Part 17 (2/2)

'I only know-' faltered Miss Petowker,-'it may be no rule to be sure-but I have never found any inconvenience or unpleasantness of that sort'

Mr Kenwigs, with becoallantry, said that settled the question at once, and that he would take the subject into his serious consideration This being resolved upon, Miss Petoas entreated to begin the Blood-Drinker's Burial; to which end, that young lady let down her back hair, and taking up her position at the other end of the room, with the bachelor friend posted in a corner, to rush out at the cue 'in death expire,' and catch her in his arh the perforreat terror of the little Kenwigses, ere all but frightened into fits

The ecstasies consequent upon the effort had not yet subsided, and Newhly sober at so late an hour for a long long time,) had not yet been able to put in a word of announcement, that the punch was ready, when a hasty knock was heard at the roos, who immediately divined that the baby had fallen out of bed

'Who is that?' des, sharply

'Don't be alarhtcap 'The baby is very comfortable, for I peeped into the rooirl; and I don't think the candle will set fire to the bed-curtain, unless a draught was to get into the roos that's wanted'

'Me!' cried Newman, much astonished

'Why, it IS a queer hour, isn't it?' replied Croas not best pleased at the prospect of losing his fire; 'and they are queer-looking people, too, all covered with rain and o away?'

'No,' said New 'People? How many?'

'Two,' rejoined Crowl

'Want me? By name?' asked News, as pat as need be'

Newman reflected for a few seconds, and then hurried away, ood as his word; for, in an exceedingly short ti, without a word of apology or explanation, a lighted candle and tumbler of hot punch from the table, darted away like a madman

'What the deuce is thethe door open 'Hark! Is there any noise above?'

The guests rose in great confusion, and, looking in each other's faces with much perplexity and some fear, stretched their necks forward, and listened attentively

CHAPTER 15

Acquaints the Reader with the Cause and Origin of the Interruption described in the last Chapter, and with sos scrae, which he had so unceres, and indeed fro the contents of the tumbler, at the moment of its unexpected abstraction, with lively marks of pleasure visible in his countenance He bore his prize straight to his own back-garret, where, footsore and nearly shoeless, wet, dirty, jaded, and disfigured with everytravel, sat Nicholas and Smike, at once the cause and partner of his toil; both perfectly worn out by their unwonted and protracted exertion

Newentle force, to s half of the punch at a breath, nearly boiling as it was; and his next, to pour the re tasted anything stronger than aperient medicine in his whole life, exhibited various odd e of the liquor down his throat, and turned up his eyes one

'You are wet through,' said New his hand hastily over the coat which Nicholas had thrown off; 'and I-I-haven't even a change,' he added, with a wistful glance at the shabby clothes he wore himself

'I have dry clothes, or at least such as will serve my turn well, in my bundle,' replied Nicholas 'If you look so distressed to seecoht, to cast myself upon your slender means for aid and shelter'

New in this strain; but, upon his young friend grasping hi but implicit confidence in the sincerity of his professions, and kindness of feeling towards himself, would have induced him, on any consideration, even to have htened up again, and went about ements as were in his power for the comfort of his visitors, with extreh; poor New at a very considerable distance short of his inclinations; but, slight as they were, they were notabout As Nicholas had husbanded his scanty stock of money, so well that it was not yet quite expended, a supper of bread and cheese, with some cold beef from the cook's shop, was soon placed upon the table; and these viands being flanked by a bottle of spirits and a pot of porter, there was no ground for apprehension on the score of hunger or thirst, at all events Such preparations as Newman had it in his power to ht, occupied no very great ti; and as he had insisted, as an express prelie his clothes, and that Smike should invest himself in his solitary coat (which no entreaties would dissuade hi off for the purpose), the travellers partook of their frugal fare, with more satisfaction than one of them at least had derived from many a better s had made up as well as he could, after the inroads of Crowl upon the fuel; and Nicholas, who had hitherto been restrained by the extreme anxiety of his friend that he should refresh himself after his journey, now pressed hi his mother and sister

'Well,' replied Newman, with his accusto in the city still?' inquired Nicholas

'They are,' said Newaged in the business which she wrote to tell ht she should like so much?'

Newman opened his eyes rather wider than usual, butto the action of the head that acco yes or no In the present instance, the pantomime consisted of a nod, and not a shake; so Nicholas took the answer as a favourable one

'Now listen tohis hand on Newman's shoulder 'Before I would make an effort to see the my own selfish desire, I should inflict an injury upon them which I can never repair What has my uncle heard from Yorkshi+re?'

Newh he were trying his ut of it, and finally fixed his eyes on Nicholas with a gried Nicholas, colouring 'You see that I aested Why should you conceal it from ained by trifling with the matter for a few minutes, when half the time would put me in possession of all that has occurred? Tell ,' said Newman; 'hear it toed Nicholas

'You would sleep the better,' replied Newman

'I should sleep the worse,' answered Nicholas, i in no coht, unless you tell ,' said Newnation or wound my pride,' rejoined Nicholas; 'but you will not break ain, I could take no other part than I have taken; and whatever consequencesas I have done-never, if I starve or beg in consequence What is a little poverty or suffering, to the disgrace of the basest and most inhuman cowardice! I tell you, if I had stood by, tamely and passively, I should have hated myself, and merited the contempt of every man in existence The black-hearted scoundrel!'

With this gentle allusion to the absent Mr Squeers, Nicholas repressed his rising wrath, and relating to Newman exactly what had passed at Dotheboys Hall, entreated his took, from an old trunk, a sheet of paper, which appeared to have been scrawled over in great haste; and after sundry extraordinary de terive way to-this sort of thing will never do, you know-as to getting on in the world, if you take everybody's part that's ill-treated-damn it, I am proud to hear of it; and would have done it myself!'

Newman accompanied this very unusual outbreak with a violent blow upon the table, as if, in the heat of the moment, he had mistaken it for the chest or ribs of Mr Wackford Squeers Having, by this open declaration of his feelings, quite precluded hi Nicholas any cautious worldly advice (which had been his first intention), Mr Noggs went straight to the point

'The day before yesterday,' said Newman, 'your uncle received this letter I took a hasty copy of it, while he was out Shall I read it?'

'If you please,' replied Nicholas Newly read as follows: 'DOTHEBOYS HALL, 'THURSDAY MORNING 'SIR, 'My pa requestsit doubtful whether he will ever recuvver the use of his legs which prevents his holding a pen

'We are in a state of , and reen likewise two forms are steepled in his Goar We were kimpelled to have him carried down into the kitchen where he now lays You will judge froht very low

'When your nevew that you recommended for a teacher had done this to e which I will not pollewt , he assaulted my ma with dreadful violence, dashed her to the earth, and drove her back comb several inches into her head A very little more and it must have entered her skull We have a medical certifiket that if it had, the tortershell would have affected the brain

'Me and my brother were then the victims of his feury since which we have suffered verybelief that we have received some injury in our insides, especially as noout loud all the time I write and so is my brother which takes off my attention rather and I hope will excusesasiated his thirst for blood ran away, taking with him a boy of desperate character that he had excited to rebellyon, and a garnet ring belonging tobeen apprehended by the constables is supposed to have been took up by so may be returned, and that you will let the thief and assassin go, as if we prosecuted hio he is sure to be hung before long which will save us trouble and beto hear from you when convenient 'I remain 'Yours and cetrer 'fanny SQUEERS

'PS I pity his ignorance and despise him'