of a looking-glass, and was standing
there putting on his neckerchief, when Mrs Jiniwin happening to be
behind him, could not resist the inclination she felt to shake her fist
at her tyrant son-in-law. It was the gesture of an instant, but as she
did so and accompanied the action with a menacing look, she met his eye
in the glass, catching her in the very act. The same glance at the
mirror conveyed to her the reflection of a horribly grotesque and
distorted face with the tongue lolling out; and the next instant the
dwarf, turning about with a perfectly bland and placid look, inquired
in a tone of great affection.

'How are you now, my dear old darling?'

Slight and ridiculous as the incident was, it made him appear such a
little fiend, and withal such a keen and knowing one, that the old
woman felt too much afraid of him to utter a single word, and suffered
herself to be led with extraordinary politeness to the breakfast-table.
Here he by no means diminished the impression he had just produced, for
he ate hard eggs, shell and all, devoured gigantic prawns with the
heads and tails on, chewed tobacco and water-cresses at the same time
and with extraordinary greediness, drank boiling tea without winking,
bit his fork and spoon till they bent again, and in short performed so
many horrifying and uncommon acts that the women were nearly frightened
out of their wits, and began to doubt if he were really a human
creature. At last, having gone through these proceedings and many
others which were equally a part of his system, Mr Quilp left them,
reduced to a very obedient and humbled state, and betook himself to the
river-side, where he took boat for the wharf on which he had bestowed
his name.

It was flood tide when Daniel Quilp sat himself down in the ferry to
cross to the opposite shore. A fleet of barges were coming lazily on,
some sideways, some head first, some stern first; all in a
wrong-headed, dogged, obstinate way, bumping up against the larger
craft, running under the bows of steamboats, getting into every kind of
nook and corner where they had no business, and being crunched on all
sides like so many walnut-shells; while each with its pair of long
sweeps struggling and splashing in the water looked like some lumbering
fish in pain. In some of the vessels at anchor all hands were busily
engaged in coiling ropes, spreading out sails to dry, taking in or
discharging their cargoes; in others no life was visible but tw