Part 74 (1/2)

'Now,honour to the bidding, and Tim had taken his departure, 'what does THIS mean?'

'What do YOU

'I say, my dear,' rejoined that lady, with a face of unfathomable mystery, 'what does this invitation to dinner mean? What is its intention and object?'

'I conclude it means, that on such a day we are to eat and drink in their house, and that its intent and object is to confer pleasure upon us,' said Nicholas

'And that's all you conclude it is,deeper, ,' said Mrs Nickleby, you'll find yourself a little surprised; that's all Youbesides dinner'

'Tea and supper, perhaps,' suggested Nicholas

'I wouldn't be absurd, my dear, if I were you,' replied Mrs Nickleby, in a lofty , and doesn't suit you at all What I mean to say is, that the Mr Cheerybles don't ask us to dinner with all this cere NeverI say, of course It's reat deal better; it's satisfactory to all parties, and there can be no disputing All I say is, remember what I say now, and when I say I said so, don't say I didn't'

With this stipulation, Mrs Nickleby, as troubled, night and day, with a vision of a hotup to the door to announce that Nicholas had been taken into partnershi+p, quitted that branch of the subject, and entered upon a new one

'It's a very extraordinary thing,' she said, 'a , that they should have invited Miss La Creevy It quite astonishes me, upon my word it does Of course it's very pleasant that she should be invited, very pleasant, and I have no doubt that she'll conduct herself extre to think that we should have been the lad of it-quite rejoiced-for she certainly is an exceedingly well-behaved and good-natured little person I could wish that some friend would mention to her how very badly she has her cap trimmed, and what very preposterous bows those are, but of course that's iht of herself, no doubt she has a perfect right to do so We never see ourselves-never do, and never did-and I suppose we never shall'

Thispeculiarly smart on the occasion, so as to counterbalance Miss La Creevy, and be herself an effectual set-off and atonehter relative to certain ribbons, gloves, and tri a complicated question, and one of paramount iht

The great day arriving, the good lady put herself under Kate's hands an hour or so after breakfast, and, dressing by easy stages, cohter's h so satisfactory that she had never appearedor looked more lovely Miss La Creevy, too, arrived with two bandboxes (whereof the botto in a newspaper, which a gentleed to be ironed again, before it was fit for service At last, everybody was dressed, including Nicholas, who had come home to fetch them, and they went away in a coach sent by the brothers for the purpose: Mrs Nickleby wondering veryNicholas as to the extent of his discoveries in theat all like turtle, and if not, what he had s the conversation with reone so which she particularised not only the dishes but the guests, in who interest, as not one of them had ever chanced to hear their names before

The old butler received them with profound respect and -room, where they were received by the brothers with so much cordiality and kindness that Mrs Nickleby was quite in a flutter, and had scarcely presence of h, even to patronise Miss La Creevy Kate was stillthat the brothers were acquainted with all that had passed between her and Frank, she felt her position aon the arm of Nicholas, when Mr Charles took her in his, and led her to another part of the room

'Have you seen Madeline, my dear,' he said, 'since she left your house?'

'No, sir!' replied Kate 'Not once'

'And not heard from her, eh? Not heard froently 'I thought she would not have forgottenher on the head, and speaking as affectionately as if she had been his favourite child 'Poor dear! what do you think of this, brother Ned? Madeline has only written to her once, only once, Ned, and she didn't think she would have forgotten her quite so soon, Ned'

'Oh! sad, sad; very sad!' said Ned

The brothers interchanged a glance, and looking at Kate for a little ti, shook hands, and nodded as if they were congratulating each other on sohtful

'Well, well,' said brother Charles, 'go into that room, my dear-that door yonder-and see if there's not a letter for you from her I think there's one upon the table You needn't hurry back, my love, if there is, for we don't dine just yet, and there's plenty of time Plenty of time'

Kate retired as she was directed Brother Charles, having followed her graceful figure with his eyes, turned to Mrs Nickleby, and said: 'We took the liberty of na one hour before the real dinner-time, ma'am, because we had a little business to speak about, which would occupy the interval Ned, reed upon? Mr Nickleby, sir, have the goodness to follow me'

Without any further explanation, Mrs Nickleby, Miss La Creevy, and brother Ned, were left alone together, and Nicholas followed brother Charles into his private rooreat astonishment, he encountered Frank, who men,' said Mr Cheeryble, 'shake hands!'

'I need no bidding to do that,' said Nicholas, extending his

'Nor I,' rejoined Frank, as he clasped it heartily

The old gentle fellows could scarcely stand side by side than those on who his eyes to rest upon them, for a short time in silence, he said, while he seated himself at his desk: 'I wish to see you friends-close and firht you otherwise, I should hesitate in what I am about to say Frank, look here! Mr Nickleby, will you co men stepped up on either hand of brother Charles, who produced a paper from his desk, and unfolded it

'This,' he said, 'is a copy of the will of Madeline'sher the su of age or ry with her (his only relation) because she would not put herself under his protection, and detach herself from the society of her father, in co this property (which was all he possessed) to a charitable institution He would seem to have repented this determination, however, for three weeks afterwards, and in the same month, he executed this By some fraud, it was abstracted immediately after his decease, and the other-the only will found-was proved and adotiations, which have only just now ter since this instrument came into our hands, and, as there is no doubt of its authenticity, and the witnesses have been discovered (after some trouble), the money has been refunded Madeline has therefore obtained her right, and is, or will be, when either of the contingencies which I have mentioned has arisen, mistress of this fortune You understand me?'

Frank replied in the affirmative Nicholas, who could not trust himself to speak lest his voice should be heard to falter, bowed his head

'Now, Frank,' said the old gentle this deed The fortune is but a small one; but we love Madeline; and such as it is, ould rather see you allied to her with that, than to any other girl we knoho has three times the money Will you become a suitor to her for her hand?'

'No, sir I interestedthat her hand was already pledged to one who has a thousand tiratitude, and, if I mistake not, upon her heart, that I or any other ed hastily'

'As you always do, sir,' cried brother Charles, utterly forgetting his assunity, 'as you always do How dare you think, Frank, that ould have you marry for money, when youth, beauty, and every amiable virtue and excellence were to be had for love? How dared you, Frank, go andus first what youus speak for you?'

'I hardly dared to hope-'

'You hardly dared to hope! Then, soour assistance! Mr Nickleby, sir, Frank, although he judged hastily, judged, for once, correctly Madeline's heart IS occupied Give me your hand, sir; it is occupied by you, and worthily and naturally This fortune is destined to be yours, but you have a greater fortune in her, sir, than you would have in money were it forty times told She chooses you, Mr Nickleby She chooses as we, her dearest friends, would have her choose Frank chooses as ould have HIM choose He should have your sister's little hand, sir, if she had refused it a score of times; ay, he should, and he shall! You acted nobly, not knowing our sentiments, but now you know them, sir, you must do as you are bid What! You are the children of a worthy gentleman! The time was, sir, when my dear brother Ned and I were two poor si, aled in anything but years and worldly circumstances since that time? No, God forbid! Oh, Ned, Ned, Ned, what a happy day this is for you and me! If our poor mother had only lived to see us now, Ned, how proud it would have made her dear heart at last!'

Thus apostrophised, brother Ned, who had entered with Mrs Nickleby, and who had been before unobserved by the young ed brother Charles in his ar in my little Kate,' said the latter, after a short silence 'Bring her in, Ned Let ht to do so noas very near it when she first came; I have often been very near it Ah! Did you find the letter,for you and expecting you? Did you find that she had not quite forgotten her friend and nurse and sweet companion? Why, this is almost the best of all!'

'Come, come,' said Ned, 'Frank will be jealous, and we shall have so of throats before dinner'

'Then let him take her away, Ned, let him take her away Madeline's in the next roo the to say Turn 'ean the clearance by leading the blushi+ng girl to the door, and dis her with a kiss Frank was not very slow to follow, and Nicholas had disappeared first of all So there only re heartily; the two brothers; and Tim Linkinwater, who now came in to shake hands with everybody: his round face all radiant and bea with smiles

'Well, Tim Linkinwater, sir,' said brother Charles, as always spokes folks are happy, sir'

'You didn't keep 'eh,' returned Tim, archly 'Why, Mr Nickleby and Mr Frank were to have been in your roo; and I don't knohat you weren't to have told them before you came out with the truth'

'Now, did you ever know such a villain as this, Ned?' said the old gentleman; 'did you ever know such a villain as Ti i, noon, and night, and torturing us for leave to go and tell 'em as in store, before our plans were half co!'

'So he is, brother Charles,' returned Ned; 'Ti Tiravity and steadiness; he must sow his wild oats, and then perhaps he'll beco one of the standing jokes between the old fellows and Tihedthat Mrs Nickleby was labouring to express her feelings, and was really overwhelmed by the happiness of the time, took her between the to consult her on soements

Now, Tim and Miss La Creevy had met very often, and had always been very chatty and pleasant together-had always been great friends-and consequently it was thethat she still sobbed, should endeavour to console her As Miss La Creevy sat on a large old-fashi+oned -seat, where there was ample room for two, it was also natural that Ti unusually spruce and particular in his attire that day, why it was a high festival and a great occasion, and that was theof all