“Tellson’s Bank, by Temple Bar, was an old-fashioned place even in the year 1780. It was very small, very dark, very ugly, very incommodious. Any one of the partners would have disinherited his son on the question of rebuilding Tellson’s. Thus it had come to pass that Tellson’s was the triumphant perfection of inconvenience. After bursting open a door of idiotic obstinacy with a weak rattle in its throat, you fell into Tellson’s, down two steps, and came to your senses in a miserable little shop, with two little counters; where the oldest of men made your cheque shake as if the wind rustled it, while they examined the signature by the dingiest of windows, which were always under a shower-bath of mud from Fleet Street, and which were made the dingier by their own iron bars proper and the shadow of Temple Bar.”
Passing Newton’s (optician) we arrive at the outer Gate of the Temple, by which we enter Middle Temple Lane, following which a short distance and turning to the right, by Middle Temple Hall, we reach Fountain Court. The fountain standing here, conspicuously in a central position, is associated with the history of Ruth Pinch. Here it was that Tom and his sister made appointments for meeting—
“Because, of course, when she had to wait a minute or two, it would have been very awkward for her to have had to wait in any but a quiet spot; and that was as quiet a spot, everything considered, as they could choose.”
On further reference to the pages of “Martin Chuzzlewit,” we may recall the auspicious occasion when Ruth was under the special escort of John Westlock—
“Brilliantly the Temple fountain sparkled in the sun, and merrily the idle drops of water danced and danced; and, peeping out in sport among the trees, plunged lightly down to hide themselves, as little Ruth and her companion came towards it.”
See chapter 53. In Garden Court beyond, Mr. Pip and his friend, Herbert Pocket, had residence. In “Great Expectations,” he says—
“Our Chambers were in Garden Court, down by the river. We lived at the top of the last house.”
Here Pip’s patron and benefactor, the convict Magwitch, alias Provis, disclosed himself one memorable night, much to his “dear boy’s” discomfiture; and it will be remembered that temporary accommodation was found for him at
“A lodging-house in Essex Street, the back of which looked into the Temple, and was almost within hail of ‘Pip’s’ windows.”