Where is there one of my size, you dog?' returned Quilp. 'Take the

key, or I'll brain you with it' - indeed he gave him a smart tap with the

handle as he spoke. 'Now, open the counting-house.'

The boy sulkily complied, muttering at first, but desisting when he

looked round and saw that Quilp was following him with a steady

look. And here it may be remarked, that between this boy and the

dwarf that existed a strange kind of mutual liking. How born or bred,

and or nourished upon blows and threats on one side, and retorts and

defiances on the other, is not to the purpose. Quilp would certainly

suffer nobody to contract him but the boy, and the boy would

assuredly not have submitted to be so knocked about by anybody but

Quilp, when he had the power to run away at any time he chose.

Now,' said Quilp, passing into the wooden counting-house, 'you mind

the wharf. Stand upon your head agin, and I'll cut one of your feet off.'

The boy made no answer, but directly Quilp had shut himself in,

stood on his head before the door, then walked on his hands to the

back and stood on his head there, and then to the opposite side and

repeated the performance. There were indeed four sides to the

counting-house, but he avoided that one where the window was,

deeming it probable that Quilp would be looking out of it. This was

prudent, for in point of fact, the dwarf, knowing his disposition, was

lying in wait at a little distance from the sash armed with a large piece

of wood, which, being rough and jagged and studded in many parts

with broken nails, might possibly have hurt him.

It was a dirty little box, this counting-house, with nothing in it but an

old ricketty desk and two stools, a hat-peg, an ancient almanack, an

inkstand with no ink, and the stump of one pen, and an eight-day

clock which hadn't gone for eighteen years at least, and of which the

minute-hand had been twisted off for a tooth-pick. Daniel Quilp pulled

his hat over his brows, climbed on to the desk (which had a flat top)

and stretching his short length upon it went to sleep with ease of an

old pactitioner; intending, no doubt, to compensate himself for the

deprivation of last night's rest, by a long and sound nap.

Sound it might have been, but long it was not, for he had not been

asleep a quarter of an hour when the boy opened the door and thrust

in his head, which was like a bundle of badly-picked oakum. Quilp

was a light sleeper and started up directly.

Here's somebody for you,' said the boy.

Who?'

I don't know.'

The Old Curiosity Shop