’Doyouneverleaveyourroom，mother？’
’Whatwithmyrheumaticaffection，andwhatwithitsattendantdebilityornervousweakness——namesareofnomatternow——Ihavelosttheuseofmylimbs。Ineverleavemyroom。Ihavenotbeenoutsidethisdoorfor——tellhimforhowlong，’shesaid，speakingoverhershoulder。
’AdozenyearnextChristmas，’returnedacrackedvoiceoutofthedimnessbehind。
’IsthatAffery？’saidArthur，lookingtowardsit。
ThecrackedvoicerepliedthatitwasAffery：andanoldwomancameforwardintowhatdoubtfullighttherewas，andkissedherhandonce；thensubsidedagainintothedimness。
’Iamable，’saidMrsClennam，withaslightmotionofherworsted-
muffledrighthandtowardachaironwheels，standingbeforeatallwritingcabinetcloseshutup，’Iamabletoattendtomybusinessduties，andIamthankfulfortheprivilege。Itisagreatprivilege。Butnomoreofbusinessonthisday。Itisabadnight，isitnot？’
’Yes，mother。’
’Doesitsnow？’
’Snow，mother？AndweonlyyetinSeptember？’
’Allseasonsarealiketome，’shereturned，withagrimkindofluxuriousness。’Iknownothingofsummerandwinter，shutuphere。
TheLordhasbeenpleasedtoputmebeyondallthat。’Withhercoldgreyeyesandhercoldgreyhair，andherimmovableface，asstiffasthefoldsofherstonyhead-dress，——herbeingbeyondthereachoftheseasonsseemedbutafitsequencetoherbeingbeyondthereachofallchangingemotions。
Onherlittletablelaytwoorthreebooks，herhandkerchief，apairofsteelspectaclesnewlytakenoff，andanold-fashionedgoldwatchinaheavydoublecase。Uponthislastobjectherson’seyesandherownnowrestedtogether。
’IseethatyoureceivedthepacketIsentyouonmyfather’sdeath，safely，mother。’
’Yousee。’
’Ineverknewmyfathertoshowsomuchanxietyonanysubject，asthathiswatchshouldbesentstraighttoyou。’
’Ikeepithereasaremembranceofyourfather。’
’Itwasnotuntilthelast，thatheexpressedthewish；whenhecouldonlyputhishanduponit，andveryindistinctlysaytome“yourmother。“Amomentbefore，Ithoughthimwanderinginhismind，ashehadbeenformanyhours——Ithinkhehadnoconsciousnessofpaininhisshortillness——whenIsawhimturnhimselfinhisbedandtrytoopenit。’
’Wasyourfather，then，notwanderinginhismindwhenhetriedtoopenit？’
’No。Hewasquitesensibleatthattime。’
MrsClennamshookherhead；whetherindismissalofthedeceasedoropposingherselftoherson’sopinion，wasnotclearlyexpressed。
’Aftermyfather’sdeathIopeneditmyself，thinkingtheremightbe，foranythingIknew，somememorandumthere。However，asIneednottellyou，mother，therewasnothingbuttheoldsilkwatch-
paperworkedinbeads，whichyoufoundnodoubtinitsplacebetweenthecases，whereIfoundandleftit。’
MrsClennamsignifiedassent；thenadded，’Nomoreofbusinessonthisday，’andthenadded，’Affery，itisnineo’clock。’
Uponthis，theoldwomanclearedthelittletable，wentoutoftheroom，andquicklyreturnedwithatrayonwhichwasadishoflittlerusksandasmallprecisepatofbutter，cool，symmetrical，white，andplump。Theoldmanwhohadbeenstandingbythedoorinoneattitudeduringthewholeinterview，lookingatthemotherup-
stairsashehadlookedatthesondown-stairs，wentoutatthesametime，and，afteralongerabsence，returnedwithanothertrayonwhichwasthegreaterpartofabottleofportwinewhich，tojudgebyhispanting，hehadbroughtfromthecellar，alemon，asugar-basin，andaspicebox。Withthesematerialsandtheaidofthekettle，hefilledatumblerwithahotandodorousmixture，measuredoutandcompoundedwithasmuchnicetyasaphysician’sprescription。IntothismixtureMrsClennamdippedcertainoftherusks，andatethem；whiletheoldwomanbutteredcertainotheroftherusks，whichweretobeeatenalone。Whentheinvalidhadeatenalltherusksanddrunkallthemixture，thetwotrayswereremoved；andthebooksandthecandle，watch，handkerchief，andspectacleswerereplaceduponthetable。Shethenputonthespectaclesandreadcertainpassagesaloudfromabook——sternly，fiercely，wrathfully——prayingthatherenemiesshemadethembyhertoneandmannerexpresslyhersmightbeputtotheedgeofthesword，consumedbyfire，smittenbyplaguesandleprosy，thattheirbonesmightbegroundtodust，andthattheymightbeutterlyexterminated。Asshereadon，yearsseemedtofallawayfromhersonliketheimaginingsofadream，andalltheolddarkhorrorsofhisusualpreparationforthesleepofaninnocentchildtoovershadowhim。
Sheshutthebookandremainedforalittletimewithherfaceshadedbyherhand。Sodidtheoldman，otherwisestillunchangedinattitude；so，probably，didtheoldwomaninherdimmerpartoftheroom。Thenthesickwomanwasreadyforbed。
’Goodnight，Arthur。Afferywillseetoyouraccommodation。Onlytouchme，formyhandistender。’Hetouchedtheworstedmufflingofherhand——thatwasnothing；ifhismotherhadbeensheathedinbrasstherewouldhavebeennonewbarrierbetweenthem——andfollowedtheoldmanandwomandown-stairs。
Thelatteraskedhim，whentheywerealonetogetheramongtheheavyshadowsofthedining-room，wouldhehavesomesupper？
’No，Affery，nosupper。’
’Youshallifyoulike，’saidAffery。’There’shertomorrow’spartridgeinthelarder——herfirstthisyear；saythewordandI’llcookit。’
No，hehadnotlongdined，andcouldeatnothing。
’Havesomethingtodrink，then，’saidAffery；’youshallhavesomeofherbottleofport，ifyoulike。I’lltellJeremiahthatyouorderedmetobringityou。’
No；norwouldhehavethat，either。
’It’snoreason，Arthur，’saidtheoldwoman，bendingoverhimtowhisper，’thatbecauseIamafearedofmylifeof’em，youshouldbe。You’vegothalftheproperty，haven’tyou？’
’Yes，yes。’
’Wellthen，don’tyoubecowed。You’reclever，Arthur，an’tyou？
’
Henodded，assheseemedtoexpectananswerintheaffirmative。
’Thenstandupagainstthem!She’sawfulclever，andnonebutacleveronedurstsayawordtoher。HE’Sacleverone——oh，he’sacleverone!——andhegivesitherwhenhehasamindto’t，hedoes!’
’Yourhusbanddoes？’
’Does？Itmakesmeshakefromheadtofoot，tohearhimgiveither。Myhusband，JeremiahFlintwinch，canconquerevenyourmother。Whatcanhebebutacleveronetodothat!’
Hisshufflingfootstepcomingtowardsthemcausedhertoretreattotheotherendoftheroom。Thoughatall，hard-favoured，sinewyoldwoman，whoinheryouthmighthaveenlistedintheFootGuardswithoutmuchfearofdiscovery，shecollapsedbeforethelittlekeen-eyedcrab-likeoldman。
’Now，Affery，’saidhe，’now，woman，whatareyoudoing？Can’tyoufindMasterArthursomethingoranothertopickat？’
MasterArthurrepeatedhisrecentrefusaltopickatanything。
’Verywell，then，’saidtheoldman；’makehisbed。Stiryourself。’Hisneckwassotwistedthattheknottedendsofhiswhitecravatusuallydangledunderoneear；hisnaturalacerbityandenergy，alwayscontendingwithasecondnatureofhabitualrepression，gavehisfeaturesaswollenandsuffusedlook；andaltogether，hehadaweirdappearanceofhavinghangedhimselfatonetimeorother，andofhavinggoneabouteversince，halterandall，exactlyassometimelyhandhadcuthimdown。
’You’llhavebitterwordstogetherto-morrow，Arthur；youandyourmother，’saidJeremiah。’Yourhavinggivenupthebusinessonyourfather’sdeath——whichshesuspects，thoughwehaveleftittoyoutotellher——won’tgooffsmoothly。’
’Ihavegivenupeverythinginlifeforthebusiness，andthetimecameformetogiveupthat。’
’Good!’criedJeremiah，evidentlymeaningBad。’Verygood!onlydon’texpectmetostandbetweenyourmotherandyou，Arthur。I
stoodbetweenyourmotherandyourfather，fendingoffthis，andfendingoffthat，andgettingcrushedandpoundedbetwixtem；andI’vedonewithsuchwork。’
’Youwillneverbeaskedtobeginitagainforme，Jeremiah。’
’Good。I’mgladtohearit；becauseIshouldhavehadtodeclineit，ifIhadbeen。That’senough——asyourmothersays——andmorethanenoughofsuchmattersonaSabbathnight。Affery，woman，haveyoufoundwhatyouwantyet？’
Shehadbeencollectingsheetsandblanketsfromapress，andhastenedtogatherthemup，andtoreply，’Yes，Jeremiah。’ArthurClennamhelpedherbycarryingtheloadhimself，wishedtheoldmangoodnight，andwentup-stairswithhertothetopofthehouse。
Theymountedupandup，throughthemustysmellofanoldclosehouse，littleused，toalargegarretbed-room。Meagreandspare，likealltheotherrooms，itwasevenuglierandgrimmerthantherest，bybeingtheplaceofbanishmentfortheworn-outfurniture。
Itsmovableswereuglyoldchairswithworn-outseats，anduglyoldchairswithoutanyseats；athreadbarepatternlesscarpet，amaimedtable，acrippledwardrobe，aleansetoffire-ironsliketheskeletonofasetdeceased，awashing-standthatlookedasifithadstoodforagesinahailofdirtysoapsuds，andabedsteadwithfourbareatomiesofposts，eachterminatinginaspike，asifforthedismalaccommodationoflodgerswhomightprefertoimpalethemselves。Arthuropenedthelonglowwindow，andlookedoutupontheoldblastedandblackenedforestofchimneys，andtheoldredglareinthesky，whichhadseemedtohimonceuponatimebutanightlyreflectionofthefieryenvironmentthatwaspresentedtohischildishfancyinalldirections，letitlookwhereitwould。
Hedrewinhisheadagain，satdownatthebedside，andlookedonatAfferyFlintwinchmakingthebed。
’Affery，youwerenotmarriedwhenIwentaway。’
Shescrewedhermouthintotheformofsaying’No，’shookherhead，andproceededtogetapillowintoitscase。
’Howdidithappen？’
’Why，Jeremiah，o’course，’saidAffery，withanendofthepillow-
casebetweenherteeth。
’Ofcourseheproposedit，buthowdiditallcomeabout？Ishouldhavethoughtthatneitherofyouwouldhavemarried；leastofallshouldIhavethoughtofyourmarryingeachother。’