rectly. The
two returning together--the lady in advance, and Mr Flintwinch coming up
briskly behind, animated with the hope of shaking her before she could
get housed--saw the gentleman standing in the same place in the dark,
and heard the strong voice of Mrs Clennam calling from her room, 'Who is
it? What is it? Why does no one answer? Who is that, down there?'

CHAPTER 30. The Word of a Gentleman

When Mr and Mrs Flintwinch panted up to the door of the old house in the
twilight, Jeremiah within a second of Affery, the stranger started back.
'Death of my soul!' he exclaimed. 'Why, how did you get here?'

Mr Flintwinch, to whom these words were spoken, repaid the stranger's
wonder in full. He gazed at him with blank astonishment; he looked over
his own shoulder, as expecting to see some one he had not been aware of
standing behind him; he gazed at the stranger again, speechlessly, at
a loss to know what he meant; he looked to his wife for explanation;
receiving none, he pounced upon her, and shook her with such heartiness
that he shook her cap off her head, saying between his teeth, with grim
raillery, as he did it, 'Affery, my woman, you must have a dose, my
woman! This is some of your tricks! You have been dreaming again,
mistress. What's it about? Who is it? What does it mean! Speak out or be
choked! It's the only choice I'll give you.'

Supposing Mistress Affery to have any power of election at the moment,
her choice was decidedly to be choked; for she answered not a syllable
to this adjuration, but, with her bare head wagging violently backwards
and forwards, resigned herself to her punishment. The stranger, however,
picking up her cap with an air of gallantry, interposed.

'Permit me,' said he, laying his hand on the shoulder of Jeremiah, who
stopped and released his victim. 'Thank you. Excuse me. Husband and
wife I know, from this playfulness. Haha! Always agreeable to see that
relation playfully maintained. Listen! May I suggest that somebody
up-stairs, in the dark, is becoming energetically curious to know what
is going on here?'

This reference to Mrs Clennam's voice reminded Mr Flintwinch to step
into the hall and call up the staircase. 'It's all right, I am here,
Affery is coming with your light.' Then he said to the latter
flustered woman, who was putting her cap on, 'Get out with you, and get
up-stairs!' and then turned to the stranger and said to him, 'Now, sir,
what might you please to want