Part 12 (1/2)

'Put it up at once, ma'am; they won't want the rooms after this week, or if they do, can't pay for them Now, my dear, if you're ready, we'll lose no more time'

With an assumption of kindness which sat worse upon him even than his usuallady to precede hiravely to Miss La Creevy, closed the door and followed upstairs, where Mrs Nickleby received hi theesture, and proceeded to the object of his visit

'I have found a situation for your daughter, ma'am,' said Ralph

'Well,' replied Mrs Nickleby 'Noill say that that is only just what I have expected of you ”Depend upon it,” I said to Kate, only yesterdayat breakfast, ”that after your uncle has provided, in that most ready manner, for Nicholas, he will not leave us until he has done at least the same for you” These were my very words, as near as I remember Kate, my dear, why don't you thank your-'

'Lethis sister-in-law in the full torrent of her discourse

'Kate, my love, let your uncle proceed,' said Mrs Nickleby

'I am most anxious that he should, mama,' rejoined Kate

'Well, my dear, if you are anxious that he should, you had better allow your uncle to say what he has to say, without interruption,' observed Mrs Nickleby, with many small nods and frowns 'Your uncle's time is very valuable, my dear; and however desirous you may be-and naturally desirous, as I am sure any affectionate relations who have seen so little of your uncle as we have,us, still, we are bound not to be selfish, but to take into consideration the important nature of his occupations in the city'

'I aed to you, ma'am,' said Ralph with a scarcely perceptible sneer 'An absence of business habits in this fareat waste of words before business-when it does come under consideration-is arrived at, at all'

'I fear it is so indeed,' replied Mrs Nickleby with a sigh 'Your poor brother-'

'My poor brother, ma'am,' interposed Ralph tartly, 'had no idea what business as unacquainted, I verily believe, with the veryof the word'

'I fear he was,' said Mrs Nickleby, with her handkerchief to her eyes 'If it hadn't been for me, I don't knoould have becoht bait so skilfully thrown out by Ralph, on their first intervieas dangling on the hook yet At every small deprivation or discomfort which presented itself in the course of the four-and-twenty hours to remind her of her straitened and altered circumstances, peevish visions of her dower of one thousand pounds had arisen before Mrs Nickleby's mind, until, at last, she had come to persuade herself that of all her late husband's creditors she was the worst used and the most to be pitied And yet, she had loved hireater share of selfishness than is the usual lot of mortals Such is the irritability of sudden poverty A decent annuity would have restored her thoughts to their old train, at once

'Repining is of no use,a tear to look after a day that is gone is the most fruitless'

'So it is,' sobbed Mrs Nickleby 'So it is'

'As you feel so keenly, in your own purse and person, the consequences of inattention to business, ma'am,' said Ralph, 'I am sure you will i themselves to it early in life'

'Of course I must see that,' rejoined Mrs Nickleby 'Sad experience, you know, brother-in-law-Kate, my dear, put that down in the next letter to Nicholas, or remind me to do it if I write'

Ralph paused for a fewthat he had now hter objected to his proposition, went on to say: 'The situation that I have made interest to procure, ma'am, is ith a milliner and dressmaker, in short'

'A milliner!' cried Mrs Nickleby

'A milliner and dressmaker, ma'am,' replied Ralph 'Dressmakers in London, as I need not remind you, ma'am, who are so well acquainted with all e fortunes, keep equipages, and becoreat wealth and fortune'

Now, the first idea called up in Mrs Nickleby's mind by the words milliner and dressmaker were connected with certain wicker baskets lined with black oilskin, which she remembered to have seen carried to and fro in the streets; but, as Ralph proceeded, these disappeared, and were replaced by visions of large houses at the West end, neat private carriages, and a banker's book; all of which ies succeeded each other with such rapidity, that he had no sooner finished speaking, than she nodded her head and said 'Very true,' with great appearance of satisfaction

'What your uncle says is very true, Kate, my dear,' said Mrs Nickleby 'I recollect when your poor papa and I caht reen trie, which drove up to the door full gallop;-at least, I ae or a hackney chariot, but I remember very well that the horse dropped down dead as he was turning round, and that your poor papa said he hadn't had any corn for a fortnight'

This anecdote, so strikingly illustrative of the opulence of reat de down her head while it was relating, and Ralph ible symptoms of extreme impatience

'The lady's na in, 'is Mantalini-Madame Mantalini I know her She lives near Cavendish Square If your daughter is disposed to try after the situation, I'll take her there directly'

'Have you nothing to say to your uncle, reat deal,' replied Kate; 'but not noould rather speak to him e are alone;-it will save his time if I thank hi'

With these words, Kate hurried away, to hide the traces of e down her face, and to prepare herself for the walk, while Mrs Nickleby a him, with many tears, a detailed account of the dimensions of a rosewood cabinet piano they had possessed in their days of affluence, together with a -rooreen chintz squabs to match the curtains, which had cost two pounds fifteen shi+llings apiece, and had gone at the sale for a th cut short by Kate's return in her walking dress, when Ralph, who had been fretting and fu the whole time of her absence, lost no ti into the street

'Now,' he said, taking her aret into the step that you'll have to walk to business with, every ood round pace, towards Cavendish Square

'I a lady, after they had hurried on in silence for solad to hear it,' said Ralph 'I hope you'll do your duty'

'I will try to please, uncle,' replied Kate: 'indeed I-'

'Don't begin to cry,' growled Ralph; 'I hate crying'

'It's very foolish, I know, uncle,' began poor Kate

'It is,' replied Ralph, stopping her short, 'and very affected besides Let me see no more of it'

Perhaps this was not the best way to dry the tears of a young and sensitive female, about tocold and uninterested strangers; but it had its effect notwithstanding Kate coloured deeply, breathed quickly for a few moments, and then walked on with a firmer and more determined step

It was a curious contrast to see how the tih the crowd that hurried up and down the streets, giving way to the press of people, and clinging closely to Ralph as though she feared to lose hi; and how the stern and hard-featured ers aside, and now and then exchanging a gruff salutation with so acquaintance, who turned to look back upon his pretty charge, with looks expressive of surprise, and seemed to wonder at the ill-assorted coer contrast still, to have read the hearts that were beating side by side; to have laid bare the gentle innocence of the one, and the rugged villainy of the other; to have hung upon the guileless thoughts of the affectionate girl, and been a all the wily plots and calculations of the old ht of death or of the grave But so it was; and stranger still-though this is a thing of every day-the war heart palpitated with a thousand anxieties and apprehensions, while that of the old worldlyonly as a piece of cunningno one throb of hope, or fear, or love, or care, for any living thing

'Uncle,' said Kate, when she judged they must be near their destination, 'I must ask one question of you I am to live at home?'

'At home!' replied Ralph; 'where's that?'

'I mean with my mother-THE WIDOW,' said Kate emphatically

'You will live, to all intents and purposes, here,' rejoined Ralph; 'for here you will take your ht-occasionally perhaps till ht, I mean,' said Kate; 'I cannot leave her, uncle I must have some place that I can call a home; it will be wherever she is, you know, andfaster, in the impatience provoked by the reirl mad?'

'The word slipped froed Kate

'I hope not,' said Ralph

'But my question, uncle; you have not answered it'

'Why, I anticipated soh I object very strongly, ainst it I spoke of you as an out-of-door worker; so you will go to this hoht'

There was comfort in this Kate poured forth many thanks for her uncle's consideration, which Ralph received as if he had deserved them all, and they arrived without any further conversation at the dresse plate, with Madame Mantalini's naht of steps There was a shop to the house, but it was let off to an importer of otto of roses Madame Mantalini's shows-rooms were on the first-floor: a fact which was notified to the nobility and gentry by the casual exhibition, near the handsoant bonnets of the newest fashi+on, and soarments in the most approved taste

A liveried footman opened the door, and in reply to Ralph's inquiry whether Madah a handsome hall and up a spacious staircase, into the show saloon, which co-rooms, and exhibited an immense variety of superb dresses and ed on stands, others laid carelessly on sofas, and others again, scattered over the carpet, hanging on the cheval-glasses, or , in some other ith the rich furniture of various descriptions, which was profusely displayed

They waited here a reeable to Mr Ralph Nickleby, who eyed the gaudy frippery about hith about to pull the bell, when a gentle soain