'He would if he could, confound him for that and all other kindnesses,'

said the young man impatiently. 'But nothing can come of this subject

now, and let us have done with it in the Devil's name.'

Agreed,' returned Quilp, 'agreed on my part readily. Why have I

alluded to it? Just to show you, Frederick, that I have always stood

your friend. You little knew who was your friend, and who your foe;

now did you? You thought I was against you, and so there has been a

coolness between us; but it was all on your side, entirely on your side.

Let's shake hands again, Fred.'

With his head sunk down between his shoulders, and a hideous grin

over-spreading his face, the dwarf stood up and stretched his short

arm across the table. After a moment's hesitation, the young man

stretched out his to meet it; Quilp clutched his fingers in a grip that

for the moment stopped the current of the blood within them, and

pressing his other hand upon his lip and frowning towards the

unsuspicious Richard, released them and sat down.

This action was not lost upon Trent, who, knowing that Richard

Swiveller was a mere tool in his hands and knew no more of his

designs than he thought proper to communicate, saw that the dwarf

perfectly understood their relative position, and fully entered into the

character of his friend. It is something to be appreciated, even in

knavery. This silent homage to his superior abilities, no less than a

sense of the power with which the dwarf's quick perception had

already invested him, inclined the young man towards that ugly

worthy, and determined him to profit by his aid.

It being now Mr Quilp's cue to change the subject with all convenient

expedition, lest Richard Swiveller in his heedlessness should reveal

anything which it was inexpedient for the women to know, he

proposed a game at four-handed cribbage, and partners being cut for,

Mrs Quilp fell to Frederick Trent, and Dick himself to Quilp. Mrs

Jiniwin being very fond of cards was carefully excluded by her son-in-

law from any participation in the game, and had assigned to her the

duty of occasionally replenishing the glasses from the case-bottle; Mr

Quilp from that moment keeping one eye constantly upon her, lest she

should by any means procure a taste of the same, and thereby

tantalising the wretched old lady (who was as much attached to the

case-bottle as the cards) in a double degree and most ingenious

manner.

But it was not to Mrs Jiniwin alone that Mr Quilp's attention was

restricted, as several other matters required his constant vigilance.

Among his various eccentric habits he had a humorous one of always

cheating at cards, which rendered necessary on his part, not only a

close observance of the game, and a sleight-of-hand in counting and

The Old Curiosity Shop