It seems to me but yesterday that you went out to Demerara in the

Mary Anne,' said Quilp; 'but yesterday, I declare. Well, I like a little

wildness. I was wild myself once.'

Mr Quilp accompanied this admission with such an awful wink,

indicative of old rovings and backslidings, that Mrs Jiniwin was

indignant, and could not forbear from remarking under her breath

that he might at least put off his confessions until his wife was

absent; for which act of boldness and insubordination Mr Quilp first

stared her out of countenance and then drank her health

ceremoniously.

I thought you'd come back directly, Fred. I always thought that,' said

Quilp setting down his glass. 'And when the Mary Anne returned with

you on board, instead of a letter to say what a contrite heart you had,

and how happy you were in the situation that had been provided for

you, I was amused - exceedingly amused. Ha ha ha!'

The young man smiled, but not as though the theme was the most

agreeable one that could have been selected for his entertainment;

and for that reason Quilp pursued it.

I always will say,' he resumed, 'that when a rich relation having two

young people - sisters or brothers, or brother and sister - dependent

on him, attaches himself exclusively to one, and casts off the other, he

does wrong.'

The young man made a movement of impatience, but Quilp went on

as calmly as if he were discussing some abstract question in which

nobody present had the slightest personal interest.

'It's very true,' said Quilp, 'that your grandfather urged repeated

forgiveness, ingratitude, riot, and extravagance, and all that; but as I

told him ‘these are common faults.’ ‘But he's a scoundrel,’ said he.

‘

Granting that,’ said I (for the sake of argument of course), ‘a great

many young noblemen and gentlemen are scoundrels too!’ But he

wouldn't be convinced.'

I wonder at that, Mr Quilp,' said the young man sarcastically.

Well, so did I at the time,' returned Quilp, 'but he was always

obstinate. He was in a manner a friend of mine, but he was always

obstinate and wrong-headed. Little Nell is a nice girl, a charming girl,

but you're her brother, Frederick. You're her brother after all; as you

told him the last time you met, he can't alter that.'

The Old Curiosity Shop