Dick nodded assent, and drained his glass.

Let them know my humour,' said the single gentleman, rising. 'If they

disturb me, they lose a good tenant. If they know me to be that, they

know enough. If they try to know more, it's a notice to quit. It's better

to understand these things at once. Good day.'

I beg your pardon,' said Dick, halting in his passage to the door,

which the lodger prepared to open. 'When he who adores thee has left

but the name - '

What do you mean?'

- But the name,' said Dick - 'has left but the name - in case of letters

or parcels - '

I never have any,' returned the lodger.

Or in the case anybody should call.'

Nobody ever calls on me.'

If any mistake should arise from not having the name, don't say it

was my fault, Sir,' added Dick, still lingering. - 'Oh blame not the bard

I'll blame nobody,' said the lodger, with such irascibility that in a

moment Dick found himself on the staircase, and the locked door

between them.

Mr Brass and Miss Sally were lurking hard by, having been, indeed,

only routed from the keyhole by Mr Swiveller's abrupt exit. As their

utmost exertions had not enabled them to overhear a word of the

interview, however, in consequence of a quarrel for precedence, which,

though limited of necessity to pushes and pinches and such quiet

pantomime, had lasted the whole time, they hurried him down to the

office to hear his account of the conversation.

This Mr Swiveller gave them - faithfully as regarded the wishes and

character of the single gentleman, and poetically as concerned the

great trunk, of which he gave a description more remarkable for

brilliancy of imagination than a strict adherence to truth; declaring,

with many strong asseverations, that it contained a specimen of every

kind of rich food and wine, known in these times, and in particular

that it was of a self-acting kind and served up whatever was required,

as he supposed by clock-work. He also gave them to understand that

the cooking apparatus roasted a fine piece of sirloin of beef, weighing

about six pounds avoir-dupoise, in two minutes and a quarter, as he

The Old Curiosity Shop