'Now, Mr Pecksniff,' said Martin at last, in a very quiet voice, 'if you
have sufficiently refreshed and recovered yourself, I shall be glad to
hear what you mean by this treatment of me.'
'And what,' said Mr Pecksniff, turning his eyes on Tom Pinch, even more
placidly and gently than before, 'what have YOU been doing, Thomas,
humph?'
When he had repeated this inquiry, he looked round the walls of the room
as if he were curious to see whether any nails had been left there by
accident in former times.
Tom was almost at his wit's end what to say between the two, and had
already made a gesture as if he would call Mr Pecksniff's attention to
the gentleman who had last addressed him, when Martin saved him further
trouble, by doing so himself.
'Mr Pecksniff,' he said, softly rapping the table twice or thrice, and
moving a step or two nearer, so that he could have touched him with his
hand; 'you heard what I said just now. Do me the favour to reply, if you
please. I ask you'--he raised his voice a little here--'what you mean by
this?'
'I will talk to you, sir,' said Mr Pecksniff in a severe voice, as he
looked at him for the first time, 'presently.
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