ived at this
conclusion, he communicated to Mr Swiveller as much of his meditations
as he thought proper (Dick would have been perfectly satisfied with
less), and giving him the day to recover himself from his late
salamandering, accompanied him at evening to Mr Quilp's house.

Mighty glad Mr Quilp was to see them, or mightily glad he seemed to be;
and fearfully polite Mr Quilp was to Mrs Quilp and Mrs jiniwin; and
very sharp was the look he cast on his wife to observe how she was
affected by the recognition of young Trent. Mrs Quilp was as innocent
as her own mother of any emotion, painful or pleasant, which the sight
of him awakened, but as her husband's glance made her timid and
confused, and uncertain what to do or what was required of her, Mr
Quilp did not fail to assign her embarrassment to the cause he had in
his mind, and while he chuckled at his penetration was secretly
exasperated by his jealousy.

Nothing of this appeared, however. On the contrary, Mr Quilp was all
blandness and suavity, and presided over the case-bottle of rum with
extraordinary open-heartedness.

'Why, let me see,' said Quilp. 'It must be a matter of nearly two
years since we were first acquainted.'

'Nearer three, I think,' said Trent.

'Nearer three!' cried Quilp. 'How fast time flies. Does it seem as
long as that to you, Mrs Quilp?'

'Yes, I think it seems full three years, Quilp,' was the unfortunate
reply.

'Oh indeed, ma'am,' thought Quilp, 'you have been pining, have you?
Very good, ma'am.'

'It seems to me but yesterday that you went out to Demerara in the Mary
Anne,' said Quilp; 'but yesterday, I declare. Well, I like a little
wildness. I was wild myself once.'

Mr Quilp accompanied this admission with such an awful wink, indicative
of old rovings and backslidings, that Mrs Jiniwin was indignant, and
could not forbear from remarking under her breath that he might at
least put off his confessions until his wife was absent; for which act
of boldness and insubordination Mr Quilp first stared her out of
countenance and then drank her health ceremoniously.

'I thought you'd come back directly, Fred. I always thought that,'
said Quilp setting down his glass. 'And when the Mary Anne returned
with you on board, instead of a letter to say what a contrite heart you
had, and how happy you were in the situation that had been provided for
you, I was amused--exceedingly amused. Ha ha ha!'

The young man smiled, but not a