came into our place one morning after breakfast, and, finding my little woman (which I name Mrs. Snagsby when I use that appellation) in our shop, produced a specimen of his handwriting, and gave her to understand that he was in wants of copying work to do, and was—not to put too fine a point upon it—”a favorite apology for plain-speaking with Mr. Snagsby, which he always offers with a sort of argumentative frankness, “hard up ! My little woman is not in general partial to strangers, particular—not to put too fine a point upon it—when they want anything. But she was rather took by something about this person ; whether by his being unshaved, or by his hair being in want of attention, or by what other ladies' reasons, I leave you to judge ; and she accepted of the specimen, and likewise of the address. My little woman hasn't a good ear for names,” proceeds Mr. Snagsby, after consulting his cough of consideration behind his hand, “and she considered Nemo equally the same as Nimrod. In consequence of which, she got into a habit of saying to me at meals, ‘Mr. Snagsby, you haven't found Nimrod any work yet !’ or ‘Mr. Snagsby, why didn't you give that eight-and-thirty Chancery folio in Jarndyce, to Nimrod?’ or such like. And that is the way he gradually fell into job-work at our place ; and that is the most I know of him, except that he was a quick hand, and a hand not sparing of night-work ; and that if you gave him out, say five-and-forty folio on the Wednesday night, you would have it brought in on the Thursday morning. All of which—” Mr. Snagsby concludes by politely motioning with his hat towards the bed, as much as to add, ‘I have no doubt my honorable friend would confirm, if he were in a condition to do it.’
“Hadn't you better see,” says Mr. Tulkinghorn to Krook, “whether he had any papers that may enlighten you ? There will be an Inquest, and you will be asked the question. You can read?”
“No, I can't,” returns the old man, with a sudden grin.
“Snagsby,” says Mr. Tulkinghorn, “look over the room for him. He will get into some trouble or difficulty, otherwise. Being here, I'll wait, if you make haste ; and then I can testify on his behalf, if it should ever be necessary, that all was fair and right. If you will hold the candle for Mr. Snagsby, my friend, he'll soon see whether there is anything to help you.”
“In the first place, here's an old portmanteau, sir,” says Snagsby. All, to be sure, so there is ! Mr. Tulkinghorn does not appear to have seen it before, though he is standing so close to it, and though there is very little else. Heaven knows.
The marine-store merchant holds the light, and the law-stationer conducts the search. The surgeon leans against a corner of the chimney-piece ; Miss Flite peeps and trembles just within the door. The apt old scholar of the old school, with his dull black breeches tied with ribbons at the knees, his large black waistcoat, his long-sleeved black coat, and his wisp of limp white neckkerchief tied in the bow the Peerage knows so well, stands in exactly the same place and attitude.
There are some worthless articles of clothing in the old portmanteau ; there is a bundle of pawnbrokers' duplicates, those turnpike tickets on the road of Poverty ; there is a crumpled paper, smelling of opium, on which are scrawled rough memoranda—as, took, such a day, so many grains ; took, such another day, so many more—begun some time ago,
