Part 56 (1/2)

So said John Browdie, rubbing his hands with great joyousness, and looking round hi with the declaration

The time at which John found hi to which the last chapter bore reference; the place was the cottage; and the assembled company were Nicholas, Mrs Nickleby, Mrs Browdie, Kate Nickleby, and Smike

A veryof her son's obligations to the honest Yorkshi+reman, had, after so invited out to tea; in the way of which arrangement, there were at first sundry difficulties and obstacles, arising out of her not having had an opportunity of 'calling' upon Mrs Browdie first; for although Mrs Nickleby very often observed with much complacency (as most punctilious people do), that she had not an atoreat stickler for dignity and ceremonies; and as it was manifest that, until a call had beento the laws of society) even cognisant of the fact of Mrs Browdie's existence, she felt her situation to be one of peculiar delicacy and difficulty

'The call MUST originate with me, my dear,' said Mrs Nickleby, 'that's indispensable The fact is, my dear, that it's necessary there should be a sort of condescension onperson that I a to take notice of her There's a very respectable-looking young man,' added Mrs Nickleby, after a short consideration, 'who is conductor to one of the olazed hat-your sister and I have noticed him very often-he has a wart upon his nose, Kate, you know, exactly like a gentleentlemen's servants warts upon their noses, mother?' asked Nicholas

'Nicholas, my dear, how very absurd you are,' returned his entleh even that is not so ridiculous as it may seem to you, for we had a footboy once, who had not only a wart, but a wen also, and a very large wen too, and he dees raised in consequence, because he found it came very expensive Let me see, as I-oh yes, I know The best way that I can think of would be to send a card, and my compliments, (I've no doubt he'd take 'e man, to the Saracen with Two Necks If the waiter took hientleman's servant, so much the better Then all Mrs Broould have to do would be to send her card back by the carrier (he could easily come with a double knock), and there's an end of it'

'My dear mother,' said Nicholas, 'I don't suppose such unsophisticated people as these ever had a card of their own, or ever will have'

'Oh that, indeed, Nicholas,If you put it upon that ground, why, of course, I have no ood sort of persons, and that I have no kind of objection to their co very civil to the thus effectually set at rest, and Mrs Nickleby duly placed in the patronising andposition which became her rank and matrimonial years, Mr and Mrs Broere invited and came; and as they were very deferential to Mrs Nickleby, and seereatness, and were very ood lady had iven Kate to understand, in a whisper, that she thought they were the very best- people she had ever seen, and perfectly well behaved

And thus it came to pass, that John Browdie declared, in the parlour after supper, to wit, and twenty minutes before eleven o'clock pm, that he had never been so happy in all his days

Nor was Mrs Browdiematron, whose rustic beauty contrasted very prettily with theby the contrast either, for each served as it were to set off and decorate the other, could not sufficiently ad lady, or the engaging affability of the elder one Then Kate had the art of turning the conversation to subjects upon which the country girl, bashful at first in strange company, could feel herself at home; and if Mrs Nickleby was not quite so felicitous at times in the selection of topics of discourse, or if she did seeh in her notions,' still nothing could be kinder, and that she took considerable interest in the young couple waslectures on housewifery hich she was so obliging as to entertain Mrs Browdie's private ear, which were illustrated by various references to the do exclusively upon Kate) the good lady had about as much share, either in theory or practice, as any one of the statues of the Twelve Apostles which embellish the exterior of St Paul's Cathedral

'Mr Browdie,' said Kate, addressing his young wife, 'is the best-humoured, the kindest and heartiest creature I ever saw If I were oppressed with I don't kno many cares, it would make me happy only to look at him'

'He does seem indeed, upon my word, a most excellent creature, Kate,' said Mrs Nickleby; 'ive me pleasure-really pleasure now-to have you, Mrs Browdie, to see me in this plain and homely manner We make no display,' said Mrs Nickleby, with an air which seemed to insinuate that they could make a vast deal if they were so disposed; 'no fuss, no preparation; I wouldn't allow it I said, ”Kate, my dear, you will only make Mrs Browdie feel uncomfortable, and how very foolish and inconsiderate that would be!”'

'I aed to you, I aratefully 'It's nearly eleven o'clock, John I a you up very late, ma'ah, and one little cough at the end, like a note of admiration expressed 'This is quite early for us We used to keep such hours! Twelve, one, two, three o'clock was nothing to us balls, dinners, card-parties! Never were such rakes as the people about where we used to live I often think now, I ah with it is quite astonishi+ng, and that is just the evil of having a large connection and being a great deal sought after, which I would recoh of course, and it's perfectly clear, and a very happy thing too, I think, that very few young married people can be exposed to such temptations There was one family in particular, that used to live about asharp off to the left by the turnpike where the Plymouth mail ran over the donkey-that were quite extraordinary people for giving the ne, and variegated la that the ular epicure could possibly require I don't think that there ever were such people as those Peltiroguses You reuses, Kate?'

Kate saw that for the ease and coh time to stay this flood of recollection, so answered that she entertained of the Peltiroguses a most vivid and distinct remembrance; and then said that Mr Browdie had half pro a Yorkshi+re song, and that she was most impatient that he should redeem his promise, because she was sure it would afford her mama more amusement and pleasure than it was possible to express

Mrs Nickleby confirrace-for there was patronage in that too, and a kind of i taste in suchof a critic-John Browdie proceeded to consider the words of some north-country ditty, and to take his wife's recollection respecting the saainlyout one particular fly on the ceiling from the other flies there asleep, fixed his eyes upon hian to roar a entle swain fast pining aith love and despair) in a voice of thunder

At the end of the first verse, as though some person without had waited until then toat the street-door; so loud and so violent, indeed, that the ladies started as by one accord, and John Browdie stopped

'It must be some mistake,' said Nicholas, carelessly 'We know nobody ould come here at this hour'

Mrs Nickleby sur-house was burnt down, or perhaps 'the Mr Cheerybles' had sent to take Nicholas into partnershi+p (which certainly appeared highly probable at that tiht), or perhaps Mr Linkinwater had run aith the property, or perhaps Miss La Creevy was taken in, or perhaps- But a hasty exclamation from Kate stopped her abruptly in her conjectures, and Ralph Nickleby walked into the room

'Stay,' said Ralph, as Nicholas rose, and Kate,her way towards him, threw herself upon his arm 'Before that boy says a word, hear me'

Nicholas bit his lip and shook his head in a threatening manner, but appeared for thecloser to his arm, Smike retreated behind them, and John Browdie, who had heard of Ralph, and appeared to have no great difficulty in recognising hi friend, as if with the intention of preventing either of the a step further

'Hear me, I say,' said Ralph, 'and not hiotten to say then, sir,' retorted John; 'and tak' care thou dinnot put up angry bluid which thou'dst betther try to quiet'

'I should know YOU,' said Ralph, 'by your tongue; and HIM' (pointing to Smike) 'by his looks'

'Don't speak to hi his voice 'I will not have it I will not hear him I do not know that man I cannot breathe the air that he corrupts His presence is an insult to my sister It is shame to see hi his heavy hand upon his chest

'Then let hioing to lay hands upon him, but he shall withdraill not have him here John, John Browdie, is this my house, a with fury, 'looking so calmly upon those who know his black and dastardly heart, he'll drive me mad'

To all these exclamations John Browdie answered not a word, but he retained his hold upon Nicholas; and when he was silent again, spoke

'There's more to say and hear than thou think'st for,' said John 'I tell'ee I ha' gotten scent o' thot already Wa'at be that shadow ootside door there? Noo, schoolmeasther, show thyself, en'l' this adjuration, Mr Squeers, who had been lingering in the passage until such time as it should be expedient for him to enter and he could appear with effect, was fain to present hi way; at which John Browdie laughed with such keen and heartfelt delight, that even Kate, in all the pain, anxiety, and surprise of the scene, and though the tears were in her eyes, felt a disposition to join hi yourself, sir?' said Ralph, at length

'Pratty nigh for the prasant time, sir,' replied John

'I can wait,' said Ralph 'Take your own time, pray'

Ralph waited until there was a perfect silence, and then turning to Mrs Nickleby, but directing an eager glance at Kate, as if more anxious to watch his effect upon her, said: 'Now, ine that you were a party to a very fine tirade of words sent me by that boy of yours, because I don't believe that under his control, you have the slightest will of your own, or that your advice, your opinion, your wants, your wishes, anything which in nature and reason (or of what use is your great experience?) ought to weigh with hiht whatever, or is taken for a mohed, as if there were a good deal in that, certainly

'For this reason,' resumed Ralph, 'I address myself to you, ma'am For this reason, partly, and partly because I do not wish to be disgraced by the acts of a vicious stripling whoed to disown, and who, afterwards, in his boyish ns to-ha! ha!-to disown ME, I present : around with a biting and triu upon the words as if he were loath to lose the pleasure of saying them, 'to restore a parent his child Ay, sir,' he continued, bending eagerly forward, and addressing Nicholas, as he e of his countenance, 'to restore a parent his child; his son, sir; trepanned, waylaid, and guarded at every turn by you, with the base design of robbing hiht become possessed'

'In that, you know you lie,' said Nicholas, proudly

'In this, I know I speak the truth I have his father here,' retorted Ralph

'Here!' sneered Squeers, stepping forward 'Do you hear that? Here! Didn't I tell you to be careful that his father didn't turn up and send him back to me? Why, his father's my friend; he's to come back to me directly, he is Nohat do you say-eh!-now-come-what do you say to that-an't you sorry you took so ? an't you? an't you?'

'You bear upon your body certainquietly away, 'andtientleman last named cast a hasty look at the table, as if he were pro or bottle at the head of Nicholas, but he was interrupted in this design (if such design he had) by Ralph, who, touching hiht now appear and clai purely a labour of love, Mr Squeers readily co the roo a sleek personage with an oily face, who, bursting fro to view the forht up to S that poor fellow's head under his arm in a most uncouth and aard eth in the air as a token of devout thanksgiving, exclai, , when I saw him last! Oh, how little did I think it!'

'Be coruff expression of syot hiot hih?' cried Mr Snawley, scarcely able to believe it 'Yes, here he is, flesh and blood, flesh and blood'

'Vary little flesh,' said John Browdie

Mr Snaas too s to notice this remark; and, to assure himself more completely of the restoration of his child, tucked his head under his arain, and kept it there

'What was it,' said Snawley, 'thatinterest in hiht him to my house? What was it that made me burn all over with a wish to chastise hi away from his best friends, his pastors and masters?'

'It was parental instinct, sir,' observed Squeers

'That's what it was, sir,' rejoined Snawley; 'the elevated feeling, the feeling of the ancient Romans and Grecians, and of the beasts of the field and birds of the air, with the exception of rabbits and to My heart yearned towards him I could have-I don't knohat I couldn't have done to hier of a father'