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Chapter XII
At length, the crisis of the old man's disorder was past, and he began
to mend. By very slow and feeble degrees his consciousness came
back; but the mind was weakened and its functions were impaired. He
was patient, and quiet; often sat brooding, but not despondently, for a
long space; was easily amused, even by a sun-beam on the wall or
ceiling; made no complaint that the days were long, or the nights
tedious; and appeared indeed to have lost all count of time, and every
sense of care or weariness. He would sit, for hours together, with
Nell's small hand in his, playing with the fingers and stopping
sometimes to smooth her hair or kiss her brow; and, when he saw
that tears were glistening in her eyes, would look, amazed, about him
for the cause, and forget his wonder even while he looked.
The child and he rode out; the old man propped up with pillows, and
the child beside him. They were hand in hand as usual. The noise and
motion in the streets fatigued his brain at first, but he was not
surprised, or curious, or pleased, or irritated. He was asked if he
remembered this, or that. 'O yes,' he said, 'quite well - why not?'
Sometimes he turned his head, and looked, with earnest gaze and
outstretched neck, after some stranger in the crowd, until he
disappeared from sight; but, to the question why he did this, he
answered not a word.
He was sitting in his easy chair one day, and Nell upon a stool beside
him, when a man outside the door inquired if he might enter. 'Yes,' he
said without emotion, 'it was Quilp, he knew. Quilp was master there.
Of course he might come in.' And so he did.
'I'm glad to see you well again at last, neighbour,' said the dwarf,
sitting down opposite him. 'You're quite strong now?'
'
'
Yes,' said the old man feebly, 'yes.'
I don't want to hurry you, you know, neighbour,' said the dwarf,
raising his voice, for the old man's senses were duller than they had
been; 'but, as soon as you can arrange your future proceedings, the
better.'
'
'
Surely,' said the old man. 'The better for all parties.'
You see,' pursued Quilp after a short pause, 'the goods being once
removed, this house would be uncomfortable; uninhabitable in fact.'
'You say true,' returned the old man. 'Poor Nell too, what would she
do?'
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