When our time came for returning to Bleak House again, we were punctual to the day and were received with an overpowering welcome. I was perfectly restored to health and strength, and finding my housekeeping keys laid ready for me in my room, rang myself in as if I had been a new year, with a merry little peal. "Once more, duty, duty, Esther," said I; "and if you are not overjoyed to do it, more than cheerfully and contentedly, through anything and everything, you ought to be. That's all I have to say to you, my dear!"
The first few mornings were mornings of so much bustle and business, devoted to such settlements of accounts, such repeated journeys to and fro between the growlery and all other parts of the house, so many rearrangements of drawers and presses, and such a general new beginning altogether, that I had not a moment's leisure. But when these arrangements were completed and everything was in order, I paid a visit of a few hours to London, which something in the letter I had destroyed at Chesney Wold had induced me to decide upon in my own mind.
I made Caddy Jellyby--her maiden name was so natural to me that I always called her by it--the pretext for this visit and wrote her a note previously asking the favour of her company on a little business expedition. Leaving home very early in the morning, I got to London by stage-coach in such good time that I got to Newman Street with the day before me.
Caddy, who had not seen me since her wedding-day, was so glad and so affectionate that I was half inclined to fear I should make her husband jealous. But he was, in his way, just as bad--I mean as good; and in short it was the old story, and nobody would leave me any possibility of doing anything meritorious.

When we returned to Bleak House, we were received with an overpowering welcome. I was perfectly restored to health, and finding my housekeeping keys laid ready for me in my room, rang myself in with a merry little peal.
"Once more, duty, Esther," said I; "and if you are not overjoyed to do it cheerfully and contentedly, you ought to be!"
The first few mornings involved so much bustle and business, settlements of accounts, repeated journeys to the growlery and rearrangements of cupboards, that I had not a moment's leisure. But when everything was in order, I paid a short visit to London - a visit which something in the letter I had destroyed at Chesney Wold induced me to take.
I made Caddy the pretext for this visit and wrote her a note asking the favour of her company on a little business expedition. Leaving home very early, I got to London by stage-coach in good time.
Caddy, who had not seen me since her wedding-day, was so glad and so affectionate that I was half inclined to fear I should make her husband jealous. But he was just as good to me.
