detected by the wakeful Deputy, who loathed him. Moreover, next
morning Durdles was apt to notice that some of his quicklime had
been removed. As far as is shown, Durdles noticed nothing of that
kind, though he does observe peculiarities in Jasper's behaviour.

The next point in the tale is that Edwin and Rosa meet, and have
sense enough to break off their engagement. But Edwin, represented
as really good-hearted, now begins to repent his past behaviour,
and, though he has a kind of fancy for Miss Landless, he pretty
clearly falls deeper in love with his late fiancee, and weeps his
loss in private: so we are told.


CHRISTMAS EVE


Christmas Eve comes, the day of the dinner of three, Jasper,
Landless, and Edwin. The chapter describing this fateful day
(xiv.) is headed, When shall these Three meet again? and Mr.
Proctor argues that Dickens intends that THEY SHALL meet again.
The intention, and the hint, are much in Dickens's manner.
Landless means to start, next day, very early, on a solitary
walking tour, and buys an exorbitantly heavy stick. We casually
hear that Jasper knows Edwin to possess no jewellery, except a
watch and chain and a scarf-pin. As Edwin moons about, he finds
the old opium hag, come down from London, "seeking a needle in a
bottle of hay," she says--that is, hunting vainly for Jasper.

Please remark that Jasper has run up to town, on December 23, and
has saturated his system with a debauch of opium on the very eve of