fondly at the wall, 'his linen which was always of a particular colour,

for such was his whim and fancy - how plain I see his linen now!'

'You had better go on, sir,' said Mrs Jiniwin impatiently.

'True, ma'am, true,' cried Mr Brass. 'Our faculties must not freeze

with grief. I'll trouble you for a little more of that, ma'am. A question

now arises, with relation to his nose.'

Flat,' said Mrs Jiniwin.

Aquiline!' cried Quilp, thrusting in his head, and striking the feature

with his fist. 'Aquiline, you hag. Do you see it? Do you call this flat?

Do you? Eh?'

Oh capital, capital!' shouted Brass, from the mere force of habit.

Excellent! How very good he is! He's a most remarkable man - so

extremely whimsical! Such an amazing power of taking people by

surprise!'

Quilp paid no regard whatever to these compliments, nor to the

dubious and frightened look into which the lawyer gradually subsided,

nor to the shrieks of his wife and mother-in-law, nor to the latter's

running from the room, nor to the former's fainting away. Keeping his

eye fixed on Sampson Brass, he walked up to the table, and beginning

with his glass, drank off the contents, and went regularly round until

he had emptied the other two, when he seized the case-bottle, and

hugging it under his arm, surveyed him with a most extraordinary

leer.

Not yet, Sampson,' said Quilp. 'Not just yet!'

Oh very good indeed!' cried Brass, recovering his spirits a little. 'Ha ha

ha! Oh exceedingly good! There's not another man alive who could

carry it off like that. A most difficult position to carry off. But he has

such a flow of good-humour, such an amazing flow!'

Good night,' said the dwarf, nodding expressively.

Good night, sir, good night,' cried the lawyer, retreating backwards

towards the door. 'This is a joyful occasion indeed, extremely joyful.

Ha ha ha! oh very rich, very rich indeed, remarkably so!'

Waiting until Mr Brass's ejaculations died away in the distance (for he

continued to pour them out, all the way down stairs), Quilp advanced

towards the two men, who yet lingered in a kind of stupid amazement.

The Old Curiosity Shop