’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。’