Part 2 (1/2)

'Mine was no co her handkerchief to her eyes

'It was no UNcommon loss, ma'am,' returned Ralph, as he coolly unbuttoned his spencer 'Husbands die every day, ma'am, and wives too'

'And brothers also, sir,' said Nicholas, with a glance of indignation

'Yes, sir, and puppies, and pug-dogs likewise,' replied his uncle, taking a chair 'You didn't mention in your letter what my brother's complaint was, ma'am'

'The doctors could attribute it to no particular disease,' said Mrs Nickleby; shedding tears 'We have too much reason to fear that he died of a broken heart'

'Pooh!' said Ralph, 'there's no such thing I can understand afro, or a broken nose; but a broken heart!-nonsense, it's the cant of the day If a man can't pay his debts, he dies of a broken heart, and his 's a martyr'

'Some people, I believe, have no hearts to break,' observed Nicholas, quietly

'How old is this boy, for God's sake?' inquired Ralph, wheeling back his chair, and surveying his nephew from head to foot with intense scorn

'Nicholas is very nearly nineteen,' replied the

'Nineteen, eh!' said Ralph; 'and what do you mean to do for your bread, sir?'

'Not to live uponas he spoke

'You'd have little enough to live upon, if you did,' retorted the uncle, eyeing him contemptuously

'Whatever it be,' said Nicholas, flushed with anger, 'I shall not look to you to make it more'

'Nicholas, my dear, recollect yourself,' reed the young lady

'Hold your tongue, sir,' said Ralph 'Upon s!'

Mrs Nickleby esture to keep silent; and the uncle and nephew looked at each other for so The face of the old ; that of the young one, open, handsoenuous The old ; the young ence and spirit His figure was soht, but race of youth and co heart in his look and bearing which kept the oldsuch a contrast as this may be to lookers-on, none ever feel it with half the keenness or acuteness of perfection hich it strikes to the very soul of hialled Ralph to the heart's core, and he hated Nicholas froht to a close by Ralph withdrawing his eyes, with a great show of disdain, and calling Nicholas 'a boy' This word is entle society into the belief that if they could be young again, they wouldn't on any account

'Well, ma'am,' said Ralph, impatiently, 'the creditors have ad left for you?'

'Nothing,' replied Mrs Nickleby

'And you spent what littleall the way to London, to see what I could do for you?' pursued Ralph

'I hoped,' faltered Mrs Nickleby, 'that youfor your brother's children It was his dying wish that I should appeal to you in their behalf'

'I don't kno it is,'up and down the room, 'but whenever a man dies without any property of his own, he always seeht to dispose of other people's What is your daughter fit for, ma'am?'

'Kate has been well educated,' sobbed Mrs Nickleby 'Tell your uncle, my dear, how far you went in French and extras'

The poor girl was about to , when her uncle stopped her, very uncereet you apprenticed at soht up too delicately for that, I hope?'

'No, indeed, uncle,' replied the weeping girl 'I will try to do anything that will gain me a home and bread'

'Well, well,' said Ralph, a little softened, either by his niece's beauty or her distress (stretch a point, and say the latter) 'Youor ta, sir?' (turning to his nephew) 'No,' replied Nicholas, bluntly

'No, I thought not!' said Ralph 'This is the way ht up his children,coive hi of-'

'Ofof hi, and never doing If ht have left you a rich woman, ma'am: and if he had turned his son into the world, as my father turned me, when I wasn't as old as that boy by a year and a half, he would have been in a situation to help you, instead of being a burden upon you, and increasing your distress My brother was a thoughtless, inconsiderate man, Mrs Nickleby, and nobody, I am sure, can have better reason to feel that, than you'

This appeal set theupon thinking that perhaps she ht have made a more successful venture with her one thousand pounds, and then she began to reflect what a cohts riefs she (being a well- her hard fate, and then to re, with many sobs, that to be sure she had been a slave to poor Nicholas, and had often told hiht have married better (as indeed she had, very often), and that she never knew in his lifetime how the ht all have been better off that day; with other bitter recollections co their coverture, or afterwards, or at both periods Mrs Nickleby concluded by laned to profit by her advice, save on one occasion; which was a strictly veracious statement, inasmuch as he had only acted upon it once, and had ruined himself in consequence

Mr Ralph Nickleby heard all this with a half-smile; and when thehad finished, quietly took up the subject where it had been left before the above outbreak

'Are you willing to work, sir?' he inquired, frowning on his nephew

'Of course I ahtily

'Then see here, sir,' said his uncle 'This caught , and you may thank your stars for it'

With this exordium, Mr Ralph Nickleby took a newspaper fro for a short ti the advertisements, read as follows: '”EDUCATION-At Mr Wackford Squeers's Acadee of Dotheboys, near Greta Bridge in Yorkshi+re, Youth are boarded, clothed, booked, furnished with pocket-uages living and dead, onole stick (if required), writing, arithmetic, fortification, and every other branch of classical literature Teruineas per annum No extras, no vacations, and diet unparalleled Mr Squeers is in town, and attends daily, from one till four, at the Saracen's Head, Snow Hill NB An able assistant wanted Annual salary 5 pounds A Master of Arts would be preferred”

'There!' said Ralph, folding the paper again 'Let hiet that situation, and his fortune is made'

'But he is not a Master of Arts,' said Mrs Nickleby

'That,' replied Ralph, 'that, I think, can be got over'

'But the salary is so s way off, uncle!' faltered Kate

'Hush, Kate my dear,' interposed Mrs Nickleby; 'your uncle must know best'

'I say,' repeated Ralph, tartly, 'let hiet that situation, and his fortune is et one for hie of business of any kind, let him find honest employment in London, which will keep hiive him a thousand pounds At least,' said Mr Ralph Nickleby, checking himself, 'I would if I had it'

'Poor fellow!' said the young lady 'Oh! uncle, must we be separated so soon!'