The Mystery of Edwin Drood

-a custom, perhaps, like some few other customs, more conventional than fa

Sapsea is very proud of this, and of his voice, and of his style. He has even (in selling landed property) tried the experiment of slightly intoning in his pulpit, to make himself more like what he takes to be the genuin

and another roll in his gait; not to mention a certain gravely flowing action with his hands, as if he were presently going to Confirm the individual with whom he holds discourse. Much nearer sixty years of age than fifty, with a flowing outline of stomach, and horizonta

riorating generations found, more and more, that they preferred air and light to Fever and the Plague. Over the doorway is a wooden effigy, about half life-size, representing Mr. S

n a table before the fire-the fire is an early luxury, but pleasant on the cool, chilly autumn evening-and is characteristically attended by his portrait, his eight-

psea reads it to himself with a lofty air, and then, slowly pacing the room with his thumbs in the arm-holes of his w

aid entering, and announcing 'Mr. Jasper is come, sir,' Mr. Sapsea wave

the honour of receiving you here for the first time.'

onour is mine and the sel

s what I would not say to everybody.' Ineffable loftiness on Mr. Sapsea's part accompanies these words, as leaving the sentence t

ime desired to kno

s a man of taste. Let me fill your glass. I will

French c

et them a

fancy, and he is therefore fully convinced of

, watching the auctioneer with a smile as the latter stretc

reply, 'I think I know somet

and made me wish to know you. For Cloisterham is a little place. Cooped up i

. Sapsea begins, and then stops:-'You will excuse me cal

ll me

ock. I never saw him before, in my life, but I instantly lay my finger on him and say "Paris!" I see some cups and saucers of Chinese make, equally strangers to me personally: I put my finger on them, then and there, and I say "Pekin, Nankin, and

y, Mr. Sapsea, of acquiring a

placency, 'because, as I say, it don't do to boast of what yo

e were to speak of t

as a man of taste on this little trifle'-holding it up-'which is but a trifle, and still has required some thought, sir, some

en and calls up a look of interest. It is a little impaired in its expressi

at it now is, for that might seem to aim at too much, but up to the pitch of wanting another mind to be absor

to commit this orig

k place on half holidays, or in vacation time. The world did put it about, that she admired my style. The world did notice that as time flowed by, my style became traceable in the dictation-exercises of Miss Brobity's pupils. Young man, a whisper even sprang up in obscure m

andiloquent state of absence of mind, seems to refill his visitor's glas

the two words, "O Thou!" meaning myself. Her limpid blue eyes were fixed upon me, her semi-transparent hands were clasped together, pallor overspread her aquiline features, and, though encouraged to proceed, she never did proceed a word further. I disposed of the parallel establishment by private

He now abruptly opens them, and says, in unison with the deepened voice

ner; I have been since, as I say, wasting my evening conversation on the desert air. I will not say that I have reproached myself; but there have been times when I have asked myse

having fallen into dreadfully low spi

, Man proposes, Heaven disposes. It may or may not be putting

er murmu

, let me take your opinion, as a man of taste, on the inscription I have (as I before remarked, not without some little fever of the brow) drawn

ying, sees and r

ELI

ntial

OMAS S

VALUER, ESTA

his

wledge of

omewhat

ht him acqu

SP

capab

g up t

GER,

hyself th

HOU DO

N

BLUSH

the countenance of a man of taste, consequently has his face towards the door, when his serving-maid, again appearing, announces, '

Mr. Jasper, handi

pprove

rove. Striking, charac

giving a receipt; and invites the entering Durdles to take of

erham boy-populace, and sleep off fumes of liquor: he having ready access to the Cathedral, as contractor for rough repairs. Be this as it may, he does know much about it, and, in the demolition of impedimental fragments of wall, buttress, and pavement, has seen strange sights. He often speaks of himself in the third person; perhaps, being a little misty as to his own identity, when he narrates; perhaps impartially adopting the Cloisterham nomenclature in reference to a character of acknowledged distinction. Thus he will say, touching his strange sights: 'Durdles come upon the old chap,' in

without it, but because of its having been, on certain renowned occasions, taken into custody along with Durdles (as drunk and incapable), and exhibited before the Bench of justices at the townhall. These occasions, however, have been few and far apart: Durdles being as seldom drunk as sober. For the rest, he is an old bachelor, and he lives in a little antiquated hole of a house that was never finished: supposed to be built, so far, of ston

that precious effort of his Muse. Durdles unfeelingly takes out his two-

e monument, is

Mr. Sapsea waits for its

nch,' says Durdles. 'Your servant

e you D

ombatism on me, Mr. Jasper

n a sharp tone. (He is nettled by having

at Durdles means. You get among them Tombs afore it's well light on a winter morning, and keep on, as t

e,' Mr. Jasper assents, w

he bitterness is to Durdles, down in the crypt among the earthy damps there, and the dead breath of the old

to rush into publication, replies t

t me have the key

not to be put ins

apsea; no man better. Ask 'ere a man in Cl

rawer, unlocks an iron safe let into t

, inside or outside, Durdles likes to look at his work all round, and

side-pocket of his flannel trousers made for it, and deliberately opens his flannel coat, and opens

per, looking on amused, 'you

oo, Mr. Jasper. Feel those!' p

kewise. Surely this is t

hey all belong to monuments. They all open Durdles's work. Durdl

the keys, 'I have been going to ask you, many a day, and have always

ows me as Durdl

t, of course. But

ung imps of boys-' Durd

a discussion the other day among the Choir, whether S

f the wards,

for Stephen;' clinking

a pitch pipe of '

comes from your trade

d from his idly stooping attitude over the fire, and delive

is two keys back into his pocket one by one, and buttons them up; he takes his dinner-bundle from the chair-back on which he hung it when he came in; he distributes the w

ening until pretty late. Mr. Sapsea's wisdom being, in its delivery to mortals, rather of the diffuse than the epigrammatic order, is by no means expended even then; but his visit