The Old Curiosity Shop

tted under the circumstances already detailed, I yielded to it at length; and determining that t

out to pay is unexpected, and may not be very acceptable. However, as the door of the shop was shut, and it did not appear likely that I should be recognized

between them, for their voices which were raised to a very high pitch suddenly stopped on my entering,

an whom I had found in company with him; ‘this fellow will murder me

uld,’ returned the other, after bestowing a

m. ‘If oaths, or prayers, or words, could rid me of you, they shoul

t I? But neither oaths, or prayers, nor words, WIL

passionately clasping his hands and look

of one-and-twenty or thereabouts; well made, and certainly handsome, though the expression of his face was far from

till such time as I think fit to go, unless you send for assistance to put me o

’ said the ol

er, that you keep cooped up here, poisoning her mind with your sly secrets and pretending an affection for her that you may wo

r, who has forfeited every claim not only upon those who have the misfortune to be of his blood, but upon society which knows nothing of him but his misdeeds. A li

hope. The best they can do, is to keep an eye to their business and leave me to mind. There’s a friend of

panied, required a great quantity of persuasion to induce him to advance. At length there sauntered up, on the opposite side of the way — with a bad pretense of passing by accident — a fi

said the young fellow, pushing

reeable?’ said Mr Swiv

d a pig with a straw in his mouth issuing out of the tobacco-shop, from which appearance he augured that another fine week for the ducks was approaching, and that rain would certainly ensue. He furthermore took occasion to apologize for any negligence that m

taper of conwiviality, and the wing of friendship never moults a feather! What is the odds so long as the

chairman here,’ said

hem — we may be good and happy without riches, Fred. Say not another syllable. I know

ind,’ repled

he act.’ with that, he winked as if in preservation of some deep secret, and folding

sted of a brown body-coat with a great many brass buttons up the front and only one behind, a bright check neckerchief, a plaid waistcoat, soiled white trousers, and a very limp hat, worn with the wrong side foremost, to hide a hole in the brim. The breast of his coat was ornamented with an outside pocket from which there peeped forth the cleanest end of a very large and very ill-favoured handkerchief; his dirty wristbands were pulled on as far as possible and ostentatiously folded back over his cuffs; he displayed no gloves,

ey pleased. The young man reclined against a table at no great distance from his friend, in apparent indifference to everything that had passed; and I— who felt the difficulty of any interference, notwithstanding that

s that his heart was in the Highlands, and that he wanted but his Arab steed as a preliminary to the achiev

a had suddenly occurred to him, and speaking in the sam

ter?’ returned hi

IS he?’ s

hat do I care whet

nto a more general conversation, Mr Swiveller pl

f Westminster and Eton, after eating vast quantities of apples to conceal any scent of cigars from their anxious friends, were usually detected in consequence of their heads possessing this remarkable property; when he concluded that if the Royal Society would turn their attention to the circumstance, and endeavour to find in the resources of science a means of preventing such untoward revelations, they might indeed be looked upon as

ever moult a feather, the wing of relationship should never be clipped, but be always expanded and serene. Why should a grandson a

ongue,’ said

you shall never have another chance, nor the ghost of half a one.’ The wild young grandson makes answer to this and says, ‘You’re as rich as rich can be; you have been at no uncommon expense on my account, you’re saving up piles of money for my little sister that lives with you in a secret, stealthy, hugger-muggering kind of way and with no manner of enjoyment — why can’t you stand a trifle for your grown-up relation?’ The jolly old grandfather unto t

d, Mr Swiveller abruptly thrust the head of his cane into his mouth as if to pr

is grandson. ‘Why do you bring your prolifigate companions here? How often am

eturned the other, looking cold

said the old man. ‘Follow it. Lea

er, ‘and, bred in your faith, she’ll forget h

when you would have her memory keenest. Take care that the day don’t come when

oney?’ retorted the other. ‘H

‘how poor we are, and what a life it is! The cause is a young child’s guiltless of al

s, for he poked his friend with his cane and whispered his conviction that he had administered ‘a clincher,’ and that he expected a commission on the profits. Discovering his mistake after a while,