 to know the originals, and to be known of them.
    For the rest he is a quiet lodger, full of handy shifts and devices as
before mentioned, able to cook and clean for himself as well as to carpenter,
and developing social inclinations after the shades of evening have fallen on
the court. At those times, when he is not visited by Mr. Guppy, or by a small
light in his likeness quenched in a dark hat, he comes out of his dull room -
where he has inherited the deal wilderness of desk bespattered with a rain of
ink - and talks to Krook, or is very free, as they call it in the court,
commendingly, with any one disposed for conversation. Wherefore, Mrs. Piper, who
leads the court, is impelled to offer two remarks to Mrs. Perkins: Firstly, that
if her Johnny was to have whiskers, she could wish 'em to be identically like
that young man's; and secondly, Mark my words, Mrs. Perkins, ma'am, and don't
you be surprised Lord bless you, if that young man comes in at last for old
Krook's money!
 

                                  Chapter XXI

                              The Smallweed Family

In a rather ill-favoured and ill-savoured neighbourhood, though one of its
rising grounds bears the name of Mount Pleasant, the Elfin Smallweed, christened
Bartholomew, and known on the domestic hearth as Bart, passes that limited
portion of his time on which the office and its contingencies have no claim. He
dwells in a little narrow street, always solitary, shady, and sad, closely
bricked in on all sides like a tomb, but where there yet lingers the stump of an
old forest tree, whose flavour is about as fresh and natural as the Smallweed
smack of youth.
    There has been only one child in the Smallweed family for several
generations. Little old men and women there have been, but no child, until Mr.
Smallweed's grandmother, now living, became weak in her intellect, and fell (for
the first time) into a childish state. With such infantine graces as a total
want of observation, memory, understanding and interest, and an eternal
disposition to fall asleep over the fire and into it, Mr. Smallweed's
grandmother has undoubtedly brightened the family.
    Mr. Smallweed's grandfather is likewise of the party. He is in a helpless
condition as to his lower, and nearly so as to his upper limbs; but his mind is
unimpaired. It holds, as well as it ever held, the first four rules of
arithmetic,
