Читать книгу The Old Curiosity Shop / Лавка древностей - Чарльз Диккенс, Geoffrey Palmer, Miriam Margolyes - Страница 11

The old man was in a raging fever accompanied with delirium. The child was more alone than she had ever been before. The house was no longer theirs. Mr. Quilp took formal possession of the premises and all upon them. The dwarf proceeded to establish himself and his coadjutor in the house.

First, he put an effectual stop to any further business by shutting up the shop. His coadjutor, Mr. Brass[31], was an attorney of no very good repute. He was a tall, meagre man, with a nose like a wen, a protruding forehead, retreating eyes, and hair of a deep red. He wore a long black surtout[32] reaching nearly to his ankles, short black trousers, high shoes, and bluish-grey stockings[33]. He had a cringing manner, but a very harsh voice.

Quilp looked at his legal adviser[34], and was quite overjoyed and rubbed his hands with glee.

“Is it good, Brass, is it nice, is it fragrant?” said Quilp. He smoked a lot. “This is the way to keep off fever, this is the way to keep off every calamity of life!”

“Shall we stop here long, Mr. Quilp?” inquired his legal friend.

“We must stop, I suppose, till the old gentleman upstairs is dead,” returned Quilp.

“He he he!” laughed Mr. Brass, “Oh! Very good!”

“Smoke!” cried Quilp. “Never stop! you can talk as you smoke. Don’t lose time.”

“He he he!” cried Brass faintly. “But if he should get better, Mr. Quilp?”

“Then we shall stop till he does, and no longer,” returned the dwarf.

The sentinel at the door interposed in this place, and without taking his pipe from his lips, growled:

“Here’s the girl coming down.”

“Aha! Nelly! Oh!” said Quilp, “My dear young friend! How is he now, my lady?”

“He’s very bad,” replied the weeping child.

“What a pretty little Nell!” cried Quilp.

“Oh beautiful, sir, beautiful indeed,” said Brass. “Quite charming!”

“Has Nell come to sit upon Quilp’s knee,” said the dwarf, “or is she going to bed in her own little room inside here? What is poor Nelly going to do?”

“What a remarkable pleasant way he has with children!” muttered Brass.

“I’m not going to stay at all,” faltered Nell. “I want a few things out of that room, and then I won’t come down here any more.”

“You’re sure you’re not going to use that little room anymore; you’re sure you’re not coming back, Nelly?’

“No,” replied the child, hurrying away, with the few articles of dress “never again! Never again.”

“She’s very sensitive,” said Quilp, looking after her. “Very sensitive; that’s a pity. The bed is just my size. I think I shall make it my little room.”

The dwarf threw himself on his back upon the child’s bed with his pipe in his mouth. Mr. Brass applauded this picture very much.