Yet, in the most of all these distractions, the one eye was upon the old lady always, and if she so much as stealthily advanced a tea-spoon towards a neighbouring glass (which she often did), for the purpose of abstracting but one sup of its sweet contents, Quilp's hand would overset it in the very moment of her triumph, and Quilp's mocking voice implore her to regard her precious health.

And in any one of these his many cares, from first to last, Quilp never flagged nor faltered.
At length, when they had played a great many rubbers and drawn pretty freely upon the case-bottle, Mr Quilp warned his lady to retire to rest, and that submissive wife complying, and being followed by her indignant mother, Mr Swiveller fell asleep.

The dwarf beckoning his remaining companion to the other end of the room, held a short conference with him in whispers.
'It's as well not to say more than one can help before our worthy friend,' said Quilp, making a grimace towards the slumbering Dick.

'Is it a bargain between us, Fred?
Shall he marry little rosy Nell by-and-by ?' 'You have some end of your own to answer, of course,' returned the other.
'Of course I have, dear Fred,' said Quilp, grinning to think how little he suspected what the real end was.

'It's retaliation perhaps; perhaps whim.