'Are you deaf ?' 'Oh!' said Quilp, drawing in his breath with great relish as if he were taking soup, 'you and I will have such a settling presently; there's such a scratching and bruising in store for you, my dear young friend! Aha! Nelly! How is he now, my duck of diamonds ?' 'He's very bad,' replied the weeping child.
'What a pretty little Nell!' cried Quilp.
'Oh beautiful, sir, beautiful indeed,' said Brass.

'Quite charming.' 'Has she come to sit upon Quilp's knee,' said the dwarf, in what he meant to be a soothing tone, 'or is she going to bed in her own little room inside here?
Which is poor Nelly going to do ?' 'What a remarkable pleasant way he has with children!' muttered Brass, as if in confidence between himself and the ceiling; 'upon my word it's quite a treat to hear him.' 'I'm not going to stay at all,' faltered Nell.

'I want a few things out of that room, and then I--I--won't come down here any more.' 'And a very nice little room it is!' said the dwarf looking into it as the child entered.

'Quite a bower! You're sure you're not going to use it; you're sure you're not coming back, Nelly ?' 'No,' replied the child, hurrying away, with the few articles of dress she had come to remove; 'never again! Never again.' 'She's very sensitive,' said Quilp, looking after her.

'Very sensitive; that's a pity.