Part 74 (2/2)

Ti over the other so that his foot-he had very co the neatest shoes and black silk stockings possible-should co way: 'Don't cry!'

'I must,' rejoined Miss La Creevy

'No, don't,' said Tim 'Please don't; pray don't'

'I ah,' said Ti with his arainst that part of the hich was quite on the other side of Miss La Creevy; and it is clear that it could have no business there

'Do laugh,' said Tim, 'or I'll cry'

'Why should you cry?' asked Miss La Creevy, s

'Because I'm happy too,' said Tim 'We are both happy, and I should like to do as you do'

Surely, there never was a eted as Tiain-almost in the same place-and Miss La Creevy said she was sure he'd break it

'I knew,' said Tim, 'that you would be pleased with this scene'

'It was very thoughtful and kind to rehted me half so much'

Why on earth should Miss La Creevy and Tim Linkinwater have said all this in a whisper? It was no secret And why should Tim Linkinwater have looked so hard at Miss La Creevy, and why should Miss La Creevy have looked so hard at the ground?

'It's a pleasant thing,' said Tim, 'to people like us, who have passed all our lives in the world alone, to see young folks that we are fond of, brought together with so many years of happiness before them'

'Ah!' cried the little woh,' pursued Tih it makes one feel quite solitary and cast away Now don't it?'

Miss La Creevy said she didn't know And why should she say she didn't know? Because she must have knohether it did or not

'It's alet married after all, isn't it?' said Ti 'We are too old'

'Not a bit,' said Tile Why shouldn't we both be s by our solitary firesides? Why shouldn't we make one fireside of it, and !'

'No, no, I'm not I'm not indeed,' said Tim 'I will, if you will Do, h so'

'Let 'eood tehs we have had since we've known each other!'

'So we have,' cried Miss La Creevy-giving way a little, as Tiht

'It has been the happiest ti-house and Cheeryble Brothers,' said Tim 'Do, my dear! Now say you will'

'No, no, we mustn't think of it,' returned Miss La Creevy 'What would the brothers say?'

'Why, God bless your soul!' cried Tim, innocently, 'you don't suppose I should think of such a thing without their knowing it! Why they left us here on purpose'

'I can never look 'eain!' exclaimed Miss La Creevy, faintly

'Come,' said Tim, 'let's be a comfortable couple We shall live in the old house here, where I have been for four-and-forty year; we shall go to the old church, where I've been, every Sunday h that time; we shall have all my old friends about us-dick, the archway, the pump, the flower-pots, and Mr Frank's children, and Mr Nickleby's children, that we shall seerandmother to Let's be a comfortable couple, and take care of each other! And if we should get deaf, or lalad we shall be that we have somebody we are fond of, always to talk to and sit with! Let's be a comfortable couple Now, do, htforward speech, little Miss La Creevy and Ti as pleasantly as if they had been married for a score of years, and had never once quarrelled all the time; and five minutes after that, when Miss La Creevy had bustled out to see if her eyes were red and put her hair to rights, Ti-roo as he went, 'There an't such another woman in all London! I KNOW there an't!'

By this time, the apoplectic butler was nearly in fits, in consequence of the unheard-of postponeed in a ine for hi downstairs in obedience to his angry summons, when he encountered a new surprise

On his way down, he overtook, in one of the passages, a stranger genteelly dressed in black, as also -rooered behind, and was following hi who he hen he suddenly turned round and caught his!' cried Nicholas joyfully 'Ah! Newman, your oman, your own old faithful Newive you joy-health, happiness, every blessing! I can't bear it-it's too much, my dear boy-it makes a child of me!'

'Where have you been?' said Nicholas 'What have you been doing? How often have I inquired for you, and been told that I should hear before long!'

'I know, I know!' returned Newether I've been helping 'em I-I-look at me, Nick, look at me!'

'You would never let ME do that,' said Nicholas in a tone of gentle reproach

'I didn't mind what I was, then I shouldn't have had the heart to put on gentleman's clothes They would have reminded me of old times and made me miserable I am anotherto me Don't think the worse of me for these tears You don't knohat I feel today; you can't, and never will!'

They walked in to dinner arm-in-arm, and sat down side by side

Never was such a dinner as that, since the world began There was the superannuated bank clerk, Tim Linkinwater's friend; and there was the chubby old lady, Tim Linkinwater's sister; and there was so much attention from Tim Linkinwater's sister to Miss La Creevy, and there were so many jokes from the superannuated bank clerk, and Tim Linkinwater himself was in such tiptop spirits, and little Miss La Creevy was in such a comical state, that of themselves they would have composed the pleasantest party conceivable Then, there was Mrs Nickleby, so grand and co and beautiful; Nicholas and Frank, so devoted and proud; and all four so silently and trely happy; there was Newman so subdued yet so overjoyed, and there were the twin brothers so delighted and interchanging such looks, that the old servant stood transfixed behind his row dim as they wandered round the table

When the first novelty of the an truly to feel how happy they were, the conversation becaeneral, and the harmony and pleasure if possible increased The brothers were in a perfect ecstasy; and their insisting on saluting the ladies all round, before they would perave occasion to the superannuated bank clerk to say so s, that he quite outshone hiy of hu her daughter aside, as soon as they got upstairs, 'you don't really mean to tell me that this is actually true about Miss La Creevy and Mr Linkinwater?'

'Indeed it is,in my life!' exclaimed Mrs Nickleby

'Mr Linkinwater is a e, quite young still'

'For HIS age,against him, except that I think he is the weakest and e I speak of That he should have gone and offered hiain as I anify, Kate; I' her head very emphatically indeed, Mrs Nickleby swept away; and all the evening, in the midst of the merriment and enjoyment that ensued, and in which with that exception she freely participated, conducted herself towards Miss La Creevy in a stately and distant ned to nify her extre disapprobation of the rantly committed

CHAPTER 64