第8章

’Doyouneverleaveyourroom，mother？’

’Whatwithmyrheumaticaffection，andwhatwithitsattendantdebilityornervousweakness——namesareofnomatternow——Ihavelosttheuseofmylimbs。Ineverleavemyroom。Ihavenotbeenoutsidethisdoorfor——tellhimforhowlong，’shesaid，speakingoverhershoulder。

’AdozenyearnextChristmas，’returnedacrackedvoiceoutofthedimnessbehind。

’IsthatAffery？’saidArthur，lookingtowardsit。

ThecrackedvoicerepliedthatitwasAffery：andanoldwomancameforwardintowhatdoubtfullighttherewas，andkissedherhandonce；thensubsidedagainintothedimness。

’Iamable，’saidMrsClennam，withaslightmotionofherworsted-

muffledrighthandtowardachaironwheels，standingbeforeatallwritingcabinetcloseshutup，’Iamabletoattendtomybusinessduties，andIamthankfulfortheprivilege。Itisagreatprivilege。Butnomoreofbusinessonthisday。Itisabadnight，isitnot？’

’Yes，mother。’

’Doesitsnow？’

’Snow，mother？AndweonlyyetinSeptember？’

’Allseasonsarealiketome，’shereturned，withagrimkindofluxuriousness。’Iknownothingofsummerandwinter，shutuphere。

TheLordhasbeenpleasedtoputmebeyondallthat。’Withhercoldgreyeyesandhercoldgreyhair，andherimmovableface，asstiffasthefoldsofherstonyhead-dress，——herbeingbeyondthereachoftheseasonsseemedbutafitsequencetoherbeingbeyondthereachofallchangingemotions。

Onherlittletablelaytwoorthreebooks，herhandkerchief，apairofsteelspectaclesnewlytakenoff，andanold-fashionedgoldwatchinaheavydoublecase。Uponthislastobjectherson’seyesandherownnowrestedtogether。

’IseethatyoureceivedthepacketIsentyouonmyfather’sdeath，safely，mother。’

’Yousee。’

’Ineverknewmyfathertoshowsomuchanxietyonanysubject，asthathiswatchshouldbesentstraighttoyou。’

’Ikeepithereasaremembranceofyourfather。’

’Itwasnotuntilthelast，thatheexpressedthewish；whenhecouldonlyputhishanduponit，andveryindistinctlysaytome“yourmother。“Amomentbefore，Ithoughthimwanderinginhismind，ashehadbeenformanyhours——Ithinkhehadnoconsciousnessofpaininhisshortillness——whenIsawhimturnhimselfinhisbedandtrytoopenit。’

’Wasyourfather，then，notwanderinginhismindwhenhetriedtoopenit？’

’No。Hewasquitesensibleatthattime。’

MrsClennamshookherhead；whetherindismissalofthedeceasedoropposingherselftoherson’sopinion，wasnotclearlyexpressed。

’Aftermyfather’sdeathIopeneditmyself，thinkingtheremightbe，foranythingIknew，somememorandumthere。However，asIneednottellyou，mother，therewasnothingbuttheoldsilkwatch-

paperworkedinbeads，whichyoufound(nodoubt)initsplacebetweenthecases，whereIfoundandleftit。’

MrsClennamsignifiedassent；thenadded，’Nomoreofbusinessonthisday，’andthenadded，’Affery，itisnineo’clock。’

Uponthis，theoldwomanclearedthelittletable，wentoutoftheroom，andquicklyreturnedwithatrayonwhichwasadishoflittlerusksandasmallprecisepatofbutter，cool，symmetrical，white，andplump。Theoldmanwhohadbeenstandingbythedoorinoneattitudeduringthewholeinterview，lookingatthemotherup-

stairsashehadlookedatthesondown-stairs，wentoutatthesametime，and，afteralongerabsence，returnedwithanothertrayonwhichwasthegreaterpartofabottleofportwine(which，tojudgebyhispanting，hehadbroughtfromthecellar)，alemon，asugar-basin，andaspicebox。Withthesematerialsandtheaidofthekettle，hefilledatumblerwithahotandodorousmixture，measuredoutandcompoundedwithasmuchnicetyasaphysician’sprescription。IntothismixtureMrsClennamdippedcertainoftherusks，andatethem；whiletheoldwomanbutteredcertainotheroftherusks，whichweretobeeatenalone。Whentheinvalidhadeatenalltherusksanddrunkallthemixture，thetwotrayswereremoved；andthebooksandthecandle，watch，handkerchief，andspectacleswerereplaceduponthetable。Shethenputonthespectaclesandreadcertainpassagesaloudfromabook——sternly，fiercely，wrathfully——prayingthatherenemies(shemadethembyhertoneandmannerexpresslyhers)mightbeputtotheedgeofthesword，consumedbyfire，smittenbyplaguesandleprosy，thattheirbonesmightbegroundtodust，andthattheymightbeutterlyexterminated。Asshereadon，yearsseemedtofallawayfromhersonliketheimaginingsofadream，andalltheolddarkhorrorsofhisusualpreparationforthesleepofaninnocentchildtoovershadowhim。

Sheshutthebookandremainedforalittletimewithherfaceshadedbyherhand。Sodidtheoldman，otherwisestillunchangedinattitude；so，probably，didtheoldwomaninherdimmerpartoftheroom。Thenthesickwomanwasreadyforbed。

’Goodnight，Arthur。Afferywillseetoyouraccommodation。Onlytouchme，formyhandistender。’Hetouchedtheworstedmufflingofherhand——thatwasnothing；ifhismotherhadbeensheathedinbrasstherewouldhavebeennonewbarrierbetweenthem——andfollowedtheoldmanandwomandown-stairs。

Thelatteraskedhim，whentheywerealonetogetheramongtheheavyshadowsofthedining-room，wouldhehavesomesupper？

’No，Affery，nosupper。’

’Youshallifyoulike，’saidAffery。’There’shertomorrow’spartridgeinthelarder——herfirstthisyear；saythewordandI’llcookit。’

No，hehadnotlongdined，andcouldeatnothing。

’Havesomethingtodrink，then，’saidAffery；’youshallhavesomeofherbottleofport，ifyoulike。I’lltellJeremiahthatyouorderedmetobringityou。’

No；norwouldhehavethat，either。

’It’snoreason，Arthur，’saidtheoldwoman，bendingoverhimtowhisper，’thatbecauseIamafearedofmylifeof’em，youshouldbe。You’vegothalftheproperty，haven’tyou？’

’Yes，yes。’

’Wellthen，don’tyoubecowed。You’reclever，Arthur，an’tyou？

’

Henodded，assheseemedtoexpectananswerintheaffirmative。

’Thenstandupagainstthem!She’sawfulclever，andnonebutacleveronedurstsayawordtoher。HE’Sacleverone——oh，he’sacleverone!——andhegivesitherwhenhehasamindto’t，hedoes!’

’Yourhusbanddoes？’

’Does？Itmakesmeshakefromheadtofoot，tohearhimgiveither。Myhusband，JeremiahFlintwinch，canconquerevenyourmother。Whatcanhebebutacleveronetodothat!’

Hisshufflingfootstepcomingtowardsthemcausedhertoretreattotheotherendoftheroom。Thoughatall，hard-favoured，sinewyoldwoman，whoinheryouthmighthaveenlistedintheFootGuardswithoutmuchfearofdiscovery，shecollapsedbeforethelittlekeen-eyedcrab-likeoldman。

’Now，Affery，’saidhe，’now，woman，whatareyoudoing？Can’tyoufindMasterArthursomethingoranothertopickat？’

MasterArthurrepeatedhisrecentrefusaltopickatanything。

’Verywell，then，’saidtheoldman；’makehisbed。Stiryourself。’Hisneckwassotwistedthattheknottedendsofhiswhitecravatusuallydangledunderoneear；hisnaturalacerbityandenergy，alwayscontendingwithasecondnatureofhabitualrepression，gavehisfeaturesaswollenandsuffusedlook；andaltogether，hehadaweirdappearanceofhavinghangedhimselfatonetimeorother，andofhavinggoneabouteversince，halterandall，exactlyassometimelyhandhadcuthimdown。

’You’llhavebitterwordstogetherto-morrow，Arthur；youandyourmother，’saidJeremiah。’Yourhavinggivenupthebusinessonyourfather’sdeath——whichshesuspects，thoughwehaveleftittoyoutotellher——won’tgooffsmoothly。’

’Ihavegivenupeverythinginlifeforthebusiness，andthetimecameformetogiveupthat。’

’Good!’criedJeremiah，evidentlymeaningBad。’Verygood!onlydon’texpectmetostandbetweenyourmotherandyou，Arthur。I

stoodbetweenyourmotherandyourfather，fendingoffthis，andfendingoffthat，andgettingcrushedandpoundedbetwixtem；andI’vedonewithsuchwork。’

’Youwillneverbeaskedtobeginitagainforme，Jeremiah。’

’Good。I’mgladtohearit；becauseIshouldhavehadtodeclineit，ifIhadbeen。That’senough——asyourmothersays——andmorethanenoughofsuchmattersonaSabbathnight。Affery，woman，haveyoufoundwhatyouwantyet？’

Shehadbeencollectingsheetsandblanketsfromapress，andhastenedtogatherthemup，andtoreply，’Yes，Jeremiah。’ArthurClennamhelpedherbycarryingtheloadhimself，wishedtheoldmangoodnight，andwentup-stairswithhertothetopofthehouse。

Theymountedupandup，throughthemustysmellofanoldclosehouse，littleused，toalargegarretbed-room。Meagreandspare，likealltheotherrooms，itwasevenuglierandgrimmerthantherest，bybeingtheplaceofbanishmentfortheworn-outfurniture。

Itsmovableswereuglyoldchairswithworn-outseats，anduglyoldchairswithoutanyseats；athreadbarepatternlesscarpet，amaimedtable，acrippledwardrobe，aleansetoffire-ironsliketheskeletonofasetdeceased，awashing-standthatlookedasifithadstoodforagesinahailofdirtysoapsuds，andabedsteadwithfourbareatomiesofposts，eachterminatinginaspike，asifforthedismalaccommodationoflodgerswhomightprefertoimpalethemselves。Arthuropenedthelonglowwindow，andlookedoutupontheoldblastedandblackenedforestofchimneys，andtheoldredglareinthesky，whichhadseemedtohimonceuponatimebutanightlyreflectionofthefieryenvironmentthatwaspresentedtohischildishfancyinalldirections，letitlookwhereitwould。

Hedrewinhisheadagain，satdownatthebedside，andlookedonatAfferyFlintwinchmakingthebed。

’Affery，youwerenotmarriedwhenIwentaway。’

Shescrewedhermouthintotheformofsaying’No，’shookherhead，andproceededtogetapillowintoitscase。

’Howdidithappen？’

’Why，Jeremiah，o’course，’saidAffery，withanendofthepillow-

casebetweenherteeth。

’Ofcourseheproposedit，buthowdiditallcomeabout？Ishouldhavethoughtthatneitherofyouwouldhavemarried；leastofallshouldIhavethoughtofyourmarryingeachother。’