Flora became heavier, and
that when the house was lightest she was too. Returning from the dismal
kitchen regions, which were as dreary as they could be, Mistress Affery
passed with the light into his father's old room, and then into the old
dining-room; always passing on before like a phantom that was not to be
overtaken, and neither turning nor answering when he whispered, 'Affery!
I want to speak to you!'

In the dining-room, a sentimental desire came over Flora to look into
the dragon closet which had so often swallowed Arthur in the days of his
boyhood--not improbably because, as a very dark closet, it was a likely
place to be heavy in. Arthur, fast subsiding into despair, had opened
it, when a knock was heard at the outer door.

Mistress Affery, with a suppressed cry, threw her apron over her head.

'What? You want another dose!' said Mr Flintwinch. 'You shall have it,
my woman, you shall have a good one! Oh! You shall have a sneezer, you
shall have a teaser!'

'In the meantime is anybody going to the door?' said Arthur.

'In the meantime, I am going to the door, sir,' returned the old man so
savagely, as to render it clear that in a choice of difficulties he felt
he must go, though he would have preferred not to go. 'Stay here the
while, all! Affery, my woman, move an inch, or speak a word in your
foolishness, and I'll treble your dose!'

The moment he was gone, Arthur released Mrs Finching: with some
difficulty, by reason of that lady misunderstanding his intentions, and
making arrangements with a view to tightening instead of slackening.

'Affery, speak to me now!'

'Don't touch me, Arthur!' she cried, shrinking from him. 'Don't come
near me. He'll see you. Jeremiah will. Don't.'

'He can't see me,' returned Arthur, suiting the action to the word, 'if
I blow the candle out.'

'He'll hear you,' cried Affery.

'He can't hear me,' returned Arthur, suiting the action to the words
again, 'if I draw you into this black closet, and speak here.

Why do you hide your face?'

'Because I am afraid of seeing something.'

'You can't be afraid of seeing anything in this darkness, Affery.'

'Yes I am. Much more than if it was light.'

'Why are you afraid?'

'Because the house is full of mysteries and secrets; because it's full
of whisperings and counsellings; because it's full of noises. There
never was such a house for noises. I shall die of 'em, if Jeremiah don't
strangle me first. As I expect he will.