Part 40 (1/2)

'Gracious, Mr Noggs, you quite terrifypale

'I should have spoilt his features yesterday afternoon if I could have afforded it,' said New his fist at a portrait of Mr Canning over the ed to put ht I shall do it some day in that little back-parlour, I know I shall I should have done it before now, if I hadn't been afraid ofbad worse I shall double-lock myself in with him and have it out before I die, I'm quite certain of it'

'I shall screas,' said Miss La Creevy; 'I'm sure I shan't be able to help it'

'Neverviolently to and fro 'He's coht: I wrote to tell hi scoundrel! he don't think that Not he, not he Never s Ho, ho, the rascal!'

Lashi+ng his jerked himself about the roo: now sparring at the littlehihten the delusion, until he sank down in his former seat quite breathless and exhausted

'There,' said Newood Now I'm better, and I'll tell you all about it'

It took some little tihtened out of her senses by this remarkable demonstration; but that done, Newman faithfully related all that had passed in the intervieeen Kate and her uncle, prefacing his narrative with a statement of his previous suspicions on the subject, and his reasons for for with a co to Nicholas

Though little Miss La Creevy's indignation was not so singularly displayed as Newman's, it was scarcely inferior in violence and intensity Indeed, if Ralph Nickleby had happened to make his appearance in the room at that moment, there is some doubt whether he would not have found Miss La Creevy a s hi so,' said Miss La Creevy, as a wind-up to all her expressions of anger, 'but I really feel as if I could stick this into him with pleasure'

It was not a very aeapon that Miss La Creevy held, it being in fact nothingher ed it for a mother-of-pearl fruit knife, ith, in proof of her desperate thoughts, she e as she spoke, which would have scarcely disturbed the crumb of a half-quartern loaf

'She won't stop where she is after tonight,' said Newman 'That's a comfort'

'Stop!' cried Miss La Creevy, 'she should have left there, weeks ago'

'-If we had known of this,' rejoined Newman 'But we didn't nobody could properly interfere but her -weak The dear young ht'

'Heart alive!' cried Miss La Creevy 'He will do sos, if you tell hi his hands, and assuhtful look

'Depend upon it,' said Miss La Creevy, earnestly, 'if you are not very careful in breaking out the truth to him, he will do so sorief and sorrow to us all'

'I never thought of that,' rejoined New more and more 'I caht her here, but-'

'But this is a reater iht have been sure of before you came, but the end of this, nobody can foresee, unless you are very guarded and careful'

'What CAN I do?' cried Newreat vexation and perplexity 'If he was to talk of pistoling 'eht”'

Miss La Creevy could not suppress a s a solee from Newman that he would use his utmost endeavours to pacify the wrath of Nicholas; which, after soether on the safest and surestto him the circumstances which had rendered his presence necessary

'He ,' said Miss La Creevy 'That is of the greatest consequence He ht'

'But he'll be in town between six and seven this evening,' replied Newman 'I can't keep it fros,' said Miss La Creevy 'You can easily have been kept away by business, and ht'

'Then he will coht here,' retorted Newman

'So I suppose,' observed Miss La Creevy; 'but he won't find ht to the city the instant you leave me, make up matters with Mrs Nickleby, and take her away to the theatre, so that he may not even knohere his sister lives'

Upon further discussion, this appeared the safest andthat could possibly be adopted Therefore it was finally detered, and New to many supplementary cautions and entreaties, took his leave of Miss La Creevy and trudged back to Golden Square; ru as he went upon a vast number of possibilities and impossibilities which crowded upon his brain, and arose out of the conversation that had just ter chiefly to sos to which it gives rise 'London at last!' cried Nicholas, throwing back his greatcoat and rousing Sh we should never reach it'

'And yet you ca over his shoulder at Nicholas with no very pleasant expression of countenance

'Ay, I know that,' was the reply; 'but I have been very anxious to be at '

'Well,' re with such cattle as you've sat behind, you MUST have been , he let out his whip-lash and touched up a little boy on the calves of his legs by way of e, crowded street of London, now displaying long double rows of brightly-burning lahts, and illuminated besides with the brilliant flood that strea jewellery, silks and velvets of the richest colours, thedelicacies, and most sumptuous articles of luxurious orna profusion Strea each other in the crowd and hurrying forward, scarcely see to notice the riches that surrounded theled up together in onewater, lent their ceaseless roar to swell the noise and tu and ever-varying objects, it was curious to observe in what a strange procession they passed before the eye Eht fro to stiive new relish to the oft-repeated feast; vessels of burnished gold and silver, wrought into every exquisite foruns, swords, pistols, and patent engines of destruction; screws and irons for the crooked, clothes for the newly-born, drugs for the sick, coffins for the dead, and churchyards for the buried-all these ju side by side, seeroups of the old Dutch painter, and with the sa restless crowd

Nor were there wanting objects in the crowd itself to give new point and purpose to the shi+fting scene The rags of the squalid ballad-singer fluttered in the rich light that showed the goldsmith's treasures, pale and pinched-up faces hovered about the here was teuarded by one thin sheet of brittle glass-an iron wall to theaze at Chinese shawls and golden stuffs of India There was a christening party at the largest coffin-reat improvements in the bravest mansion Life and death went hand in hand; wealth and poverty stood side by side; repletion and starvation laid theether

But it was London; and the old country lady inside, who had put her head out of the coach- a ston, and cried out to the driver that she was sure he otten to set her doas satisfied at last

Nicholas engaged beds for himself and Smike at the inn where the coach stopped, and repaired, without the delay of another s; for his anxiety and i minute, and were alarret; and a candle had been left burning; the floor was cleanly swept, the rooed as such a room could be, andbespoke the affectionate care and attention of News, but Newman himself was not there

'Do you knohat ti at the door of Newhbour

'Ah, Mr Johnson!' said Crowl, presenting hi! I never could have believed-'

'Pardon me,' interposed Nicholas 'My question-I am extremely anxious to know'

'Why, he has a troublesome affair of business,' replied Crowl, 'and will not be hoo, I can tell you, but there was no help for it However, he left word that you were to make yourself comfortable till he came back, and that I was to entertain you, which I shall be very glad to do'

In proof of his extreeneral entertainment, Mr Crowl drew a chair to the table as he spoke, and helping himself plentifully to the cold meat, invited Nicholas and Smike to follow his example

Disappointed and uneasy, Nicholas could touch no food, so, after he had seen Smike coreat many dissuasions uttered by Mr Croith his mouth full), and left Smike to detain Newman in case he returned first

As Miss La Creevy had anticipated, Nicholas betook hi her from home, he debated within hio to his mother's residence, and so compromise her with Ralph Nickleby Fully persuaded, however, that Neould not have solicited hi reason which required his presence at hoo there, and hastened eastwards with all speed

Mrs Nickleby would not be at hoirl said, until past twelve, or later She believed Miss Nickleby ell, but she didn't live at home now, nor did she come ho, but it was not at Madame Mantalini's She was sure of that

With his heart beating violently, and apprehending he knew not what disaster, Nicholas returned to where he had left Smike Newman had not been home He wouldn't be, till twelve o'clock; there was no chance of it Was there no possibility of sending to fetch hi to hiht return a verbal reply? That was quite impracticable He was not at Golden Square, and probably had been sent to execute some commission at a distance

Nicholas tried to remain quietly where he was, but he felt so nervous and excited that he could not sit still He see It was an absurd fancy, he knew, but he holly unable to resist it So, he took up his hat and ra the long streets with hurried footsteps, and agitated by a thousand s and apprehensions which he could not overcome He passed into Hyde Park, now silent and deserted, and increased his rate of walking as if in the hope of leaving his thoughts behind They crowded upon hi objects to attract his attention; and the one idea was always uppermost, that some stroke of ill-fortune must have occurred so cala it to hiain-What could it be? Nicholas walked till he eary, but was not one bit the wiser; and indeed he careat deal more confused and perplexed than when he went in