Whatever thoughts he called up to his aid, they
came upon him in depressing and discouraging shapes, and gave him no
relief. Even the diamonds on his finger sparkled with the brightness of
tears, and had no ray of hope in all their brilliant lustre.
He continued to sit in gloomy rumination by the stove, unmindful of
the boarders who dropped in one by one from their stores and
counting-houses, or the neighbouring bar-rooms, and, after taking long
pulls from a great white waterjug upon the sideboard, and lingering with
a kind of hideous fascination near the brass spittoons, lounged heavily
to bed; until at length Mark Tapley came and shook him by the arm,
supposing him asleep.
'Mark!' he cried, starting.
'All right, sir,' said that cheerful follower, snuffing with his fingers
the candle he bore. 'It ain't a very large bed, your'n, sir; and a man
as wasn't thirsty might drink, afore breakfast, all the water you've
got to wash in, and afterwards eat the towel. But you'll sleep without
rocking to-night, sir.'
'I feel as if the house were on the sea' said Martin, staggering when he
rose; 'and am utterly wretched.
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