“The last advance was seventy,” said the dwarf; “and it went in one night.”
“I know it did,” answered the old man, “but that was the worst night of all. Quilp, consider, consider that orphan child! Help me for her sake I implore you; not for mine; for hers!”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t do it really,” said Quilp with unusual politeness. “I’d have advanced you, even now, what you want, on your simple note of hand, if I hadn’t unexpectedly known your secret way of life.”
“Who told you?” retorted the old man desperately, “Come. Let me know the name the person.”
The crafty dwarf said, “Now, who do you think?”
“It was Kit, it is the boy; he is the spy!” said the old man.
“Yes, you’re right” said the dwarf. “Yes, it was Kit. Poor Kit!”
So saying, he nodded in a friendly manner, and left, grinning with extraordinary delight.
“Poor Kit!” muttered Quilp. “I think it was Kit who said I was an uglier dwarf than could be seen anywhere for a penny, wasn’t it? Ha ha ha! Poor Kit!”
9
Kit lifted the latch of the door and passed in.
“Bless us!” cried a woman turning sharply round, “who’s that? Oh! It’s you, Kit!”
“Yes, mother, it’s me.”
“Why, how tired you look, my dear!”
“Old master did not go out tonight,” said Kit. With which words, he sat down by the fire and looked very mournful and discontented.
Kit’s room was an extremely poor and homely place. His mother was still hard at work at an ironing-table; a young child lay sleeping in a cradle near the fire; and another, a sturdy boy of two or three years old, was sitting bolt upright in a clothes-basket.
“Ah mother!” said Kit, falling upon[27] a great piece of bread and meat, “what a kind woman you are!”
“I hope there are many better, Kit,” said Mrs. Nubbles[28]; “Did you tell me, just now, that your master hadn’t gone out tonight?”
“Yes,” said Kit, “worse luck!”
“I wonder what Mrs. Nelly’d say, if she knew that every night, when she is sitting alone at the window, you are watching in the open street.”
“Never mind what she’d say,” replied Kit; “she’ll never know it, and consequently, she’ll never say anything.”
Mrs. Nubbles ironed away in silence for a minute or two, then she observed:
“I know what some people would say, Kit. Some people would say that you’d fallen in love with her.”
“It’s somebody crossing over here,” said Kit, “and coming very fast too, mother!”
The boy stood. The footsteps drew nearer, the door was opened with a hasty hand, and the child herself, pale and breathless, hurried into the room.
“Miss Nelly! What is the matter?” cried mother and son together.
“I must not stay a moment,” she returned, “grandfather is very ill. I found him upon the floor.”
“I’ll run for a doctor” said Kit, seizing his brimless hat. “I’ll be there directly.”
“No, no,” cried Nell, “there is one there, you… you must never come near us any more!”
“What?” roared Kit.
“Never again,” said the child. “Don’t ask me why, for I don’t know. Pray don’t ask me why, pray don’t be sorry! I have nothing to do with it indeed!”
Kit looked at her with his eyes opened wide.
“Grandfather complains and raves of you,” said the child, “I don’t know what you have done, but I hope it’s nothing very bad. He cries that you’re the cause of all his misery. You must not return to us any more. I came to tell you. Oh, Kit, what have you done? You, in whom I trusted so much! You were almost the only friend I had!”
The unfortunate Kit looked at his young mistress, but was perfectly motionless and silent.
“I have brought his money for the week,” said the child, looking to the woman and laying it on the table “and a little more, for he was always good and kind to me. It grieves me very much to part with him like this, but there is no help[29]. Good-night!”
The child hastened to the door, and disappeared as rapidly as she had come. Kit remained in a state of utter stupefaction[30].
10
The old man was in a raging fever accompanied with delirium. The child was more alone than she had ever been before. The house was no longer theirs. Mr. Quilp took formal possession of the premises and all upon them. The dwarf proceeded to establish himself and his coadjutor in the house.
First, he put an effectual stop to any further business by shutting up the shop. His coadjutor, Mr. Brass[31], was an attorney of no very good repute. He was a tall, meagre man, with a nose like a wen, a protruding forehead, retreating eyes, and hair of a deep red. He wore a long black surtout[32] reaching nearly to his ankles, short black trousers, high shoes, and bluish-grey stockings[33]. He had a cringing manner, but a very harsh voice.
Quilp looked at his legal adviser[34], and was quite overjoyed and rubbed his hands with glee.
“Is it good, Brass, is it nice, is it fragrant?” said Quilp. He smoked a lot. “This is the way to keep off fever, this is the way to keep off every calamity of life!”
“Shall we stop here long, Mr. Quilp?” inquired his legal friend.
“We must stop, I suppose, till the old gentleman upstairs is dead,” returned Quilp.
“He he he!” laughed Mr. Brass, “oh! very good!”
“Smoke!” cried Quilp. “Never stop! you can talk as you smoke. Don’t lose time.”
“He he he!” cried Brass faintly. “But if he should get better, Mr. Quilp?”
“Then we shall stop till he does, and no longer,” returned the dwarf.
The sentinel at the door interposed in this place, and without taking his pipe from his lips, growled:
“Here’s the girl coming down.”
“Aha! Nelly! Oh!” said Quilp, “My dear young friend! How is he now, my lady?”
“He’s very bad,” replied the weeping child.
“What a pretty little Nell!” cried Quilp.
“Oh beautiful, sir, beautiful indeed,” said Brass. “Quite charming!”
“Has Nell come to sit upon Quilp’s knee,” said the dwarf, “or is she going to bed in her own little room inside here? What is poor Nelly going to do?”
“What a remarkable pleasant way he has with children!” muttered Brass.
“I’m not going to stay at all,” faltered Nell. “I want a few things out of that room, and then I won’t