We went upstairs--it had been quite a fine house once, when it was anybody's business to keep it clean and fresh, and nobody's business to smoke in it all day--and into Mr. Turveydrop's great room, which was built out into a mews at the back and was lighted by a skylight. It was a bare, resounding room smelling of stables, with cane forms along the walls, and the walls ornamented at regular intervals with painted lyres and little cut-glass branches for candles, which seemed to be shedding their old-fashioned drops as other branches might shed autumn leaves. Several young lady pupils, ranging from thirteen or fourteen years of age to two or three and twenty, were assembled; and I was looking among them for their instructor when Caddy, pinching my arm, repeated the ceremony of introduction. "Miss Summerson, Mr. Prince Turveydrop!"
I curtsied to a little blue-eyed fair man of youthful appearance with flaxen hair parted in the middle and curling at the ends all round his head. He had a little fiddle, which we used to call at school a kit, under his left arm, and its little bow in the same hand. His little dancing-shoes were particularly diminutive, and he had a little innocent, feminine manner which not only appealed to me in an amiable way, but made this singular effect upon me, that I received the impression that he was like his mother and that his mother had not been much considered or well used.
"I am very happy to see Miss Jellyby's friend," he said, bowing low to me. "I began to fear," with timid tenderness, "as it was past the usual time, that Miss Jellyby was not coming."
"I beg you will have the goodness to attribute that to me, who have detained her, and to receive my excuses, sir," said I.

We went upstairs - it had been quite a fine house once - and into Mr. Turveydrop's great room. It was a bare, resounding room with benches along the walls, which were ornamented with painted lyres and little cut-glass branches for candles. Several young lady pupils were assembled; and I was looking at them when Caddy announced, "Miss Summerson, Mr. Prince Turveydrop!"
I curtsied to a little blue-eyed man with flaxen hair and curling all round his head. He had a little fiddle, called a kit, under his left arm, and its little bow in the same hand. His dancing-shoes were particularly small, and he had an innocent, feminine manner which appealed, and gave me the singular impression that he was like his mother and that his mother had not been much considered or well used.
"I am very happy to see Miss Jellyby's friend," he said, bowing low. "I had begun to fear that Miss Jellyby was not coming."
"We detained her; please receive my excuses, sir," said I.
