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'Is their peace nothing, sir?' returned Dick. 'I don't wish to hold out
any threats, sir - indeed the law does not allow of threats, for to
threaten is an indictable offence - but if ever you do that again, take
care you're not sat upon by the coroner and buried in a cross road
before you wake. We have been distracted with fears that you were
dead, Sir,' said Dick, gently sliding to the ground, 'and the short and
the long of it is, that we cannot allow single gentlemen to come into
this establishment and sleep like double gentlemen without paying
extra for it.'
'
'
Indeed!' cried the lodger.
Yes, Sir, indeed,' returned Dick, yielding to his destiny and saying
whatever came uppermost; 'an equal quantity of slumber was never
got out of one bed and bedstead, and if you're going to sleep in that
way, you must pay for a double-bedded room.' .
Instead of being thrown into a greater passion by these remarks, the
lodger lapsed into a broad grin and looked at Mr Swiveller with
twinkling eyes. He was a brown-faced sun-burnt man, and appeared
browner and more sun-burnt from having a white nightcap on. As it
was clear that he was a choleric fellow in some respects, Mr Swiveller
was relieved to find him in such good humour, and, to encourage him
in it, smiled himself.
The lodger, in the testiness of being so rudely roused, had pushed his
nightcap very much on one side of his bald head. This gave him a
rakish eccentric air which, now that he had leisure to observe it,
charmed Mr Swiveller exceedingly; therefore, by way of propitiation, he
expressed his hope that the gentleman was going to get up, and
further that he would never do so any more.
'
Come here, you impudent rascal!' was the lodger's answer as he re-
entered his room.
Mr Swiveller followed him in, leaving the stool outside, but reserving
the ruler in case of a surprise. He rather congratulated himself on his
prudence when the single gentleman, without notice or explanation of
any kind, double-locked the door.
'Can you drink anything?' was his next inquiry.
Mr Swiveller replied that he had very recently been assuaging the
pangs of thirst, but that he was still open to 'a modest quencher,' if
the materials were at hand. Without another word spoken on either
side, the lodger took from his great trunk, a kind of temple, shining as
of polished silver, and placed it carefully on the table.
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