Quilp shook his head, and pursed up his lips, in a manner which implied that he knew very well, but was not at liberty to say.
"And what," said d.i.c.k, looking at the confusion about him, "what do you mean by moving the goods?"
"That I have bought "em, Sir," rejoined Quilp. "Eh? What then?"
"Has the sly old fox made his fortune then, and gone to live in a tranquil cot in a pleasant spot with a distant view of the changing sea?" said d.i.c.k, in great bewilderment.
"Keeping his place of retirement very close, that he may not be visited too often by affectionate grandsons and their devoted friends, eh?"
added the dwarf, rubbing his hands hard; "I say nothing, but is that your meaning?"
Richard Swiveller was utterly aghast at this unexpected alteration of circ.u.mstances, which threatened the complete overthrow of the project in which he bore so conspicuous a part, and seemed to nip his prospects in the bud. Having only received from Frederick Trent, late on the previous night, information of the old man"s illness, he had come upon a visit of condolence and inquiry to Nell, prepared with the first instalment of that long train of fascinations which was to fire her heart at last. And here, when he had been thinking of all kinds of graceful and insinuating approaches, and meditating on the fearful retaliation which was slowly working against Sophy Wackles--here were Nell, the old man, and all the money gone, melted away, decamped he knew not whither, as if with a fore-knowledge of the scheme and a resolution to defeat it in the very outset, before a step was taken.
In his secret heart, Daniel Quilp was both surprised and troubled by the flight which had been made. It had not escaped his keen eye that some indispensable articles of clothing were gone with the fugitives, and knowing the old man"s weak state of mind, he marvelled what that course of proceeding might be in which he had so readily procured the concurrence of the child. It must not be supposed (or it would be a gross injustice to Mr Quilp) that he was tortured by any disinterested anxiety on behalf of either. His uneasiness arose from a misgiving that the old man had some secret store of money which he had not suspected; and the idea of its escaping his clutches, overwhelmed him with mortification and self-reproach.
In this frame of mind, it was some consolation to him to find that Richard Swiveller was, for different reasons, evidently irritated and disappointed by the same cause. It was plain, thought the dwarf, that he had come there, on behalf of his friend, to cajole or frighten the old man out of some small fraction of that wealth of which they supposed him to have an abundance. Therefore, it was a relief to vex his heart with a picture of the riches the old man h.o.a.rded, and to expatiate on his cunning in removing himself even beyond the reach of importunity.
"Well," said d.i.c.k, with a blank look, "I suppose it"s of no use my staying here."
"Not the least in the world," rejoined the dwarf.
"You"ll mention that I called, perhaps?" said d.i.c.k.
Mr Quilp nodded, and said he certainly would, the very first time he saw them.
"And say," added Mr Swiveller, "say, sir, that I was wafted here upon the pinions of concord; that I came to remove, with the rake of friendship, the seeds of mutual violence and heart-burning, and to sow in their place, the germs of social harmony. Will you have the goodness to charge yourself with that commission, Sir?"
"Certainly!" rejoined Quilp.
"Will you be kind enough to add to it, Sir," said d.i.c.k, producing a very small limp card, "that that is my address, and that I am to be found at home every morning. Two distinct knocks, sir, will produce the slavey at any time. My particular friends, Sir, are accustomed to sneeze when the door is opened, to give her to understand that they ARE my friends and have no interested motives in asking if I"m at home. I beg your pardon; will you allow me to look at that card again?"
"Oh! by all means," rejoined Quilp.
"By a slight and not unnatural mistake, sir," said d.i.c.k, subst.i.tuting another in its stead, "I had handed you the pa.s.s-ticket of a select convivial circle called the Glorious Apollers of which I have the honour to be Perpetual Grand. That is the proper doc.u.ment, Sir. Good morning."
Quilp bade him good day; the perpetual Grand Master of the Glorious Apollers, elevating his hat in honour of Mrs Quilp, dropped it carelessly on the side of his head again, and disappeared with a flourish.
By this time, certain vans had arrived for the conveyance of the goods, and divers strong men in caps were balancing chests of drawers and other trifles of that nature upon their heads, and performing muscular feats which heightened their complexions considerably. Not to be behind-hand in the bustle, Mr Quilp went to work with surprising vigour; hustling and driving the people about, like an evil spirit; setting Mrs Quilp upon all kinds of arduous and impracticable tasks; carrying great weights up and down, with no apparent effort; kicking the boy from the wharf, whenever he could get near him; and inflicting, with his loads, a great many sly b.u.mps and blows on the shoulders of Mr Bra.s.s, as he stood upon the door-steps to answer all the inquiries of curious neighbours, which was his department. His presence and example diffused such alacrity among the persons employed, that, in a few hours, the house was emptied of everything, but pieces of matting, empty porter-pots, and scattered fragments of straw.
Seated, like an African chief, on one of these pieces of matting, the dwarf was regaling himself in the parlour, with bread and cheese and beer, when he observed without appearing to do so, that a boy was prying in at the outer door. a.s.sured that it was Kit, though he saw little more than his nose, Mr Quilp hailed him by his name; whereupon Kit came in and demanded what he wanted.
"Come here, you sir," said the dwarf. "Well, so your old master and young mistress have gone?"
"Where?" rejoined Kit, looking round.
"Do you mean to say you don"t know where?" answered Quilp sharply.
"Where have they gone, eh?"
"I don"t know," said Kit.
"Come," retorted Quilp, "let"s have no more of this! Do you mean to say that you don"t know they went away by stealth, as soon as it was light this morning?"
"No," said the boy, in evident surprise.
"You don"t know that?" cried Quilp. "Don"t I know that you were hanging about the house the other night, like a thief, eh? Weren"t you told then?"
"No," replied the boy.
"You were not?" said Quilp. "What were you told then; what were you talking about?"
Kit, who knew no particular reason why he should keep the matter secret now, related the purpose for which he had come on that occasion, and the proposal he had made.
"Oh!" said the dwarf after a little consideration. "Then, I think they"ll come to you yet."
"Do you think they will?" cried Kit eagerly.
"Aye, I think they will," returned the dwarf. "Now, when they do, let me know; d"ye hear? Let me know, and I"ll give you something. I want to do "em a kindness, and I can"t do "em a kindness unless I know where they are. You hear what I say?"
Kit might have returned some answer which would not have been agreeable to his irascible questioner, if the boy from the wharf, who had been skulking about the room in search of anything that might have been left about by accident, had not happened to cry, "Here"s a bird! What"s to be done with this?"
"Wring its neck," rejoined Quilp.
"Oh no, don"t do that," said Kit, stepping forward. "Give it to me."
"Oh yes, I dare say," cried the other boy. "Come! You let the cage alone, and let me wring its neck will you? He said I was to do it.
You let the cage alone will you."
"Give it here, give it to me, you dogs," roared Quilp. "Fight for it, you dogs, or I"ll wring its neck myself!"
Without further persuasion, the two boys fell upon each other, tooth and nail, while Quilp, holding up the cage in one hand, and chopping the ground with his knife in an ecstasy, urged them on by his taunts and cries to fight more fiercely. They were a pretty equal match, and rolled about together, exchanging blows which were by no means child"s play, until at length Kit, planting a well-directed hit in his adversary"s chest, disengaged himself, sprung nimbly up, and s.n.a.t.c.hing the cage from Quilp"s hands made off with his prize.
He did not stop once until he reached home, where his bleeding face occasioned great consternation, and caused the elder child to howl dreadfully.
"Goodness gracious, Kit, what is the matter, what have you been doing?"
cried Mrs Nubbles.
"Never you mind, mother," answered her son, wiping his face on the jack-towel behind the door. "I"m not hurt, don"t you be afraid for me.
I"ve been a fightin" for a bird and won him, that"s all. Hold your noise, little Jacob. I never see such a naughty boy in all my days!"
"You have been fighting for a bird!" exclaimed his mother.
"Ah! Fightin" for a bird!" replied Kit, "and here he is--Miss Nelly"s bird, mother, that they was agoin" to wring the neck of! I stopped that though--ha ha ha! They wouldn"t wring his neck and me by, no, no.
It wouldn"t do, mother, it wouldn"t do at all. Ha ha ha!"
Kit laughing so heartily, with his swoln and bruised face looking out of the towel, made little Jacob laugh, and then his mother laughed, and then the baby crowed and kicked with great glee, and then they all laughed in concert: partly because of Kit"s triumph, and partly because they were very fond of each other. When this fit was over, Kit exhibited the bird to both children, as a great and precious rarity--it was only a poor linnet--and looking about the wall for an old nail, made a scaffolding of a chair and table and twisted it out with great exultation.
"Let me see," said the boy, "I think I"ll hang him in the winder, because it"s more light and cheerful, and he can see the sky there, if he looks up very much. He"s such a one to sing, I can tell you!"
So, the scaffolding was made again, and Kit, climbing up with the poker for a hammer, knocked in the nail and hung up the cage, to the immeasurable delight of the whole family. When it had been adjusted and straightened a great many times, and he had walked backwards into the fire-place in his admiration of it, the arrangement was p.r.o.nounced to be perfect.