little more of that, ma'am. A
question now arises, with relation to his nose.'

'Flat,' said Mrs Jiniwin.

'Aquiline!' cried Quilp, thrusting in his head, and striking the
feature with his fist. 'Aquiline, you hag. Do you see it? Do you
call this flat? Do you? Eh?'

'Oh capital, capital!' shouted Brass, from the mere force of habit.
'Excellent! How very good he is! He's a most remarkable man--so
extremely whimsical! Such an amazing power of taking people by
surprise!'

Quilp paid no regard whatever to these compliments, nor to the dubious
and frightened look into which the lawyer gradually subsided, nor to
the shrieks of his wife and mother-in-law, nor to the latter's running
from the room, nor to the former's fainting away. Keeping his eye
fixed on Sampson Brass, he walked up to the table, and beginning with
his glass, drank off the contents, and went regularly round until he
had emptied the other two, when he seized the case-bottle, and hugging
it under his arm, surveyed him with a most extraordinary leer.

'Not yet, Sampson,' said Quilp. 'Not just yet!'

'Oh very good indeed!' cried Brass, recovering his spirits a little.
'Ha ha ha! Oh exceedingly good! There's not another man alive who
could carry it off like that. A most difficult position to carry off.
But he has such a flow of good-humour, such an amazing flow!'

'Good night,' said the dwarf, nodding expressively.

'Good night, sir, good night,' cried the lawyer, retreating backwards
towards the door. 'This is a joyful occasion indeed, extremely joyful.
Ha ha ha! oh very rich, very rich indeed, remarkably so!'

Waiting until Mr Brass's ejaculations died away in the distance (for he
continued to pour them out, all the way down stairs), Quilp advanced
towards the two men, who yet lingered in a kind of stupid amazement.

'Have you been dragging the river all day, gentlemen?' said the dwarf,
holding the door open with great politeness.

'And yesterday too, master.'

'Dear me, you've had a deal of trouble. Pray consider everything yours
that you find upon the--upon the body. Good night!'

The men looked at each other, but had evidently no inclination to argue
the point just then, and shuffled out of the room. The speedy
clearance effected, Quilp locked the doors; and still embracing the
case-bottle with shrugged-up shoulders and folded arms, stood looking
at his insensible wife like a dismounted nightmare.

CHAPTER 50

Matrim