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'
Perhaps you'd like a bit of cake' - said Dick, at last turning to the
dwarf. 'You're quite welcome to it. You ought to be, for it's of your
making.'
'
What do you mean?' said Quilp.
Mr Swiveller replied by taking from his pocket a small and very greasy
parcel, slowly unfolding it, and displaying a little slab of plum-cake
extremely indigestible in appearance, and bordered with a paste of
white sugar an inch and a half deep.
'
'
'
What should you say this was?' demanded Mr Swiveller.
It looks like bride-cake,' replied the dwarf, grinning.
And whose should you say it was?' inquired Mr Swiveller, rubbing the
pastry against his nose with a dreadful calmness. 'Whose?'
'Not - '
'Yes,' said Dick, 'the same. You needn't mention her name. There's no
such name now. Her name is Cheggs now, Sophy Cheggs. Yet loved I
as man never loved that hadn't wooden legs, and my heart, my heart
is breaking for the love of Sophy Cheggs.'
With this extemporary adaptation of a popular ballad to the
distressing circumstances of his own case, Mr Swiveller folded up the
parcel again, beat it very flat between the palms of his hands, thrust it
into his breast, buttoned his coat over it, and folded his arms upon
the whole.
'
Now, I hope you're satisfied, sir,' said Dick; 'and I hope Fred's
satisfied. You went partners in the mischief, and I hope you like it.
This is the triumph I was to have, is it? It's like the old country-dance
of that name, where there are two gentlemen to one lady, and one has
her, and the other hasn't, but comes limping up behind to make out
the figure. But it's Destiny, and mine's a crusher.'
Disguising his secret joy in Mr Swiveller's defeat, Daniel Quilp adopted
the surest means of soothing him, by ringing the bell, and ordering in
a supply of rosy wine (that is to say, of its usual representative), which
he put about with great alacrity, calling upon Mr Swiveller to pledge
him in various toasts derisive of Cheggs, and eulogistic of the
happiness of single men. Such was their impression on Mr Swiveller,
coupled with the reflection that no man could oppose his destiny, that
in a very short space of time his spirits rose surprisingly, and he was
enabled to give the dwarf an account of the receipt of the cake, which,
it appeared, had been brought to Bevis Marks by the two surviving
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