登陆注册
15323700000108

第108章

We'll look about for a second-hand stool, sir.In the meantime, if Mr Swiveller will take my seat, and try his hand at a fair copy of this ejectment, as I shall be out pretty well all the morning--'

'Walk with me,' said Quilp.'I have a word or two to say to you on points of business.Can you spare the time?'

'Can I spare the time to walk with you, sir? You're joking, sir, you're joking with me,' replied the lawyer, putting on his hat.

'I'm ready, sir, quite ready.My time must be fully occupied indeed, sir, not to leave me time to walk with you.It's not everybody, sir, who has an opportunity of improving himself by the conversation of Mr Quilp.'

The dwarf glanced sarcastically at his brazen friend, and, with a short dry cough, turned upon his heel to bid adieu to Miss Sally.

After a very gallant parting on his side, and a very cool and gentlemanly sort of one on hers, he nodded to Dick Swiveller, and withdrew with the attorney.

Dick stood at the desk in a state of utter stupefaction, staring with all his might at the beauteous Sally, as if she had been some curious animal whose like had never lived.When the dwarf got into the street, he mounted again upon the window-sill, and looked into the office for a moment with a grinning face, as a man might peep into a cage.Dick glanced upward at him, but without any token of recognition; and long after he had disappeared, still stood gazing upon Miss Sally Brass, seeing or thinking of nothing else, and rooted to the spot.

Miss Brass being by this time deep in the bill of costs, took no notice whatever of Dick, but went scratching on, with a noisy pen, scoring down the figures with evident delight, and working like a steam-engine.There stood Dick, gazing now at the green gown, now at the brown head-dress, now at the face, and now at the rapid pen, in a state of stupid perplexity, wondering how he got into the company of that strange monster, and whether it was a dream and he would ever wake.At last he heaved a deep sigh, and began slowly pulling off his coat.

Mr Swiveller pulled off his coat, and folded it up with great elaboration, staring at Miss Sally all the time; then put on a blue jacket with a double row of gilt buttons, which he had originally ordered for aquatic expeditions, but had brought with him that morning for office purposes; and, still keeping his eye upon her, suffered himself to drop down silently upon Mr Brass's stool.Then he underwent a relapse, and becoming powerless again, rested his chin upon his hand, and opened his eyes so wide, that it appeared quite out of the question that he could ever close them any more.

When he had looked so long that he could see nothing, Dick took his eyes off the fair object of his amazement, turned over the leaves of the draft he was to copy, dipped his pen into the inkstand, and at last, and by slow approaches, began to write.But he had not written half-a-dozen words when, reaching over to the inkstand to take a fresh dip, he happened to raise his eyes.There was the intolerable brown head-dress--there was the green gown--there, in short, was Miss Sally Brass, arrayed in all her charms, and more tremendous than ever.

This happened so often, that Mr Swiveller by degrees began to feel strange influences creeping over him--horrible desires to annihilate this Sally Brass--mysterious promptings to knock her head-dress off and try how she looked without it.There was a very large ruler on the table; a large, black, shining ruler.Mr Swiveller took it up and began to rub his nose with it.

From rubbing his nose with the ruler, to poising it in his hand and giving it an occasional flourish after the tomahawk manner, the transition was easy and natural.In some of these flourishes it went close to Miss Sally's head; the ragged edges of the head-dress fluttered with the wind it raised; advance it but an inch, and that great brown knot was on the ground: yet still the unconscious maiden worked away, and never raised her eyes.

Well, this was a great relief.It was a good thing to write doggedly and obstinately until he was desperate, and then snatch up the ruler and whirl it about the brown head-dress with the consciousness that he could have it off if he liked.It was a good thing to draw it back, and rub his nose very hard with it, if he thought Miss Sally was going to look up, and to recompense himself with more hardy flourishes when he found she was still absorbed.

By these means Mr Swiveller calmed the agitation of his feelings, until his applications to the ruler became less fierce and frequent, and he could even write as many as half-a-dozen consecutive lines without having recourse to it--which was a great victory.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 脚气治法总要

    脚气治法总要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 似水正年华

    似水正年华

    成长终究是一个人的事,开始时可以在年轻的光辉下肆无忌惮,在一次次的青春荷尔蒙中慢慢认清自己,然后在某一次的心灵触动中忽然觉醒或顿悟,进而开始鄙视往事、揣测将来,抛弃初心或许可以走得轻松,却愈加迷失了方向!但人远比自己想象的要强大,当回头拾起初心的时候才现自己走了一段自己都没想到的路!原来成长路上的每段旅程都很重要……
  • 王俊凯风吹过的夏天,love

    王俊凯风吹过的夏天,love

    男主王俊凯,女主叶梦祎。相遇,相识,相知,相恋,异地,最后在一起。经历了许多故事,有悲伤,有浪漫,有煽情,有寂寞,成就了一个完美的爱情青春故事,献给我们为TF付出十年的真心。
  • 重生之拯救女主

    重生之拯救女主

    季赫从一个默默无闻路人甲变成了模特圈最受瞩目的男模,从一个男模转型成为商人,从一个连男配都算不上的炮灰到如今在江禾面前不停刷存在感。谁说这个世界上女主就一定是死心塌地的爱着男主,放弃那些远比男主更好的男配?他重新来过,这是希望这一次让江禾幸福的除了他不是别人。
  • 从前有一个情感论坛

    从前有一个情感论坛

    从前有一个情感论坛,里面常驻一群奇葩。论坛体,含BG/BL/GL,一个故事一对CP。
  • 好习惯好性格成就好孩子

    好习惯好性格成就好孩子

    本书是一套家庭教育类图书,它是从多个角度全方位打造教育新理念,为广大父母排忧解难,以中外历史上的优秀家庭教育实例来引导读者,并提出了切实可行的教育方案。
  • 万点凡心

    万点凡心

    300年的尘封和等待将在此时掀开帷幕,300年的变迁这大陆早的善良早已被垠没,夏带着期待和师傅的期望寻找希望!为了羁绊和正义!舞吧!狂草,尽情舞蹈!
  • 一吻成瘾:恋上帝国老公

    一吻成瘾:恋上帝国老公

    一个错误的开端,将尹夏茉送到豪门世家公子贺少秋面前。两人情迷一场,对他,是解脱。对她,是无尽痛苦的开端。一夜情被揭发,尹夏茉成为了全校笑柄,被当众羞辱时,贺少秋天神般登场,他摘下墨镜,走到尹夏茉身边,搂住她的肩,对众人扬声道:“她的男人,是我。”尹夏茉从那一刻就明白,她这辈子都栽在这个男人手上了。
  • 千幻之旅

    千幻之旅

    千幻国王子天耀凯撒出征之际遭人暗算,迷惘中,突然出现来历不明的蓝发女孩,忠心耿耿的骑士,旅途中认识的伙伴,让他决心夺回一切。可是,真的只是谋权篡位这么简单吗?
  • 武仙帝

    武仙帝

    乾国人皇年迈,贵族固化腐败,寒门再难出贵子。北边战事将起,加上连年饥荒,千万流民南下,妖魔鬼怪横行,江山大祸将起。与此同时,南蛮之地,一个少年传奇拉开序幕。