‘Tell upon you!’ said Dick. ‘Do you mean to say you were looking through the keyhole for company?’
‘Yes, upon my word I was,’ replied the small servant.
‘How long have you been cooling your eye there?’ said Dick.
‘Oh ever since you first began to play them cards, and long before.’
Vague recollections of several fantastic exercises with which he had refreshed himself after the fatigues of business, and to all of which, no doubt, the small servant was a party, rather disconcerted Mr Swiveller; but he was not very sensitive on such points, and recovered himself speedily.
‘Well—come in’—he said, after a little consideration. ‘Here—sit down, and I’ll teach you how to play.’
‘Oh! I durstn’t do it,’ rejoined the small servant; ‘Miss Sally ‘ud kill me, if she know’d I come up here.’
‘Have you got a fire down-stairs?’ said Dick.
‘A very little one,’ replied the small servant.
‘Miss Sally couldn’t kill me if she know’d I went down there, so I’ll come,’ said Richard, putting the cards into his pocket. ‘Why, how thin you are! What do you mean by it?’