Nicholas Nickleby

by provided for his N

nd towards the full perfection of which, Miss La Creevy had had the street-door case brought upstairs, in order that she might be the better able to infuse into the counterfeit countenance of Miss Nickleby, a bright salmon flesh-tint which

Creevy. 'The very shade! This will be the s

t makes it so, then, I am s

y. 'It's a very nice subject-a very nice subject, indeed-thou

little,' ob

are right there; though I don't allow that it is of such very great impor

bt,' said Kate, humouring he

th bringing out eyes with all one's power, and keeping down noses with all one's force, and adding t

can scarcely rep

n, there's no pleasure in painting them. Sometimes they say, "Oh, how very serious you have made me look, Miss La Creevy!" and at others, "La, Miss

said Kate,

marble slabs, are serious, you know; and all the ladies who are playing with little parasols, or little dogs, or little children-it's the same rule in art, only varying the objects-are smirking. In fact,' said Miss La Creevy, sinking her voice to a confidenti

tion, and Miss La Creevy went on painting

!' said Kate, availing herself of a pause in

, looking up from her work. 'Character portraits

N

send it here in a carpet bag. Some artists,' said Miss La Creevy, 'keep a red coat, and charge seven-a

eakable satisfaction at some touch she had just put in: and now and then giving Miss Nickleby to understand what particular feature she was at work upon, at the moment; 'not,' she expressly observed, 'that you should make

ence, to wit, an interval of full a minute and a

m before now,' replied Kate. 'Soon I hope, for t

ney, hasn't he?' inq

,' rejoined Kate. 'I don't kno

ked Miss La Creevy, who was an odd little mixture of shrewdness and s

is rough,'

pine's a featherbed to him! I never met

ted in early life, I think I have heard, or has had his temper soured by some

! But, now, mightn't he, without feeling it himself, make you and your mama some nice little allowance that would keep you both comf

said Kate, with energy, 'but it would be

cried Miss

would embitter my whole life. I shoul

on whom you will not hear an indifferent person spe

ig

t. I-I-only mean that with the feelings and recollection of better times upon me,

ed whether Ralph himself were not the subject of dislike, but

his recommendation-only by his recommendation-to earn, literally, my bread and remain with my mother. Whether we shall ever taste happiness again,

hind the screen which stood between her and the

er it is!' crie

e, gave to view the form and features of no les

sharply at them by turns. 'You were talking

ding brows, for an instant, and then displaying them in their full keenness. As he did so now, and tried to keep down the smile which parted his thin compresse

nd you here,' said Ralph, addressing his niece, and looking cont

ightly air, 'and between you and me and the post, sir, it will

a'am,' cried Ralph, moving away, 'I have no

idering with the pencil end of her brush

ime to idle over fooleries after tomorrow. Work, ma'am, w

put a bill u

after this week, or if they do, can't pay for them. N

ede him, and bowing gravely to Miss La Creevy, closed the door and followed upstairs, where Mrs. Nickleby received him with many expressi

tion for your daughte

nly yesterday morning at breakfast, "that after your uncle has provided, in that most ready manner, for Nicholas, he will not leave us

alph, interrupting his sister-in-law

your uncle proceed,'

that he should, m

Your uncle's time is very valuable, my dear; and however desirous you may be-and naturally desirous, as I am sure any affectionate relations who have seen so little of your uncle as we have,

. 'An absence of business habits in this family leads, apparently, to a great waste

eplied Mrs. Nickleby with a

'had no idea what business was-was unacquainted, I

andkerchief to her eyes. 'If it hadn't been for

her straitened and altered circumstances, peevish visions of her dower of one thousand pounds had arisen before Mrs. Nickleby's mind, until, at last, she had come to persuade herself that of all her late husband's creditors she was the worst used and the most

all fruitless errands, sending a tear to look

bed Mrs. Nickle

nattention to business, ma'am,' said Ralph, 'I am sure you will impress upo

ience, you know, brother-in-law.-Kate, my dear, put that down i

ad now made pretty sure of the mother, in case the d

rest to procure, ma'am, is with-with

!' cried Mr

emind you, ma'am, who are so well acquainted with all matters in the ordinary routine of l

seen carried to and fro in the streets; but, as Ralph proceeded, these disappeared, and were replaced by visions of large houses at the West end, neat private carriages, and a banker's book

cottage-bonnet, with white and green trimming, and green persian lining, in her own carriage, which drove up to the door full gallop;-at least, I am not quite certain whether it was her

ed with any great demonstration of feeling, inasmuch as Kate hung down her head while

Mantalini. I know her. She lives near Cavendish Square. If your daughte

to your uncle, my love?

peak to him when we are alone;-it will save his time if I th

by giving him, with many tears, a detailed account of the dimensions of a rosewood cabinet piano they had possessed in their days of affluence, together with a minute description of ei

ss, when Ralph, who had been fretting and fuming during the whole time of her ab

into the step that you'll have to walk to business with, every morning.'

said the young lady, after they had hurr

' said Ralph. 'I hope

ase, uncle,' repli

ry,' growled Ralp

h, I know, uncle,

her short, 'and very affected b

on an entirely new scene of life, among cold and uninterested strangers; but it had its effect notwithstanding. Ka

k upon his pretty charge, with looks expressive of surprise, and seemed to wonder at the ill-assorted companionship. But, it would have been a stranger contrast still, to have read the hearts that were beating side by side; to have laid bare the gentle innocence of the one, and the rugged villainy of the other; to have hung upon the guileless thoughts of the affectionate girl, and been amazed that, among all the wily plots and calcula

ust be near their destination, 'I must ask

plied Ralph;

her-The Widow,' sai

lph; 'for here you will take your meals, and here you will be f

le. I must have some place that I can call a home; it will

mpatience provoked by the remark; 'must be, yo

my lips, I did not mean

not,' sa

uncle; you have

t very strongly, mind-have provided against it. I spoke of you as an out-of

ry large plate, with Madame Mantalini's name and occupation, and was approached by a handsome flight of steps. There was a shop to the house, but it was let off to an importer of otto of roses. Madame Mantalini's shows-rooms were on the

saloon, which comprised two spacious drawing-rooms, and exhibited an immense variety of superb dresses and materials for dresses: some arranged on stands, others laid carelessly on sofas,

ppery about him with very little concern, and was at length about to pull the bell, when a gentleman

' cried Ralph

uttered which ejaculations, the gentleman advanced, and shook hands with Ralph, with great warmth. He was dressed in a gorgeous morning gown, with a waistcoat and Turkish trousers of the same pat

nt me, do you, demmit?' said this gen

aid Ralph, s

eling round to laugh with greater elegance, he e

ce,' sa

stening for his forgetfulness. 'Demmit, I remember what you come for. Step this way, Nickleby;

sitting-room on the second floor, scarcely less elegantly furnished than the apartment below, where the prese

nance, and then grinning in delight at the achievement. 'This cursed high room tak

s,' replied Ralph, lo

gentleman, 'the demdest, longest-headed, queerest-tem

ickleby until it was answered, when he left off to bid the man desire his mistress to come

rightly considering that an English appellation would be of serious injury to the business. He had married on his whiskers; upon which property he had previously subsisted, in a genteel manner, for some years; and which he had recently improved, after patient cultivation by the addition

lini, 'what a demd devil

ickleby was here, my love

rascal that footman must be, my

dame, 'that is ent

, my hear

'what can you expect, dearest, i

man, my sou

speaking to, badly enou

ebly.' With this promise Mr. Mantalini kissed Madame Mantalini, and, after that performance, Ma

n, at all this, with such scorn as few men

talini, surveying Kate from head to foot, a

up; for she felt that the eyes of the odious ma

native?' aske

urned her back upon the questioner, as if addressing

constantly employed in the

m!' replied K

em demd handsome, t

aimed his wife, i

idol!' sai

sh to brea

lated with-with-with little ballet-dancer

mode of speaking,' said his wife. 'What c

re little remarks that give a zest to your daily intercourse-lovers' quarrels that add

to powder in the process, it would emit a pleasanter sound in so doing, than did these words in the rough and bitter voice in which they

ase, to what Mr. Mantalini says,' obse

,' said Kate, wi

eaking to Kate. 'If he has seen any of them, he must have seen them in the street, going to, or returning from, their

omed to work at all, ma'am,'

now,' said Ralph, putting in a word, lest t

from nine to nine, with extra work when we're very fu

o intimate that she he

re. I should think your wages would average from five to seven shillings a week; but

ed her h

y morning at nine exactly, and Miss Knag the forewoman shall then have direction

ma'am,' replied

r. Mantalini the sole honour of showing them downstairs. Ralph relieved her from her perplexity by taking his departure without delay: Madame Mantalini making many gracious inquiries why he never came to

they got into the street;

thank him again, b

d a presentation to some almshouses on the borders of Cornwall, which had occurred to him more tha

ttle,' rep

aid Ralph. 'She must see how long she can make it last,

us to do s

n put you into till it is let, and then, if nothing else tu

m here, sir?'

ast end; but I'll send my clerk down to you, at five o'clock on Sat

t Street, and turned down a by-thoroughfare, intent on schemes of m