ButnowthatIresumethemainlineofmystoryitmaybewelltodescribethepersonalappearanceofmyuncleasIrememberhimduringthosemagnificentyearsthatfollowedhispassagefromtradetofinance。ThelittlemanplumpedupveryconsiderablyduringthecreationoftheTono-Bungayproperty，butwiththeincreasingexcitementsthatfollowedthatfirstflotationcamedyspepsiaandacertainflabbinessandfallingaway。Hisabdomen——ifthereaderwillpardonmytakinghisfeaturesintheorderoftheirvalue——hadatfirstanicefullroundness，butafterwardsitlosttonewithout，however，losingsize。Healwayswentasthoughhewasproudofitandwouldmakeasmuchofitaspossible。Tothelasthismovementsremainedquickandsudden，hisshortfirmlegs，ashewalked，seemedtotwinkleratherthandisplaythescissors-strideofcommonhumanity，andheneverseemedtohaveknees，butinstead，adispersedflexibilityoflimb。
Therewas，Iseemtoremember，asecularintensificationofhisfeatures；hisnosedevelopedcharacter，becameaggressive，stuckoutattheworldmoreandmore；theobliquityofhismouth，I
think，increased。Fromthefacethatreturnstomymemoryprojectsalongcigarthatissometimescockedjauntilyupfromthehighercorner，thatsometimesdroopsfromthelower；——itwasaseloquentasadog’stail，andheremoveditonlyforthemoreemphaticmodesofspeech。Heassumedabroadblackribbonforhisglasses，andworethemmoreandmoreaskewastimewenton。
Hishairseemedtostiffenwithsuccess，buttowardstheclimaxitthinnedgreatlyoverthecrown，andhebrushedithardbackoverhisearswhere，however，itstuckoutfiercely。Italwaysstuckoutfiercelyoverhisforehead，upandforward。
HeadoptedanurbanstyleofdressingwiththeonsetofTono-Bungayandrarelyabandonedit。Hepreferredsilkhatswithamplerichbrims，oftenatriflelargeforhimbymodernideas，andheworethematvariousanglestohisaxis；histasteintrouseringswastowardsfairlyemphaticstripesandhistrousercutwasneat；helikedhisfrock-coatlongandfull，althoughthatseemedtoshortenhim。Hedisplayedanumberofvaluablerings，andIrememberoneuponhisleftlittlefingerwithalargeredstonebearingGnosticsymbols。“Cleverchaps，thoseGnostics，George。”hetoldme。“Meansalot。Lucky！”Heneverhadanybutablackmohairwatch-chair。Inthecountryheaffectedgreyandalargegreyclothtop-hat，exceptwhenmotoring；thenhewouldhaveabrowndeer-stalkercapandafursuitofesquimauxcutwithasortofboot-endtothetrousers。
Ofaneveninghewouldwearwhitewaistcoatsandplaingoldstuds。Hehateddiamonds。“Flashy。”hesaidtheywere。“Mightaswellwear——anincometax-receipt。AllverywellforParkLane。Unsoldstock。Notmystyle。Soberfinancier，George。”
Somuchforhisvisiblepresence。Foratimeitwasveryfamiliartotheworld，foratthecrestoftheboomheallowedquiteanumberofphotographsandatleastonepencilsketchtobepublishedinthesixpennypapers。
Hisvoicedeclinedduringthoseyearsfromhisearlytenortoaflatrichqualityofsoundthatmyknowledgeofmusicisinadequatetodescribe。HisZzz-inginrushofairbecamelessfrequentasheripened，butreturnedinmomentsofexcitement。
Throughouthiscareer，inspiteofhisincreasingandatlastastoundingopulence，hismoreintimatehabitsremainedassimpleastheyhadbeenatWimblehurst。Hewouldneveravailhimselfoftheservicesofavalet；attheveryclimaxofhisgreatnesshistrouserswerefoldedbyahousemaidandhisshouldersbrushedashelefthishouseorhotel。Hebecamewaryaboutbreakfastaslifeadvanced，andatonetimetalkedmuchofDr。Haiganduricacid。Butforothermealsheremainedreasonablyomnivorous。Hewassomethingofagastronome，andwouldeatanythingheparticularlylikedinanaudiblemanner，andperspireuponhisforehead。Hewasastudiouslymoderatedrinker——exceptwhenthespiritofsomepublicbanquetorsomegreatoccasioncaughthimandborehimbeyondhiswariness——therehewould，asitwere，drinkinadvertentlyandbecomeflushedandtalkative——abouteverythingbuthisbusinessprojects。
Tomaketheportraitcompleteonewantstoconveyaneffectofsudden，quickburstsofmovementlikethejumpsofaChinese-crackertoindicatethathisposewhateveritis，hasbeenprecededandwillbefollowedbyarush。IfIwerepaintinghim，Ishouldcertainlygivehimforabackgroundthatdistressed，uneasyskythatwaspopularintheeighteenthcentury，andataconvenientdistanceathrobbingmotor-car，verybigandcontemporary，asecretaryhurryingwithpapers，andanalertchauffeur。
SuchwasthefigurethatcreatedanddirectedthegreatpropertyofTono-Bungay，andfromthesuccessfulreconstructionofthatcompanypassedontoaslowcrescendoofmagnificentcreationsandpromotionsuntilthewholeworldofinvestorsmarveled。I
havealreadyIthink，mentionedhow，longbeforeweofferedTonoBungaytothepublic，wetookovertheEnglishagencyofcertainAmericanspecialties。TothiswaspresentlyaddedourexploitationofMoggs’DomesticSoap，andsohetookuptheDomesticConvenienceCampaignthat，coupledwithhisequatorialrotundityandacertainresoluteconvexityinhisbearingswonmyunclehisNapoleonictitle。
ItillustratestheromanticelementinmoderncommercethatmyunclemetyoungMoggsatacitydinner——IthinkitwastheBottle-makers’Company——whenbothweresomewayadvancedbeyondtheinitialsobrietyoftheoccasion。ThiswasthegrandsonoftheoriginalMoggs，andaverytypicalinstanceofaneducated，cultivated，degenerateplutocrat。HispeoplehadtakenhimaboutinhisyouthastheRuskinstooktheirJohnandfosteredapassionforhistoryinhim，andtheactualmanagementoftheMoggs’industryhaddevolveduponacousinandajuniorpartner。
Mr。Moggs，beingofastudiousandrefineddisposition，hadjustdecided——afteracarefulsearchforacongenialsubjectinwhichhewouldnotbeconstant]yremindedofsoap——todevotehimselftotheHistoryoftheThebaid，whenthiscousindiedsuddenlyandprecipitatedresponsibilitiesuponhim。Inthefranknessofconviviality，Moggsbewailedtheuncongenialtaskthusthrustintohishands，andmyuncleofferedtolightenhisburdenbyapartnershipthenandthere。Theyevengottoterms——extremelymuzzyterms，buttermsnevertheless。
Eachgentlemanwrotethenameandaddressoftheotheronhiscuff，andtheyseparatedinamoodofbrotherlycarelessness，andnextmorningneitherseemstohavethoughttorescuehisshirtfromthewashuntilitwastoolate。Myunclemadeapainfulstruggle——itwasoneofmybusinessmornings——torecallnameandparticulars。
“Hewasanaquarium-faced，long，blondsortofchap，George，withglassesandagenteelaccent。”hesaid。
Iwaspuzzled。“Aquarium-faced？”
“Youknowhowtheylookatyou。Hisstuffwassoap，I’mprettynearlycertain。Andhehadaname——AndthethingwasthestraightestBit-of-All-rightyouever。Iwasclearenoughtospotthat。”
Wewentoutatlastwithknittedbrows，andwanderedupintoFinsburyseekingagood，well-stockedlookinggrocer。Wecalledfirstonachemistforapick-me-upformyuncle，andthenwefoundtheshopweneeded。
“Iwant。”saidmyuncle，“halfapoundofeverysortofsoapyougot。Yes，Iwanttotakethemnow。Waitamoment，George。
Nowwhatsortofsoapd’youcallTHAT？”
Atthethirdrepetitionofthatquestiontheyoungmansaid，“Moggs’Domestic。”
“Right。”saidmyuncle。“Youneedn’tguessagain。Comealong，George，let’sgotoatelephoneandgetontoMoggs。Oh——theorder？Certainly。Iconfirmit。Senditall——senditalltotheBishopofLondon；he’llhavesomegooduseforit——(First-rateman，George，heis——charitiesandallthat)——andputitdowntome，here’sacard——Ponderevo——Tono-Bungay。”
ThenwewentontoMoggsandfoundhiminacamel-hairdressing-jacketinaluxuriousbed，drinkingChinatea，andgottheshapeofeverythingbutthefiguresfixedbylunchtime。
YoungMoggsenlargedmymindconsiderably；hewasasortofthingIhadn’tmetbefore；heseemedquitecleanandwell-informedandheassuredmetoneverreadnewspapersnorusedsoapinanyformatall，“Delicateskin。”hesaid。
“Noobjectiontoouradvertisingyouwideandfree？”saidmyuncle。
“Idrawthelineatrailwaystations。”saidMoggs，“south-coastcliffs，theatreprogrammes，booksbymeandpoetrygenerally——scenery——oh！——andtheMercuredeFrance。”
“We’llgetalong。”saidmyuncle。
“Solongasyoudon’tannoyme。”saidMoggs，lightingacigarette，“youcanmakemeasrichasyoulike。”
Wecertainlymadehimnopoorer。Hiswasthefirstfirmthatwasadvertisedbyacircumstantialhistory；weevengottoillustratedmagazinearticlestellingofthequaintpastofMoggs。WeconcoctedMoggsiana。Trustingtoourpartner’spreoccupationwiththeuncommercialaspectsoflife，wegavegracefulhistory——ofMoggstheFirst，MoggstheSecond，MoggstheThird，andMoggstheFourth。Youmust，unlessyouareveryyoung，remembersomeofthemandouradmirableblockofaGeorgianshopwindow。Myunclebroughtearlynineteenth-centurymemoirs，soakedhimselfinthestyle，anddevisedstoriesaboutoldMoggstheFirstandtheDukeofWellington，GeorgetheThirdandthesoapdealer(“almostcertainlyoldMoggs“)。VerysoonwehadaddedtotheoriginalMoggs’Primroseseveralvarietiesofscentedandsuperfatted，a“specialnurseriesusedinthehouseholdoftheDukeofKentandfortheoldQueeninInfancy。”
aplatepowder，“theParagon。”andaknifepowder。Weropedinagoodlittlesecond-rateblack-leadfirm，andcarriedtheiroriginsbackintothemistsofantiquity。Itwasmyuncle’sownunaidedideathatweshouldassociatethatcommoditywiththeBlackPrince。Hebecameindustriouslycuriousaboutthepastofblack-lead。Irememberhisbutton-holingthepresidentofthePepysSociety。
“Isay，isthereanyblack-leadinPepys？Youknow——black-lead——forgrates！ORDOESHEPASSITOVERASAMATTER
OFCOURSE？”
Hebecameinthosedaystheterrorofeminenthistorians。
“Don’twantyourdrumandtrumpethistory——nofear。”heusedtosay。“Don’twanttoknowwhowaswho’smistress，andwhyso-and-sodevastatedsuchaprovince；that’sboundtobeallliesandupsy-downanyhow。Notmyaffair。Nobody’saffairnow。
Chapswhodiditdidn’tclearlyknow。WhatIwanttoknowis，intheMiddleAges，didtheydoanythingforHousemaid’sKnee？
