第 4 页

by adding one other word.

'Why do you hunt and persecute me, God help me!' said the old man

turning to his grandson. 'Why do you bring your prolifigate companions

here? How often am I to tell you that my life is one of care and

self-denial, and that I am poor?'

'How often am I to tell you,' returned the other, looking coldly at

him, 'that I know better?'

'You have chosen your own path,' said the old man. 'Follow it. Leave

Nell and me to toil and work.'

'Nell will be a woman soon,' returned the other, 'and, bred in your

faith, she'll forget her brother unless he shows himself sometimes.'

'Take care,' said the old man with sparkling eyes, 'that she does not

forget you when you would have her memory keenest. Take care that the

day don't come when you walk barefoot in the streets, and she rides by

in a gay carriage of her own.'

'You mean when she has your money?' retorted the other. 'How like a

poor man he talks!'

'And yet,' said the old man dropping his voice and speaking like one

who thinks aloud, 'how poor we are, and what a life it is! The cause is

a young child's guiltless of all harm or wrong, but nothing goes well

with it! Hope and patience, hope and patience!'

These words were uttered in too low a tone to reach the ears of the

young men. Mr Swiveller appeared to think that they implied some mental

struggle consequent upon the powerful effect of his address, for he

poked his friend with his cane and whispered his conviction that he had

administered 'a clincher,' and that he expected a commission on the

profits. Discovering his mistake after a while, he appeared to grow

rather sleepy and discontented, and had more than once suggested the

propriety of an immediate departure, when the door opened, and the

child herself appeared.

CHAPTER 3

The child was closely followed by an elderly man of remarkably hard

features and forbidding aspect, and so low in stature as to be quite a

dwarf, though his head and face were large enough for the body of a

giant. His black eyes were restless, sly, and cunning; his mouth and

chin, bristly with the stubble of a coarse hard beard; and his

complexion was one of that kind which never looks clean or wholesome.

But what added most to the grotesque expression of his face was a

ghastly smile, which, appearing to be the mere result of habit and to

have no connection with any mirthful or complacent feeling, constantly

revealed the few discoloured fangs that were yet scattered in his

mouth, and gave him the aspect of a panting dog. His dress consisted of

a large high-crowned hat, a worn dark suit, a pair of capacious shoes,

and a dirty white neckerchief sufficiently limp and crumpled to

disclose the greater portion of his wiry throat. Such hair as he had

was of a grizzled black, cut short and straight upon his temples, and

hanging in a frowzy fringe about his ears. His hands, which were of a

rough, coarse grain, were very dirty; his fingernails were crooked,

long, and yellow.

There was ample time to note these particulars, for besides that they

were sufficiently obvious without very close observation, some moments

elapsed before any one broke silence. The child advanced timidly

towards her brother and put her hand in his, the dwarf (if we may call

him so) glanced keenly at all present, and the curiosity-dealer, who

plainly had not expected his uncouth visitor, seemed disconcerted and

embarrassed.

'Ah!' said the dwarf, who with his hand stretched out above his eyes

had been surveying the young man attentively, 'that should be your

grandson, neighbour!'

'Say rather that he should not be,' replied the old man. 'But he is.'

'And that?' said the dwarf, pointing to Dick Swiveller.

'Some friend of his, as welcome here as he,' said the old man.

'And that?' inquired the dwarf, wheeling round and pointing straight at

me.

'A gentleman who was so good as to bring Nell home the other night when

she lost her way, coming from your house.'

The little man turned to the child as if to chide her or express his

wonder, but as she was talking to the young man, held his peace, and

bent his head to listen.

'Well, Nelly,' said the young fellow aloud. 'Do they teach you to hate

me, eh?'

'No, no. For shame. Oh, no!' cried the child.

'To love me, perhaps?' pursued her brother with a sneer.

'To do neither,' she returned. 'They never speak to me about you.

Indeed they never do.'

'I dare be bound for that,' he said, darting a bitter look at the

grandfather. 'I dare be bound for that Nell. Oh! I believe you there!'

'But I love you dearly, Fred,' said the child.

'No doubt!'

'I do indeed, and always will,' the child repeated with great emotion,

'but oh! If you would leave off vexing him and making him unhappy, then

I could love you more.'

'I see!' said the young man, as he stooped carelessly over the child,

and having kissed her, pushed her from him: 'There--get you away now

you have said your lesson. You needn't whimper. We part good friends

enough, if that's the matter.'

He remained silent, following her with his eyes, until she had gained

her little room and closed the door; and then turning to the dwarf,

said abruptly,

'Harkee, Mr--'

'Meaning me?' returned the dwarf. 'Quilp is my name. You might

remember. It's not a long one--Daniel Quilp.'

'Harkee, Mr Quilp, then,' pursued the other, 'You have some influence

with my grandfather there.'

'Some,' said Mr Quilp emphatically.

'And are in a few of his mysteries and secrets.'

'A few,' replied Quilp, with equal dryness.

'Then let me tell him once for all, through you, that I will come into

and go out of this place as often as I like, so long as he keeps Nell

here; and that if he wants to be quit of me, he must first be quit of

her. What have I done to be made a bugbear of, and to be shunned and

dreaded as if I brought the plague? He'll tell you that I have no

natural affection; and that I care no more for Nell, for her own sake,

than I do for him. Let him say so. I care for the whim, then, of coming

to and fro and reminding her of my existence. I WILL see her when I

please. That's my point. I came here to-day to maintain it, and I'll

come here again fifty times with the same object and always with the

same success. I said I would stop till I had gained it. I have done

so, and now my visit's ended. Come Dick.'

'Stop!' cried Mr Swiveller, as his companion turned toward the door.

'Sir!'

'Sir, I am your humble servant,' said Mr Quilp, to whom the

monosyllable was addressed.

'Before I leave the gay and festive scene, and halls of dazzling light,

sir,' said Mr Swiveller, 'I will with your permission, attempt a slight

remark. I came here, sir, this day, under the impression that the old

min was friendly.'

'Proceed, sir,' said Daniel Quilp; for the orator had made a sudden

stop.

'Inspired by this idea and the sentiments it awakened, sir, and feeling

as a mutual friend that badgering, baiting, and bullying, was not the

sort of thing calculated to expand the souls and promote the social

harmony of the contending parties, I took upon myself to suggest a

course which is THE course to be adopted to the present occasion. Will

you allow me to whisper half a syllable, sir?'

Without waiting for the permission he sought, Mr Swiveller stepped up

to the dwarf, and leaning on his shoulder and stooping down to get at

his ear, said in a voice which was perfectly audible to all present,

'The watch-word to the old min is--fork.'

'Is what?' demanded Quilp.

'Is fork, sir, fork,' replied Mr Swiveller slapping his pocket. 'You

are awake, sir?'

The dwarf nodded. Mr Swiveller drew back and nodded likewise, then drew

a little further back and nodded again, and so on. By these means he in

time reached the door, where he gave a great cough to attract the

dwarf's attention and gain an opportunity of expressing in dumb show,

the closest confidence and most inviolable secrecy. Having performed

the serious pantomime that was necessary for the due conveyance of

these idea, he cast himself upon his friend's track, and vanished.

'Humph!' said the dwarf with a sour look and a shrug of his shoulders,

'so much for dear relations. Thank God I acknowledge none! Nor need you

either,' he added, turning to the old man, 'if you were not as weak as

a reed, and nearly as senseless.'

'What would you have me do?' he retorted in a kind of helpless

desperation. 'It is easy to talk and sneer. What would you have me do?'

'What would I do if I was in your case?' said the dwarf.

'Something violent, no doubt.'

'You're right there,' returned the little man, highly gratified by the

compliment, for such he evidently considered it; and grinning like a

devil as he rubbed his dirty hands together. 'Ask Mrs Quilp, pretty Mrs

Quilp, obedient, timid, loving Mrs Quilp. But that reminds me--I have

left her all alone, and she will be anxious and know not a moment's

peace till I return. I know she's always in that condition when I'm

away, thought she doesn't dare to say so, unless I lead her on and tell

her she may speak freely and I won't be angry with her. Oh!

well-trained Mrs Quilp.'

The creature appeared quite horrible with his monstrous head and little

body, as he rubbed his hands slowly round, and round, and round

again--with something fantastic even in his manner of performing this

slight action--and, dropping his shaggy brows and cocking his chin in

the air, glanced upward with a stealthy look of exultation that an imp

might have copied and appropriated to himself.

'Here,' he said, putting his hand into his breast and sidling up to the

old man as he spoke; 'I brought it myself for fear of accidents, as,

being in gold, it was something large and heavy for Nell to carry in

her bag. She need be accustomed to such loads betimes though,

neighbor, for she will carry weight when you are dead.'

'Heaven send she may! I hope so,' said the old man with something like

a groan.

'Hope so!' echoed the dwarf, approaching close to his ear; 'neighbour,

I would I knew in what good investment all these supplies are sunk. But

you are a deep man, and keep your secret close.'

'My secret!' said the other with a haggard look. 'Yes, you're

right--I--I--keep it close--very close.'

He said no more, but taking the money turned away with a slow,

uncertain step, and pressed his hand upon his head like a weary and

dejected man. The dwarf watched him sharply, while he passed into the

little sitting-room and locked it in an iron safe above the

chimney-piece; and after musing for a short space, prepared to take his

leave, observing that unless he made good haste, Mrs Quilp would

certainly be in fits on his return.

'And so, neighbour,' he added, 'I'll turn my face homewards, leaving my

love for Nelly and hoping she may never lose her way again, though her

doing so HAS procured me an honour I didn't expect.' With that he bowed

and leered at me, and with a keen glance around which seemed to

comprehend every object within his range of vision, however, small or

trivial, went his way.

I had several times essayed to go myself, but the old man had always

opposed it and entreated me to remain. As he renewed his entreaties on

our being left along, and adverted with many thanks to the former

occasion of our being together, I willingly yielded to his persuasions,

and sat down, pretending to examine some curious miniatures and a few

old medals which he placed before me. It needed no great pressing to

induce me to stay, for if my curiosity has been excited on the occasion

of my first visit, it certainly was not diminished now.

Nell joined us before long, and bringing some needle-work to the table,

sat by the old man's side. It was pleasant to observe the fresh flowers

in the room, the pet bird with a green bough shading his little cage,

the breath of freshness and youth which seemed to rustle through the

old dull house and hover round the child. It was curious, but not so

pleasant, to turn from the beauty and grace of the girl, to the

stooping figure, care-worn face, and jaded aspect of the old man. As

he grew weaker and more feeble, what would become of this lonely little

creature; poor protector as he was, say that he died--what would be her

fate, then?

The old man almost answered my thoughts, as he laid his hand on hers,

and spoke aloud.

'I'll be of better cheer, Nell,' he said; 'there must be good fortune

in store for thee--I do not ask it for myself, but thee. Such miseries

must fall on thy innocent head without it, that I cannot believe but

that, being tempted, it will come at last!'

She looked cheerfully into his face, but made no answer.

'When I think,' said he, 'of the many years--many in thy short

life--that thou has lived with me; of my monotonous existence, knowing

no companions of thy own age nor any childish pleasures; of the

solitude in which thou has grown to be what thou art, and in which thou

hast lived apart from nearly all thy kind but one old man; I sometimes

fear I have dealt hardly by thee, Nell.'

'Grandfather!' cried the child in unfeigned surprise.

'Not in intention--no no,' said he. 'I have ever looked forward to the

time that should enable thee to mix among the gayest and prettiest, and

take thy station with the best. But I still look forward, Nell, I still