Part 54 (1/2)

'I a to reflect 'Where can I have-stop!-yes, to be sure-he belongs to a register-office up at the west end of the town I knew I recollected the face'

It was, indeed, Toh!' said Nicholas, ruister-office seemed to start up and stare him in the face every now and then, and when he least expected it

'I aed to you for your kind advocacy ofa card from his pocket 'Perhaps you'll do me the favour to let me knohere I can thank you'

Nicholas took the card, and glancing at it involuntarily as he returned the coreat surprise

'Mr Frank Cheeryble!' said Nicholas 'Surely not the nephew of Cheeryble Brothers, who is expected tomorrow!'

'I don't usually call ood-humouredly; 'but of the two excellent individuals who compose it, I am proud to say I AM the nephew And you, I see, are Mr Nickleby, of who, but not the less welcome, I assure you'

Nicholas responded to these compliments with others of the same kind, and they shook hands warmly Then he introduced John Browdie, who had re lady in the bar had been so skilfully won over to the right side Then Mrs John Broas introduced, and finally they all went upstairs together and spent the next half-hour with great satisfaction andthe conversation by declaring that of all thewoman below-stairs was the vainest and the plainest

This Mr Frank Cheeryble, although, to judge fro man (which is not an absolute ood-humoured, pleasant felloith much both in his countenance and disposition that rely of the kind-hearted brothers His manner was as unaffected as theirs, and his demeanour full of that heartiness which, to enerous in their co Add to this, that he was good-looking and intelligent, had a plentiful share of vivacity, was extremely cheerful, and accommodated himself in five minutes' time to all John Browdie's oddities with as much ease as if he had known hireat wonder that, when they parted for the night, he had produced a most favourable impression, not only upon the worthy Yorkshi+re all these things in his mind as he made the best of his way home, arrived at the conclusion that he had laid the foundation of a reeable and desirable acquaintance

'But it's a ister-office fellow!' thought Nicholas 'Is it likely that this nephew can know anything about that beautiful girl? When Tiaveto take a share in the business here, he said he had been superintending it in Ger the last six ency in the north of England That's four years and a half-four years and a half She can't be hteen at the outside She was quite a child when he went away, then I should say he knew nothing about her and had never seen her, so HE can giveto the real point in his er of any prior occupation of her affections in that quarter; that's quite clear'

Is selfishness a necessary ingredient in the composition of that passion called love, or does it deserve all the fine things which poets, in the exercise of their undoubted vocation, have said of it? There are, no doubt, authenticated instances of gentleentleh-mindedness; but is it quite established that the entlened as beyond their reach; as a private soldier ister a vow never to accept the order of the Garter, or a poor curate of great piety and learning, but of no faht renounce a bishopric?

Here was Nicholas Nickleby, ould have scorned the thought of counting how the chances stood of his rising in favour or fortune with the brothers Cheeryble, now that their nephew had returned, already deep in calculations whether that same nepheas likely to rival hi the ravely as if, with that one exception, it were all settled; and recurring to the subject again and again, and feeling quite indignant and ill-used at the notion of anybody else ed a word in all his life To be sure, he exaggerated rather than depreciated the merits of his new acquaintance; but still he took it as a kind of personal offence that he should have anylady, that is; for elsewhere he was quite welcome to have as many as he pleased There was undoubted selfishness in all this, and yet Nicholas was of a enerous nature, with as few hts, perhaps, as ever fell to the lot of anyin love, he felt and thought differently from other people in the like sublime condition

He did not stop to set on foot an inquiry into his train of thought or state of feeling, however; but went thinking on all the way hoht For, having satisfied hie of, or acquaintance with, the an to occur to hiain; upon which hypothesis he built up a very ingenious succession of tor ideas which answered his purpose even better than the vision of Mr Frank Cheeryble, and tantalised and worried hi all that has been said and sung to the contrary, there is no well-established case ofeither deferred or hastened its approach by the terratification of a splenetic feeling against soe of his public duty, as the books of precedent report, invariably risen according to the al hi came as usual, and with it business-hours, and with the train of srave and clerk-like, but scarcely less hearty reception from Mr Timothy Linkinwater

'That Mr Frank and Mr Nickleby should haveslowly off his stool, and looking round the counting-house with his back planted against the desk, as was his custo very particular to say: 'that those two young ht in that manner is, I say, a coincidence, a remarkable coincidence Why, I don't believe now,' added Tientle pride, 'that there's such a place in all the world for coincidences as London is!'

'I don't know about that,' said Mr Frank; 'but-'

'Don't know about it, Mr Francis!' interrupted Tim, with an obstinate air 'Well, but let us know If there is any better place for such things, where is it? Is it in Europe? No, that it isn't Is it in Asia? Why, of course it's not Is it in Africa? Not a bit of it Is it in America? YOU know better than that, at all events Well, then,' said Ti his arms resolutely, 'where is it?'

'I was not about to dispute the point, Ti 'I a to say was, that I hold ation to the coincidence, that's all'

'Oh! if you don't dispute it,' said Ti I'll tell you what though I wish you had I wish you or anybody would I would so put that er of his left hand eue to express the degree of ht would be reduced in the keen encounter with Tiave up the rest of his declaration in pure lack of words, and ain

'We may consider ourselves, brother Ned,' said Charles, after he had patted Tily on the back, 'very fortunate in having two such young men about us as our nephew Frank and Mr Nickleby It should be a source of great satisfaction and pleasure to us'

'Certainly, Charles, certainly,' returned the other

'Of Ti whatever, because Tim is a mere child-an infant-a nobody that we never think of or take into account at all Tim, you villain, what do you say to that, sir?'

'I am jealous of both of 'em,' said Tim, 'and mean to look out for another situation; so provide yourselves, gentleht this such an exquisite, unparalleled, and most extraordinary joke, that he laid his pen upon the inkstand, and rather tu doith his usual deliberation, laughed till he was quite faint, shaking his head all the time so that little particles of powder flew palpably about the office Nor were the brothers at all behind-hand, for they laughed almost as heartily at the ludicrous idea of any voluntary separation between thehed quite boisterously, perhaps to conceal some other emotion awakened by this little incident, (and so, indeed, did the three old fellows after the first burst,) so perhaps there was as ether, as the politest assenant witticism uttered at any one person's expense

'Mr Nickleby,' said brother Charles, calling hi him kindly by the hand, 'I-I-am anxious, my dear sir, to see that you are properly and coe We cannot allow those who serve us well to labour under any privation or discomfort that it is in our power to remove I wish, too, to see your mother and sister: to know the theirservice we have been able to do thereat deal more than repaid by the zeal and ardour you display-Not a word,Tomorrow is Sunday I shall make bold to co you at home; if you are not, you know, or the ladies should feel a delicacy in being intruded on, and would rather not be known to ain another time, any other ti Brother Ned, my dear fellow, let me have a ith you this way'

The tent out of the office arm-in-arm, and Nicholas, who saw in this act of kindness, and , only so many delicate renewals on the arrival of their nephew of the kind assurance which the brothers had given him in his absence, could scarcely feel sufficient adratitude for such extraordinary consideration

The intelligence that they were to have visitor-and such a visitor-next day, awakened in the breast of Mrs Nickleby ret; for whereas on the one hand she hailed it as an oood society and the al tea-drinkings, she could not, on the other, but reflect with bitterness of spirit on the absence of a silver teapot with an ivory knob on the lid, and ato match, which had been the pride of her heart in days of yore, and had been kept from year's end to year's end wrapped up in wash-leather on a certain top shelf which now presented itself in lively colours to her sorrowing iot that spice-box,' said Mrs Nickleby, shaking her head 'It used to stand in the left-hand corner, next but two to the pickled onions You remember that spice-box, Kate?'

'Perfectly well, mama'

'I shouldn't think you did, Kate,' returned Mrs Nickleby, in a severeway! If there is any one thing that vexes me in these losses more than the losses the her nose with an impassioned air, 'that it is to have people aboutcal her arm round her mother's neck, 'why do you say what I know you cannot seriouslyhappy and content? You and Nicholas are left to ard can I have for a few trifling things of which we never feel the want? When I have seen all the , and known the loneso solitary and alone in crowds, and all the agony of separation in grief and poverty e most needed comfort and support from each other, can you wonder that I look upon this as a place of such delicious quiet and rest, that with you beside ret? There was a ti since, when all the comforts of our old home did come back upon me, I own, very often-oftener than you would think perhaps-but I affected to care nothing for theret theht have felt happier if I had been Dear itation, 'I know no difference between this home and that in which ere all so happy for so entlest heart that ever ached on earth has passed in peace to heaven'

'Kateher in her arht,' sobbed Kate, 'of all his kind words-of the last time he looked into my little room, as he passed upstairs to bed, and said ”God bless you, darling” There was a paleness in his face, ht so-then-'

A gush of tears came to her relief, and Kate laid her head upon her mother's breast, and wept like a little child

It is an exquisite and beautiful thing in our nature, that when the heart is touched and softened by so, the memory of the dead comes over it most powerfully and irresistibly It would alhts and sympathies were charue and mysterious intercourse with the spirits of those e dearly loved in life Alas! how often and how longfor the spell which is so seldootten!

Poor Mrs Nickleby, accustoive ready utterance to whatever came uppermost in her hter's dwelling upon these thoughts in secret, the more especially as no hard trial or querulous reproach had ever drawn them from her But nohen the happiness of all that Nicholas had just told theht these recollections so strongly upon Kate that she could not suppress the that she had been rather thoughtless now and then, and was conscious of sohter, and yielded to the emotions which such a conversation naturally awakened

There was a ht, and a vast quantity of preparation for the expected visitor, and a very large nosegay was brought froardener's hard by, and cut up into a nuarnished the little sitting-room, in a style that certainly could not have failed to attract anybody's attention, if Kate had not offered to spare her the trouble, and arranged thee ever looked pretty, it ht and sunshi+ny day as the next day was But Sarden, or Mrs Nickleby's in the condition of the furniture, or Kate's in everything, was nothing to the pride hich Nicholas looked at Kate herself; and surely the costliest ht have found in her beautiful face and graceful form its most exquisite and peerless ornament

About six o'clock in the afternoon Mrs Nickleby was thrown into a great flutter of spirits by the long-expected knock at the door, nor was this flutter at all composed by the audible tread of two pair of boots in the passage, which Mrs Nickleby augured, in a breathless state, h not the two Mrs Nickleby expected, because it was Mr Charles Cheeryble, and his nephew, Mr Frank, who ies for his intrusion, which Mrs Nickleby (having tea-spoons enough and to spare for all) raciously received Nor did the appearance of this unexpected visitor occasion the least embarrassment, (save in Kate, and that only to the extent of a blush or two at first,) for the old gentleentleman imitated him in this respect so well, that the usual stiffness and for, and Kate reallywhen it was going to begin

At the tea-table there was plenty of conversation on a great variety of subjects, nor were there wanting jocoseMr Cheeryble's recent stay in Ger to be alluded to, old Mr Cheeryble infor Mr Cheeryble was suspected to have fallen deeply in love with the daughter of a certain Gernantly repelled, upon which Mrs Nickleby slyly remarked, that she suspected, fro in it Young Mr Cheeryble then earnestly entreated old Mr Cheeryble to confess that it was all a jest, which old Mr Cheeryble at last did, young Mr Cheeryble being so much in earnest about it, that-as Mrs Nickleby saidthe scene-he 'quite coloured,' which she rightly considered aas a class remarkable for modesty or self-denial, especially when there is a lady in the case, when, if they colour at all, it is rather their practice to colour the story, and not thearden, and the evening being very fine they strolled out at the garden-gate into sorew quite dark The time seemed to pass very quickly with all the party Kate went first, leaning upon her brother's ar with hientleood merchant, his interest in the welfare of Nicholas, and his ads, that the usual current of her speech was confined within very narrow and circumscribed limits Smike (who, if he had ever been an object of interest in his life, had been one that day) accoroup and so his hand upon his shoulder, bade hily round, beckoned him to come and talk with the old friend who understood him best, and who could win a smile into his careworn face when none else could

Pride is one of the seven deadly sins; but it cannot be the pride of a mother in her children, for that is a compound of two cardinal virtues-faith and hope This was the pride which swelled Mrs Nickleby's heart that night, and this it hich left upon her face, glistening in the light when they returned horateful tears she had ever shed

There was a quiet mirth about the little supper, which harth the two gentlemen took their leave There was one circu which occasioned a vast deal of s and pleasantry, and that was, that Mr Frank Cheeryble offered his hand to Kate twice over, quite forgetting that he had bade her adieu already This was held by the elder Mr Cheeryble to be a convincing proof that he was thinking of his Gerhter So easy is it to ht hearts

In short, it was a day of serene and tranquil happiness; and as we all have so a crowd of others-to which we revert with particular delight, so this one was often looked back to afterwards, as holding a conspicuous place in the calendar of those who shared it

Was there one exception, and that one he who needed to have been most happy?

Who was that who, in the silence of his own chaht hi them wildly in the air, fell upon his face in a passion of bitter grief?

CHAPTER 44