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The ensuing morning brought reflection with it, as morning usuallydoes; but widely different was the train of thought it awakened in thedifferent persons who had been so unexpectedly brought together on thepreceding evening, by the active agency of Messrs Pyke and Pluck.

The reflections of Sir Mulberry Hawk--if such a term can be applied tothe thoughts of the systematic and calculating man of dissipation, whosejoys, regrets, pains, and pleasures, are all of self, and who would seemto retain nothing of the intellectual faculty but the power to debasehimself, and to degrade the very nature whose outward semblance hewears--the reflections of Sir Mulberry Hawk turned upon Kate Nickleby,and were, in brief, that she was undoubtedly handsome; that her coynessMUST be easily conquerable by a man of his address and experience, andthat the pursuit was one which could not fail to redound to his credit,and greatly to enhance his reputation with the world. And lest this lastconsideration--no mean or secondary one with Sir Mulberry--should soundstrangely in the ears of some, let it be remembered that most men livein a world of their own, and that in that limited circle alone are theyambitious for distinction and applause. Sir Mulberry's world was peopledwith profligates, and he acted accordingly.

Thus, cases of injustice, and oppression, and tyranny, and the mostextravagant bigotry, are in constant occurrence among us every day. Itis the custom to trumpet forth much wonder and astonishment at the chiefactors therein setting at defiance so completely the opinion of theworld; but there is no greater fallacy; it is precisely because theydo consult the opinion of their own little world that such things takeplace at all, and strike the great world dumb with amazement.

The reflections of Mrs Nickleby were of the proudest and most complacentkind; and under the influence of her very agreeable delusion shestraightway sat down and indited a long letter to Kate, in which sheexpressed her entire approval of the admirable choice she had made, andextolled Sir Mulberry to the skies; asserting, for the more completesatisfaction of her daughter's feelings, that he was precisely theindividual whom she (Mrs Nickleby) would have chosen for her son-in-law,if she had had the picking and choosing from all mankind. The good ladythen, with the preliminary observation that she might be fairly supposednot to have lived in the world so long without knowing its ways,communicated a great many subtle precepts applicable to the state ofcourtship, and confirmed in their wisdom by her own personal experience.Above all things she commended a strict maidenly reserve, as beingnot only a very laudable thing in itself, but as tending materiallyto strengthen and increase a lover's ardour. 'And I never,' added MrsNickleby, 'was more delighted in my life than to observe last night,my dear, that your good sense had already told you this.' With whichsentiment, and various hints of the pleasure she derived from theknowledge that her daughter inherited so large an instalment of her ownexcellent sense and discretion (to nearly the full measure of which shemight hope, with care, to succeed in time), Mrs Nickleby concluded avery long and rather illegible letter.

Poor Kate was well-nigh distracted on the receipt of fourclosely-written and closely-crossed sides of congratulation on the verysubject which had prevented her closing her eyes all night, and kept herweeping and watching in her chamber; still worse and more trying was thenecessity of rendering herself agreeable to Mrs Wititterly, who, beingin low spirits after the fatigue of the preceding night, of courseexpected her companion (else wherefore had she board and salary?) to bein the best spirits possible. As to Mr Wititterly, he went about all dayin a tremor of delight at having shaken hands with a lord, and havingactually asked him to come and see him in his own house. The lordhimself, not being troubled to any inconvenient extent with the powerof thinking, regaled himself with the conversation of Messrs Pyke andPluck, who sharpened their wit by a plentiful indulgence in variouscostly stimulants at his expense.

It was four in the afternoon--that is, the vulgar afternoon of the sunand the clock--and Mrs Wititterly reclined, according to custom, on thedrawing-room sofa, while Kate read aloud a new novel in three volumes,entitled 'The Lady Flabella,' which Alphonse the doubtful had procuredfrom the library that very morning. And it was a production admirablysuited to a lady labouring under Mrs Wititterly's complaint, seeing thatthere was not a line in it, from beginning to end, which could, by themost remote contingency, awaken the smallest excitement in any personbreathing.

Kate read on.

'"Cherizette," said the Lady Flabella, inserting her mouse-like feetin the blue satin slippers, which had unwittingly occasioned thehalf-playful half-angry altercation between herself and the youthfulColonel Befillaire, in the Duke of Mincefenille's SALON DE DANSE on theprevious night. "CHERIZETTE, MA CHERE, DONNEZ-MOI DE L'EAU-DE-COLOGNE,S'IL VOUS PLAIT, MON ENFANT."

'"MERCIE--thank you," said the Lady Flabella, as the lively but devotedCherizette plentifully besprinkled with the fragrant compound the LadyFlabella's MOUCHOIR of finest cambric, edged with richest lace, andemblazoned at the four corners with the Flabella crest, and gorgeousheraldic bearings of that noble family. "MERCIE--that will do."

'At this instant, while the Lady Flabella yet inhaled thatdelicious fragrance by holding the MOUCHOIR to her exquisite, butthoughtfully-chiselled nose, the door of the BOUDOIR (artfully concealedby rich hangings of silken damask, the hue of Italy's firmament) wasthrown open, and with noiseless tread two VALETS-DE-CHAMBRE, clad insumptuous liveries of peach-blossom and gold, advanced into the roomfollowed by a page in BAS DE SOIE--silk stockings--who, while theyremained at some distance making the most graceful obeisances, advancedto the feet of his lovely mistress, and dropping on one knee presented,on a golden salver gorgeously chased, a scented BILLET.

'The Lady Flabella, with an agitation she could not repress, hastilytore off the ENVELOPE and broke the scented seal. It WAS fromBefillaire--the young, the slim, the low-voiced--HER OWN Befillaire.'

'Oh, charming!' interrupted Kate's patroness, who was sometimes takenliterary. 'Poetic, really. Read that description again, Miss Nickleby.'

Kate complied.

'Sweet, indeed!' said Mrs Wititterly, with a sigh. 'So voluptuous, is itnot--so soft?'

'Yes, I think it is,' replied Kate, gently; 'very soft.'

'Close the book, Miss Nickleby,' said Mrs Wititterly. 'I can hearnothing more today; I should be sorry to disturb the impression of thatsweet description. Close the book.'

Kate complied, not unwillingly; and, as she did so, Mrs Wititterlyraising her glass with a languid hand, remarked, that she looked pale.

'It was the fright of that--that noise and confusion last night,' saidKate.

'How very odd!' exclaimed Mrs Wititterly, with a look of surprise. Andcertainly, when one comes to think of it, it WAS very odd that anythingshould have disturbed a companion. A steam-engine, or other ingeniouspiece of mechanism out of order, would have been nothing to it.

'How did you come to know Lord Frederick, and those other delightfulcreatures, child?' asked Mrs Wititterly, still eyeing Kate through herglass.

'I met them at my uncle's,' said Kate, vexed to feel that she wascolouring deeply, but unable to keep down the blood which rushed to herface whenever she thought of that man.

'Have you known them long?'

'No,' rejoined Kate. 'Not long.'

'I was very glad of the opportunity which that respectable person, yourmother, gave us of being known to them,' said Mrs Wititterly, in a loftymanner. 'Some friends of ours were on the very point of introducing us,which makes it quite remarkable.'

This was said lest Miss Nickleby should grow conceited on the honourand dignity of having known four great people (for Pyke and Pluck wereincluded among the delightful creatures), whom Mrs Wititterly did notknow. But as the circumstance had made no impression one way or otherupon Kate's mind, the force of the observation was quite lost upon her.

'They asked permission to call,' said Mrs Wititterly. 'I gave it them ofcourse.'

'Do you expect them today?' Kate ventured to inquire.

Mrs Wititterly's answer was lost in the noise of a tremendous rapping atthe street-door, and before it had ceased to vibrate, there drove up ahandsome cabriolet, out of which leaped Sir Mulberry Hawk and his friendLord Verisopht.

'They are here now,' said Kate, rising and hurrying away.

'Miss Nickleby!' cried Mrs Wititterly, perfectly aghast at a companion'sattempting to quit the room, without her permission first had andobtained. 'Pray don't think of going.'

'You are very good!' replied Kate. 'But--'

'For goodness' sake, don't agitate me by making me speak so much,' saidMrs Wititterly, with great sharpness. 'Dear me, Miss Nickleby, I beg--'

It was in vain for Kate to protest that she was unwell, for thefootsteps of the knockers, whoever they were, were already on thestairs. She resumed her seat, and had scarcely done so, when thedoubtful page darted into the room and announced, Mr Pyke, and Mr Pluck,and Lord Verisopht, and Sir Mulberry Hawk, all at one burst.

'The most extraordinary thing in the world,' said Mr Pluck, salutingboth ladies with the utmost cordiality; 'the most extraordinary thing.As Lord Frederick and Sir Mulberry drove up to the door, Pyke and I hadthat instant knocked.'

'That instant knocked,' said Pyke.

'No matter how you came, so that you are here,' said Mrs Wititterly,who, by dint of lying on the same sofa for three years and a half, hadgot up quite a little pantomime of graceful attitudes, and now threwherself into the most striking of the whole series, to astonish thevisitors. 'I am delighted, I am sure.'

'And how is Miss Nickleby?' said Sir Mulberry Hawk, accosting Kate, ina low voice--not so low, however, but that it reached the ears of MrsWititterly.

'Why, she complains of suffering from the fright of last night,' saidthe lady. 'I am sure I don't wonder at it, for my nerves are quite tornto pieces.'

'And yet you look,' observed Sir Mulberry, turning round; 'and yet youlook--'

'Beyond everything,' said Mr Pyke, coming to his patron's assistance. Ofcourse Mr Pluck said the same.

'I am afraid Sir Mulberry is a flatterer, my lord,' said Mrs Wititterly,turning to that young gentleman, who had been sucking the head of hiscane in silence, and staring at Kate.

'Oh, deyvlish!' replied Verisopht. Having given utterance to whichremarkable sentiment, he occupied himself as before.

'Neither does Miss Nickleby look the worse,' said Sir Mulberry, bendinghis bold gaze upon her. 'She was always handsome, but upon my soul,ma'am, you seem to have imparted some of your own good looks to herbesides.'

To judge from the glow which suffused the poor girl's countenance afterthis speech, Mrs Wititterly might, with some show of reason, have beensupposed to have imparted to it some of that artificial bloom whichdecorated her own. Mrs Wititterly admitted, though not with the bestgrace in the world, that Kate DID look pretty. She began to think, too,that Sir Mulberry was not quite so agreeable a creature as she hadat first supposed him; for, although a skilful flatterer is a mostdelightful companion if you can keep him all to yourself, his tastebecomes very doubtful when he takes to complimenting other people.

'Pyke,' said the watchful Mr Pluck, observing the effect which thepraise of Miss Nickleby had produced.

'Well, Pluck,' said Pyke.

'Is there anybody,' demanded Mr Pluck, mysteriously, 'anybody you know,that Mrs Wititterly's profile reminds you of?'

'Reminds me of!' answered Pyke. 'Of course there is.'

'Who do you mean?' said Pluck, in the same mysterious manner. 'The D. ofB.?'

'The C. of B.,' replied Pyke, with the faintest trace of a grinlingering in his countenance. 'The beautiful sister is the countess; notthe duchess.'

'True,' said Pluck, 'the C. of B. The resemblance is wonderful!'

'Perfectly startling,' said Mr Pyke.

Here was a state of things! Mrs Wititterly was declared, upon thetestimony of two veracious and competent witnesses, to be the verypicture of a countess! This was one of the consequences of getting intogood society. Why, she might have moved among grovelling people fortwenty years, and never heard of it. How could she, indeed? what didTHEY know about countesses?

The two gentlemen having, by the greediness with which this littlebait was swallowed, tested the extent of Mrs Wititterly's appetite foradulation, proceeded to administer that commodity in very large doses,thus affording to Sir Mulberry Hawk an opportunity of pestering MissNickleby with questions and remarks, to which she was absolutely obligedto make some reply. Meanwhile, Lord Verisopht enjoyed unmolested thefull flavour of the gold knob at the top of his cane, as he would havedone to the end of the interview if Mr Wititterly had not come home, andcaused the conversation to turn to his favourite topic.

'My lord,' said Mr Wititterly, 'I am delighted--honoured--proud. Beseated again, my lord, pray. I am proud, indeed--most proud.'

It was to the secret annoyance of his wife that Mr Wititterly said allthis, for, although she was bursting with pride and arrogance, she wouldhave had the illustrious guests believe that their visit was quite acommon occurrence, and that they had lords and baronets to see themevery day in the week. But Mr Wititterly's feelings were beyond thepower of suppression.

'It is an honour, indeed!' said Mr Wititterly. 'Julia, my soul, you willsuffer for this tomorrow.'

'Suffer!' cried Lord Verisopht.

'The reaction, my lord, the reaction,' said Mr Wititterly. 'This violentstrain upon the nervous system over, my lord, what ensues? A sinking, adepression, a lowness, a lassitude, a debility. My lord, if Sir TumleySnuffim was to see that delicate creature at this moment, he wouldnot give a--a--THIS for her life.' In illustration of which remark, MrWititterly took a pinch of snuff from his box, and jerked it lightlyinto the air as an emblem of instability.

'Not THAT,' said Mr Wititterly, looking about him with a seriouscountenance. 'Sir Tumley Snuffim would not give that for MrsWititterly's existence.'

Mr Wititterly told this with a kind of sober exultation, as if it wereno trifling distinction for a man to have a wife in such a desperatestate, and Mrs Wititterly sighed and looked on, as if she felt thehonour, but had determined to bear it as meekly as might be.

'Mrs Wititterly,' said her husband, 'is Sir Tumley Snuffim's favouritepatient. I believe I may venture to say, that Mrs Wititterly is thefirst person who took the new medicine which is supposed to havedestroyed a family at Kensington Gravel Pits. I believe she was. If I amwrong, Julia, my dear, you will correct me.'

'I believe I was,' said Mrs Wititterly, in a faint voice.

As there appeared to be some doubt in the mind of his patron how hecould best join in this conversation, the indefatigable Mr Pyke threwhimself into the breach, and, by way of saying something to the point,inquired--with reference to the aforesaid medicine--whether it was nice.

'No, sir, it was not. It had not even that recommendation,' said Mr W.

'Mrs Wititterly is quite a martyr,' observed Pyke, with a complimentarybow.

'I THINK I am,' said Mrs Wititterly, smiling.

'I think you are, my dear Julia,' replied her husband, in a tone whichseemed to say that he was not vain, but still must insist upon theirprivileges. 'If anybody, my lord,' added Mr Wititterly, wheelinground to the nobleman, 'will produce to me a greater martyr than MrsWititterly, all I can say is, that I shall be glad to see that martyr,whether male or female--that's all, my lord.'

Pyke and Pluck promptly remarked that certainly nothing could be fairerthan that; and the call having been by this time protracted to a verygreat length, they obeyed Sir Mulberry's look, and rose to go. Thisbrought Sir Mulberry himself and Lord Verisopht on their legs also.Many protestations of friendship, and expressions anticipative of thepleasure which must inevitably flow from so happy an acquaintance, wereexchanged, and the visitors departed, with renewed assurances that atall times and seasons the mansion of the Wititterlys would be honouredby receiving them beneath its roof.

That they came at all times and seasons--that they dined there one day,supped the next, dined again on the next, and were constantly to andfro on all--that they made parties to visit public places, and met byaccident at lounges--that upon all these occasions Miss Nickleby wasexposed to the constant and unremitting persecution of Sir MulberryHawk, who now began to feel his character, even in the estimation of histwo dependants, involved in the successful reduction of her pride--thatshe had no intervals of peace or rest, except at those hours when shecould sit in her solitary room, and weep over the trials of the day--allthese were consequences naturally flowing from the well-laid plans ofSir Mulberry, and their able execution by the auxiliaries, Pyke andPluck.

And thus for a fortnight matters went on. That any but the weakest andsilliest of people could have seen in one interview that Lord Verisopht,though he was a lord, and Sir Mulberry Hawk, though he was a baronet,were not persons accustomed to be the best possible companions, and werecertainly not calculated by habits, manners, tastes, or conversation, toshine with any very great lustre in the society of ladies, need scarcelybe remarked. But with Mrs Wititterly the two titles were all sufficient;coarseness became humour, vulgarity softened itself down into the mostcharming eccentricity; insolence took the guise of an easy absence ofreserve, attainable only by those who had had the good fortune to mixwith high folks.

If the mistress put such a construction upon the behaviour of her newfriends, what could the companion urge against them? If they accustomedthemselves to very little restraint before the lady of the house, withhow much more freedom could they address her paid dependent! Nor waseven this the worst. As the odious Sir Mulberry Hawk attached himselfto Kate with less and less of disguise, Mrs Wititterly began to growjealous of the superior attractions of Miss Nickleby. If this feelinghad led to her banishment from the drawing-room when such company wasthere, Kate would have been only too happy and willing that it shouldhave existed, but unfortunately for her she possessed that nativegrace and true gentility of manner, and those thousand namelessaccomplishments which give to female society its greatest charm; ifthese be valuable anywhere, they were especially so where the lady ofthe house was a mere animated doll. The consequence was, that Kate hadthe double mortification of being an indispensable part of the circlewhen Sir Mulberry and his friends were there, and of being exposed, onthat very account, to all Mrs Wititterly's ill-humours and caprices whenthey were gone. She became utterly and completely miserable.

Mrs Wititterly had never thrown off the mask with regard to SirMulberry, but when she was more than usually out of temper, attributedthe circumstance, as ladies sometimes do, to nervous indisposition.However, as the dreadful idea that Lord Verisopht also was somewhattaken with Kate, and that she, Mrs Wititterly, was quite a secondaryperson, dawned upon that lady's mind and gradually developed itself,she became possessed with a large quantity of highly proper and mostvirtuous indignation, and felt it her duty, as a married lady and amoral member of society, to mention the circumstance to 'the youngperson' without delay.

Accordingly Mrs Wititterly broke ground next morning, during a pause inthe novel-reading.

'Miss Nickleby,' said Mrs Wititterly, 'I wish to speak to you verygravely. I am sorry to have to do it, upon my word I am very sorry, butyou leave me no alternative, Miss Nickleby.' Here Mrs Wititterly tossedher head--not passionately, only virtuously--and remarked, with someappearance of excitement, that she feared that palpitation of the heartwas coming on again.

'Your behaviour, Miss Nickleby,' resumed the lady, 'is very far frompleasing me--very far. I am very anxious indeed that you should do well,but you may depend upon it, Miss Nickleby, you will not, if you go on asyou do.'

'Ma'am!' exclaimed Kate, proudly.

'Don't agitate me by speaking in that way, Miss Nickleby, don't,' saidMrs Wititterly, with some violence, 'or you'll compel me to ring thebell.'

Kate looked at her, but said nothing.

'You needn't suppose,' resumed Mrs Wititterly, 'that your looking at mein that way, Miss Nickleby, will prevent my saying what I am goingto say, which I feel to be a religious duty. You needn't direct yourglances towards me,' said Mrs Wititterly, with a sudden burst of spite;'I am not Sir Mulberry, no, nor Lord Frederick Verisopht, Miss Nickleby,nor am I Mr Pyke, nor Mr Pluck either.'

Kate looked at her again, but less steadily than before; and resting herelbow on the table, covered her eyes with her hand.

'If such things had been done when I was a young girl,' said MrsWititterly (this, by the way, must have been some little time before),'I don't suppose anybody would have believed it.'

'I don't think they would,' murmured Kate. 'I do not think anybody wouldbelieve, without actually knowing it, what I seem doomed to undergo!'

'Don't talk to me of being doomed to undergo, Miss Nickleby, if youplease,' said Mrs Wititterly, with a shrillness of tone quite surprisingin so great an invalid. 'I will not be answered, Miss Nickleby. I am notaccustomed to be answered, nor will I permit it for an instant. Doyou hear?' she added, waiting with some apparent inconsistency FOR ananswer.

'I do hear you, ma'am,' replied Kate, 'with surprise--with greatersurprise than I can express.'

'I have always considered you a particularly well-behaved young personfor your station in life,' said Mrs Wititterly; 'and as you are a personof healthy appearance, and neat in your dress and so forth, I have takenan interest in you, as I do still, considering that I owe a sort of dutyto that respectable old female, your mother. For these reasons, MissNickleby, I must tell you once for all, and begging you to mind what Isay, that I must insist upon your immediately altering your very forwardbehaviour to the gentleman who visit at this house. It really is notbecoming,' said Mrs Wititterly, closing her chaste eyes as she spoke;'it is improper--quite improper.'

'Oh!' cried Kate, looking upwards and clasping her hands; 'is not this,is not this, too cruel, too hard to bear! Is it not enough that I shouldhave suffered as I have, night and day; that I should almost have sunkin my own estimation from very shame of having been brought into contactwith such people; but must I also be exposed to this unjust and mostunfounded charge!'

'You will have the goodness to recollect, Miss Nickleby,' said MrsWititterly, 'that when you use such terms as "unjust", and "unfounded",you charge me, in effect, with stating that which is untrue.'

'I do,' said Kate with honest indignation. 'Whether you make thisaccusation of yourself, or at the prompting of others, is alike to me. Isay it IS vilely, grossly, wilfully untrue. Is it possible!' cried Kate,'that anyone of my own sex can have sat by, and not have seen the miserythese men have caused me? Is it possible that you, ma'am, can have beenpresent, and failed to mark the insulting freedom that their every lookbespoke? Is it possible that you can have avoided seeing, that theselibertines, in their utter disrespect for you, and utter disregardof all gentlemanly behaviour, and almost of decency, have had but oneobject in introducing themselves here, and that the furtherance of theirdesigns upon a friendless, helpless girl, who, without this humiliatingconfession, might have hoped to receive from one so much her seniorsomething like womanly aid and sympathy? I do not--I cannot believe it!'

If poor Kate had possessed the slightest knowledge of the world, shecertainly would not have ventured, even in the excitement into which shehad been lashed, upon such an injudicious speech as this. Its effectwas precisely what a more experienced observer would have foreseen.Mrs Wititterly received the attack upon her veracity with exemplarycalmness, and listened with the most heroic fortitude to Kate's accountof her own sufferings. But allusion being made to her being held indisregard by the gentlemen, she evinced violent emotion, and this blowwas no sooner followed up by the remark concerning her seniority, thanshe fell back upon the sofa, uttering dismal screams.

'What is the matter?' cried Mr Wititterly, bouncing into the room.'Heavens, what do I see? Julia! Julia! look up, my life, look up!'

But Julia looked down most perseveringly, and screamed still louder; soMr Wititterly rang the bell, and danced in a frenzied manner roundthe sofa on which Mrs Wititterly lay; uttering perpetual cries for SirTumley Snuffim, and never once leaving off to ask for any explanation ofthe scene before him.

'Run for Sir Tumley,' cried Mr Wititterly, menacing the page with bothfists. 'I knew it, Miss Nickleby,' he said, looking round with an air ofmelancholy triumph, 'that society has been too much for her. This is allsoul, you know, every bit of it.' With this assurance Mr Wititterly tookup the prostrate form of Mrs Wititterly, and carried her bodily off tobed.

Kate waited until Sir Tumley Snuffim had paid his visit and looked inwith a report, that, through the special interposition of a mercifulProvidence (thus spake Sir Tumley), Mrs Wititterly had gone to sleep.She then hastily attired herself for walking, and leaving word that sheshould return within a couple of hours, hurried away towards her uncle'shouse.

It had been a good day with Ralph Nickleby--quite a lucky day; and as hewalked to and fro in his little back-room with his hands clasped behindhim, adding up in his own mind all the sums that had been, or would be,netted from the business done since morning, his mouth was drawn into ahard stern smile; while the firmness of the lines and curves that madeit up, as well as the cunning glance of his cold, bright eye, seemed totell, that if any resolution or cunning would increase the profits, theywould not fail to be excited for the purpose.

'Very good!' said Ralph, in allusion, no doubt, to some proceeding ofthe day. 'He defies the usurer, does he? Well, we shall see. "Honesty isthe best policy," is it? We'll try that too.'

He stopped, and then walked on again.

'He is content,' said Ralph, relaxing into a smile, 'to set his knowncharacter and conduct against the power of money--dross, as he calls it.Why, what a dull blockhead this fellow must be! Dross to, dross! Who'sthat?'

'Me,' said Newman Noggs, looking in. 'Your niece.'

'What of her?' asked Ralph sharply.

'She's here.'

'Here!'

Newman jerked his head towards his little room, to signify that she waswaiting there.

'What does she want?' asked Ralph.

'I don't know,' rejoined Newman. 'Shall I ask?' he added quickly.

'No,' replied Ralph. 'Show her in! Stay.' He hastily put away apadlocked cash-box that was on the table, and substituted in its steadan empty purse. 'There,' said Ralph. 'NOW she may come in.'

Newman, with a grim smile at this manoeuvre, beckoned the young lady toadvance, and having placed a chair for her, retired; looking stealthilyover his shoulder at Ralph as he limped slowly out.

'Well,' said Ralph, roughly enough; but still with something more ofkindness in his manner than he would have exhibited towards anybodyelse. 'Well, my--dear. What now?'

Kate raised her eyes, which were filled with tears; and with an effortto master her emotion strove to speak, but in vain. So drooping her headagain, she remained silent. Her face was hidden from his view, but Ralphcould see that she was weeping.

'I can guess the cause of this!' thought Ralph, after looking at herfor some time in silence. 'I can--I can--guess the cause. Well! Well!'thought Ralph--for the moment quite disconcerted, as he watched theanguish of his beautiful niece. 'Where is the harm? only a few tears;and it's an excellent lesson for her, an excellent lesson.'

'What is the matter?' asked Ralph, drawing a chair opposite, and sittingdown.

He was rather taken aback by the sudden firmness with which Kate lookedup and answered him.

'The matter which brings me to you, sir,' she said, 'is one which shouldcall the blood up into your cheeks, and make you burn to hear, as itdoes me to tell. I have been wronged; my feelings have been outraged,insulted, wounded past all healing, and by your friends.'

'Friends!' cried Ralph, sternly. 'I have no friends, girl.'

'By the men I saw here, then,' returned Kate, quickly. 'If they were nofriends of yours, and you knew what they were,--oh, the more shame onyou, uncle, for bringing me among them. To have subjected me to whatI was exposed to here, through any misplaced confidence or imperfectknowledge of your guests, would have required some strong excuse; butif you did it--as I now believe you did--knowing them well, it was mostdastardly and cruel.'

Ralph drew back in utter amazement at this plain speaking, and regardedKate with the sternest look. But she met his gaze proudly and firmly,and although her face was very pale, it looked more noble and handsome,lighted up as it was, than it had ever appeared before.

'There is some of that boy's blood in you, I see,' said Ralph, speakingin his harshest tones, as something in the flashing eye reminded him ofNicholas at their last meeting.

'I hope there is!' replied Kate. 'I should be proud to know it. I amyoung, uncle, and all the difficulties and miseries of my situation havekept it down, but I have been roused today beyond all endurance, andcome what may, I WILL NOT, as I am your brother's child, bear theseinsults longer.'

'What insults, girl?' demanded Ralph, sharply.

'Remember what took place here, and ask yourself,' replied Kate,colouring deeply. 'Uncle, you must--I am sure you will--release me fromsuch vile and degrading companionship as I am exposed to now. I do notmean,' said Kate, hurrying to the old man, and laying her arm upon hisshoulder; 'I do not mean to be angry and violent--I beg your pardon ifI have seemed so, dear uncle,--but you do not know what I have suffered,you do not indeed. You cannot tell what the heart of a young girlis--I have no right to expect you should; but when I tell you that I amwretched, and that my heart is breaking, I am sure you will help me. Iam sure, I am sure you will!'

Ralph looked at her for an instant; then turned away his head, and beathis foot nervously upon the ground.

'I have gone on day after day,' said Kate, bending over him, and timidlyplacing her little hand in his, 'in the hope that this persecution wouldcease; I have gone on day after day, compelled to assume the appearanceof cheerfulness, when I was most unhappy. I have had no counsellor, noadviser, no one to protect me. Mama supposes that these are honourablemen, rich and distinguished, and how CAN I--how can I undeceiveher--when she is so happy in these little delusions, which are the onlyhappiness she has? The lady with whom you placed me, is not the personto whom I could confide matters of so much delicacy, and I have come atlast to you, the only friend I have at hand--almost the only friend Ihave at all--to entreat and implore you to assist me.'

'How can I assist you, child?' said Ralph, rising from his chair, andpacing up and down the room in his old attitude.

'You have influence with one of these men, I KNOW,' rejoined Kate,emphatically. 'Would not a word from you induce them to desist from thisunmanly course?'

'No,' said Ralph, suddenly turning; 'at least--that--I can't say it, ifit would.'

'Can't say it!'

'No,' said Ralph, coming to a dead stop, and clasping his hands moretightly behind him. 'I can't say it.'

Kate fell back a step or two, and looked at him, as if in doubt whethershe had heard aright.

'We are connected in business,' said Ralph, poising himself alternatelyon his toes and heels, and looking coolly in his niece's face, 'inbusiness, and I can't afford to offend them. What is it after all? Wehave all our trials, and this is one of yours. Some girls would be proudto have such gallants at their feet.'

'Proud!' cried Kate.

'I don't say,' rejoined Ralph, raising his forefinger, 'but that you doright to despise them; no, you show your good sense in that, as indeedI knew from the first you would. Well. In all other respects you arecomfortably bestowed. It's not much to bear. If this young lord does dogyour footsteps, and whisper his drivelling inanities in your ears, whatof it? It's a dishonourable passion. So be it; it won't last long. Someother novelty will spring up one day, and you will be released. In themean time--'

'In the mean time,' interrupted Kate, with becoming pride andindignation, 'I am to be the scorn of my own sex, and the toy of theother; justly condemned by all women of right feeling, and despised byall honest and honourable men; sunken in my own esteem, and degraded inevery eye that looks upon me. No, not if I work my fingers to the bone,not if I am driven to the roughest and hardest labour. Do not mistakeme. I will not disgrace your recommendation. I will remain in the housein which it placed me, until I am entitled to leave it by the terms ofmy engagement; though, mind, I see these men no more. When I quit it, Iwill hide myself from them and you, and, striving to support my motherby hard service, I will live, at least, in peace, and trust in God tohelp me.'

With these words, she waved her hand, and quitted the room, leavingRalph Nickleby motionless as a statue.

The surprise with which Kate, as she closed the room-door, beheld, closebeside it, Newman Noggs standing bolt upright in a little niche in thewall like some scarecrow or Guy Faux laid up in winter quarters, almostoccasioned her to call aloud. But, Newman laying his finger upon hislips, she had the presence of mind to refrain.

'Don't,' said Newman, gliding out of his recess, and accompanyingher across the hall. 'Don't cry, don't cry.' Two very large tears,by-the-bye, were running down Newman's face as he spoke.

'I see how it is,' said poor Noggs, drawing from his pocket what seemedto be a very old duster, and wiping Kate's eyes with it, as gently as ifshe were an infant. 'You're giving way now. Yes, yes, very good; that'sright, I like that. It was right not to give way before him. Yes, yes!Ha, ha, ha! Oh, yes. Poor thing!'

With these disjointed exclamations, Newman wiped his own eyes with theafore-mentioned duster, and, limping to the street-door, opened it tolet her out.

'Don't cry any more,' whispered Newman. 'I shall see you soon. Ha! ha!ha! And so shall somebody else too. Yes, yes. Ho! ho!'

'God bless you,' answered Kate, hurrying out, 'God bless you.'

'Same to you,' rejoined Newman, opening the door again a little way tosay so. 'Ha, ha, ha! Ho! ho! ho!'

And Newman Noggs opened the door once again to nod cheerfully, andlaugh--and shut it, to shake his head mournfully, and cry.

Ralph remained in the same attitude till he heard the noise of theclosing door, when he shrugged his shoulders, and after a few turnsabout the room--hasty at first, but gradually becoming slower, as herelapsed into himself--sat down before his desk.

It is one of those problems of human nature, which may be noted down,but not solved;--although Ralph felt no remorse at that moment for hisconduct towards the innocent, true-hearted girl; although his libertineclients had done precisely what he had expected, precisely what he mostwished, and precisely what would tend most to his advantage, still hehated them for doing it, from the very bottom of his soul.

'Ugh!' said Ralph, scowling round, and shaking his clenched hand as thefaces of the two profligates rose up before his mind; 'you shall pay forthis. Oh! you shall pay for this!'

As the usurer turned for consolation to his books and papers, aperformance was going on outside his office door, which would haveoccasioned him no small surprise, if he could by any means have becomeacquainted with it.

Newman Noggs was the sole actor. He stood at a little distance from thedoor, with his face towards it; and with the sleeves of his coatturned back at the wrists, was occupied in bestowing the most vigorous,scientific, and straightforward blows upon the empty air.

At first sight, this would have appeared merely a wise precaution ina man of sedentary habits, with the view of opening the chest andstrengthening the muscles of the arms. But the intense eagerness andjoy depicted in the face of Newman Noggs, which was suffused withperspiration; the surprising energy with which he directed a constantsuccession of blows towards a particular panel about five feet eightfrom the ground, and still worked away in the most untiring andpersevering manner, would have sufficiently explained to the attentiveobserver, that his imagination was thrashing, to within an inch of hislife, his body's most active employer, Mr Ralph Nickleby.