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,

Advertisement..

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.




Most Popular