 dismal attempt to pluck up his spirits and appear at his ease;
and Tom Scott, who was in waiting at the door under an old umbrella, exulted in
his agonies, and bade fair to split his sides with laughing; while all this was
passing, Miss Sally Brass, unmindful of the wet which dripped down upon her own
feminine person and fair apparel, sat placidly behind the tea-board erect and
grizzly, contemplating the unhappiness of her brother with a mind at ease, and
content, in her amiable disregard of self, to sit there all night, witnessing
the torments which his avaricious and grovelling nature compelled him to endure
and forbade him to resent. And this, it must be observed, or the illustration
would be incomplete, although in a business point of view she had the strongest
sympathy with Mr. Sampson, and would have been beyond measure indignant if he
had thwarted their client in any one respect.
    In the height of his boisterous merriment, Mr. Quilp, having on some
pretence dismissed his attendant sprite for the moment, resumed his usual manner
all at once, dismounted from his cask, and laid his hand upon the lawyer's
sleeve.
    »A word,« said the dwarf, »before we go farther. Sally, hark'ee for a
minute.«
    Miss Sally drew closer, as if accustomed to business conferences with their
host which were the better for not having air.
    »Business,« said the dwarf, glancing from brother to sister. »Very private
business. Lay your heads together when you're by yourselves.«
    »Certainly, sir,« returned Brass, taking out his pocket-book and pencil.
»I'll take down the heads if you please, sir. Remarkable documents,« added the
lawyer, raising his eyes to the ceiling, »most remarkable documents. He states
his points so clearly that it's a treat to have 'em! I don't know any act of
parliament that's equal to him in clearness.«
    »I shall deprive you of a treat,« said Quilp. »Put up your book. We don't
want any documents. So. There's a lad named Kit -«
    Miss Sally nodded, implying that she knew of him.
    »Kit!« said Mr. Sampson. - »Kit! Ha! I've heard the name before, but I don't
exactly call to mind - I don't exactly -«
    »You're as slow as a tortoise, and more thick-headed than a rhinoceros
