 of
these detections occurred; the sudden occasions he had to rub his eyes or his
nose or his chin; the look of wisdom with which he immediately plunged into the
deepest thought, or became intensely interested in the habits and customs of the
flies upon the ceiling, or the sparrows out of doors; or the overwhelming
politeness with which he endeavoured to hide his confusion by handing the
muffin; may not unreasonably be assumed to have exercised the utmost power of
feature that even Martin Chuzzlewit the elder possessed.
    But he sat perfectly quiet and took his breakfast at his leisure, or made a
show of doing so, for he scarcely ate or drank, and frequently lapsed into long
intervals of musing. When he had finished, Mark sat down to his breakfast at the
same table; and Mr. Chuzzlewit, quite silent still, walked up and down the room.
    Mark cleared away in due course, and set a chair out for him, in which, as
the time drew on towards ten o'clock, he took his seat, leaning his hands upon
his stick, and clenching them upon the handle, and resting his chin on them
again. All his impatience and abstraction of manner had vanished now; and as he
sat there, looking, with his keen eyes, steadily towards the door, Mark could
not help thinking what a firm, square, powerful face it was; or exulting in the
thought that Mr. Pecksniff, after playing a pretty long game of bowls with its
owner, seemed to be at last in a very fair way of coming in for a rubber or two.
    Mark's uncertainty in respect of what was going to be done or said, and by
whom to whom, would have excited him in itself. But knowing for a certainty
besides, that young Martin was coming, and in a very few minutes must arrive, he
found it by no means easy to remain quiet and silent. But, excepting that he
occasionally coughed in a hollow and unnatural manner to relieve himself, he
behaved with great decorum through the longest ten minutes he had ever known.
    A knock at the door. Mr. Westlock. Mr. Tapley, in admitting him, raised his
eyebrows to the highest possible pitch, implying thereby that he considered
himself in an unsatisfactory position. Mr. Chuzzlewit received him very
courteously.
    Mark waited at the door for Tom Pinch and his sister, who were coming up the
stairs. The old man went to meet them; took their hands in his; and kissed her
on the cheek. As this looked promising, Mr. Tapley smiled benignantly.
