Part 12 (2/2)

'Here Hollo!' cried Ralph 'Who's that?'

At the sound of Ralph's voice, the head reappeared, and therow of very white teeth, uttered in atone the words, 'De uttered which ejaculations, the gentlereat waroith a waistcoat and Turkish trousers of the sareen slippers, and had a very copious watch-chain wound round his body Moreover, he had whiskers and a racefully curled

'Demmit, you don't entle Ralph on the shoulder

'Not yet,' said Ralph, sarcastically

'Ha! ha! deh with greater elegance, he encountered Kate Nickleby, as standing near

'My niece,' said Ralph

'I re his nose with the knuckle of his forefinger as a chastening for his forgetfulness 'Demmit, I remember what you come for Step this way, Nickleby; my dear, will you follow me? Ha! ha! They all followloose to the playfulness of his ientle-rooantly furnished than the apart-shell, and sloppy china for one, seemed to show that he had just breakfasted

'Sit down,Miss Nickleby out of countenance, and then grinning in delight at the achieveh room takes one's breath away These infernal sky parlours-I'm afraid I must move, Nickleby'

'I would, by allbitterly round

'What a deentleest-headed, queerest-teold and silver ever was-deentle the bell, and stared at Miss Nickleby until it was answered, when he left off to bid the an again, and left off no more until Madame Mantalini appeared

The dressood-looking, but entleman in the Turkish trousers, whoinally Muntle; but it had been converted, by an easy transition, into Mantalini: the lady rightly considering that an English appellation would be of serious injury to the business He had married on his whiskers; upon which property he had previously subsisted, in a genteel manner, for some years; and which he had recently improved, after patient cultivation by the addition of a moustache, which promised to secure him an easy independence: his share in the labours of the business being at present confined to spending theto Mr Ralph Nickleby to procure discount-at a percentage-for the customers' bills

'My life,' said Mr Mantalini, 'what a demd devil of a time you have been!'

'I didn't even know Mr Nickleby was here, my love,' said Madame Mantalini

'Then what a doubly demd infernal rascal that footman must be, my soul,' remonstrated Mr Mantalini

'My dear,' said Madame, 'that is entirely your fault'

'My fault, my heart's joy?'

'Certainly,' returned the lady; 'what can you expect, dearest, if you will not correct the ht!'

'Yes; I ah,' said Mada

'Then do not vex itself,' said Mr Mantalini; 'he shall be horse-whipped till he cries out demnebly' With this promise Mr Mantalini kissed Madame Mantalini, and, after that performance, Madame Mantalini pulled Mr Mantalini playfully by the ear: which done, they descended to business

'Now, ma'am,' said Ralph, who had looked on, at all this, with such scorn as few men can express in looks, 'this is my niece'

'Just so, Mr Nickleby,' replied Madaain 'Can you speak French, child?'

'Yes,to look up; for she felt that the eyes of the odious oere directed towards her

'Like a demd native?' asked the husband

Miss Nickleby offered no reply to this inquiry, but turned her back upon the questioner, as if addressing herself to ht de women constantly employed in the establishment,' said Madame

'Indeed, ma'am!' replied Kate, timidly

'Yes; and some of 'em demd handsome, too,' said the master

'Mantalini!' exclaimed his wife, in an awful voice

'My senses' idol!' said Mantalini

'Do you wish to break my heart?'

'Not for twenty thousand hemispheres populated ith little ballet-dancers,' replied Mantalini in a poetical strain

'Then you will, if you persevere in that ,' said his wife 'What can Mr Nickleby think when he hears you?'

'Oh! Nothing, ,' replied Ralph 'I know his aive a zest to your daily intercourse-lovers' quarrels that add sweetness to those do-that's all; that's all'

If an iron door could be supposed to quarrel with its hinges, and to rind them to powder in the process, it would e, than did these words in the rough and bitter voice in which they were uttered by Ralph Even Mr Mantalini felt their influence, and turning affrighted round, exclai!'

'You will pay no attention, if you please, to what Mr Mantalini says,' observed his wife, addressing Miss Nickleby

'I do not, ma'am,' said Kate, with quiet conte whatever about any of the young wo to Kate 'If he has seen any of the to, or returning from, their work, and not here He was never even in the room I do not allow it What hours of work have you been accustomed to?'

'I have never yet been accustomed to work at all, ma'am,' replied Kate, in a low voice

'For which reason she'll work all the better now,' said Ralph, putting in a word, lest this confession should injure the negotiation

'I hope so,' returned Madame Mantalini; 'our hours are from nine to nine, with extra e're very full of business, for which I allow payment as overtime'

Kate bowed her head, to intimate that she heard, and was satisfied

'Your meals,' continued Madame Mantalini, 'that is, dinner and tea, you will take here I should think your wages would average froive you any certain information on that point, until I see what you can do'

Kate bowed her head again

'If you're ready to coin on Mondaythe forewoman shall then have directions to try you with so

'Then I believe that's all,' said the lady Having arrived at this natural conclusion, she looked at the door, as if she wished to be gone, but hesitated notwithstanding, as though unwilling to leave to Mr Mantalini the sole honour of showing the his departure without delay: Madaracious inquiries why he never ca the stairs with great volubility as he followed the Kate to look round,-a hope, however, which was destined to reot into the street; 'now you're provided for'