CHAPTER 2

ppywithoutriches,Fred.Saynotanothersyllable.Iknowmycuesmartistheword.Onlyonelittlewhisper,Fred—istheoldminfriendly?’ ‘Neveryoumind,’repliedhisfriend. ‘Rightagain,quiteright,’saidMrSwiveller,‘cautionistheword,andcautionistheact.’withthat,hewinkedasifinpreservationofsomedeepsecret,andfoldinghisarmsandleaningbackinhischair,lookedupattheceilingwithprofoundgravity. Itwasperhapsnotveryunreasonabletosuspectfromwhathadalreadypassed,thatMrSwivellerwasnotquiterecoveredfromtheeffectsofthepowerfulsunlighttowhichhehadmadeallusionbutifnosuchsuspicionhadbeenawakenedbyhisspeech,hiswiryhair,dulleyes,andsallowfacewouldstillhavebeenstrongwitnessesagainsthim.Hisattirewasnot,ashehadhimselfhinted,remarkableforthenicestarrangement,butwasinastateofdisorderwhichstronglyinducedtheideathathehadgonetobedinit.Itconsistedofabrownbody-coatwithagreatmanybrassbuttonsupthefrontandonlyonebehind,abrightcheckneckerchief,aplaidwaistcoat,soiledwhitetrousers,andaverylimphat,wornwiththewrongsideforemost,tohideaholeinthebrim.Thebreastofhiscoatwasornamentedwithanoutsidepocketfromwhichtherepeepedforththecleanestendofaverylargeandveryill-favouredhandkerchiefhisdirtywristbandswerepulledonasfaraspossibleandostentatiouslyfoldedbackoverhiscuffshedisplayednogloves,andcarriedayellowcanehavingatthetopabonehandwiththesemblanceofaringonitslittlefingerandablackballinitsgrasp.Withallthesepersonaladvantages(towhichmaybeaddedastrongsavouroftobacco-smoke,andaprevailinggreasinessofappearance)MrSwivellerleantbackinhischairwithhiseyesfixedontheceiling,andoccasionallypitchinghisvoicetotheneedfulkey,obligedthecompanywithafewbarsofanintenselydismalair,andthen,inthemiddleofanote,relapsedintohisformersilence. Theoldmansathimselfdowninachair,andwithfoldedhands,lookedsometimesathisgrandsonandsometimesathisstrangecompanion,asifhewereutterlypowerlessandhadnoresourcebuttoleavethemtodoastheypleased.Theyoungmanreclinedagainstatableatnogreatdistancefromhisfriend,inapparentindifferencetoeverythingthathadpassedandI—whofeltthedifficultyofanyinterference,notwithstandingthattheoldmanhadappealedtome,bothbywordsandlooks—madethebestfeintIcouldofbeingoccupiedinexaminingsomeofthegoodsthatweredisposedforsale,andpayingverylittleattentiontoapersonbeforeme. Thesilencewasnotoflongduration,forMrSwiveller,afterfavouringuswithseveralmelodiousassurancesthathisheartwasintheHighlands,andthathewantedbuthisArab