Part 57 (2/2)

'True kindness, considerate self-denying kindness, is not in his nature,' returned Mr Cheeryble 'Such kindness as he knows, he regards her with, I believe The h he wounded her froe till her death as cruelly and wantonly as ever man did, she never ceased to love him She commended him on her death-bed to her child's care Her child has never forgotten it, and never will'

'Have you no influence over him?' asked Nicholas

'I, my dear sir! The last man in the world Such are his jealousy and hatred of hter had opened her heart to me, he would render her life h-this is the inconsistency and selfishness of his character-although if he knew that every penny she had came from me, he would not relinquish one personal desire that the ratify'

'An unnatural scoundrel!' said Nicholas, indignantly

'We will use no harsh terentle voice; 'but acco lady is placed Such assistance as I have prevailed upon her to accept, I have been obliged, at her own earnest request, to dole out in the s how easily htly than he is accustomed to do She has coht, to take even this; and I cannot bear that things should go on in this way, Mr Nickleby, I really cannot bear it'

Then it came out by little and little, how that the twins had been revolving in their good old headslady in the most delicate and considerate way, and so that her father should not suspect the source whence the aid was derived; and how they had at last come to the conclusion, that the best course would be to s and orna up a constant demand for the same For the furtherance of which end and object it was necessary that somebody should represent the dealer in such coreat deliberation they had pitched upon Nicholas to support this character

'He knows me,' said brother Charles, 'and he knows ood fellow-a very fine fellow-but we are afraid that he htless in such a delicate ht, in short, be too susceptible (for she is a beautiful creature, sir; just what her poorin love with her before he kneell his own mind, carry pain and sorrow into that innocent breast, which ould be the hu happy He took an extraordinary interest in her fortunes when he first happened to encounter her; and we gather from the inquiries we have made of him, that it was she in whose behalf he made that turmoil which led to your first acquaintance'

Nicholas stammered out that he had before suspected the possibility of such a thing; and in explanation of its having occurred to hi lady himself

'Well; then you see,' continued brother Charles, 'that HE wouldn't do Tim Linkinwater is out of the question; for Tim, sir, is such a tremendous fellow, that he could never contain hierheads with the father before he had been in the place five minutes You don't knohat Ti that appeals to his feelings very strongly; then he is terrific, sir, is Tim Linkinwater, absolutely terrific Now, in you we can repose the strictest confidence; in you we have seen-or at least I have seen, and that's the sa, for there's no difference between me and my brother Ned, except that he is the finest creature that ever lived, and that there is not, and never will be, anybody like him in all the world-in you we have seen do, which exactly qualify you for such an office And you are thelady, sir,' said Nicholas, who felt so e anything at all-'Does-is-is she a party to this innocent deceit?'

'Yes, yes,' returned Mr Cheeryble; 'at least she knows you come from us; she does NOT knoever, but that we shall dispose of these little productions that you'll purchase from time to time; and, perhaps, if you did it very well (that is, VERY well indeed), perhaps she ht to believe that we-that we uileless and most kind simplicity, brother Charles was so happy, and in this possibility of the young lady being led to think that she was under no obligation to hiht, that Nicholas would not breathe a doubt upon the subject

All this tiue a confession that the very same objections which Mr Cheeryble had stated to the employment of his nephew in this commission applied with at least equal force and validity to himself, and a hundred ti the real state of his feelings, and entreating to be released fro upon the heels of this ied him to refrain, and to keep his secret to his own breast 'Why should I,' thought Nicholas, 'why should I throw difficulties in the way of this benevolent and high-ood and lovely creature Should I not appear a ravely represented that there was any danger of her falling in love with me? Besides, have I no confidence in hts? Has not this excellent ht to my best and heartiest services, and should any considerations of self deterhimself such questions as these, Nicholashilorious martyr, nobly resolved to do what, if he had examined his own heart a little more carefully, he would have found he could not resist Such is the sleight of hand by which we juggle with ourselves, and change our very weaknesses into stanch andof course wholly unsuspicious that such reflections were presenting theive him the needful credentials and directions for his first visit, which was to be ed, and the strictest secrecy enjoined, Nicholas walked hohtfully indeed

The place to which Mr Cheeryble had directed him was a row of mean and not over-cleanly houses, situated within 'the Rules' of the King's Bench Prison, and not e's Fields The Rules are a certain liberty adjoining the prison, and co some dozen streets in which debtors who can raise e fees, from which their creditors do NOT derive any benefit, are perhtened lahich leave the debtor who can raise no , or warmth, which are provided for felons convicted of the race humanity There are many pleasant fictions of the law in constant operation, but there is not one so pleasant or practically humorous as that which supposes every man to be of equal value in its impartial eye, and the benefits of all laws to be equally attainable by all men, without the smallest reference to the furniture of their pockets

To the row of houses indicated to him by Mr Charles Cheeryble, Nicholas directed his steps, withouthis head with sucha very dirty and dusty suburb, of which reengrocery, and brokers' shops, appeared to coth arrived with a palpitating heart There were slected in all other respects, served as little pens for the dust to collect in, until the wind ca the rickety gate which, dangling on its broken hinges before one of these, half admitted and half repulsed the visitor, Nicholas knocked at the street door with a faltering hand

It was in truth a shabby house outside, with very dim parlour s and very s across the lower panes on very loose and lis Neither, when the door was opened, did the inside appear to belie the outward pro on the stairs and faded oil-cloth in the passage; in addition to which disco hard in the front parlour (though it was not yet noon), while the lady of the house was busily engaged in turpentining the disjointed fragments of a tent-bedstead at the door of the back parlour, as if in preparation for the reception of soe it

Nicholas had ample time to make these observations while the little boy, ent on errands for the lodgers, clattered down the kitchen stairs and was heard to scream, as in some re and requesting hireater symptoms of nervousness and disorder than so natural a consequence of his having inquired for that young lady would seem calculated to occasion

Upstairs he went, however, and into a front room he was shown, and there, seated at a little table by the , on which were drawing irl who had so engrossed his thoughts, and who, surrounded by all the new and strong interest which Nicholas attached to her story, seemed now, in his eyes, a thousand times more beautiful than he had ever yet supposed her

But how the graces and elegancies which she had dispersed about the poorly-furnished room went to the heart of Nicholas! Flowers, plants, birds, the harp, the old piano whose notes had sounded so les had it cost her to keep these two last links of that broken chain which bound her yet to home! With every slender ornaraceful charers in every little tasteful work of woentle affections were entwined! He felt as though the sh the beautiful devotion of so young and weak a creature had shed a ray of its own on the inanis around, and h the halo hich old painters surround the bright angels of a sinless world played about a being akin in spirit to theht were visibly before hi's Bench Prison! If he had been in Italy indeed, and the time had been sunset, and the scene a stately terrace! But, there is one broad sky over all the world, and whether it be blue or cloudy, the same heaven beyond it; so, perhaps, he had no need of co as he did

It is not to be supposed that he took in everything at one glance, for he had as yet been unconscious of the presence of a sickrestlessly and impatiently in his seat, attracted his attention

He was scarce fifty, perhaps, but so emaciated as to appear much older His features presented the remains of a handso and impetuous passions were easier to be traced than any expression which would have rendered a far plainer face ard, and his limbs and body literally worn to the bone, but there was soe sunken eye notwithstanding, and it seemed to kindle afresh as he struck a thick stick, hich he seemed to have supported himself in his seat, ihter by her name

'Madeline, who is this? What does anybody want here? Who told a stranger we could be seen? What is it?'

'I believe-' the young lady began, as she inclined her head with an air of some confusion, in reply to the salutation of Nicholas

'You always believe,' returned her father, petulantly 'What is it?'

By this time Nicholas had recovered sufficient presence of reed he should say) that he had called about a pair of hand-screens, and some painted velvet for an ottoant design possible, neither ti of the ss, withto the little table, he laid upon it a bank note, folded in an envelope and sealed

'See that the ht, Madeline,' said the father 'Open the paper, ht, papa, I' out his hand, and opening and shutting his bony fingers with irritable i about, Madeline? You're sure? How can you be sure of any such thing? Five pounds-well, is THAT right?'

'Quite,' said Madeline, bending over hi the pillows that Nicholas could not see her face, but as she stooped he thought he saw a tear fall

'Ring the bell, ring the bell,' said the sicktowards it with such a quivering hand that the bank note rustled in the air 'Tell her to get it changed, to get rapes, another bottle of the wine that I had last week-and-and-I forget half I want just now, but she can go out again Let her get those first, those first Now, Madeline, my love, quick, quick! Good God, ho you are!'

'He reht Nicholas Perhaps soht was expressed in his countenance, for the sick reat asperity, demanded to know if he waited for a receipt

'It is no matter at all,' said Nicholas

'No matter! what do you mean, sir?' was the tart rejoinder 'Noyour paltry ift; or as a matter of business, and in return for value received? D-n you, sir, because you can't appreciate the tioods you deal in, do you think you give your entleht up fifty such men as you and all you have? What do you s with this lady, if she will kindly allow me, I will not trouble her with such forms,' said Nicholas

'Then I mean, if you please, that we'll have as hter, sir, requires no kindness frooodness to confine your dealings strictly to trade and business, and not to travel beyond it Every petty tradesin to pity her now, is he? Upon ive him a receipt; andto write it, and Nicholas was ru upon the extraordinary but by no means uncommon character thus presented to his observation, the invalid, who appeared at tireat bodily pain, sank back in his chair and one an hour, and that everybody conspired to goad him

'When,' said Nicholas, as he took the piece of paper, 'when shall I call again?'

This was addressed to the daughter, but the father answered immediately

'When you're requested to call, sir, and not before Don't worry and persecute Madeline, ain?'

'Oh, not for a long time, not for three or four weeks; it is not necessary, indeed; I can do without,' said the young lady, with great eagerness

'Why, how are we to do without?' urged her father, not speaking above his breath 'Three or four weeks, Madeline! Three or four weeks!'

'Then sooner, sooner, if you please,' said the young lady, turning to Nicholas

'Three or four weeks!'for three or four weeks!'

'It is a long time, ma'am,' said Nicholas

'YOU think so, do you?' retorted the father, angrily 'If I chose to beg, sir, and stoop to ask assistance fro ti time Understand, sir, that is if I chose to be dependent; but as I don't, youlady and retired, pondering upon Mr Bray's ideas of independence, and devoutly hoping that therewith the baser clay of humanity