Part 36 (1/2)

This was said lest Miss Nickleby should grow conceited on the honour and dignity of having known four great people (for Pyke and Pluck were included ahtful creatures), whom Mrs Wititterly did not know But as the circumstance had made no impression one way or other upon Kate's mind, the force of the observation was quite lost upon her

'They asked perave it them of course'

'Do you expect them today?' Kate ventured to inquire

Mrs Wititterly's ansas lost in the noise of a tre at the street-door, and before it had ceased to vibrate, there drove up a handsome cabriolet, out of which leaped Sir Mulberry Hawk and his friend Lord Verisopht

'They are here now,' said Kate, rising and hurrying away

'Miss Nickleby!' cried Mrs Wititterly, perfectly aghast at a co to quit the room, without her per'

'You are very good!' replied Kate 'But-'

'For goodness' sake, don't agitate reat sharpness 'Dear -'

It was in vain for Kate to protest that she was unwell, for the footsteps of the knockers, whoever they were, were already on the stairs She resue darted into the room and announced, Mr Pyke, and Mr Pluck, and Lord Verisopht, and Sir Mulberry Hawk, all at one burst

'Thein the world,' said Mr Pluck, saluting both ladies with the ut As Lord Frederick and Sir Mulberry drove up to the door, Pyke and I had that instant knocked'

'That instant knocked,' said Pyke

'No matter how you came, so that you are here,' said Mrs Wititterly, who, by dint of lying on the saot up quite a little pantoraceful attitudes, and now threw herself into theof the whole series, to astonish the visitors 'I ahted, I am sure'

'And how is Miss Nickleby?' said Sir Mulberry Hawk, accosting Kate, in a low voice-not so loever, but that it reached the ears of Mrs Wititterly

'Why, she coht,' said the lady 'I am sure I don't wonder at it, for my nerves are quite torn to pieces'

'And yet you look,' observed Sir Mulberry, turning round; 'and yet you look-'

'Beyond everything,' said Mr Pyke, co to his patron's assistance Of course Mr Pluck said the same

'I am afraid Sir Mulberry is a flatterer, entle the head of his cane in silence, and staring at Kate

'Oh, deyvlish!+' replied Verisopht Having given utterance to which remarkable sentiment, he occupied himself as before

'Neither does Miss Nickleby look the worse,' said Sir Mulberry, bending his bold gaze upon her 'She was always handsome, but upon ood looks to her besides'

To judge froirl's countenance after this speech, Mrs Wititterly ht, with some show of reason, have been supposed to have imparted to it some of that artificial blooh not with the best grace in the world, that Kate DID look pretty She began to think, too, that Sir Mulberry was not quite so agreeable a creature as she had at first supposed hihtful companion if you can keep him all to yourself, his taste beco other people

'Pyke,' said the watchful Mr Pluck, observing the effect which the praise of Miss Nickleby had produced

'Well, Pluck,' said Pyke

'Is there anybody,' demanded Mr Pluck, mysteriously, 'anybody you know, that Mrs Wititterly's profile reminds you of?'

'Reminds me of!' answered Pyke 'Of course there is'

'Who do you mean?' said Pluck, in the same mysterious manner 'The D of B?'

'The C of B,' replied Pyke, with the faintest trace of a grin lingering in his countenance 'The beautiful sister is the countess; not the duchess'

'True,' said Pluck, 'the C of B The rese,' said Mr Pyke

Here was a state of things! Mrs Wititterly was declared, upon the testimony of two veracious and competent witnesses, to be the very picture of a countess! This was one of the consequences of getting into good society Why, shepeople for twenty years, and never heard of it How could she, indeed? what did THEY know about countesses?

The two gentlereediness hich this little bait ed, tested the extent of Mrs Wititterly's appetite for adulation, proceeded to ad to Sir Mulberry Hawk an opportunity of pestering Miss Nickleby with questions and reed to make some reply Meanwhile, Lord Verisopht enjoyed unold knob at the top of his cane, as he would have done to the end of the interview if Mr Wititterly had not come home, and caused the conversation to turn to his favourite topic

'My lord,' said Mr Wititterly, 'I aain, my lord, pray I am proud, indeed-most proud'

It was to the secret annoyance of his wife that Mr Wititterly said all this, for, although she was bursting with pride and arrogance, she would have had the illustrious guests believe that their visit was quite a common occurrence, and that they had lords and baronets to see thes were beyond the power of suppression

'It is an honour, indeed!' said Mr Wititterly 'Julia, my soul, you will suffer for this tomorrow'

'Suffer!' cried Lord Verisopht

'The reaction, my lord, the reaction,' said Mr Wititterly 'This violent strain upon the nervous syste, a depression, a lowness, a lassitude, a debility My lord, if Sir Tumley Snuffim was to see that delicate creature at this ive a-a-THIS for her life' In illustration of which remark, Mr Wititterly took a pinch of snuff frohtly into the air as an emblem of instability

'Not THAT,' said Mr Wititterly, looking about hiive that for Mrs Wititterly's existence'

Mr Wititterly told this with a kind of sober exultation, as if it were no trifling distinction for a man to have a wife in such a desperate state, and Mrs Wititterly sighed and looked on, as if she felt the honour, but had deterht be

'Mrs Wititterly,' said her husband, 'is Sir Tumley Snuffim's favourite patient I believe I may venture to say, that Mrs Wititterly is the first person who took the new medicine which is supposed to have destroyed a faton Gravel Pits I believe she was If I a, Julia, my dear, you will correct me'

'I believe I was,' said Mrs Wititterly, in a faint voice

As there appeared to be some doubt in the mind of his patron how he could best join in this conversation, the indefatigable Mr Pyke threw hi to the point, inquired-with reference to the aforesaid medicine-whether it was nice

'No, sir, it was not It had not even that recommendation,' said Mr W

'Mrs Wititterly is quite a martyr,' observed Pyke, with a complimentary bow

'I THINK I a

'I think you are, my dear Julia,' replied her husband, in a tone which seemed to say that he was not vain, but still es 'If anybody,round to the noblereater martyr than Mrs Wititterly, all I can say is, that I shall be glad to see that martyr, whether male or female-that's all, my lord'

Pyke and Pluck pro could be fairer than that; and the call having been by this tith, they obeyed Sir Mulberry's look, and rose to go This brought Sir Mulberry his also Many protestations of friendshi+p, and expressions anticipative of the pleasure which must inevitably flow froed, and the visitors departed, with renewed assurances that at all times and seasons thethem beneath its roof

That they came at all times and seasons-that they dined there one day, supped the next, dined again on the next, and were constantly to and fro on all-that they made parties to visit public places, and es-that upon all these occasions Miss Nickleby was exposed to the constant and unrean to feel his character, even in the estimation of his two dependants, involved in the successful reduction of her pride-that she had no intervals of peace or rest, except at those hours when she could sit in her solitary room, and weep over the trials of the day-all these were consequences naturally flowing from the well-laid plans of Sir Mulberry, and their able execution by the auxiliaries, Pyke and Pluck