Part 34 (1/2)

'Is that letter forto the little packet Mrs Nickleby held in her hand

'For you, brother-in-law,' replied Mrs Nickleby, 'and I walked all the way up here on purpose to give it you'

'All the way up here!' cried Sir Mulberry, seizing upon the chance of discovering where Mrs Nickleby had come from 'What a confounded distance! How far do you call it now?'

'How far do I call it?' said Mrs Nickleby 'Let me see It's just a mile from our door to the Old Bailey'

'No, no Not so ed Sir Mulberry

'Oh! It is indeed,' said Mrs Nickleby 'I appeal to his lordshi+p'

'I should decidedly say it was a mile,' remarked Lord Frederick, with a solemn aspect

'It must be; it can't be a yard less,' said Mrs Nickleby 'All dogate Street, all down Cheapside, all up Lo Thawiffin's Wharf Oh! It's a hts I should say it was,' replied Sir Mulberry 'But you don't surely mean to walk all the way back?'

'Oh, no,' rejoined Mrs Nickleby 'I shall go back in an omnibus I didn't travel about in omnibuses, when my poor dear Nicholas was alive, brother-in-law But as it is, you know-'

'Yes, yes,' replied Ralph iet back before dark'

'Thank you, brother-in-law, so I had,' returned Mrs Nickleby 'I think I had better say goodbye, at once'

'Not stop and-rest?' said Ralph, who seldoot by it

'Oh dearat the dial

'Lord Frederick,' said Sir Mulberry, 'we are going Mrs Nickleby's way We'll see her safe to the omnibus?'

'By all means Ye-es'

'Oh! I really couldn't think of it!' said Mrs Nickleby

But Sir Mulberry Hawk and Lord Verisopht were pere Ralph, who seemed to think, not unwisely, that he looked less ridiculous as a mere spectator, than he would have done if he had taken any part in these proceedings, they quitted the house with Mrs Nickleby between theood lady in a perfect ecstasy of satisfaction, no less with the attentions shown her by two titled gentleht now pick and choose, at least between two large fortunes, and most unexceptionable husbands

As she was carried away for the ht, all connected with her daughter's future greatness, Sir Mulberry Hawk and his friend exchanged glances over the top of the bonnet which the poor lady soleft at horeat rapture, but much respect on the ht, what a comfort, what a happiness, this a into his voice an indication of the war

'She is indeed, sir,' replied Mrs Nickleby; 'she is the sweetest-tempered, kindest-hearted creature-and so clever!'

'She looks clayver,' said Lord Verisopht, with the air of a judge of cleverness

'I assure you she is, my lord,' returned Mrs Nickleby 'When she was at school in Devonshi+re, she was universally allowed to be beyond all exception the very cleverest girl there, and there were a great many very clever ones too, and that's the truth-twenty-five young ladies, fifty guineas a year without the et-ceteras, both the Miss Dowdles thecreatures-Oh dear et what pleasure she used to give me and her poor dear papa, when she was at that school, never-such a delightful letter every half-year, telling us that she was the first pupil in the whole establishress than anybody else! I can scarcely bear to think of it even now The girls wrote all the letters the-lass and a silver pen; at least I think they wrote theh Kate was never quite certain about that, because she didn't know the handwriting of hers again; but anyway, I knoas a circular which they all copied, and of course it was a very gratifying thing-very gratifying'

With siuiled the tediousness of the way, until they reached the omnibus, which the extreme politeness of her new friends would not allow them to leave until it actually started, when they took their hats, as Mrs Nickleby solemnly assured her hearers on many subsequent occasions, 'coloves till they were no longer visible

Mrs Nickleby leant back in the furthest corner of the conveyance, and, closing her eyes, resigned herself to a host ofues that she is strongly prepossessed in favour of one of them' Then the question arose, which one could it be The lord was the youngest, and his title was certainly the grandest; still Kate was not the girl to be swayed by such considerations as these 'I will never put any constraint upon her inclinations,' said Mrs Nickleby to herself; 'but upon my word I think there's no comparison between his lordshi+p and Sir Mulberry-Sir Mulberry is such an attentive gentlemanly creature, so much manner, such a fine man, and has so much to say for himself I hope it's Sir Mulberry-I think it hts flew back to her old predictions, and the number of times she had said, that Kate with no fortune would hters with thousands; and, as she pictured with the brightness of a irl who had struggled so cheerfully with her new life of hardshi+p and trial, her heart grew too full, and the tears trickled down her face

Meanwhile, Ralph walked to and fro in his little back-office, troubled in mind by what had just occurred To say that Ralph loved or cared for-in the most ordinary acceptation of those terms-any one of God's creatures, would be the wildest fiction Still, there had soht of his niece which was tinged with coh the dull cloud of dislike or indifference which darkened men and woleaht-a most feeble and sickly ray at the best of tiirl in a better and purer aspect than any in which he had looked on huht Ralph, 'I had never done this And yet it will keep this boy toher in the way of temptation, and insult, and coarse speech Nearly two thousand pounds profit froevery day'

He sat down, and told the chances, for and against, on his fingers

'If I had not put theht Ralph, 'this foolish wohter is as true to herself as she should be fro, a little hu, a few tears Yes,' said Ralph, aloud, as he locked his iron safe 'She must take her chance She must take her chance'

CHAPTER 27

Mrs Nickleby becomes acquainted with Messrs Pyke and Pluck, whose Affection and Interest are beyond all Bounds Mrs Nickleby had not felt so proud and iave herself wholly up to the pleasant visions which had accompanied her on her way thither Lady Mulberry Hawk-that was the prevalent idea Lady Mulberry Hawk!-On Tuesday last, at St George's, Hanover Square, by the Right Reverend the Bishop of Llandaff, Sir Mulberry Hawk, of Mulberry Castle, North Wales, to Catherine, only daughter of the late Nicholas Nickleby, Esquire, of Devonshi+re 'Upon my word!' cried Mrs Nicholas Nickleby, 'it sounds very well'

Having dispatched the ceremony, with its attendant festivities, to the perfect satisfaction of her owntrain of honours and distinctions which could not fail to accompany Kate in her new and brilliant sphere She would be presented at court, of course On the anniversary of her birthday, which was upon the nineteenth of July ('at ten ht Mrs Nickleby in a parenthesis, 'for I recollect asking what o'clock it was'), Sir Mulberry would give a great feast to all his tenants, and would return them three and a half per cent on the amount of their last half-year's rent, as would be fully described and recorded in the fashi+onable intelligence, to the iht and admiration of all the readers thereof Kate's picture, too, would be in at least half-a-dozen of the annuals, and on the opposite page would appear, in delicate type, 'Lines on conteleby Dabber' Perhaps son than its fellows, ht even contain a portrait of the mother of Lady Mulberry Haith lines by the father of Sir Dingleby Dabber More unlikely things had co portraits had appeared As this thought occurred to the good lady, her countenance unconsciously assu and sleepiness which, being common to all such portraits, is perhaps one reason why they are always so charreeable

With such triumphs of aerial architecture did Mrs Nickleby occupy the whole evening after her accidental introduction to Ralph's titled friends; and drea, haunted her sleep that night She was preparing for her frugal dinner next day, still occupied with the saht-when the girl who attended her, partly for company, and partly to assist in the household affairs, rushed into the rooentlee for permission to walk upstairs

'Blessher cap and front, 'if it should be-dear o and ask theone on this errand, Mrs Nickleby hastily swept into a cupboard all vestiges of eating and drinking; which she had scarcely done, and seated herself with looks as collected as she could assuers, presented thereat stress on the last word of the inquiry

'HOW do you do?' said the other gentleive variety to the salutation

Mrs Nickleby curtseyed and s her hands as she did so, that she hadn't the-really-the honour to- 'To know us,' said the first gentleman 'The loss has been ours, Mrs Nickleby Has the loss been ours, Pyke?'

'It has, Pluck,' answered the other gentleretted it very often, I believe, Pyke?' said the first gentleman

'Very often, Pluck,' answered the second

'But now,' said the first gentleuished for Have we pined and languished for this happiness, Pyke, or have we not?'

'You knoe have, Pluck,' said Pyke, reproachfully

'You hear hi round; 'you hear the unimpeachable testimony of my friend Pyke-that relected in civilised society Pyke-Mrs Nickleby'

Mr Pyke laid his hand upon his heart, and bowed low

'Whether I shall introduce myself with the same formality,' said Mr Pluck-'whether I shall say myself that my na now regularly introduced, is competent to the office) to state for me, Mrs Nickleby, that my name is Pluck; whether I shall clai interest I take in your welfare, or whether I shall make myself known to you as the friend of Sir Mulberry Hawk-these, Mrs Nickleby, are considerations which I leave to you to determine'

'Any friend of Sir Mulberry Hawk's requires no better introduction to htful to hear you say so,' said Mr Pluck, drawing a chair close to Mrs Nickleby, and sitting hi to know that you hold h esteem A word in your ear, Mrs Nickleby When Sir Mulberry knows it, he will be a happy man-I say, Mrs Nickleby, a happy ood opinion,' said Mrs Nickleby, and the poor lady exulted in the idea that she was ood opinion can be of very little consequence to a gentleman like Sir Mulberry'