Part 39 (2/2)

Accoround, he tore hi rapidly down the street was out of sight in an instant

'Dearwistfully towards the point at which he had just disappeared; 'if he only acted like that, what a deal of money he'd draw! He should have kept upon this circuit; he'd have been very useful to ood for hiin a ht possibly have er if he had not mechanically put his hand towards his waistcoat pocket, where he was accustomed to keep his snuff The absence of any pocket at all in the usual direction, suddenly recalled to his recollection the fact that he had no waistcoat on; and this leading him to a contemplation of the extreme scantiness of his attire, he shut the door abruptly, and retired upstairs with great precipitation

Sood speed while Nicholas was absent, and with his help everything was soon ready for their departure They scarcely stopped to take a morsel of breakfast, and in less than half an hour arrived at the coach-office: quite out of breath with the haste they had made to reach it in ti secured the places, Nicholas hurried into a slopseller's hard by, and bought Se for a substantial yeo (and with considerable truth) that it was a most uncommon fit, Nicholas would have purchased it in his impatience if it had been twice the size

As they hurried up to the coach, which was now in the open street and all ready for starting, Nicholas was not a little astonished to find himself suddenly clutched in a close and violent es; nor was his a the voice of Mr Crummles exclaim, 'It is he-my friend,in the er ain, exclai as he did so, 'Farewell, my noble, my lion-hearted boy!'

In fact, Mr Crummles, who could never lose any opportunity for professional display, had turned out for the express purpose of taking a public farewell of Nicholas; and to render it the entle upon hie embraces, which, as everybody knows, are perfor his or her chin on the shoulder of the object of affection, and looking over it This Mr Cru forth at the same time all the most dismal forms of farewell he could think of, out of the stock pieces Nor was this all, for the elder Master Cruh a similar ceremony with Smike; while Master Percy Crummles, with a very little second-hand camlet cloak, worn theatrically over his left shoulder, stood by, in the attitude of an attendant officer, waiting to convey the two victihed very heartily, and as it was as well to put a good face upon the ing hi the astonished Smike, climbed up to the coach roof after him, and kissed his hand in honour of the absent Mrs Crummles as they rolled away

CHAPTER 31

Of Ralph Nickleby and News, and some wise Precautions, the success or failure of which will appear in the Sequel In blissful unconsciousness that his nepheas hastening at the utood horses towards his sphere of action, and that every passing minute diminished the distance between the occupied in his custohts wandering from time to time back to the interviehich had taken place between himself and his niece on the previous day At such intervals, after a few moments of abstraction, Ralph would mutter some peevish interjection, and apply hier before hiht ca hi his attention froth Ralph laid down his pen, and threw hih he had made up his mind to allow the obtrusive current of reflection to take its own course, and, by giving it full scope, to rid himself of it effectually

'I am not a man to be rinning skull beneath it, and men like me who look and work below the surface see that, and not its delicate covering And yet I alirl, or should if she had been less proudly and squeaed, and the mother dead, this house should be her ho the deadly hatred which Ralph felt towards Nicholas, and the bitter conte the baseness hich he had behaved, and was then behaving, and would behave again if his interest proh it hts at that ht be if Kate were there; he placed her in the eain upon his ar hand; he strewed his costly rooms with the hundred silent tokens of feain to the cold fireside and the silent dreary splendour; and in that one glihts, the rich man felt himself friendless, childless, and alone Gold, for the instant, lost its lustre in his eyes, for there were countless treasures of the heart which it could never purchase

A very slight circumstance was sufficient to banish such reflections from the mind of such a man As Ralph looked vacantly out across the yard towards theof the other office, he becas, ith his red nose al a pen with a rusty frag at his eer scrutiny

Ralph exchanged his dreamy posture for his accustomed business attitude: the face of Newht, all simultaneously, and in an instant

After a fewhis bell Newman answered the summons, and Ralph raised his eyes stealthily to his face, as if he alhts

There was not the sgs If it be possible to iine ain no direction whatever, and seeing nothing, Newarded hirowled Ralph

'Oh!' said Newence into his eyes all at once, and dropping the' With which laconic remark Newman turned round and hobbled away

'Stop!' said Ralph

New'

'I knew you did'

'Then why do you offer to go if you know that?'

'I thought you rang to say you didn't ring,' replied Newman 'You often do'

'How dare you pry, and peer, and stare at me, sirrah?' demanded Ralph

'Stare!' cried Newman, 'at YOU! Ha, ha!' which was all the explanation Newned to offer

'Be careful, sir,' said Ralph, looking steadily at hi here Do you see this parcel?'

'It's big enough,' rejoined Newman

'Carry it into the city; to Cross, in Broad Street, and leave it there-quick Do you hear?'

Newed kind of nod to express an affir the roo made various ineffective attempts to fit the parcel (which was some two feet square) into the crown thereof, Newerless gloves with great precision and nicety, keeping his eyes fixed upon Mr Ralph Nickleby all the time, he adjusted his hat upon his head with as much care, real or pretended, as if it were a bran-new one of the most expensive quality, and at last departed on his errand

He executed his co at one public-house for half a ht be said to be in his way, for he went in at one door and caot so far hoan to loiter with the uncertain air of a o straight forwards After a very short consideration, the for towards the point he had had in his mind, Newle one, at Miss La Creevy's door

It was opened by a strange servant, on whoure of the visitor did not appear to make the most favourable impression possible, inasmuch as she no sooner saw hi herself in the narrow gap, inquired what he wanted But News,' as if it were some cabalistic word, at sound of which bolts would fly back and doors open, pushed briskly past and gained the door of Miss La Creevy's sitting-room, before the astonished servant could offer any opposition

'Walk in if you please,' said Miss La Creevy in reply to the sound of Newly

'Bless us!' cried Miss La Creevy, starting as Newotten me,' said Newman, with an inclination of the head 'I wonder at that That nobody should reh; but there are few people who, seeing lanced, as he spoke, at his shabby clothes and paralytic liet you, I declare,' said Miss La Creevy, rising to receive Newman, whoso; for you are a kind, good creature, Mr Noggs Sit down and tell ! I haven't seen her for this many a week'

'How's that?' asked News,' said Miss La Creevy, 'that I have been out on a visit-the first visit I haveti tih, somehow or other, thank Heaven, the solitary days roll away peacefully and happily enough,' replied the s-the only relation I have-and all that time I never saw him once Not that we ever quarrelled, but he was apprenticed down in the country, and he gotup about hiot a poor little woman like me, as it was very reasonable he should, you know Don't suppose that I complain about that, because I always said tohis way in the world, and has a wife to tell his cares and troubles to, and children now to play about hiether one day where we shall part no s,' said theher hands, 'of that very sa till he founddown in that very chair, and crying like a child because he was so glad to seeme down all the way into the country to his own house (quite a suarden and I don't knoat table, and cows and horses and pigs and I don't knohat besides), andme to stop there all my life-yes, all my life-and so did his wife, and so did the children-and there were four of theirl of all, they-they had naood years before, they had indeed I never was so happy; in all my life I never was!' The worthy soul hid her face in her handkerchief, and sobbed aloud; for it was the first opportunity she had had of unburdening her heart, and it would have its way

'But blessher eyes after a short pause, and crareat bustle and dispatch; 'what a foolish creature Iabout it, only I wanted to explain to you hoas I hadn't seen Miss Nickleby'

'Have you seen the old lady?' asked Newman

'You mean Mrs Nickleby?' said Miss La Creevy 'Then I tell you what, Mr Noggs, if you want to keep in the good books in that quarter, you had better not call her the old lady any more, for I suspect she wouldn't be best pleased to hear you Yes, I went there the night before last, but she was quite on the high ropes about sorand andof her: so, to tell you the truth, I took it into ht she would have coain before this, but she hasn't been here'

'About Miss Nickleby-' said Newman

'Why, she was here thile I ay,' returned Miss La Creevy 'I was afraid she reat folks in what's-its-naht I'd wait a day or two, and if I didn't see her, write'

'Ah!' exclaiers

'However, I want to hear all the news about theh and tough monster of Golden Square? Well, of course; such people always are I don'ton: how is he behaving hi his cherished hat on the floor; 'like a false hound'