第74章

maybe，byanaccident。Sympathy，sympathy!’

’Itellyoubeforehand，MrBlandois，thatyou’llfinditverydingyandverybare，’saidJeremiah，takingupthecandle。’It’snotworthyourlookingat。’ButMrBlandois，smitinghiminafriendlymannerontheback，onlylaughed；sothesaidBlandoiskissedhishandagaintoMrsClennam，andtheywentoutoftheroomtogether。

’Youdon’tcaretogoup-stairs？’saidJeremiah，onthelanding。

’Onthecontrary，MrFlintwinch；ifnottiresometoyou，Ishallberavished!’

MrFlintwinch，therefore，wormedhimselfupthestaircase，andMrBlandoisfollowedclose。Theyascendedtothegreatgarretbed-

roomwhichArthurhadoccupiedonthenightofhisreturn。’There，MrBlandois!’saidJeremiah，showingit，’Ihopeyoumaythinkthatworthcomingsohightosee。IconfessIdon’t。’

MrBlandoisbeingenraptured，theywalkedthroughothergarretsandpassages，andcamedownthestaircaseagain。BythistimeMrFlintwinchhadremarkedthatheneverfoundthevisitorlookingatanyroom，afterthrowingonequickglancearound，butalwaysfoundthevisitorlookingathim，MrFlintwinch。Withthisdiscoveryinhisthoughts，heturnedaboutonthestaircaseforanotherexperiment。Hemethiseyesdirectly；andontheinstantoftheirfixingoneanother，thevisitor，withthatuglyplayofnoseandmoustache，laughed(ashehaddoneateverysimilarmomentsincetheyleftMrsClennam’schamber)adiabolicallysilentlaugh。

Asamuchshortermanthanthevisitor，MrFlintwinchwasatthephysicaldisadvantageofbeingthusdisagreeablyleeredatfromaheight；andashewentfirstdownthestaircase，andwasusuallyasteportwolowerthantheother，thisdisadvantagewasatthetimeincreased。HepostponedlookingatMrBlandoisagainuntilthisaccidentalinequalitywasremovedbytheirhavingenteredthelateMrClennam’sroom。But，thentwistinghimselfsuddenlyrounduponhim，hefoundhislookunchanged。

’Amostadmirableoldhouse，’smiledMrBlandois。’Somysterious。

Doyouneverhearanyhauntednoiseshere？’

’Noises，’returnedMrFlintwinch。’No。’

’Norseeanydevils？’

’Not，’saidMrFlintwinch，grimlyscrewinghimselfathisquestioner，’notanythatintroducethemselvesunderthatnameandinthatcapacity。’

’Haha!Aportraithere，Isee。’

(StilllookingatMrFlintwinch，asifheweretheportrait。)

’It’saportrait，sir，asyouobserve。’

’MayIaskthesubject，MrFlintwinch？’

’MrClennam，deceased。Herhusband。’

’Formerowneroftheremarkablewatch，perhaps？’saidthevisitor。

MrFlintwinch，whohadcasthiseyestowardstheportrait，twistedhimselfaboutagain，andagainfoundhimselfthesubjectofthesamelookandsmile。’Yes，MrBlandois，’herepliedtartly。’Itwashis，andhisuncle’sbeforehim，andLordknowswhobeforehim；

andthat’sallIcantellyouofitspedigree。’

’That’sastronglymarkedcharacter，MrFlintwinch，ourfriendup-

stairs。’

’Yes，sir，’saidJeremiah，twistinghimselfatthevisitoragain，ashedidduringthewholeofthisdialogue，likesomescrew-

machinethatfellshortofitsgrip；fortheotherneverchanged，andhealwaysfeltobligedtoretreatalittle。’Sheisaremarkablewoman。Greatfortitude——greatstrengthofmind。’

’Theymusthavebeenveryhappy，’saidBlandois。

’Who？’demandedMrFlintwinch，withanotherscrewathim。

MrBlandoisshookhisrightforefingertowardsthesickroom，andhisleftforefingertowardstheportrait，andthen，puttinghisarmsakimboandstridinghislegswideapart，stoodsmilingdownatMrFlintwinchwiththeadvancingnoseandtheretreatingmoustache。

’Ashappyasmostothermarriedpeo