Лавка древностей

Chapter 23

           Amonghisvariouseccentrichabitshehadahumorousoneofalwayscheatingatcards,whichrenderednecessaryonhispart,notonlyacloseobservanceofthegame,andasleight-of-handincountingandscoring,butalsoinvolvedtheconstantcorrection,bylooks,andfrowns,andkicksunderthetable,ofRichardSwiveller,whobeingbewilderedbytherapiditywithwhichhiscardsweretold,andtherateatwhichthepegstravelleddowntheboard,couldnotbepreventedfromsometimesexpressinghissurpriseandincredulity.MrsQuilptoowasthepartnerofyoungTrent,andforeverylookthatpassedbetweenthem,andeverywordtheyspoke,andeverycardtheyplayed,thedwarfhadeyesandears;notoccupiedalonewithwhatwaspassingabovethetable,butwithsignalsthatmightbeexchangingbeneathit,whichhelaidallkindsoftrapstodetect;besidesoftentreadingonhiswife’stoestoseewhethershecriedoutorremainedsilentundertheinfliction,inwhichlattercaseitwouldhavebeenquiteclearthatTrenthadbeentreadingonhertoesbefore.Yet,inthemostofallthesedistractions,theoneeyewasupontheoldladyalways,andifshesomuchasstealthilyadvancedatea-spoontowardsaneighbouringglass(whichsheoftendid),forthepurposeofabstractingbutonesupofitssweetcontents,Quilp’shandwouldoversetitintheverymomentofhertriumph,andQuilp’smockingvoiceimplorehertoregardherprecioushealth.Andinanyoneofthesehismanycares,fromfirsttolast,Quilpneverflaggednorfaltered.

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