Part 45 (2/2)

'You never see her dance, sir, did you?' asked Mr Kenwigs

The doctor shook his head

'Ay!' said Mr Kenwigs, as though he pitied him from his heart, 'then you don't knohat she's capable of'

All this ti in and out of the other room; the door had been opened and shut very softly about twenty tis quiet); and the baby had been exhibited to a score or two of deputations from a select body of fee, and about the street-door, to discuss the event in all its bearings Indeed, the exciteroups of ladiescondition in which Mrs Kenwigs had last appeared in public,) relating their experiences of si prophesied, the day before yesterday, exactly when it would couessed what it was, directly they saw Mr Kenwigs turn pale and run up the street as hard as ever he could go Soether, and all agreed upon two points: first, that it was very s to do as she had done: and secondly, that there never was such a skilful and scientific doctor as that Dr Lueneral hubbub, Dr Lu the deposed baby, and talking to Mr Kenwigs He was a stout bluff-looking gentleman, with no shi+rt-collar to speak of, and a beard that had been growing since yesterday hbourhood was prolific; and there had been no less than three other knockers ht hours

'Well, Mr Kenwigs,' said Dr Lumbey, 'this makes six You'll have a fine fah, sir,' returned Mr Kenwigs

'Pooh! pooh!' said the doctor 'Nonsense! not half enough'

With this, the doctor laughed; but he didn't laugh half as s's, who had just coress, and take a small sip of brandy-and-water: and who seemed to consider it one of the best jokes ever launched upon society

'They're not altogether dependent upon good fortune, neither,' said Mr Kenwigs, taking his second daughter on his knee; 'they have expectations'

'Oh, indeed!' said Mr Luood ones too, I believe, haven't they?' asked the s, 'it's not exactly for me to say what they may be, or what they may not be It's not for me to boast of any family hich I have the honour to be connected; at the sas, abruptly, and raising his voice as he spoke, 'that ht come into a matter of a hundred pound apiece, perhaps Perhaps more, but certainly that'

'And a very pretty little fortune,' said the s's,' said Mr Kenwigs, taking a pinch of snuff fro very hard, for he wasn't used to it, 'that ht leave their hundred pound apiece to ten people, and yet not go begging when they had done it'

'Ah! I knoho youher head

'I made mention of no nas, with a portentous look 'Many of s's in this very room, as would do honour to any company; that's all'

'I've lance towards Dr Lus as a father, to see such anotice of ratifying to s as ato s as a husband, todelivered his sentied his second daughter's flaxen tail, and bade her be a good girl and rows more like her mother every day,' said Mr Lumbey, suddenly stricken with an enthusiastic admiration of Morleena

'There!' rejoined the married lady 'What I always say; what I always did say! She's the very picter of her' Having thus directed the general attention to the young lady in question, theanother sip of the brandy-and-water-and a pretty long sip too

'Yes! there is a likeness,' said Mr Kenwigs, after sos was, afore she was racious, such a woreat soleh to imply that he supposed she must have been rather a dazzler

'Talk of fairies!' cried Mr Kenwigs 'I never see anybody so light to be alive, never Such manners too; so playful, and yet so sewerely proper! As for her figure! It isn't generally known,' said Mr Kenwigs, dropping his voice; 'but her figure was such, at that tin of the Britannia, over in the Holloway Road, was painted froed the married lady 'Does SHE look like the mother of six?'

'Quite ridiculous,' cried the doctor

'She looks a deal hter,' said the reat deal s was about to make some further observations, most probably in confirmation of this opinion, when another s's spirits, and help to clear off anything in the eating and drinking way thatabout, put in her head to announce that she had just been down to answer the bell, and that there was a gentles 'uished relation flitted through the brain of Mr Kenwigs, as this e was delivered; and under their influence, he dispatched Morleena to show the gentles, standing opposite the door so as to get the earliest glimpse of the visitor, as he came upstairs, 'it's Mr Johnson! How do you find yourself, sir?'

Nicholas shook hands, kissed his old pupils all round, intrusted a large parcel of toys to the guardianshi+p of Morleena, bowed to the doctor and the s in a tone of interest, which went to the very heart and soul of the nurse, who had come in to warm some mysterious coht toat such a season,' said Nicholas, 'but I was not aware of it until I had rung the bell, and ht be soain'

'No tis 'The sitiwation of Mrs Kenwigs, sir, is no obstacle to a little conversation between you and ood,' said Nicholas

At this juncture, proclaun to eat like anything; whereupon the two married ladies, already mentioned, rushed tumultuously into the bedroom to behold him in the act

'The fact is,' resumed Nicholas, 'that before I left the country, where I have been for soe to you'

'Ay, ay?' said Mr Kenwigs

'And I have been,' added Nicholas, 'already in town for so so'

'It's no s 'I dare say it's none the worse for keeping cold Message fro; 'that's curious I don't know anybody in the country'

'Miss Petowker,' suggested Nicholas

'Oh! fros will be glad to hear fros come about, now! That you should havethis athered round Nicholas, open eyed and s looked a little curious too, but quite coe relates to fa

'Oh, neverrashly taken charge of little Lillyvick, found nobody disposed to relieve him of his precious burden 'All friends here'

Nicholas hemmed once or twice, and see

'At Portss

'Yes,' said Nicholas, 'Mr Lillyvick is there'

Mr Kenwigs turned pale, but he recovered, and said, THAT was an odd coincidence also

'The s appeared to revive He knew that his niece was in a delicate state, and had, no doubt, sent word that they were to forward full particulars Yes That was very kind of hiive his kindest love,' said Nicholas