stopped Mr, Skimpole's playing. "I don't like this, Skimpole," lie said,
thoughtfully.
Mr. Skimpole, who had quite forgotten the subject, looked up surprised.
" The man was necessary," pursued my Guardian, walking backward and forward in the very short space between the piano and the end of the room, and rubbing his hair up from the back of his head as if a high east wind had blown it into that form. " If we make such men necessary by our faults and follies, or by our want of worldly knowledge, or by our misfortunes, we must not revenge ourselves upon them. There was no harm in his trade. He maintained his children. One would like to know more about this."
"O ! Coavinses ? " cried Mr. Skimpole, at length perceiving what he meant. " Nothing easier. A walk to Coavinses head-quarters, and you can know what you will."
Mr. Jarndyce nodded to us, who were only waiting for the signal. " Come ! We will walk that way, my dears. Why not that way, as soon as another ! " We were quickly ready, and went out. Mr. Skimpole went with us, and quite enjoyed the expedition. It was so new and so refreshing, he said, for him to want Coavinses, instead of Coavinses wanting him !
He took us, first, to Cursitor Street, Chancery Lane, where there was a house with barred windows, which he called Coavinses Castle. On our going into the entry and ringing a bell, a very hideous boy came out of a sort of office, and looked at us over a spiked wicket.
" Who did you want ? " said the boy, fitting two of the spikes into his chin.
" There was a follower, or an officer, or something, here," said Mr. Jarndyce, "who is dead."
" Yes ? " said the boy. " Well ? "
" I want to know his name, if you please ? "
" Name of Neckett," said the boy.
" And his address ? "
" Bell Yard," said the boy. " Chandler's shop, left hand side, name of Blinder."
" Was he—I don't know how to shape the question," murmured my guardian—" industrious ? "
" Was Neckett ? " said the boy. " Yes, Avery much so. He was never tired of watching. He'd set upon a post at a street corner, eight or ten hours at a stretch, if he undertook to do it."
" He might have done worse," I heard my Guardian soliloquize. " He might have undertaken to do it, and not done it. Thank you. That's all I want."
We left the boy, with his head on one side, and his arms on the gate, fondling and sucking the spikes ; and went back to Lincoln's Inn, where Mr. Skimpole, who had not cared to remain nearer Coavinses, awaited us. Then, we all went to Bell Yard : a narrow alley, at a very short distance. We soon found the chandler's shop. In it, was a good-natured-looking old woman, with a dropsy, or an asthma, or perhaps both.
" Neckett's children ? " said she, in reply to my inquiry. " Yes, surely, miss. Three pair, if you please. Door right opposite the top of the stairs." And she handed me a key across the counter.
