Chapter 18

by Charles Dickens

　　Miss Knag, after doting on Kate Nickleby for three whole Days, makesup her Mind to hate her for evermore. The Causes which led MissKnag to form this ResolutionThere are many lives of much pain, hardship, and suffering, which,having no stirring interest for any but those who lead them, aredisregarded by persons who do not want thought or feeling, but whopamper their compassion and need high stimulants to rouse it.There are not a few among the disciples of charity who require, intheir vocation, scarcely less excitement than the votaries ofpleasure in theirs; and hence it is that diseased sympathy andcompassion are every day expended on out-of-the-way objects, whenonly too many demands upon the legitimate exercise of the samevirtues in a healthy state, are constantly within the sight andhearing of the most unobservant person alive. In short, charitymust have its romance, as the novelist or playwright must have his.A thief in fustian is a vulgar character, scarcely to be thought ofby persons of refinement; but dress him in green velvet, with ahigh-crowned hat, and change the scene of his operations, from athickly-peopled city, to a mountain road, and you shall find in himthe very soul of poetry and adventure. So it is with the one greatcardinal virtue, which, properly nourished and exercised, leads to,if it does not necessarily include, all the others. It must haveits romance; and the less of real, hard, struggling work-a-day lifethere is in that romance, the better.The life to which poor Kate Nickleby was devoted, in consequence ofthe unforeseen train of circumstances already developed in thisnarrative, was a hard one; but lest the very dulness, unhealthyconfinement, and bodily fatigue, which made up its sum andsubstance, should deprive it of any interest with the mass of thecharitable and sympathetic, I would rather keep Miss Nicklebyherself in view just now, than chill them in the outset, by a minuteand lengthened description of the establishment presided over byMadame Mantalini.'Well, now, indeed, Madame Mantalini,' said Miss Knag, as Kate wastaking her weary way homewards on the first night of her novitiate;'that Miss Nickleby is a very creditable young person--a verycreditable young person indeed--hem--upon my word, Madame Mantalini,it does very extraordinary credit even to your discrimination thatyou should have found such a very excellent, very well-behaved,very--hem--very unassuming young woman to assist in the fitting on.I have seen some young women when they had the opportunity ofdisplaying before their betters, behave in such a--oh, dear--well--but you're always right, Madame Mantalini, always; and as I veryoften tell the young ladies, how you do contrive to be always right,when so many people are so often wrong, is to me a mystery indeed.''Beyond putting a very excellent client out of humour, Miss Nicklebyhas not done anything very remarkable today--that I am aware of, atleast,' said Madame Mantalini in reply.'Oh, dear!' said Miss Knag; 'but you must allow a great deal forinexperience, you know.''And youth?' inquired Madame.'Oh, I say nothing about that, Madame Mantalini,' replied Miss Knag,reddening; 'because if youth were any excuse, you wouldn't have--''Quite so good a forewoman as I have, I suppose,' suggested Madame.'Well, I never did know anybody like you, Madame Mantalini,'rejoined Miss Knag most complacently, 'and that's the fact, for youknow what one's going to say, before it has time to rise to one'slips. Oh, very good! Ha, ha, ha!''For myself,' observed Madame Mantalini, glancing with affectedcarelessness at her assistant, and laughing heartily in her sleeve,'I consider Miss Nickleby the most awkward girl I ever saw in mylife.''Poor dear thing,' said Miss Knag, 'it's not her fault. If it was,we might hope to cure it; but as it's her misfortune, MadameMantalini, why really you know, as the man said about the blindhorse, we ought to respect it.''Her uncle told me she had been considered pretty,' remarked MadameMantalini. 'I think her one of the most ordinary girls I ever metwith.''Ordinary!' cried Miss Knag with a countenance beaming delight; 'andawkward! Well, all I can say is, Madame Mantalini, that I quitelove the poor girl; and that if she was twice as indifferent-looking, and twice as awkward as she is, I should be only so muchthe more her friend, and that's the truth of it.'In fact, Miss Knag had conceived an incipient affection for KateNickleby, after witnessing her failure that morning, and this shortconversation with her superior increased the favourableprepossession to a most surprising extent; which was the moreremarkable, as when she first scanned that young lady's face andfigure, she had entertained certain inward misgivings that theywould never agree.'But now,' said Miss Knag, glancing at the reflection of herself ina mirror at no great distance, 'I love her--I quite love her--Ideclare I do!'Of such a highly disinterested quality was this devoted friendship,and so superior was it to the little weaknesses of flattery or ill-nature, that the kind-hearted Miss Knag candidly informed KateNickleby, next day, that she saw she would never do for thebusiness, but that she need not give herself the slightestuneasiness on this account, for that she (Miss Knag), by increasedexertions on her own part, would keep her as much as possible in thebackground, and that all she would have to do, would be to remainperfectly quiet before company, and to shrink from attracting noticeby every means in her power. This last suggestion was so much inaccordance with the timid girl's own feelings and wishes, that shereadily promised implicit reliance on the excellent spinster'sadvice: without questioning, or indeed bestowing a moment'sreflection upon, the motives that dictated it.'I take quite a lively interest in you, my dear soul, upon my word,'said Miss Knag; 'a sister's interest, actually. It's the mostsingular circumstance I ever knew.'Undoubtedly it was singular, that if Miss Knag did feel a stronginterest in Kate Nickleby, it should not rather have been theinterest of a maiden aunt or grandmother; that being the conclusionto which the difference in their respective ages would havenaturally tended. But Miss Knag wore clothes of a very youthfulpattern, and perhaps her feelings took the same shape.'Bless you!' said Miss Knag, bestowing a kiss upon Kate at theconclusion of the second day's work, 'how very awkward you have beenall day.''I fear your kind and open communication, which has rendered me morepainfully conscious of my own defects, has not improved me,' sighedKate.'No, no, I dare say not,' rejoined Miss Knag, in a most uncommonflow of good humour. 'But how much better that you should know itat first, and so be able to go on, straight and comfortable! Whichway are you walking, my love?''Towards the city,' replied Kate.'The city!' cried Miss Knag, regarding herself with great favour inthe glass as she tied her bonnet. 'Goodness gracious me! now do youreally live in the city?''Is it so very unusual for anybody to live there?' asked Kate, halfsmiling.'I couldn't have believed it possible that any young woman couldhave lived there, under any circumstances whatever, for three daystogether,' replied Miss Knag.'Reduced--I should say poor people,' answered Kate, correctingherself hastily, for she was afraid of appearing proud, 'must livewhere they can.''Ah! very true, so they must; very proper indeed!' rejoined MissKnag with that sort of half-sigh, which, accompanied by two or threeslight nods of the head, is pity's small change in general society;'and that's what I very often tell my brother, when our servants goaway ill, one after another, and he thinks the back-kitchen's rathertoo damp for 'em to sleep in. These sort of people, I tell him, areglad to sleep anywhere! Heaven suits the back to the burden. Whata nice thing it is to think that it should be so, isn't it?''Very,' replied Kate.'I'll walk with you part of the way, my dear,' said Miss Knag, 'foryou must go very near our house; and as it's quite dark, and ourlast servant went to the hospital a week ago, with St Anthony's firein her face, I shall be glad of your company.'Kate would willingly have excused herself from this flatteringcompanionship; but Miss Knag having adjusted her bonnet to herentire satisfaction, took her arm with an air which plainly showedhow much she felt the compliment she was conferring, and they werein the street before she could say another word.'I fear,' said Kate, hesitating, 'that mama--my mother, I mean--iswaiting for me.''You needn't make the least apology, my dear,' said Miss Knag,smiling sweetly as she spoke; 'I dare say she is a very respectableold person, and I shall be quite--hem--quite pleased to know her.'As poor Mrs Nickleby was cooling--not her heels alone, but her limbsgenerally at the street corner, Kate had no alternative but to makeher known to Miss Knag, who, doing the last new carriage customer atsecond-hand, acknowledged the introduction with condescendingpoliteness. The three then walked away, arm in arm: with Miss Knagin the middle, in a special state of amiability.'I have taken such a fancy to your daughter, Mrs Nickleby, you can'tthink,' said Miss Knag, after she had proceeded a little distance indignified silence.'I am delighted to hear it,' said Mrs Nickleby; 'though it isnothing new to me, that even strangers should like Kate.''Hem!' cried Miss Knag.'You will like her better when you know how good she is,' said MrsNickleby. 'It is a great blessing to me, in my misfortunes, to havea child, who knows neither pride nor vanity, and whose bringing-upmight very well have excused a little of both at first. You don'tknow what it is to lose a husband, Miss Knag.'As Miss Knag had never yet known what it was to gain one, itfollowed, very nearly as a matter of course, that she didn't knowwhat it was to lose one; so she said, in some haste, 'No, indeed Idon't,' and said it with an air intending to signify that she shouldlike to catch herself marrying anybody--no, no, she knew better thanthat.'Kate has improved even in this little time, I have no doubt,' saidMrs Nickleby, glancing proudly at her daughter.'Oh! of course,' said Miss Knag.'And will improve still more,' added Mrs Nickleby.'That she will, I'll be bound,' replied Miss Knag, squeezing Kate'sarm in her own, to point the joke.'She always was clever,' said poor Mrs Nickleby, brightening up,'always, from a baby. I recollect when she was only two years and ahalf old, that a gentleman who used to visit very much at our house--Mr Watkins, you know, Kate, my dear, that your poor papa went bailfor, who afterwards ran away to the United States, and sent us apair of snow shoes, with such an affectionate letter that it madeyour poor dear father cry for a week. You remember the letter? Inwhich he said that he was very sorry he couldn't repay the fiftypounds just then, because his capital was all out at interest, andhe was very busy making his fortune, but that he didn't forget youwere his god-daughter, and he should take it very unkind if wedidn't buy you a silver coral and put it down to his old account?Dear me, yes, my dear, how stupid you are! and spoke soaffectionately of the old port wine that he used to drink a bottleand a half of every time he came. You must remember, Kate?''Yes, yes, mama; what of him?''Why, that Mr Watkins, my dear,' said Mrs Nickleby slowly, as if shewere making a tremendous effort to recollect something of paramountimportance; 'that Mr Watkins--he wasn't any relation, Miss Knag willunderstand, to the Watkins who kept the Old Boar in the village; by-the-bye, I don't remember whether it was the Old Boar or the Georgethe Third, but it was one of the two, I know, and it's much thesame--that Mr Watkins said, when you were only two years and a halfold, that you were one of the most astonishing children he ever saw.He did indeed, Miss Knag, and he wasn't at all fond of children, andcouldn't have had the slightest motive for doing it. I know it washe who said so, because I recollect, as well as if it was onlyyesterday, his borrowing twenty pounds of her poor dear papa thevery moment afterwards.'Having quoted this extraordinary and most disinterested testimony toher daughter's excellence, Mrs Nickleby stopped to breathe; and MissKnag, finding that the discourse was turning upon family greatness,lost no time in striking in, with a small reminiscence on her ownaccount.'Don't talk of lending money, Mrs Nickleby,' said Miss Knag, 'oryou'll drive me crazy, perfectly crazy. My mama--hem--was the mostlovely and beautiful creature, with the most striking and exquisite--hem--the most exquisite nose that ever was put upon a human face, Ido believe, Mrs Nickleby (here Miss Knag rubbed her own nosesympathetically); the most delightful and accomplished woman,perhaps, that ever was seen; but she had that one failing of lendingmoney, and carried it to such an extent that she lent--hem--oh!thousands of pounds, all our little fortunes, and what's more, MrsNickleby, I don't think, if we were to live till--till--hem--tillthe very end of time, that we should ever get them back again. Idon't indeed.'After concluding this effort of invention without being interrupted,Miss Knag fell into many more recollections, no less interestingthan true, the full tide of which, Mrs Nickleby in vain attemptingto stem, at length sailed smoothly down by adding an under-currentof her own recollections; and so both ladies went on talkingtogether in perfect contentment; the only difference between thembeing, that whereas Miss Knag addressed herself to Kate, and talkedvery loud, Mrs Nickleby kept on in one unbroken monotonous flow,perfectly satisfied to be talking and caring very little whetheranybody listened or not.In this manner they walked on, very amicably, until they arrived atMiss Knag's brother's, who was an ornamental stationer and smallcirculating library keeper, in a by-street off Tottenham Court Road;and who let out by the day, week, month, or year, the newest oldnovels, whereof the titles were displayed in pen-and-ink characterson a sheet of pasteboard, swinging at his door-post. As Miss Knaghappened, at the moment, to be in the middle of an account of hertwenty-second offer from a gentleman of large property, she insistedupon their all going in to supper together; and in they went.'Don't go away, Mortimer,' said Miss Knag as they entered the shop.'It's only one of our young ladies and her mother. Mrs and MissNickleby.''Oh, indeed!' said Mr Mortimer Knag. 'Ah!'Having given utterance to these ejaculations with a very profoundand thoughtful air, Mr Knag slowly snuffed two kitchen candles onthe counter, and two more in the window, and then snuffed himselffrom a box in his waistcoat pocket.There was something very impressive in the ghostly air with whichall this was done; and as Mr Knag was a tall lank gentleman ofsolemn features, wearing spectacles, and garnished with much lesshair than a gentleman bordering on forty, or thereabouts, usuallyboasts, Mrs Nickleby whispered her daughter that she thought he mustbe literary.'Past ten,' said Mr Knag, consulting his watch. 'Thomas, close thewarehouse.'Thomas was a boy nearly half as tall as a shutter, and the warehousewas a shop about the size of three hackney coaches.'Ah!' said Mr Knag once more, heaving a deep sigh as he restored toits parent shelf the book he had been reading. 'Well--yes--Ibelieve supper is ready, sister.'With another sigh Mr Knag took up the kitchen candles from thecounter, and preceded the ladies with mournful steps to a back-parlour, where a charwoman, employed in the absence of the sickservant, and remunerated with certain eighteenpences to be deductedfrom her wages due, was putting the supper out.'Mrs Blockson,' said Miss Knag, reproachfully, 'how very often Ihave begged you not to come into the room with your bonnet on!''I can't help it, Miss Knag,' said the charwoman, bridling up on theshortest notice. 'There's been a deal o'cleaning to do in thishouse, and if you don't like it, I must trouble you to look out forsomebody else, for it don't hardly pay me, and that's the truth, ifI was to be hung this minute.''I don't want any remarks if you please,' said Miss Knag, with astrong emphasis on the personal pronoun. 'Is there any firedownstairs for some hot water presently?''No there is not, indeed, Miss Knag,' replied the substitute; 'andso I won't tell you no stories about it.''Then why isn't there?' said Miss Knag.'Because there arn't no coals left out, and if I could make coals Iwould, but as I can't I won't, and so I make bold to tell you, Mem,'replied Mrs Blockson.'Will you hold your tongue--female?' said Mr Mortimer Knag, plungingviolently into this dialogue.'By your leave, Mr Knag,' retorted the charwoman, turning sharpround. 'I'm only too glad not to speak in this house, exceptingwhen and where I'm spoke to, sir; and with regard to being a female,sir, I should wish to know what you considered yourself?''A miserable wretch,' exclaimed Mr Knag, striking his forehead. 'Amiserable wretch.''I'm very glad to find that you don't call yourself out of yourname, sir,' said Mrs Blockson; 'and as I had two twin children theday before yesterday was only seven weeks, and my little Charleyfell down a airy and put his elber out, last Monday, I shall take itas a favour if you'll send nine shillings, for one week's work, tomy house, afore the clock strikes ten tomorrow.'With these parting words, the good woman quitted the room with greatease of manner, leaving the door wide open; Mr Knag, at the samemoment, flung himself into the 'warehouse,' and groaned aloud.'What is the matter with that gentleman, pray?' inquired MrsNickleby, greatly disturbed by the sound.'Is he ill?' inquired Kate, really alarmed.'Hush!' replied Miss Knag; 'a most melancholy history. He was oncemost devotedly attached to--hem--to Madame Mantalini.''Bless me!' exclaimed Mrs Nickleby.'Yes,' continued Miss Knag, 'and received great encouragement too,and confidently hoped to marry her. He has a most romantic heart,Mrs Nickleby, as indeed--hem--as indeed all our family have, and thedisappointment was a dreadful blow. He is a wonderfullyaccomplished man--most extraordinarily accomplished--reads--hem--reads every novel that comes out; I mean every novel that--hem--thathas any fashion in it, of course. The fact is, that he did find somuch in the books he read, applicable to his own misfortunes, anddid find himself in every respect so much like the heroes--becauseof course he is conscious of his own superiority, as we all are, andvery naturally--that he took to scorning everything, and became agenius; and I am quite sure that he is, at this very present moment,writing another book.''Another book!' repeated Kate, finding that a pause was left forsomebody to say something.'Yes,' said Miss Knag, nodding in great triumph; 'another book, inthree volumes post octavo. Of course it's a great advantage to him,in all his little fashionable descriptions, to have the benefit ofmy--hem--of my experience, because, of course, few authors who writeabout such things can have such opportunities of knowing them as Ihave. He's so wrapped up in high life, that the least allusion tobusiness or worldly matters--like that woman just now, for instance--quite distracts him; but, as I often say, I think his disappointmenta great thing for him, because if he hadn't been disappointed hecouldn't have written about blighted hopes and all that; and thefact is, if it hadn't happened as it has, I don't believe hisgenius would ever have come out at all.'How much more communicative Miss Knag might have become under morefavourable circumstances, it is impossible to divine, but as thegloomy one was within ear-shot, and the fire wanted making up, herdisclosures stopped here. To judge from all appearances, and thedifficulty of making the water warm, the last servant could not havebeen much accustomed to any other fire than St Anthony's; but alittle brandy and water was made at last, and the guests, havingbeen previously regaled with cold leg of mutton and bread andcheese, soon afterwards took leave; Kate amusing herself, all theway home, with the recollection of her last glimpse of Mr MortimerKnag deeply abstracted in the shop; and Mrs Nickleby by debatingwithin herself whether the dressmaking firm would ultimately become'Mantalini, Knag, and Nickleby', or 'Mantalini, Nickleby, and Knag'.At this high point, Miss Knag's friendship remained for three wholedays, much to the wonderment of Madame Mantalini's young ladies whohad never beheld such constancy in that quarter, before; but on thefourth, it received a check no less violent than sudden, which thusoccurred.It happened that an old lord of great family, who was going to marrya young lady of no family in particular, came with the young lady,and the young lady's sister, to witness the ceremony of trying ontwo nuptial bonnets which had been ordered the day before, andMadame Mantalini announcing the fact, in a shrill treble, throughthe speaking-pipe, which communicated with the workroom, Miss Knagdarted hastily upstairs with a bonnet in each hand, and presentedherself in the show-room, in a charming state of palpitation,intended to demonstrate her enthusiasm in the cause. The bonnetswere no sooner fairly on, than Miss Knag and Madame Mantalini fellinto convulsions of admiration.'A most elegant appearance,' said Madame Mantalini.'I never saw anything so exquisite in all my life,' said Miss Knag.Now, the old lord, who was a very old lord, said nothing, butmumbled and chuckled in a state of great delight, no less with thenuptial bonnets and their wearers, than with his own address ingetting such a fine woman for his wife; and the young lady, who wasa very lively young lady, seeing the old lord in this rapturouscondition, chased the old lord behind a cheval-glass, and then andthere kissed him, while Madame Mantalini and the other young ladylooked, discreetly, another way.But, pending the salutation, Miss Knag, who was tinged withcuriosity, stepped accidentally behind the glass, and encounteredthe lively young lady's eye just at the very moment when she kissedthe old lord; upon which the young lady, in a pouting manner,murmured something about 'an old thing,' and 'great impertinence,'and finished by darting a look of displeasure at Miss Knag, andsmiling contemptuously.'Madame Mantalini,' said the young lady.'Ma'am,' said Madame Mantalini.'Pray have up that pretty young creature we saw yesterday.''Oh yes, do,' said the sister.'Of all things in the world, Madame Mantalini,' said the lord'sintended, throwing herself languidly on a sofa, 'I hate being waitedupon by frights or elderly persons. Let me always see that youngcreature, I beg, whenever I come.''By all means,' said the old lord; 'the lovely young creature, byall means.''Everybody is talking about her,' said the young lady, in the samecareless manner; 'and my lord, being a great admirer of beauty, mustpositively see her.''She is universally admired,' replied Madame Mantalini. 'Miss Knag,send up Miss Nickleby. You needn't return.''I beg your pardon, Madame Mantalini, what did you say last?' askedMiss Knag, trembling.'You needn't return,' repeated the superior, sharply. Miss Knagvanished without another word, and in all reasonable time wasreplaced by Kate, who took off the new bonnets and put on the oldones: blushing very much to find that the old lord and the two youngladies were staring her out of countenance all the time.'Why, how you colour, child!' said the lord's chosen bride.'She is not quite so accustomed to her business, as she will be in aweek or two,' interposed Madame Mantalini with a gracious smile.'I am afraid you have been giving her some of your wicked looks, mylord,' said the intended.'No, no, no,' replied the old lord, 'no, no, I'm going to bemarried, and lead a new life. Ha, ha, ha! a new life, a new life!ha, ha, ha!'It was a satisfactory thing to hear that the old gentleman was goingto lead a new life, for it was pretty evident that his old one wouldnot last him much longer. The mere exertion of protracted chucklingreduced him to a fearful ebb of coughing and gasping; it was someminutes before he could find breath to remark that the girl was toopretty for a milliner.'I hope you don't think good looks a disqualification for thebusiness, my lord,' said Madame Mantalini, simpering.'Not by any means,' replied the old lord, 'or you would have left itlong ago.''You naughty creature,' said the lively lady, poking the peer withher parasol; 'I won't have you talk so. How dare you?'This playful inquiry was accompanied with another poke, and another,and then the old lord caught the parasol, and wouldn't give it upagain, which induced the other lady to come to the rescue, and somevery pretty sportiveness ensued.'You will see that those little alterations are made, MadameMantalini,' said the lady. 'Nay, you bad man, you positively shallgo first; I wouldn't leave you behind with that pretty girl, not forhalf a second. I know you too well. Jane, my dear, let him gofirst, and we shall be quite sure of him.'The old lord, evidently much flattered by this suspicion, bestowed agrotesque leer upon Kate as he passed; and, receiving another tapwith the parasol for his wickedness, tottered downstairs to thedoor, where his sprightly body was hoisted into the carriage by twostout footmen.'Foh!' said Madame Mantalini, 'how he ever gets into a carriagewithout thinking of a hearse, I can't think. There, take the thingsaway, my dear, take them away.'Kate, who had remained during the whole scene with her eyes modestlyfixed upon the ground, was only too happy to avail herself of thepermission to retire, and hasten joyfully downstairs to Miss Knag'sdominion.The circumstances of the little kingdom had greatly changed,however, during the short period of her absence. In place of MissKnag being stationed in her accustomed seat, preserving all thedignity and greatness of Madame Mantalini's representative, thatworthy soul was reposing on a large box, bathed in tears, whilethree or four of the young ladies in close attendance upon her,together with the presence of hartshorn, vinegar, and otherrestoratives, would have borne ample testimony, even without thederangement of the head-dress and front row of curls, to her havingfainted desperately.'Bless me!' said Kate, stepping hastily forward, 'what is thematter?'This inquiry produced in Miss Knag violent symptoms of a relapse;and several young ladies, darting angry looks at Kate, applied morevinegar and hartshorn, and said it was 'a shame.''What is a shame?' demanded Kate. 'What is the matter? What hashappened? tell me.''Matter!' cried Miss Knag, coming, all at once, bolt upright, to thegreat consternation of the assembled maidens; 'matter! Fie uponyou, you nasty creature!''Gracious!' cried Kate, almost paralysed by the violence with whichthe adjective had been jerked out from between Miss Knag's closedteeth; 'have I offended you?''You offended me!' retorted Miss Knag, 'You! a chit, a child, anupstart nobody! Oh, indeed! Ha, ha!'Now, it was evident, as Miss Knag laughed, that something struck heras being exceedingly funny; and as the young ladies took their tonefrom Miss Knag--she being the chief--they all got up a laugh withouta moment's delay, and nodded their heads a little, and smiledsarcastically to each other, as much as to say how very good thatwas!'Here she is,' continued Miss Knag, getting off the box, andintroducing Kate with much ceremony and many low curtseys to thedelighted throng; 'here she is--everybody is talking about her--thebelle, ladies--the beauty, the--oh, you bold-faced thing!'At this crisis, Miss Knag was unable to repress a virtuous shudder,which immediately communicated itself to all the young ladies; afterwhich, Miss Knag laughed, and after that, cried.'For fifteen years,' exclaimed Miss Knag, sobbing in a mostaffecting manner, 'for fifteen years have I been the credit andornament of this room and the one upstairs. Thank God,' said MissKnag, stamping first her right foot and then her left withremarkable energy, 'I have never in all that time, till now, beenexposed to the arts, the vile arts, of a creature, who disgraces uswith all her proceedings, and makes proper people blush forthemselves. But I feel it, I do feel it, although I am disgusted.'Miss Knag here relapsed into softness, and the young ladies renewingtheir attentions, murmured that she ought to be superior to suchthings, and that for their part they despised them, and consideredthem beneath their notice; in witness whereof, they called out, moreemphatically than before, that it was a shame, and that they felt soangry, they did, they hardly knew what to do with themselves.'Have I lived to this day to be called a fright!' cried Miss Knag,suddenly becoming convulsive, and making an effort to tear her frontoff.'Oh no, no,' replied the chorus, 'pray don't say so; don't now!''Have I deserved to be called an elderly person?' screamed MissKnag, wrestling with the supernumeraries.'Don't think of such things, dear,' answered the chorus.'I hate her,' cried Miss Knag; 'I detest and hate her. Never lether speak to me again; never let anybody who is a friend of minespeak to her; a slut, a hussy, an impudent artful hussy!' Havingdenounced the object of her wrath, in these terms, Miss Knagscreamed once, hiccuped thrice, gurgled in her throat several times,slumbered, shivered, woke, came to, composed her head-dress, anddeclared herself quite well again.Poor Kate had regarded these proceedings, at first, in perfectbewilderment. She had then turned red and pale by turns, and onceor twice essayed to speak; but, as the true motives of this alteredbehaviour developed themselves, she retired a few paces, and lookedcalmly on without deigning a reply. Nevertheless, although shewalked proudly to her seat, and turned her back upon the group oflittle satellites who clustered round their ruling planet in theremotest corner of the room, she gave way, in secret, to some suchbitter tears as would have gladdened Miss Knag's inmost soul, if shecould have seen them fall.