'
'You are right!' cried Mr. Crisparkle.
'Umps!' said Mr. Grewgious. Then he added, turning his face so
abruptly that his head nearly came into collision with Mr.
Crisparkle's: 'what should you say that our local friend was up
to?'
The last passage he had been shown in the Diary returned on Mr.
Crisparkle's mind with the force of a strong recoil, and he asked
Mr. Grewgious if he thought it possible that Neville was to be
harassed by the keeping of a watch upon him?
'A watch?' repeated Mr. Grewgious musingly. 'Ay!'
'Which would not only of itself haunt and torture his life,' said
Mr. Crisparkle warmly, 'but would expose him to the torment of a
perpetually reviving suspicion, whatever he might do, or wherever
he might go.'
'Ay!' said Mr. Grewgious musingly still. 'Do I see him waiting for
you?'
'No doubt you do.'
'Then WOULD you have the goodness to excuse my getting up to see
you out, and to go out to join him, and to go the way that you were
going, and to take no notice of our local friend?' said Mr.
Grewgious. 'I entertain a sort of fancy for having HIM under my
eye to-night, do you know?'
Mr. Crisparkle, with a significant need complied; and rejoining
Neville, went away with him. They dined together, and parted at
the yet unfinished and undeveloped railway station: Mr. Crisparkle
to get home; Neville to walk the streets, cross the bridges, make a
wide round of the city in the friendly darkness, and tire himself
out.
It was midnight when he returned from his solitary expedition and
climbed his staircase.
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