HeconductedustoGerrard-street, Soho, , butdolefullyinwantofpainting, , andweallwentintoastonehall, bare, , , andashestoodamongthemgivinguswelcome, IknowwhatkindofloopsIthoughttheylookedlike.

Dinnerwaslaidinthebestoftheserooms; thesecondwashisdressing-room; thethird, , —nosilverintheservice, ofcourse—andatthesideofhischairwasacapaciousdumb-waiter, withavarietyofbottlesanddecantersonit, , thathekepteverythingunderhisownhand, anddistributedeverythinghimself.

Therewasabookcaseintheroom; Isaw, fromthebacksofthebooks, thattheywereaboutevidence, criminallaw, criminalbiography, trials, actsofparliament, , , however, , wasalittletableofpaperswithashadedlamp: sothatheseemedtobringtheofficehomewithhiminthatrespecttoo, andtowheelitoutofaneveningandfalltowork.

Ashehadscarcelyseenmythreecompanionsuntilnow—for, heandIhadwalkedtogether—hestoodonthehearth-rug, afterringingthebell, , heseemedatoncetobeprincipallyifnotsolelyinterestedinDrummle.

“Pip,” saidhe, puttinghislargehandonmyshoulderandmovingmetothewindow, “Idon’’stheSpider!”

“Thespider?” saidI.

“Theblotchy, sprawly, sulkyfellow.”

“That’sBentleyDrummle,” Ireplied; “theonewiththedelicatefaceisStartop.”

Notmakingtheleastaccountof “theonewiththedelicateface,” hereturned, “BentleyDrummleishisname, isit? Ilikethelookofthatfellow.”

HeimmediatelybegantotalktoDrummle; notatalldeterredbyhisreplyinginhisheavyreticentway, , whentherecamebetweenmeandthem, thehousekeeper, withthefirstdishforthetable.