Part 21 (1/2)

'I AM

'Then you are an ungrateful, unworthy, demd unthankful little fairy,' said Mr Mantalini

'I am not,' returned Madame, with a sob

'Do not put itself out of hu 'It is a pretty, bewitching little demd countenance, and it should not be out of huloooblin'

'I aht round in that way, always,' rejoined Madaht round in any way it likes best, and not brought round at all if it likes that better,' retorted Mr Mantalini, with his egg-spoon in his mouth

'It's very easy to talk,' said Mrs Mantalini

'Not so easy when one is eating a de,' replied Mr Mantalini; 'for the yolk runs down the waistcoat, and yolk of egg does not match any waistcoat but a yelloaistcoat, deht,' said Madame Mantalini, apparently desirous to lead the conversation back to the point from which it had strayed

'No, no, my life'

'You were,' said Madame; 'I hadtwinkling eye; was it on me all the time!' cried Mantalini, in a sort of lazy rapture 'Oh, demmit!'

'And I say once ht not to waltz with anybody but your oife; and I will not bear it, Mantalini, if I take poison first'

'She will not take poison and have horrid pains, will she?' said Mantalini; who, by the altered sound of his voice, seemed to have moved his chair, and taken up his position nearer to his wife 'She will not take poison, because she had a deht have er-'

'Two countesses,' interposed Madame 'You told me one before!'

'Two!' cried Mantalini 'Two demd fine women, real countesses and splendid fortunes, demmit'

'And why didn't you?' asked Madame, playfully

'Why didn't I!' replied her husband 'Had I not seen, at aconcert, the demdest little fascinator in all the world, and while that little fascinator is land be-'

Mr Mantalini did not finish the sentence, but he gave Madame Mantalini a very loud kiss, which Madame Mantalini returned; after which, there seeress of the breakfast

'And what about the cash, my existence's jewel?' said Mantalini, when these endearments ceased 'How much have we in hand?'

'Very little indeed,' replied Madame

'We must have some more,' said Mantalini; 'we must have some discount out of old Nickleby to carry on the ith, demmit'

'You can't want any ly

'My life and soul,' returned her husband, 'there is a horse for sale at Scrubbs's, which it would be a sin and a cri'

'For nothing,' cried Mada,' replied Mantalini 'A hundred guineas doill buy his, and tail, all of the demdest beauty I will ride him in the park before the very chariots of the rejected countesses The dee; the other till say ”He is , it is all up!” They will hate each other demnebly, and wish you dead and buried Ha! ha! Demmit'

Madaainst these triu of keys, she observed that she would see what her desk contained, and rising for that purpose, opened the folding-door, and walked into the room where Kate was seated

'Dearin surprise 'How ca in 'How ca, here so Madaotten to let you know that I was here, I think'

'You reallyto her husband 'He forgets everything'

'I will twist his de such a very pretty creature all alone by herself,' said her husband

'Mantalini,' cried Madaet you, my soul, and never shall, and never can,' said Mantalini, kissing his wife's hand, and gri aside, to Miss Nickleby, who turned away

Appeased by this compliment, the lady of the business took some papers from her desk which she handed over to Mr Mantalini, who received theht She then requested Kate to follow her, and after several feints on the part of Mr Mantalini to attract the young lady's attention, they went away: leaving that gentleth on the sofa, with his heels in the air and a newspaper in his hand

Madah a passage, to a large roo wo, and various other processes known only to those who are cunning in the arts of ht, and as dull and quiet as a roo aloud for Miss Knag, a short, bustling, over-dressed fe ladies suspending their operations for the moment, whispered to each other sundry criticisms upon the make and texture of Miss Nickleby's dress, her complexion, cast of features, and personal appearance, with asas could have been displayed by the very best society in a crowded ball-roo,' said Mada person I spoke to you about'

Miss Knag bestowed a reverential smile upon Madaracious one for Kate, and said that certainly, although it was a great deal of trouble to have young people holly unused to the business, still, she was sure the young person would try to do her best-i) felt an interest in her, already

'I think that, for the present at all events, it will be better for Miss Nickleby to cos on for people,' said Madame Mantalini 'She will not be able for the present to be of much use in any other way; and her appearance will-'

'Suit very ith'So it will; and to be sure Ithat out; for you have so much taste in all thoseladies, I do not knohen, or where, you possibly could have acquired all you know-hem-Miss Nickleby and I are quite a pair, Madame Mantalini, only I am a little darker than Miss Nickleby, and-hem-I think my foot may be a little smaller Miss Nickleby, I a that, when she hears that our family always have been celebrated for small feet ever since-hem-ever since our family had any feet at all, indeed, I think I had an uncle once, Madame Mantalini, who lived in Cheltenham, and had a most excellent business as a tobacconist-heer than those which are usually joined to wooden legs-the most syine'

'Theyof the appearance of club feet, Miss Knag,' said Mada, 'Ha! ha! ha! Of club feet! Oh very good! As I often re ladies, ”Well I must say, and I do not care who knows it, of all the ready huood deal; for when my dear brother was alive (I kept house for him, Miss Nickleby), we had to supper once a week two or three young hly celebrated in those days for their humour, Mada ladies, ”I ever heard, Madaentle, so sarcastic, and yet so good-natured (as I was observing to Miss Si), that how, or when, or by what means she acquired it, is topaused to take breath, and while she pauses it may be observed-not that she was marvellously loquacious and marvellously deferential to Madame Mantalini, since these are facts which require no comment; but that every now and then, she was accustomed, in the torrent of her discourse, to introduce a loud, shrill, clear 'he of which, was variously interpreted by her acquaintance; soeration, and introduced the e in her brain; others, that when she wanted a word, she threw it in to gain ti into the conversation Itstill aio; and that she eak and vain, and one of those people who are best described by the axiom, that you may trust them as far as you can see them, and no farther

'You'll take care that Miss Nickleby understands her hours, and so forth,' said Madaetof course replied, that to forget anything Madame Mantalini had directed, was a ood- creature, isn't she, Miss Nickleby?' said Miss Knag, rubbing her hands together

'I have seen very little of her,' said Kate 'I hardly know yet'