The Old Curiosity Shop

ed the sadness and sorrow of her thoughts, or the heaviness of the

loom and loneliness, a constant fear of in some way committing or injuring the old man to whom she was so tenderly attached, had restr

the old man struck down beneath the pressure of some hidden grief, to mark his wavering and unsettled state, to be agitated at times with a dreadful fear that his mind was wandering, and to trace in his words and looks the dawning of despondent madness; to watch and wait and listen for confirmation of these things day after day, and to feel and know that, come what might, they we

same smile for him, the same earnest words, the same merry laugh, the same love and care that, sinking deep into his soul, seemed to have been present to him through his whole life. And so he went on, c

sterner and more grim by her gay and cheerful presence. But, now, the chambers were cold and gloomy, and when she left her own little room to while away the tedious hours,

y a long evening, and often far into the night, alone and thoughtful. None are so anxious as t

t everything was in its place and hadn’t moved; and looking out into the street again, would perhaps see a man passing with a coffin on his back, and two or three others silently following him to a house where somebody lay dead; which made her shudder and think of such things until they suggested afresh the old man’s altered face and manner, and a new train of fears and speculations. If he were to die — if sudden illness had happened to him, and he were never to come home again, alive — if, one night, he should come home, and kiss and bless her as usual, and after she had gone to bed and had fallen asleep and was perhaps dreaming pleasantly, and smiling in her sleep, he should kill himself and his blood come creeping, creeping, on the ground to her own bed-room door! These thoughts we

itself visible by some strange light of its own, how terrified she would be. But these fears vanished before a well-trimmed lamp and the familiar aspect of her own room. After praying fervently, and with many bursting tears, for the old man, and the restoration of his

n weak and ill all day, said he should not leave home. The child’s eyes sparkled at t

ar, days have passed, and there is n

old you, dear gra

My head fails me. What was it that he told thee? Nothing more than

him again to-morrow, dear grandfather? Very ear

ad, and sighing mournful

with his assistance, be recompensed for all the time and money I have lost, and all the agony of mind I have undergone, which make

e child boldly. ‘Let us b

py!’ said the old

and impassioned gesture, ‘I am not a child in that I think, but even if I am, oh hear me pray that w

said th

nd are paler and weaker every day, let me be your nurse and try to comfort you. If you are poor, let us be poor together; but let me be with you, do let me be with you; do

his hands, and hid it in the pil

and never think of money again, or anything that can make you sad, but rest at nights, and have the sun and wind upon our faces in the day, and thank God together! Let us never set foot in dark rooms

bs as she dropped upon the old m

his accustomed grin. Standing, however, being a tiresome attitude to a gentleman already fatigued with walking, and the dwarf being one of that kind of persons who usually make themselves at home, he soon cast his eyes upon a chair, into which he skipped with uncommon agility, and perching himself on the back with his feet upon the seat, was thus enabled to look on and listen with greater comfort to himself, besides gratifying at the same time

to say, and half doubting its reality, looked shrinkingly at it. Not at all disconcerted by this reception, Daniel Quilp preserved the same a

e small enough to get through key-holes. I wish I was. I want to have some talk with yo

, who nodded to her to ret

s, ‘what a nice kiss that was — just u

looked after her with an admiring leer, and when she had clos

aid Quilp, nursing his short leg, and making his eyes twi

eeling of the keenest and most exquisite impatience. It was not lost upon Q

ing ways — but bless me, you’re nervous! Why neighbour, what’s the matter? I swear to you,’ continued the dwarf dismounting from the chair and sitting down in it, with a careful slowness of gesture very different from the rapidity with wh

ead with both hands. ‘There’s burning fever here, and

and down the room, and presently returned to his seat. Here he remained, with h

r all, have you br

eturned

his hands desperately, and looking

le to attract his wandering attention, ‘let me be plain with you, and play a fairer game than when

looked up,

, I say; no, not one. For now, I know, that all those sums of money, that all those loans, adv

he old man, ‘say

fortune, was it; this was the secret certain source of wealth in which I was to have sunk my money (

upon him with gleaming eyes, ‘it w

said Quilp looking contemptuously a

. Whom did it prosper? Who were those with whom I played? Men who lived by plunder, profligacy, and riot; squandering their gold in doing ill, and propagating vice and evil. My winnings would have been from them, my winnings would have been bestowed to the last

ed Quilp, his taunting inclination subdued, for

think how little I had saved, how long a time it took to save at all, how short a time I might have at my age to live, and how she would be left t

o get your precious grandson

nths. Then I began. I found no pleasure in it, I expected none. What has it ever brought me but anxiou

yourself a beggar, eh? Dear me! And so it comes to pass that I hold every security you could scrape together, and a bill of sale upon the — upon the s

he old man. ‘Never

n played long enough he was sure to win at la

irst, I have always known it, I’ve seen it, I never felt it half so strongly as I feel it now. Quilp, I have dreamed, three nights, of winning the same large sum, I never cou

d his shoulders a

g hand, and clasping the dwarf’s arm, ‘only see here. Look at these figures, the result of long calculation, and painfu

enty,’ said the dwarf; ‘a

is hand fluttered as if they were shaken by the wind, ‘that orphan child! If I were alone, I could die with gladness — perhaps even anticipate that doom which is dealt out so unequally: coming, as it does, on the

is watch with perfect self-possession, ‘or I should have been very glad t

ce, of her poor mother’s story. The fear of her coming to poverty has perhaps been bred in me by that. Do not be ha

this is a circumstance worth bearing in mind as showing how the sharpest among us may be take

ting fortune, and to make her tr

ose who knew you of being rich, and your repeated assurances that you would make of my advances treble and quadruple the interest you paid me, that

, ‘that, notwithstanding all my caution, told

isclosure of the artifice he had employed, which, as nothing was to be gained by it,

boy; he played the spy, and you t

the dwarf in a tone of great commis

leave: stopping when he had passed the outer door a li

arf than could be seen anywhere for a penny, wasn’t it. Ha ha ha! Poor Kit!