dear."
</s><s id="n14" xml:id="d1p1s14">A transient flush of faint surprise overspread the sick lady's face as she raised her eyes towards him.
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