ard Swiveller; but, receiving no enlightenment from
any of them, hurried up stairs, whence he soon hurried down again,
confirming the report which had already been made.

'It's a strange way of going,' he said, glancing at Swiveller, 'very
strange not to communicate with me who am such a close and intimate
friend of his! Ah! he'll write to me no doubt, or he'll bid Nelly
write--yes, yes, that's what he'll do. Nelly's very fond of me.
Pretty Nell!'

Mr Swiveller looked, as he was, all open-mouthed astonishment. Still
glancing furtively at him, Quilp turned to Mr Brass and observed, with
assumed carelessness, that this need not interfere with the removal of
the goods.

'For indeed,' he added, 'we knew that they'd go away to-day, but not
that they'd go so early, or so quietly. But they have their reasons,
they have their reasons.'

'Where in the devil's name are they gone?' said the wondering Dick.

Quilp shook his head, and pursed up his lips, in a manner which implied
that he knew very well, but was not at liberty to say.

'And what,' said Dick, looking at the confusion about him, 'what do you
mean by moving the goods?'

'That I have bought 'em, Sir,' rejoined Quilp. 'Eh? What then?'

'Has the sly old fox made his fortune then, and gone to live in a
tranquil cot in a pleasant spot with a distant view of the changing
sea?' said Dick, in great bewilderment.

'Keeping his place of retirement very close, that he may not be visited
too often by affectionate grandsons and their devoted friends, eh?'
added the dwarf, rubbing his hands hard; 'I say nothing, but is that
your meaning?'

Richard Swiveller was utterly aghast at this unexpected alteration of
circumstances, which threatened the complete overthrow of the project
in which he bore so conspicuous a part, and seemed to nip his prospects
in the bud. Having only received from Frederick Trent, late on the
previous night, information of the old man's illness, he had come upon
a visit of condolence and inquiry to Nell, prepared with the first
instalment of that long train of fascinations which was to fire her
heart at last. And here, when he had been thinking of all kinds of
graceful and insinuating approaches, and meditating on the fearful
retaliation which was slowly working against Sophy Wackles--here were
Nell, the old man, and all the money gone, melted away, decamped he
knew not whither, as if with a fore-knowledge of the scheme and a
resolution to de