For, Mr Flintwinch awake, was watching Mr Flintwinch asleep. He sat on
one side of the small table, looking keenly at himself on the other side
with his chin sunk on his breast, snoring. The waking Flintwinch had his
full front face presented to his wife; the sleeping Flintwinch was
in profile. The waking Flintwinch was the old original; the sleeping
Flintwinch was the double, just as she might have distinguished between
a tangible object and its reflection in a glass, Affery made out this
difference with her head going round and round.
If she had had any doubt which was her own Jeremiah, it would have been
resolved by his impatience. He looked about him for an offensive weapon,
caught up the snuffers, and, before applying them to the cabbage-headed
candle, lunged at the sleeper as though he would have run him through
the body. 'Who's that? What's the matter?' cried the sleeper, starting.
Mr Flintwinch made a movement with the snuffers, as if he would have
enforced silence on his companion by putting them down his throat; the
companion, coming to himself, said, rubbing his eyes, 'I forgot where I
was.' 'You have been asleep,' snarled Jeremiah, referring to his watch, 'two
hours. You said you would be rested enough if you had a short nap.'
'I have had a short nap,' said Double.
'Half-past two o'clock in the morning,' muttered Jeremiah. 'Where's your
hat? Where's your coat? Where's the box?'
'All here,' said Double, tying up his throat with sleepy carefulness in
a shawl. 'Stop a minute. Now give me the sleeve--not that sleeve, the
other one. Ha! I'm not as young as I was.' Mr Flintwinch had pulled
him into his coat with vehement energy. 'You promised me a second glass
after I was rested.' 'Drink it!' returned Jeremiah, 'and--choke yourself, I was going
to say--but go, I mean.'At the same time he produced the identical
port-wine bottle, and filled a wine-glass.
'Her port-wine, I believe?' said Double, tasting it as if he were in the
Docks, with hours to spare. 'Her health.' He took a sip. 'Your health!' He took another sip. 'His health!' He took another sip.
'And all friends round St Paul's.' He emptied and put down the
wine-glass half-way through this ancient civic toast, and took up the
box. It was an iron box some two feet square, which he carried under his
arms pretty easily. Jeremiah watched his manner of adjusting it, with
jealous eyes; tried it with his hands, to be sure that he had a firm
hold of it; bade him for his life be careful what he was about; and then
stole out on tiptoe to open the door for him. Affery, anticipating
the last movement, was on the staircase. The sequence of things was
so ordinary and natural, that, standing there, she could hear the door
open, feel the night air, and see the stars outside.