The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-08-01

the day before. You do not know how how
| fond he is of me-"
'fIm sure he loves you dearly" said Mrs.
Quilp
eTndeed, indeed he does, J" cried Nell, Gas dear
| " as l love him. But have not told you the
| greatest change of all, and this you must never
breathe again TO any one. He has no sleep or
rest, but that which he takes by day in his easy
chair; for every night and nearly all night long
he is away from home"
sNellym
''Hush" said the child, laying her finger on
her lip and looking round. seWhen he comes
home in the morning, which is generally just be-
fore day let him in. Last night he was very late
and it was quite light. l saw that hisfacs was
deadly pale, that his eyes were bloodshot, and
| that his legs trembled he walked. When
had gone to bed again, heard him groan. got
up and run back TO him; and heard him say, be-
fore he knew that was there, that he could not
bear his life much longer, and if it was not for
the child, would wish to die. What shall l do?
Oh! what shall 1 do'"
The fountains of her heart were open; the
child, overpowered by the weight of her sorrows
and anxieties, by the first confidence she had ev-
er shown, and the sympathy with which her lit
tie tale had been received, and her face in the
arms of her helpless friend, and burst into pas
sion of tears
In few moments Mr.. Quilp returned, and ex-
pressed the utmost surprise to find her in this con-
dition, which he did very naturally and with adj
mirable effect, for that kind of acting had been
rendered familiar to him by long practice, and
he was quite at home in it
F'She's tired, you see, Mrs. Quilp,0 said the
dwarf, squirting in a hideous manner, to imply
that his wife was to follow his lead. 'It's long
way from her home to the wharf and then she
was alarmed to see couple of young scoundrels
fighting, and was timorous on the water besides.
All this together has been too much for her
Poor Nellm
Mr.. Quilp unintentionally adopted the very
best means he could have devised, for the reco-
very of his young visiter, by patting her on the
head. Sch an application from any other hand,
might not have produced remarkable effect, but
the child shrunk so quickly from his touch and
felt such an instructive desire to get out Of his
reach, that she rose directly and declared herself
ready to return.
''But you'd better wait, and dine with Mrs.
Quilp and me,'' said the dwarf.
EfI have been away too long, sir, already" re.
turned Nell, drying her eyes.
F'Well,' said Mr.. Quilp, ''if you will go, you
will, Nelly. Here's the nste It's only to say
that l shall see him tomorrow, maybe next
day, and that couldn't do that little business for
him this morning Good bye, Nelly. Here, you
sir; take care of her, d. we hear"
Kit, who appeared at the summons, deigned to
make no reply to so needless an injunction, and
as if he doubted whether he might not have been
the cause of Nelly shedding tears, and felt more
than half-disposed to revenge the fact upon him,
on the mere suspicion, turned about and followed
his young mistress, who had by this time taken
her leave of Mrs. QuIlp, and departed.
"You're keen questisner, a. MT you, Mrs.
Quilp?" said the dwarf, turning upon her as soon
as they were left alone.
"What more could de"' returned his wife,
mildly.
ssWhat more could you dow sneered Quilp,
stcouldn't you have done something less? couldn't
you have done what you had to do without
appearing in your favorite part OF the crocodile,
you mink"
sI am very sorry for the child, Quilp," said
his wife. "Surely Pve done enough. Pve led
her on to tell her secret when she supposed we
were alone; and you were by, God forgive me-"
esYou led her on! You did great deal, truly
said QuIlp. t'What did tell you about making
me creak the door? It's lucky for you that from
what she let fall, Tve got the clue want, for if
hadn't, I'D have visited the failure upon you,
can tell you.
Mrs. Quilp being fully persuaded of this, made
no reply. Her husband added with some ezult-
alton,
FBut you may thank your fortunate stars-the
same stars that made you Mrs. Quilp-you may
thank them that Pm upon the old gentleman's
track, and have got new Light. So let me
hear no more about this matter no " or at any
other time, and don't get any thing too nice for
dinner, for shan't be home to it"
So saying, Mr.. Quilp put his hat on and took
himself off; and Mrs QuilP, who was afflicted
beyond measure by the collection of the part she
had just acted, shut herself up in her chamber,
and smothering her head in the bed-clothes, be
moaned her fault more bitterly than many less
tendsr -hearted persons would have mourned a
much greater offence; for in the majority of ca
ses, conscience is an elastic and very flexible ar
ticle, which wall bear deal of stretching and
adapt itself to great variety of circumstances.
Some people, by prudent management, and leav-
ing it off piece by piece like flannel waistcoat
in warm weather, even contrive, in time, to dis
pense with it altogether; but there be others who
can assume the garment and throw it off at plea
sure; and this being the greatest and most con-
venient improvement, is the one most in vogue.
ITO be cottinnedo