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She held up her muffled fingers that he might touch them with his, according to their usual custom, and he stood over her wheeled chair to touch her face with his lips. He thought, then, that her cheek was more strained than usual, and that it was colder. As he followed the direction of her eyes, in rising again, towards Mr Flintwinchs good friend, Mr Blandois, Mr Blandois snapped his finger and thumb with one loud contemptuous snap. I leave youryour business acquaintance in my mothers room, Mr Flintwinch, said Clennam, with a great deal of surprise and a great deal of unwillingness. The person referred to snapped his finger and thumb again. Good night, mother. Good night. I had a friend once, my good comrade Flintwinch, said Blandois, standing astride before the fire, and so evidently saying it to arrest Clennams retreating steps, that he lingered near the door; I had a friend once, who had heard so much of the dark side of this city and its ways, that he wouldnt have confided himself alone by night with two people who had an interest in getting him under the groundmy faith! not even in a respectable house like thisunless he was bodily too strong for them. Bah! What a poltroon, my Flintwinch! Eh? A cur, sir. Agreed! A cur. But he wouldnt have done it, my Flintwinch, unless he had known them to have the will to silence him, without the power. He wouldnt have drunk from a glass of water under such circumstancesnot even in a respectable house like this, my Flintwinchunless he had seen one of them drink first, and swallow too! Disdaining to speak, and indeed not very well able, for he was half-choking, Clennam only glanced at the visitor as he passed out. The visitor saluted him with another parting snap, and his nose came down over his moustache and his moustache went up under his nose, in an ominous and ugly smile. For Heavens sake, Affery, whispered Clennam, as she opened the door for him in the dark hall, and he groped his way to the sight of the night-sky, what is going on here? Her own appearance was sufficiently ghastly, standing in the dark with her apron thrown over her head, and speaking behind it in a low, deadened voice. Dont ask me anything, Arthur. Ive been in a dream for ever so long. Go away! He went out, and she shut the door upon him. He looked up at the windows of his mothers room, and the dim light, deadened by the yellow blinds, seemed to say a response after Affery, and to mutter, Dont ask me anything. Go away! |
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