Chapter 21

by Charles Dickens

　　Madam Mantalini finds herself in a Situation of some Difficulty, andMiss Nickleby finds herself in no Situation at allThe agitation she had undergone, rendered Kate Nickleby unable toresume her duties at the dressmaker's for three days, at theexpiration of which interval she betook herself at the accustomedhour, and with languid steps, to the temple of fashion where MadameMantalini reigned paramount and supreme.The ill-will of Miss Knag had lost nothing of its virulence in theinterval. The young ladies still scrupulously shrunk from allcompanionship with their denounced associate; and when thatexemplary female arrived a few minutes afterwards, she was at nopains to conceal the displeasure with which she regarded Kate'sreturn.'Upon my word!' said Miss Knag, as the satellites flocked round, torelieve her of her bonnet and shawl; 'I should have thought somepeople would have had spirit enough to stop away altogether, whenthey know what an incumbrance their presence is to right-mindedpersons. But it's a queer world; oh! it's a queer world!'Miss Knag, having passed this comment on the world, in the tone inwhich most people do pass comments on the world when they are out oftemper, that is to say, as if they by no means belonged to it,concluded by heaving a sigh, wherewith she seemed meekly tocompassionate the wickedness of mankind.The attendants were not slow to echo the sigh, and Miss Knag wasapparently on the eve of favouring them with some further moralreflections, when the voice of Madame Mantalini, conveyed throughthe speaking-tube, ordered Miss Nickleby upstairs to assist in thearrangement of the show-room; a distinction which caused Miss Knagto toss her head so much, and bite her lips so hard, that her powersof conversation were, for the time, annihilated.'Well, Miss Nickleby, child,' said Madame Mantalini, when Katepresented herself; 'are you quite well again?''A great deal better, thank you,' replied Kate.'I wish I could say the same,' remarked Madame Mantalini, seatingherself with an air of weariness.'Are you ill?' asked Kate. 'I am very sorry for that.''Not exactly ill, but worried, child--worried,' rejoined Madame.'I am still more sorry to hear that,' said Kate, gently. 'Bodilyillness is more easy to bear than mental.''Ah! and it's much easier to talk than to bear either,' said Madame,rubbing her nose with much irritability of manner. 'There, get toyour work, child, and put the things in order, do.'While Kate was wondering within herself what these symptoms ofunusual vexation portended, Mr Mantalini put the tips of hiswhiskers, and, by degrees, his head, through the half-opened door,and cried in a soft voice--'Is my life and soul there?''No,' replied his wife.'How can it say so, when it is blooming in the front room like alittle rose in a demnition flower-pot?' urged Mantalini. 'May itspoppet come in and talk?''Certainly not,' replied Madame: 'you know I never allow you here.Go along!'The poppet, however, encouraged perhaps by the relenting tone ofthis reply, ventured to rebel, and, stealing into the room, madetowards Madame Mantalini on tiptoe, blowing her a kiss as he camealong.'Why will it vex itself, and twist its little face into bewitchingnutcrackers?' said Mantalini, putting his left arm round the waistof his life and soul, and drawing her towards him with his right.'Oh! I can't bear you,' replied his wife.'Not--eh, not bear me!' exclaimed Mantalini. 'Fibs, fibs. Itcouldn't be. There's not a woman alive, that could tell me such athing to my face--to my own face.' Mr Mantalini stroked his chin, ashe said this, and glanced complacently at an opposite mirror.'Such destructive extravagance,' reasoned his wife, in a low tone.'All in its joy at having gained such a lovely creature, such alittle Venus, such a demd, enchanting, bewitching, engrossing,captivating little Venus,' said Mantalini.'See what a situation you have placed me in!' urged Madame.'No harm will come, no harm shall come, to its own darling,'rejoined Mr Mantalini. 'It is all over; there will be nothing thematter; money shall be got in; and if it don't come in fast enough,old Nickleby shall stump up again, or have his jugular separated ifhe dares to vex and hurt the little--''Hush!' interposed Madame. 'Don't you see?'Mr Mantalini, who, in his eagerness to make up matters with hiswife, had overlooked, or feigned to overlook, Miss Nicklebyhitherto, took the hint, and laying his finger on his lip, sunk hisvoice still lower. There was, then, a great deal of whispering,during which Madame Mantalini appeared to make reference, more thanonce, to certain debts incurred by Mr Mantalini previous to hercoverture; and also to an unexpected outlay of money in payment ofthe aforesaid debts; and furthermore, to certain agreeableweaknesses on that gentleman's part, such as gaming, wasting,idling, and a tendency to horse-flesh; each of which matters ofaccusation Mr Mantalini disposed of, by one kiss or more, as itsrelative importance demanded. The upshot of it all was, that MadameMantalini was in raptures with him, and that they went upstairs tobreakfast.Kate busied herself in what she had to do, and was silentlyarranging the various articles of decoration in the best taste shecould display, when she started to hear a strange man's voice in theroom, and started again, to observe, on looking round, that a whitehat, and a red neckerchief, and a broad round face, and a largehead, and part of a green coat were in the room too.'Don't alarm yourself, miss,' said the proprietor of theseappearances. 'I say; this here's the mantie-making consarn, an't it?''Yes,' rejoined Kate, greatly astonished. 'What did you want?'The stranger answered not; but, first looking back, as though tobeckon to some unseen person outside, came, very deliberately, intothe room, and was closely followed by a little man in brown, verymuch the worse for wear, who brought with him a mingled fumigationof stale tobacco and fresh onions. The clothes of this gentlemanwere much bespeckled with flue; and his shoes, stockings, and nethergarments, from his heels to the waist buttons of his coat inclusive,were profusely embroidered with splashes of mud, caught a fortnightpreviously--before the setting-in of the fine weather.Kate's very natural impression was, that these engaging individualshad called with the view of possessing themselves, unlawfully, ofany portable articles that chanced to strike their fancy. She didnot attempt to disguise her apprehensions, and made a move towardsthe door.'Wait a minnit,' said the man in the green coat, closing it softly,and standing with his back against it. 'This is a unpleasantbisness. Vere's your govvernor?''My what--did you say?' asked Kate, trembling; for she thought'governor' might be slang for watch or money.'Mister Muntlehiney,' said the man. 'Wot's come on him? Is he athome?''He is above stairs, I believe,' replied Kate, a little reassured bythis inquiry. 'Do you want him?''No,' replied the visitor. 'I don't ezactly want him, if it's madea favour on. You can jist give him that 'ere card, and tell him ifhe wants to speak to me, and save trouble, here I am; that's all.'With these words, the stranger put a thick square card into Kate'shand, and, turning to his friend, remarked, with an easy air, 'thatthe rooms was a good high pitch;' to which the friend assented,adding, by way of illustration, 'that there was lots of room for alittle boy to grow up a man in either on 'em, vithout much fear ofhis ever bringing his head into contract vith the ceiling.'After ringing the bell which would summon Madame Mantalini, Kateglanced at the card, and saw that it displayed the name of 'Scaley,'together with some other information to which she had not had timeto refer, when her attention was attracted by Mr Scaley himself,who, walking up to one of the cheval-glasses, gave it a hard poke inthe centre with his stick, as coolly as if it had been made of castiron.'Good plate this here, Tix,' said Mr Scaley to his friend.'Ah!' rejoined Mr Tix, placing the marks of his four fingers, and aduplicate impression of his thumb, on a piece of sky-blue silk; 'andthis here article warn't made for nothing, mind you.'From the silk, Mr Tix transferred his admiration to some elegantarticles of wearing apparel, while Mr Scaley adjusted his neckcloth,at leisure, before the glass, and afterwards, aided by itsreflection, proceeded to the minute consideration of a pimple on hischin; in which absorbing occupation he was yet engaged, when MadameMantalini, entering the room, uttered an exclamation of surprisewhich roused him.'Oh! Is this the missis?' inquired Scaley.'It is Madame Mantalini,' said Kate.'Then,' said Mr Scaley, producing a small document from his pocketand unfolding it very slowly, 'this is a writ of execution, and ifit's not conwenient to settle we'll go over the house at wunst,please, and take the inwentory.'Poor Madame Mantalini wrung her hands for grief, and rung the bellfor her husband; which done, she fell into a chair and a faintingfit, simultaneously. The professional gentlemen, however, were notat all discomposed by this event, for Mr Scaley, leaning upon astand on which a handsome dress was displayed (so that his shouldersappeared above it, in nearly the same manner as the shoulders of thelady for whom it was designed would have done if she had had it on),pushed his hat on one side and scratched his head with perfectunconcern, while his friend Mr Tix, taking that opportunity for ageneral survey of the apartment preparatory to entering on business,stood with his inventory-book under his arm and his hat in his hand,mentally occupied in putting a price upon every object within hisrange of vision.Such was the posture of affairs when Mr Mantalini hurried in; and asthat distinguished specimen had had a pretty extensive intercoursewith Mr Scaley's fraternity in his bachelor days, and was, besides,very far from being taken by surprise on the present agitatingoccasion, he merely shrugged his shoulders, thrust his hands down tothe bottom of his pockets, elevated his eyebrows, whistled a bar ortwo, swore an oath or two, and, sitting astride upon a chair, putthe best face upon the matter with great composure and decency.'What's the demd total?' was the first question he asked.'Fifteen hundred and twenty-seven pound, four and ninepenceha'penny,' replied Mr Scaley, without moving a limb.'The halfpenny be demd,' said Mr Mantalini, impatiently.'By all means if you vish it,' retorted Mr Scaley; 'and theninepence.''It don't matter to us if the fifteen hundred and twenty-seven poundwent along with it, that I know on,' observed Mr Tix.'Not a button,' said Scaley.'Well,' said the same gentleman, after a pause, 'wot's to be done--anything? Is it only a small crack, or a out-and-out smash? Abreak-up of the constitootion is it?--werry good. Then Mr Tom Tix,esk-vire, you must inform your angel wife and lovely family as youwon't sleep at home for three nights to come, along of being inpossession here. Wot's the good of the lady a fretting herself?'continued Mr Scaley, as Madame Mantalini sobbed. 'A good half ofwot's here isn't paid for, I des-say, and wot a consolation oughtn'tthat to be to her feelings!'With these remarks, combining great pleasantry with sound moralencouragement under difficulties, Mr Scaley proceeded to take theinventory, in which delicate task he was materially assisted by theuncommon tact and experience of Mr Tix, the broker.'My cup of happiness's sweetener,' said Mantalini, approaching hiswife with a penitent air; 'will you listen to me for two minutes?''Oh! don't speak to me,' replied his wife, sobbing. 'You haveruined me, and that's enough.'Mr Mantalini, who had doubtless well considered his part, no soonerheard these words pronounced in a tone of grief and severity, thanhe recoiled several paces, assumed an expression of consuming mentalagony, rushed headlong from the room, and was, soon afterwards,heard to slam the door of an upstairs dressing-room with greatviolence.'Miss Nickleby,' cried Madame Mantalini, when this sound met herear, 'make haste, for Heaven's sake, he will destroy himself! Ispoke unkindly to him, and he cannot bear it from me. Alfred, mydarling Alfred.'With such exclamations, she hurried upstairs, followed by Kate who,although she did not quite participate in the fond wife'sapprehensions, was a little flurried, nevertheless. The dressing-room door being hastily flung open, Mr Mantalini was disclosed toview, with his shirt-collar symmetrically thrown back: putting afine edge to a breakfast knife by means of his razor strop.'Ah!' cried Mr Mantalini, 'interrupted!' and whisk went thebreakfast knife into Mr Mantalini's dressing-gown pocket, while MrMantalini's eyes rolled wildly, and his hair floating in wilddisorder, mingled with his whiskers.'Alfred,' cried his wife, flinging her arms about him, 'I didn'tmean to say it, I didn't mean to say it!''Ruined!' cried Mr Mantalini. 'Have I brought ruin upon the bestand purest creature that ever blessed a demnition vagabond! Demmit,let me go.' At this crisis of his ravings Mr Mantalini made a pluckat the breakfast knife, and being restrained by his wife's grasp,attempted to dash his head against the wall--taking very good careto be at least six feet from it.'Compose yourself, my own angel,' said Madame. 'It was nobody'sfault; it was mine as much as yours, we shall do very well yet.Come, Alfred, come.'Mr Mantalini did not think proper to come to, all at once; but,after calling several times for poison, and requesting some lady orgentleman to blow his brains out, gentler feelings came upon him,and he wept pathetically. In this softened frame of mind he did notoppose the capture of the knife--which, to tell the truth, he wasrather glad to be rid of, as an inconvenient and dangerous articlefor a skirt pocket--and finally he suffered himself to be led awayby his affectionate partner.After a delay of two or three hours, the young ladies were informedthat their services would be dispensed with until further notice,and at the expiration of two days, the name of Mantalini appeared inthe list of bankrupts: Miss Nickleby received an intimation perpost, on the same morning, that the business would be, in future,carried on under the name of Miss Knag, and that her assistancewould no longer be required--a piece of intelligence with which MrsNickleby was no sooner made acquainted, than that good lady declaredshe had expected it all along and cited divers unknown occasions onwhich she had prophesied to that precise effect.'And I say again,' remarked Mrs Nickleby (who, it is scarcelynecessary to observe, had never said so before), 'I say again, thata milliner's and dressmaker's is the very last description ofbusiness, Kate, that you should have thought of attaching yourselfto. I don't make it a reproach to you, my love; but still I willsay, that if you had consulted your own mother--''Well, well, mama,' said Kate, mildly: 'what would you recommendnow?''Recommend!' cried Mrs Nickleby, 'isn't it obvious, my dear, that ofall occupations in this world for a young lady situated as you are,that of companion to some amiable lady is the very thing for whichyour education, and manners, and personal appearance, and everythingelse, exactly qualify you? Did you never hear your poor dear papaspeak of the young lady who was the daughter of the old lady whoboarded in the same house that he boarded in once, when he was abachelor--what was her name again? I know it began with a B, andended with g, but whether it was Waters or--no, it couldn't havebeen that, either; but whatever her name was, don't you know thatthat young lady went as companion to a married lady who died soonafterwards, and that she married the husband, and had one of thefinest little boys that the medical man had ever seen--all withineighteen months?'Kate knew, perfectly well, that this torrent of favourablerecollection was occasioned by some opening, real or imaginary,which her mother had discovered, in the companionship walk of life.She therefore waited, very patiently, until all reminiscences andanecdotes, bearing or not bearing upon the subject, had beenexhausted, and at last ventured to inquire what discovery had beenmade. The truth then came out. Mrs Nickleby had, that morning, hada yesterday's newspaper of the very first respectability from thepublic-house where the porter came from; and in this yesterday'snewspaper was an advertisement, couched in the purest and mostgrammatical English, announcing that a married lady was in want of agenteel young person as companion, and that the married lady's nameand address were to be known, on application at a certain library atthe west end of the town, therein mentioned.'And I say,' exclaimed Mrs Nickleby, laying the paper down intriumph, 'that if your uncle don't object, it's well worth thetrial.'Kate was too sick at heart, after the rough jostling she had alreadyhad with the world, and really cared too little at the moment whatfate was reserved for her, to make any objection. Mr Ralph Nicklebyoffered none, but, on the contrary, highly approved of thesuggestion; neither did he express any great surprise at MadameMantalini's sudden failure, indeed it would have been strange if hehad, inasmuch as it had been procured and brought about chiefly byhimself. So, the name and address were obtained without loss oftime, and Miss Nickleby and her mama went off in quest of MrsWititterly, of Cadogan Place, Sloane Street, that same forenoon.Cadogan Place is the one slight bond that joins two great extremes;it is the connecting link between the aristocratic pavements ofBelgrave Square, and the barbarism of Chelsea. It is in SloaneStreet, but not of it. The people in Cadogan Place look down uponSloane Street, and think Brompton low. They affect fashion too, andwonder where the New Road is. Not that they claim to be onprecisely the same footing as the high folks of Belgrave Square andGrosvenor Place, but that they stand, with reference to them, ratherin the light of those illegitimate children of the great who arecontent to boast of their connections, although their connectionsdisavow them. Wearing as much as they can of the airs andsemblances of loftiest rank, the people of Cadogan Place have therealities of middle station. It is the conductor which communicatesto the inhabitants of regions beyond its limit, the shock of prideof birth and rank, which it has not within itself, but derives froma fountain-head beyond; or, like the ligament which unites theSiamese twins, it contains something of the life and essence of twodistinct bodies, and yet belongs to neither.Upon this doubtful ground, lived Mrs Wititterly, and at MrsWititterly's door Kate Nickleby knocked with trembling hand. Thedoor was opened by a big footman with his head floured, or chalked,or painted in some way (it didn't look genuine powder), and the bigfootman, receiving the card of introduction, gave it to a littlepage; so little, indeed, that his body would not hold, in ordinaryarray, the number of small buttons which are indispensable to apage's costume, and they were consequently obliged to be stuck onfour abreast. This young gentleman took the card upstairs on asalver, and pending his return, Kate and her mother were shown intoa dining-room of rather dirty and shabby aspect, and so comfortablyarranged as to be adapted to almost any purpose rather than eatingand drinking.Now, in the ordinary course of things, and according to allauthentic descriptions of high life, as set forth in books, MrsWititterly ought to have been in her boudoir; but whether it wasthat Mr Wititterly was at that moment shaving himself in the boudoiror what not, certain it is that Mrs Wititterly gave audience in thedrawing-room, where was everything proper and necessary, includingcurtains and furniture coverings of a roseate hue, to shed adelicate bloom on Mrs Wititterly's complexion, and a little dog tosnap at strangers' legs for Mrs Wititterly's amusement, and theafore-mentioned page, to hand chocolate for Mrs Wititterly'srefreshment.The lady had an air of sweet insipidity, and a face of engagingpaleness; there was a faded look about her, and about the furniture,and about the house. She was reclining on a sofa in such a veryunstudied attitude, that she might have been taken for an actressall ready for the first scene in a ballet, and only waiting for thedrop curtain to go up.'Place chairs.'The page placed them.'Leave the room, Alphonse.'The page left it; but if ever an Alphonse carried plain Bill in hisface and figure, that page was the boy.'I have ventured to call, ma'am,' said Kate, after a few seconds ofawkward silence, 'from having seen your advertisement.''Yes,' replied Mrs Wititterly, 'one of my people put it in thepaper--Yes.''I thought, perhaps,' said Kate, modestly, 'that if you had notalready made a final choice, you would forgive my troubling you withan application.''Yes,' drawled Mrs Wititterly again.'If you have already made a selection--''Oh dear no,' interrupted the lady, 'I am not so easily suited. Ireally don't know what to say. You have never been a companionbefore, have you?'Mrs Nickleby, who had been eagerly watching her opportunity, camedexterously in, before Kate could reply. 'Not to any stranger,ma'am,' said the good lady; 'but she has been a companion to me forsome years. I am her mother, ma'am.''Oh!' said Mrs Wititterly, 'I apprehend you.''I assure you, ma'am,' said Mrs Nickleby, 'that I very littlethought, at one time, that it would be necessary for my daughter togo out into the world at all, for her poor dear papa was anindependent gentleman, and would have been at this moment if he hadbut listened in time to my constant entreaties and--''Dear mama,' said Kate, in a low voice.'My dear Kate, if you will allow me to speak,' said Mrs Nickleby, 'Ishall take the liberty of explaining to this lady--''I think it is almost unnecessary, mama.'And notwithstanding all the frowns and winks with which Mrs Nicklebyintimated that she was going to say something which would clench thebusiness at once, Kate maintained her point by an expressive look,and for once Mrs Nickleby was stopped upon the very brink of anoration.'What are your accomplishments?' asked Mrs Wititterly, with her eyesshut.Kate blushed as she mentioned her principal acquirements, and MrsNickleby checked them all off, one by one, on her fingers; havingcalculated the number before she came out. Luckily the twocalculations agreed, so Mrs Nickleby had no excuse for talking.'You are a good temper?' asked Mrs Wititterly, opening her eyes foran instant, and shutting them again.'I hope so,' rejoined Kate.'And have a highly respectable reference for everything, have you?'Kate replied that she had, and laid her uncle's card upon the table.'Have the goodness to draw your chair a little nearer, and let melook at you,' said Mrs Wititterly; 'I am so very nearsighted that Ican't quite discern your features.'Kate complied, though not without some embarrassment, with thisrequest, and Mrs Wititterly took a languid survey of hercountenance, which lasted some two or three minutes.'I like your appearance,' said that lady, ringing a little bell.'Alphonse, request your master to come here.'The page disappeared on this errand, and after a short interval,during which not a word was spoken on either side, opened the doorfor an important gentleman of about eight-and-thirty, of ratherplebeian countenance, and with a very light head of hair, who leantover Mrs Wititterly for a little time, and conversed with her inwhispers.'Oh!' he said, turning round, 'yes. This is a most importantmatter. Mrs Wititterly is of a very excitable nature; verydelicate, very fragile; a hothouse plant, an exotic.''Oh! Henry, my dear,' interposed Mrs Wititterly.'You are, my love, you know you are; one breath--' said Mr W.,blowing an imaginary feather away. 'Pho! you're gone!'The lady sighed.'Your soul is too large for your body,' said Mr Wititterly. 'Yourintellect wears you out; all the medical men say so; you know thatthere is not a physician who is not proud of being called in to you.What is their unanimous declaration? "My dear doctor," said I toSir Tumley Snuffim, in this very room, the very last time he came."My dear doctor, what is my wife's complaint? Tell me all. I canbear it. Is it nerves?" "My dear fellow," he said, "be proud ofthat woman; make much of her; she is an ornament to the fashionableworld, and to you. Her complaint is soul. It swells, expands,dilates--the blood fires, the pulse quickens, the excitementincreases--Whew!"' Here Mr Wititterly, who, in the ardour of hisdescription, had flourished his right hand to within something lessthan an inch of Mrs Nickleby's bonnet, drew it hastily back again,and blew his nose as fiercely as if it had been done by some violentmachinery.'You make me out worse than I am, Henry,' said Mrs Wititterly, witha faint smile.'I do not, Julia, I do not,' said Mr W. 'The society in which youmove--necessarily move, from your station, connection, andendowments--is one vortex and whirlpool of the most frightfulexcitement. Bless my heart and body, can I ever forget the nightyou danced with the baronet's nephew at the election ball, atExeter! It was tremendous.''I always suffer for these triumphs afterwards,' said MrsWititterly.'And for that very reason,' rejoined her husband, 'you must have acompanion, in whom there is great gentleness, great sweetness,excessive sympathy, and perfect repose.'Here, both Mr and Mrs Wititterly, who had talked rather at theNicklebys than to each other, left off speaking, and looked at theirtwo hearers, with an expression of countenance which seemed to say,'What do you think of all this?''Mrs Wititterly,' said her husband, addressing himself to MrsNickleby, 'is sought after and courted by glittering crowds andbrilliant circles. She is excited by the opera, the drama, the finearts, the--the--the--''The nobility, my love,' interposed Mrs Wititterly.'The nobility, of course,' said Mr Wititterly. 'And the military.She forms and expresses an immense variety of opinions on an immensevariety of subjects. If some people in public life were acquaintedwith Mrs Wititterly's real opinion of them, they would not holdtheir heads, perhaps, quite as high as they do.''Hush, Henry,' said the lady; 'this is scarcely fair.''I mention no names, Julia,' replied Mr Wititterly; 'and nobody isinjured. I merely mention the circumstance to show that you are noordinary person, that there is a constant friction perpetually goingon between your mind and your body; and that you must be soothed andtended. Now let me hear, dispassionately and calmly, what are thisyoung lady's qualifications for the office.'In obedience to this request, the qualifications were all gonethrough again, with the addition of many interruptions and cross-questionings from Mr Wititterly. It was finally arranged thatinquiries should be made, and a decisive answer addressed to MissNickleby under cover of her uncle, within two days. Theseconditions agreed upon, the page showed them down as far as thestaircase window; and the big footman, relieving guard at thatpoint, piloted them in perfect safety to the street-door.'They are very distinguished people, evidently,' said Mrs Nickleby,as she took her daughter's arm. 'What a superior person MrsWititterly is!''Do you think so, mama?' was all Kate's reply.'Why, who can help thinking so, Kate, my love?' rejoined her mother.'She is pale though, and looks much exhausted. I hope she may notbe wearing herself out, but I am very much afraid.'These considerations led the deep-sighted lady into a calculation ofthe probable duration of Mrs Wititterly's life, and the chances ofthe disconsolate widower bestowing his hand on her daughter. Beforereaching home, she had freed Mrs Wititterly's soul from all bodilyrestraint; married Kate with great splendour at St George's, HanoverSquare; and only left undecided the minor question, whether asplendid French-polished mahogany bedstead should be erected forherself in the two-pair back of the house in Cadogan Place, or inthe three-pair front: between which apartments she could not quitebalance the advantages, and therefore adjusted the question at last,by determining to leave it to the decision of her son-in-law.The inquiries were made. The answer--not to Kate's very great joy--was favourable; and at the expiration of a week she betook herself,with all her movables and valuables, to Mrs Wititterly's mansion,where for the present we will leave her.