Other generalisations proving equally unprofitable, I began scientifically to consider in detail the attributes of the
supposititious paragon,--attributes of body and mind and heart.
Many large bets were made at London and throughout England generally, first, as to the real or
supposititious existence of Dr.
He gave me some letters of introduction, in the name, I think, of my travelling companion; they bore reference to a
supposititious little boy who had been left with a widowed mother who didn't know what to do with him; the poor lady had thought, as a means of thawing the tardy compassion of her relations in his behalf, of sending him to a Yorkshire school; I was the poor lady's friend, travelling that way; and if the recipient of the letter could inform me of a school in his neighbourhood, the writer would be very much obliged.
In short, he was the conventional cherub, after the
supposititious shoot just mentioned, rather grey, with signs of care on his expression, and in decidedly insolvent circumstances.
Deemer would have said if he had been there--the other side pushing its advantage to the extreme and making the
supposititious testimony distinctly damaging to the interests of its proponents.
You might hope to get some other nonsensical belief into the head of George Gradgrind, or Augustus Gradgrind, or John Gradgrind, or Joseph Gradgrind (all
supposititious, non-existent persons), but into the head of Thomas Gradgrind - no, sir!
This penalty of being jiggered was a favourite
supposititious case of his.
Catherine had read too much not to be perfectly aware of the ease with which a waxen figure might be introduced, and a
supposititious funeral carried on.
As the close of this
supposititious case was addressed to the company generally, Hiram did not at first consider himself called on for a reply; but finding the eyes of the listeners bent on him in expectation, he remembered his character for judicial discrimination, and spoke, observing a due degree of deliberation and dignity.
I want you, I said, by way of parallel, to imagine a
supposititious son who is brought up in great wealth; he is one of a great and numerous family, and has many flatterers.
Though he said these things in short sentences, much as the
supposititious charity boy just now referred to might have repeated a verse or two from the Book of Proverbs, there was something dreamy (for so literal a man) in the way in which he now shook his right forefinger at the live coals in the grate, and again fell silent.
He had always an affability to bestow on Clennam and an ease to treat him with, which might of itself (in the
supposititious case of his not having taken that sagacious course) have been a very uncomfortable element in his state of mind.