Part 66 (1/2)

'If she ever turns pettish or ill-humoured, I'll taunt her with that spark,' he said, when he had recovered 'She'll little think I know about hie it well, I can break her spirit by this lad nobody came I didn't call too loud The audacity to enter ood triuers off: perhaps drown himself or cut his throat! I shouldn't wonder! That would make it quite complete, that would: quite'

When he had become restored to his usual condition by these and other co triu locked the chest with great caution, descended into the kitchen to warn Peg Sliderskew to bed, and scold her for having afforded such ready ad, however, not being able to couilty, he suht, while he s, and secured the street-door with his own hands

'Top bolt,'as he spoke, 'bottom bolt, chain, bar, double lock, and key out to put under my pillow! So, if any h the keyhole And now I'll go to sleep till half-past five, when I !'

With that, he jocularly tapped Mrs Sliderskew under the chin, and appeared, for the moment, inclined to celebrate the close of his bachelor days by i better of it, however, he gave her chin another tap, in lieu of that warmer familiarity, and stole away to bed

CHAPTER 54

The Crisis of the Project and its Result

There are not many men who lie abed too late, or oversleep theend there is of somebody remarkable for absence of ive hi all about thehim with such fine clothes as had been prepared for the festival There is also a legend of a young gentle before his eyes the fear of the canons of the church for such cases randular and special kind and it is very doubtful whether either can be considered as a precedent likely to be extensively followed by succeeding generations

Arthur Gride had enrobed hireen, a full hour before Mrs Sliderskew, shaking off her more heavy slumbers, knocked at his chamber door; and he had hobbled downstairs in full array and smacked his lips over a scanty taste of his favourite cordial, ere that delicate piece of antiquity enlightened the kitchen with her presence

'Faugh!' said Peg, grubbing, in the discharge of her dorate 'Wedding indeed! A precious wedding! He wants so to take care of him, does he? And what has he said to me, many and es, and little fire? ”My will, Peg! my will!” says he: ”I'” Lies! And now he's to bring hoirl! If he wanted a wife, the fool, why couldn't he have one suitable to his age, and that knew his ways? She won't come in MY way, he says No, that she won't, but you little think why, Arthur boy!'

While Mrs Sliderskew, influenced possibly by soht, occasioned by her old ru in the parlour upon what had taken place last night

'I can't think how he can have picked up what he knows,' said Arthur, 'unless I have co drop at Bray's, for instance-which has been overheard Perhaps I may I shouldn't be surprised if that was it Mr Nickleby was often angry at ot outside the door I mustn't tell him that part of the business, or he'll put me out of sorts, and make me nervous for the day'

Ralph was universally looked up to, and recognised aenius, but upon Arthur Gride his stern unyielding character and consummate art had made so deep an i and cowardly to the core by nature, Arthur Gride humbled himself in the dust before Ralph Nickleby, and, even when they had not this stake in coround before him rather than venture to return him word for word, or retort upon him in any other spirit than one of the most slavish and abject sycophancy

To Ralph Nickleby's, Arthur Gride now betook hi to appointht, so blade, whom he had never seen, forced his way into his house, and tried to frighten him from the proposed nuptials Told, in short, what Nicholas had said and done, with the slight reservation upon which he had determined

'Well, and what then?' said Ralph

'Oh! nothing hten you,' said Ralph, 'and you WERE frightened I suppose; is that it?'

'I frightened HIM by crying thieves and murder,' replied Gride 'Once I was in earnest, I tell you that, for I had more than half a mind to swear he uttered threats, and de him askew 'Jealous too!'

'Dear now, see that!' cried Arthur, rubbing his hands and affecting to laugh

'Why do you riood cause I think'

'No, no, no; not with good cause, hey? You don't think with good cause, do you?' cried Arthur, faltering 'Do you though, hey?'

'Why, how stands the fact?' returned Ralph 'Here is an old irl; and to this oldfellow-you said he was handsome, didn't you?'

'No!' snarled Arthur Gride

'Oh!' rejoined Ralph, 'I thought you did Well! Handso felloho casts all ums I should rather say-and tells him in plain terms that his mistress hates him What does he do that for? Philanthropy's sake?'

'Not for love of the lady,' replied Gride, 'for he said that no word of love-his very words-had ever passed between 'em'

'He said!' repeated Ralph, conteiving you this fair warning to keep your-what is it?-tit-tit or dainty chick-which?-under lock and key Be careful, Gride, be careful It's a triureat triumph for an old man! It only remains to keep her safe when you have her-that's all'

'What a , in the extrehly amused And then he added, anxiously, 'Yes; to keep her safe, that's all And that isn't much, is it?'

'Much!' said Ralph, with a sneer 'Why, everybody knohat easy things to understand and to control, women are But come, it's very nearly time for you to be made happy You'll pay the bond now, I suppose, to save us trouble afterwards'

'Oh what a man you are!' croaked Arthur

'Why not?' said Ralph 'nobody will pay you interest for the money, I suppose, between this and twelve o'clock; will they?'

'But nobody would pay you interest for it either, you know,' returned Arthur, leering at Ralph with all the cunning and slyness he could throw into his face

'Besides which,' said Ralph, suffering his lip to curl into a smile, 'you haven't the money about you, and you weren't prepared for this, or you'd have brought it with you; and there's nobody you'd so much like to accomree Are you ready?'

Gride, who had done nothing but grin, and nod, and chatter, during this last speech of Ralph's, answered in the affire white favours, pinned one on his breast, and with considerable difficulty induced his friend to do the like Thus accoutred, they got into a hired coach which Ralph had in waiting, and drove to the residence of the fair and e had gradually failed him more and more as they approached nearer and nearer to the house, was utterly dismayed and cowed by the mournful silence which pervaded it The face of the poor servant girl, the only person they saas disfigured with tears and want of sleep There was nobody to receive or welco-rooroom and his friend

'One would think,' said Ralph, speaking, in spite of hioing on here, and not a wedding'

'He, he!' tittered his friend, 'you are so-so very funny!'

'I need be,' re Look a little brisker,like!'

'Yes, yes, I will,' said Gride 'But-but-you don't think she's co just yet, do you?'

'Why, I suppose she'll not co at his watch, 'and she has a good half-hour to spare yet Curb your impatience'

'I-I-am not impatient,' stammered Arthur 'I wouldn't be hard with her for the world Oh dear, dear, not on any account Let her take her time-her own time Her time shall be ours by allfriend a keen look, which showed that he perfectly understood the reason of this great consideration and regard, a footstep was heard upon the stairs, and Bray hi up his hand with a cautious gesture, as if there were some sick person near, who must not be disturbed

'Hush!+' he said, in a low voice 'She was very ill last night I thought she would have broken her heart She is dressed, and crying bitterly in her own roo!'

'She is ready, is she?' said Ralph

'Quite ready,' returned the father