'
'Aye, yes! and so he was!' cried Chuffey, wildly. 'But not as you
suppose--not as you suppose. Stay! Give me a moment's time. I have
it all here--all here! It was foul, foul, cruel, bad; but not as you
suppose. Stay, stay!'
He put his hands up to his head, as if it throbbed or pained him. After
looking about him in a wandering and vacant manner for some moments, his
eyes rested upon Jonas, when they kindled up with sudden recollection
and intelligence.
'Yes!' cried old Chuffey, 'yes! That's how it was. It's all upon me now.
He--he got up from his bed before he died, to be sure, to say that he
forgave him; and he came down with me into this room; and when he saw
him--his only son, the son he loved--his speech forsook him; he had
no speech for what he knew--and no one understood him except me. But I
did--I did!'
Old Martin regarded him in amazement; so did his companions. Mrs Gamp,
who had said nothing yet; but had kept two-thirds of herself behind the
door, ready for escape, and one-third in the room, ready for siding with
the strongest party; came a little further in and remarked, with a sob,
that Mr Chuffey was 'the sweetest old creetur goin'.
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