nably, and frightening--no, by-the-bye, you
said not frightening; permit me to apologise again--the esteemed lady,
Mrs Clennam, in her invalid chamber above stairs.'

Swagger and an air of authorised condescension do so much, that
Mr Flintwinch had already begun to think this a highly gentlemanly
personage. Not the less unyielding with him on that account, he scraped
his chin and said, what could he have the honour of doing for Mr
Blandois to-night, out of business hours?

'Faith!' returned that gentleman, shrugging his cloaked shoulders,
'I must change, and eat and drink, and be lodged somewhere. Have the
kindness to advise me, a total stranger, where, and money is a matter of
perfect indifference until to-morrow. The nearer the place, the better.
Next door, if that's all.'

Mr Flintwinch was slowly beginning, 'For a gentleman of your habits,
there is not in this immediate neighbourhood any hotel--' when Mr
Blandois took him up.

'So much for my habits! my dear sir,' snapping his fingers. 'A citizen
of the world has no habits. That I am, in my poor way, a gentleman,
by Heaven! I will not deny, but I have no unaccommodating prejudiced
habits. A clean room, a hot dish for dinner, and a bottle of not
absolutely poisonous wine, are all I want tonight. But I want that much
without the trouble of going one unnecessary inch to get it.'

'There is,' said Mr Flintwinch, with more than his usual deliberation,
as he met, for a moment, Mr Blandois' shining eyes, which were restless;
'there is a coffee-house and tavern close here, which, so far, I can
recommend; but there's no style about it.'

'I dispense with style!' said Mr Blandois, waving his hand. 'Do me the
honour to show me the house, and introduce me there (if I am not too
troublesome), and I shall be infinitely obliged.' Mr Flintwinch, upon
this, looked up his hat, and lighted Mr Blandois across the hall again.
As he put the candle on a bracket, where the dark old panelling almost
served as an extinguisher for it, he bethought himself of going up to
tell the invalid that he would not be absent five minutes. 'Oblige me,'
said the visitor, on his saying so, 'by presenting my card of visit. Do
me the favour to add that I shall be happy to wait on Mrs Clennam, to
offer my personal compliments, and to apologise for having occasioned
any agitation in this tranquil corner, if it should suit her convenience
to endure the presence of a stranger for a few minutes, after he sh