Part 52 (1/2)

'Beand Magog Be mine, be mine!'

'It will be sufficient for me to say, sir,' resumed Mrs Nickleby, with perfect seriousness-'and I' away-that I have made up my mind to remain a , and to devote myself to my children You may not suppose I am the mother of two children-indeedon earth could ever make 'erown up We shall be very glad to have you for a neighbour-very glad; delighted, I'm sure-but in any other character it's quite iain, that perhaps may be so, or it may not be; but I couldn't think of it for an instant, not on any account whatever I said I never would, and I never will It's a very painful thing to have to reject proposals, and I would much rather that none were made; at the sao to ive'

These observations were partly addressed to the old gentleman, partly to Kate, and partly delivered in soliloquy Towards their conclusion, the suitor evinced a very irreverent degree of inattention, and Mrs Nickleby had scarcely finished speaking, when, to the great terror both of that lady and her daughter, he suddenly flung off his coat, and springing on the top of the wall, threw himself into an attitude which displayed his se, and concluded by standing on one leg, and repeating his favourite belloith increased vehe on the last note, and eed flourish, a dirty hand was observed to glide stealthily and swiftly along the top of the wall, as if in pursuit of a fly, and then to clasp with the utentleman's ankles This done, the companion hand appeared, and clasped the other ankle

Thus encus aardly once or twice, as if they were very clu down on his own side of the wall, burst into a loud laugh

'It's you, is it?' said the old gentleruff voice

'How's the Eentleman

'Oh! he's much the same as usual,' was the reply 'No better and no worse'

'The young Prince of China,' said the old gentleman, with reat potato salesruff voice; 'and he says he never will be, that's entleman, 'perhaps I'd better come down'

'Well,' said the man on the other side, 'I think you had, perhaps'

One of the hands being then cautiously unclasped, the old gentle round to smile and bow to Mrs Nickleby, when he disappeared with sos had been pulled from below

Veryto speak to her ain becaure of a coarse squat man, who ascended by the steps which had been recently occupied by their singular neighbour

'Beg your pardon, ladies,' said this new co love to either of you?'

'Yes,' said Kate

'Ah!' rejoined thehis face, 'he alill, you know Nothing will prevent hislove'

'I need not ask you if he is out of his mind, poor creature,' said Kate

'Why no,' replied thehis handkerchief in at one dab, and putting it on again 'That's pretty plain, that is'

'Has he been long so?' asked Kate

'A long while'

'And is there no hope for him?' said Kate, compassionately 'Not a bit, and don't deserve to be,' replied the keeper 'He's a deal pleasanter without his senses than with 'em He was the cruellest, wickedest, out-and-outerest old flint that ever drawed breath'

'Indeed!' said Kate

'By George!' replied the keeper, shaking his head so eed to frown to keep his hat on 'I never coabond, and my mate says the sahters out of doors, drove his sons into the streets; it was a blessing he went h evil te, and drinking, or he'd have drove many others so Hope for HIM, an old rip! There isn't too , but I'll bet a crown that what there is, is saved forchaps than him, anyhow'

With which confession of his faith, the keeper shook his head again, as s were to go on at all; and touching his hat sulkily-not that he was in an ill humour, but that his subject ruffled hi this conversation, Mrs Nickleby had regarded the man with a severe and steadfast look She now heaved a profound sigh, and pursing up her lips, shook her head in a slow and doubtful manner

'Poor creature!' said Kate

'Ah! poor indeed!' rejoined Mrs Nickleby 'It's shas should be allowed Shameful!'

'How can they be helped, mama?' said Kate, mournfully 'The infirmities of nature-'

'Nature!' said Mrs Nickleby 'What! Do YOU suppose this poor gentleman is out of his mind?'

'Can anybody who sees him entertain any other opinion, mama?'

'Why then, I just tell you this, Kate,' returned Mrs Nickleby, 'that, he is nothing of the kind, and I am surprised you can be so imposed upon It's some plot of these people to possess themselves of his property-didn't he say so hihty, perhaps, ht mad! and express hie, and ht, and care, and prudence-not as if he ran into the streets, and went down upon his knees to the first chit of a girl he reat deal too much method in HIS madness; depend upon that, my dear'

CHAPTER 42

Illustrative of the convivial Sentiment, that the best of Friendsand frying all day in the heat, and the twain Saracens' heads guarding the entrance to the hostelry of whose nan they are the duplicate presentments, looked-or seemed, in the eyes of jaded and footsore passers-by, to look- in the sun, when, in one of the inn's sh whose openthere rose, in a palpable stea coach-horses, the usual furniture of a tea-table was displayed in neat and inviting order, flanked by large joints of roast and boiled, a tongue, a pigeon pie, a cold fowl, a tankard of ale, and other little enerate towns and cities, are generally understood to belong e-coach dinners, or unusually substantial breakfasts

Mr John Browdie, with his hands in his pockets, hovered restlessly about these delicacies, stopping occasionally to whisk the flies out of the sugar-basin with his wife's pocket-handkerchief, or to dip a teaspoon in the milk-pot and carry it to his mouth, or to cut off a little knob of crust, and a little corner of ulps like a couple of pills After every one of these flirtations with the eatables, he pulled out his watch, and declared with an earnestness quite pathetic that he couldn't undertake to hold out two er

'Tilly!' said John to his lady, as reclining half awake and half asleep upon a sofa

'Well, John!'

'Well, John!' retorted her husband, iry, lass?'

'Not very,' said Mrs Browdie

'Not vary!' repeated John, raising his eyes to the ceiling 'Hear her say not vary, and us dining at three, and loonching off pasthry thot aggravates a en'l' in

'A wa'at for ht it en'l'arthers, chap!' said John, 'wa'at dost thou coom and say thot for? In wi' 'un'

'Are you at home, sir?'

'At whoao Why, I told t'oother chap to look sharp ootside door, and tell 'un d'rectly he cooer In wi' 'un Aha! Thee hond, Misther Nickleby This is nigh to be the proodest day o' lod o' this!'