MistressAffery，whosefearofthunderandlightningwasonlytobeequalledbyherdreadofthehauntedhousewithaprematureandpreternaturaldarknessinit，stoodundecidedwhethertogoinornot，untilthequestionwassettledforherbythedoorblowinguponherinaviolentgustofwindandshuttingherout。’What’stobedonenow，what’stobedonenow!’criedMistressAffery，wringingherhandsinthislastuneasydreamofall；’whenshe’sallalonebyherselfinside，andcannomorecomedowntoopenitthanthechurchyarddeadthemselves!’
Inthisdilemma，MistressAffery，withherapronasahoodtokeeptherainoff，rancryingupanddownthesolitarypavedenclosureseveraltimes。Whysheshouldthenstoopdownandlookinatthekeyholeofthedoorasifaneyewouldopenit，itwouldbedifficulttosay；butitisnonethelesswhatmostpeoplewouldhavedoneinthesamesituation，anditiswhatshedid。
Fromthispostureshestartedupsuddenly，withahalfscream，feelingsomethingonhershoulder。Itwasthetouchofahand；ofaman’shand。
Themanwasdressedlikeatraveller，inaforagingcapwithfuraboutit，andaheapofcloak。Helookedlikeaforeigner。Hehadaquantityofhairandmoustache——jetblack，exceptattheshaggyends，whereithadatingeofred——andahighhooknose。HelaughedatMistressAffery’sstartandcry；andashelaughed，hismoustachewentupunderhisnose，andhisnosecamedownoverhismoustache。
’What’sthematter？’heaskedinplainEnglish。’Whatareyoufrightenedat？’
’Atyou，’pantedAffery。
’Me，madam？’
’Andthedismalevening，and——andeverything，’saidAffery。’Andhere!Thewindhasbeenandblownthedoorto，andIcan’tgetin。’
’Hah!’saidthegentleman，whotookthatverycoolly。’Indeed!DoyouknowsuchanameasClennamabouthere？’
’Lordblessus，IshouldthinkIdid，IshouldthinkIdid!’criedAffery，exasperatedintoanewwringingofhandsbytheinquiry。
’Whereabouthere？’
’Where!’criedAffery，goadedintoanotherinspectionofthekeyhole。’Wherebuthereinthishouse？Andshe’sallaloneinherroom，andlosttheuseofherlimbsandcan’tstirtohelpherselforme，andt’othercleverone’sout，andLordforgiveme!’
criedAffery，drivenintoafranticdancebytheseaccumulatedconsiderations，’ifIain’ta-goingheadlongoutofmymind!’
Takingawarmerviewofthematternowthatitconcernedhimself，thegentlemansteppedbacktoglanceatthehouse，andhiseyesoonrestedonthelongnarrowwindowofthelittleroomnearthehall-
door。
’Wheremaytheladybewhohaslosttheuseofherlimbs，madam？’
heinquired，withthatpeculiarsmilewhichMistressAfferycouldnotchoosebutkeephereyesupon。
’Upthere!’saidAffery。’Themtwowindows。’
’Hah!Iamofafairsize，butcouldnothavethehonourofpresentingmyselfinthatroomwithoutaladder。Now，madam，frankly——franknessisapartofmycharacter——shallIopenthedoorforyou？’
’Yes，blessyou，sir，foradearcreetur，anddoitatonce，’criedAffery，’forshemaybea-callingtomeatthisverypresentminute，ormaybesettingherselfafireandburningherselftodeath，orthere’snoknowingwhatmaybehappeningtoher，andmea-goingoutofmymindatthinkingofit!’
’Stay，mygoodmadam!’Herestrainedherimpatiencewithasmoothwhitehand。’Business-hours，Iapprehend，areoverfortheday？’
’Yes，yes，yes，’criedAffery。’Longago。’
’Letmemake，then，afairproposal。Fairnessisapartofmycharacter。Iamjustlandedfromthepacket-boat，asyoumaysee。’
Heshowedherthathiscloakwasverywet，andthathisbootsweresaturatedwithwater；shehadpreviouslyobservedthathewasdishevelledandsallow，asiffromaroughvoyage，andsochilledthathecouldnotkeephisteethfromchattering。’Iamjustlandedfromthepacket-boat，madam，andhavebeendelayedbytheweather：theinfernalweather!Inconsequenceofthis，madam，somenecessarybusinessthatIshouldotherwisehavetransactedherewithintheregularhoursnecessarybusinessbecausemoney-
business，stillremainstobedone。Now，ifyouwillfetchanyauthorisedneighbouringsomebodytodoitinreturnformyopeningthedoor，I’llopenthedoor。Ifthisarrangementshouldbeobjectionable，I’ll——’andwiththesamesmilehemadeasignificantfeintofbackingaway。
MistressAffery，heartilygladtoeffecttheproposedcompromise，gaveinherwillingadhesiontoit。Thegentlemanatoncerequestedhertodohimthefavourofholdinghiscloak，tookashortrunatthenarrowwindow，madealeapatthesill，clunghiswayupthebricks，andinamomenthadhishandatthesash，raisingit。Hiseyeslookedsoverysinister，asheputhislegintotheroomandglancedroundatMistressAffery，thatshethoughtwithasuddencoldness，ifheweretogostraightup-stairstomurdertheinvalid，whatcouldshedotopreventhim？
Happilyhehadnosuchpurpose；forhereappeared，inamoment，atthehousedoor。’Now，mydearmadam，’hesaid，ashetookbackhiscloakandthrewiton，’ifyouhavethegoodnessto——whattheDevil’sthat!’
Thestrangestofsounds。Evidentlycloseathandfromthepeculiarshockitcommunicatedtotheair，yetsubduedasifitwerefaroff。Atremble，arumble，andafallofsomelightdrymatter。
’WhattheDevilisit？’
’Idon’tknowwhatitis，butI’veheardthelikeofitoverandoveragain，’saidAffery，whohadcaughthisarm。
Hecouldhardlybeaverybraveman，evenshethoughtinherdreamystartandfright，forhistremblinglipshadturnedcolourless。
Afterlisteningafewmoments，hemadelightofit。
’Bah!Nothing!Now，mydearmadam，Ithinkyouspokeofsomecleverpersonage。Willyoubesogoodastoconfrontmewiththatgenius？’Heheldthedoorinhishand，asthoughhewerequitereadytoshutheroutagainifshefailed。
’Don’tyousayanythingaboutthedoorandme，then，’whisperedAffery。
’Notaword。’
’Anddon’tyoustirfromhere，orspeakifshecalls，whileIrunroundthecorner。’
’Madam，Iamastatue。’
Afferyhadsovividafearofhisgoingstealthilyup-stairsthemomentherbackwasturned，thatafterhurryingoutofsight，shereturnedtothegatewaytopeepathim。Seeinghimstillonthethreshold，moreoutofthehousethaninit，asifhehadnolovefordarknessandnodesiretoprobeitsmysteries，sheflewintothenextstreet，andsentamessageintothetaverntoMrFlintwinch，whocameoutdirectly。Thetworeturningtogether——theladyinadvance，andMrFlintwinchcomingupbrisklybehind，animatedwiththehopeofshakingherbeforeshecouldgethoused——
sawthegentlemanstandinginthesameplaceinthedark，andheardthestrongvoiceofMrsClennamcallingfromherroom，’Whoisit？
Whatisit？Whydoesnooneanswer？Whoisthat，downthere？’
CHAPTER30
TheWordofaGentlemanWhenMrandMrsFlintwinchpanteduptothedooroftheoldhouseinthetwilight，JeremiahwithinasecondofAffery，thestrangerstartedback。’Deathofmysoul!’heexclaimed。’Why，howdidyougethere？’
MrFlintwinch，towhomthesewordswerespoken，repaidthestranger’swonderinfull。Hegazedathimwithblankastonishment；helookedoverhisownshoulder，asexpectingtoseesomeonehehadnotbeenawareofstandingbehindhim；hegazedatthestrangeragain，speechlessly，atalosstoknowwhathemeant；
helookedtohiswifeforexplanation；receivingnone，hepounceduponher，andshookherwithsuchheartinessthatheshookhercapoffherhead，sayingbetweenhisteeth，withgrimraillery，ashedidit，’Affery，mywoman，youmusthaveadose，mywoman!Thisissomeofyourtricks!Youhavebeendreamingagain，mistress。
What’sitabout？Whoisit？Whatdoesitmean!Speakoutorbechoked!It’stheonlychoiceI’llgiveyou。’
SupposingMistressAfferytohaveanypowerofelectionatthemoment，herchoicewasdecidedlytobechoked；forsheanswerednotasyllabletothisadjuration，but，withherbareheadwaggingviolentlybackwardsandforwards，resignedherselftoherpunishment。Thestranger，however，pickinguphercapwithanairofgallantry，interposed。
’Permitme，’saidhe，layinghishandontheshoulderofJeremiah，whostoppedandreleasedhisvictim。’Thankyou。Excuseme。
HusbandandwifeIknow，fromthisplayfulness。Haha!Alwaysagreeabletoseethatrelationplayfullymaintained。Listen!MayIsuggestthatsomebodyup-stairs，inthedark，isbecomingenergeticallycurioustoknowwhatisgoingonhere？’
ThisreferencetoMrsClennam’svoiceremindedMrFlintwinchtostepintothehallandcallupthestaircase。’It’sallright，I
amhere，Afferyiscomingwithyourlight。’Thenhesaidtothelatterflusteredwoman，whowasputtinghercapon，’Getoutwithyou，andgetup-stairs!’andthenturnedtothestrangerandsaidtohim，’Now，sir，whatmightyoupleasetowant？’
’Iamafraid，’saidthestranger，’Imustbesotroublesomeastoproposeacandle。’
’True，’assentedJeremiah。’Iwasgoingtodoso。PleasetostandwhereyouarewhileIgetone。’
Thevisitorwasstandinginthedoorway，butturnedalittleintothegloomofthehouseasMrFlintwinchturned，andpursuedhimwithhiseyesintothelittleroom，wherehegropedaboutforaphosphorusbox。Whenhefoundit，itwasdamp，orotherwiseoutoforder；andmatchaftermatchthathestruckintoitlightedsufficientlytothrowadullglareabouthisgropingface，andtosprinklehishandswithpalelittlespotsoffire，butnotsufficientlytolightthecandle。Thestranger，takingadvantageofthisfitfulilluminationofhisvisage，lookedintentlyandwonderinglyathim。Jeremiah，whenheatlastlightedthecandle，knewhehadbeendoingthis，byseeingthelastshadeofaloweringwatchfulnessclearawayfromhisface，asitbrokeintothedoubtfulsmilethatwasalargeingredientinitsexpression。
’Besogood，’saidJeremiah，closingthehousedoor，andtakingaprettysharpsurveyofthesmilingvisitorinhisturn，’astostepintomycounting-house——It’sallright，Itellyou!’petulantlybreakingofftoanswerthevoiceup-stairs，stillunsatisfied，thoughAfferywasthere，speakinginpersuasivetones。’Don’tI
tellyouit’sallright？Preservethewoman，hasshenoreasonatallinher!’
’Timorous，’remarkedthestranger。
’Timorous？’saidMrFlintwinch，turninghisheadtoretort，ashewentbeforewiththecandle。’Morecourageousthanninetymeninahundred，sir，letmetellyou。’
’Thoughaninvalid？’
’Manyyearsaninvalid。MrsClennam。TheonlyoneofthatnameleftintheHousenow。Mypartner。’