His musings were interrupted by a step upon the stairs, and he hastily drew the curtain before hi? canvas.
A single rap, which sounded as if it had been given with the knob of a walking-stick, came upon the door panel, and directly afterwards, in answer to a loud “Come in,” Jaggs entered with the knocker in his hand, to wit, a silk umbrella—one of those ingenious affairs formed by sewing all the folds where they have been slit up by wear and tear, and declared by the kerb vendor as being better than new—a fact as regards the price.
“Ah, Jaggs, good morning,” said Dale. “But I don’t want you. I shall let your face go as it is.”
“Quite right, sir,” said the man, glancing at the curtain. “Couldn’t be better; but I didn’t come about that.”
“Oh, I see,” said Dale sarcastically. “Your banker gone on the Continent?”
“The Emperor” drew himself up, and looked majestic in the face and pose of the head, shambling as to his legs, and extremely deferential in the curve of his body and the position of his hands and arms.
“Mr Dale,” he said, “I don’t deny, sir, as there ’ave been times when a half-crown has been a little heaven, and a double florin a delight, but I was not agoing to ask assistance now, though I am still a strugglin’ man, and been accustomed to better things. It was not to ask help, sir, as I’d come, but to bestow it, if so be as you’d condescend to accept it of your humble servant, as always feels a pride in your success, not to hide the fack that it does me good, sir, to be seen upon the line.”
“Well, what do you mean?” said Dale gruffly.
“I want to see that picture done, sir. It’ll make our fortune, sir. I’m sure on it, and I say it with pride, there isn’t anything as’ll touch it for a mile round.”
“Thank you, Jaggs; you are very complimentary,” said Dale ironically, but the tone was not observed.