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。’