| 362 | 363 | 364 | 365 | 366 |
| 1 | 133 | 265 | 398 | 530 |
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mourning scene of which he had been a hidden witness, marked these
symptoms of uneasiness with a delight past all expression, and
derived from them a secret joy which the costliest banquet could never
have afforded him.
It is worthy of remark, too, as illustrating a little feature in the
character of Miss Sally Brass, that, although on her own account she
would have borne the discomforts of the Wilderness with a very ill
grace, and would probably, indeed, have walked off before the tea
appeared, she no sooner beheld the latent uneasiness and misery of
her brother than she developed a grim satisfaction, and began to enjoy
herself after her own manner. Though the wet came stealing through
the roof and trickling down upon their heads, Miss Brass uttered no
complaint, but presided over the tea equipage with imperturbable
composure. While Mr Quilp, in his uproarious hospitality, seated
himself upon an empty beer-barrel, vaunted the place as the most
beautiful and comfortable in the three kingdoms, and elevating his
glass, drank to their next merry-meeting in that jovial spot; and Mr
Brass, with the rain plashing down into his tea-cup, made a dismal
attempt to pluck up his spirits and appear at his ease; and Tom Scott,
who was in waiting at the door under an old umbrella, exulted in his
agonies, and bade fair to split his sides with laughing; while all this
was passing, Miss Sally Brass, unmindful of the wet which dripped
down upon her own feminine person and fair apparel, sat placidly
behind the tea-board, erect and grizzly, contemplating the
unhappiness of her brother with a mind at ease, and content, in her
amiable disregard of self, to sit there all night, witnessing the
torments which his avaricious and grovelling nature compelled him to
endure and forbade him to resent. And this, it must be observed, or
the illustration would be incomplete, although in a business point of
view she had the strongest sympathy with Mr Sampson, and would
have been beyond measure indignant if he had thwarted their client in
any one respect.
In the height of his boisterous merriment, Mr Quilp, having on some
pretence dismissed his attendant sprite for the moment, resumed his
usual manner all at once, dismounted from his cask, and laid his
hand upon the lawyer's sleeve.
'
A word,' said the dwarf, 'before we go farther. Sally, hark'ee for a
minute.'
Miss Sally drew closer, as if accustomed to business conferences with
their host which were the better for not having air.
'
Business,' said the dwarf, glancing from brother to sister. 'Very
private business. Lay your heads together when you're by yourselves.'
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