Mr Quilp unintentionally adopted the very best means he could have

devised for the recovery of his young visitor, by patting her on the

head. Such an application from any other hand might not have

produced a remarkable effect, but the child shrank so quickly from

his touch and felt such an instinctive desire to get out of his reach,

that she rose directly and declared herself ready to return.

But you'd better wait, and dine with Mrs Quilp and me.' said the

dwarf.

'I have been away too long, sir, already,' returned Nell, drying her

eyes.

Well,' said Mr Quilp, 'if you will go, you will, Nelly. Here's the note. It's

only to say that I shall see him to-morrow or maybe next day, and that

I couldn't do that little business for him this morning. Good-bye,

Nelly. Here, you sir; take care of her, d'ye hear?'

Kit, who appeared at the summons, deigned to make no reply to so

needless an injunction, and after staring at Quilp in a threatening

manner, as if he doubted whether he might not have been the cause of

Nelly shedding tears, and felt more than half disposed to revenge the

fact upon him on the mere suspicion, turned about and followed his

young mistress, who had by this time taken her leave of Mrs Quilp

and departed.

'You're a keen questioner, an't you, Mrs Quilp?' said the dwarf,

turning upon her as soon as they were left alone.

'What more could I do?' returned his wife mildly?

What more could you do!' sneered Quilp, 'couldn't you have done

something less? Couldn't you have done what you had to do, without

appearing in your favourite part of the crocodile, you minx?'

'I am very sorry for the child, Quilp,' said his wife. 'Surely I've done

enough. I've led her on to tell her secret she supposed we were alone;

and you were by, God forgive me.'

You led her on! You did a great deal truly!' said Quilp. 'What did I tell

you about making me creak the door? It's lucky for you that from

what she let fall, I've got the clue I want, for if I hadn't, I'd have visited

the failure upon you, I can tell you.'

Mrs Quilp being fully persuaded of this, made no reply. Her husband

added with some exultation,

The Old Curiosity Shop