Chapter 28

by Charles Dickens

　　Miss Nickleby, rendered desperate by the Persecution of Sir MulberryHawk, and the Complicated Difficulties and Distresses which surroundher, appeals, as a last resource, to her Uncle for ProtectionThe ensuing morning brought reflection with it, as morning usuallydoes; but widely different was the train of thought it awakened inthe different persons who had been so unexpectedly brought togetheron the preceding evening, by the active agency of Messrs Pyke andPluck.The reflections of Sir Mulberry Hawk--if such a term can be appliedto the thoughts of the systematic and calculating man ofdissipation, whose joys, regrets, pains, and pleasures, are all ofself, and who would seem to retain nothing of the intellectualfaculty but the power to debase himself, and to degrade the verynature whose outward semblance he wears--the reflections of SirMulberry Hawk turned upon Kate Nickleby, and were, in brief, thatshe was undoubtedly handsome; that her coyness must be easilyconquerable by a man of his address and experience, and that thepursuit was one which could not fail to redound to his credit, andgreatly to enhance his reputation with the world. And lest thislast consideration--no mean or secondary one with Sir Mulberry--should sound strangely in the ears of some, let it be rememberedthat most men live in a world of their own, and that in that limitedcircle alone are they ambitious for distinction and applause. SirMulberry's world was peopled with profligates, and he actedaccordingly.Thus, cases of injustice, and oppression, and tyranny, and the mostextravagant bigotry, are in constant occurrence among us every day.It is the custom to trumpet forth much wonder and astonishment atthe chief actors therein setting at defiance so completely theopinion of the world; but there is no greater fallacy; it isprecisely because they do consult the opinion of their own littleworld that such things take place at all, and strike the great worlddumb with amazement.The reflections of Mrs Nickleby were of the proudest and mostcomplacent kind; and under the influence of her very agreeabledelusion she straightway sat down and indited a long letter to Kate,in which she expressed her entire approval of the admirable choiceshe had made, and extolled Sir Mulberry to the skies; asserting, forthe more complete satisfaction of her daughter's feelings, that hewas precisely the individual whom she (Mrs Nickleby) would havechosen for her son-in-law, if she had had the picking and choosingfrom all mankind. The good lady then, with the preliminaryobservation that she might be fairly supposed not to have lived inthe world so long without knowing its ways, communicated a greatmany subtle precepts applicable to the state of courtship, andconfirmed in their wisdom by her own personal experience. Above allthings she commended a strict maidenly reserve, as being not only avery laudable thing in itself, but as tending materially tostrengthen 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 herown excellent sense and discretion (to nearly the full measure ofwhich she might hope, with care, to succeed in time), Mrs Nicklebyconcluded a very long and rather illegible letter.Poor Kate was well-nigh distracted on the receipt of four closely-written and closely-crossed sides of congratulation on the verysubject which had prevented her closing her eyes all night, and kepther weeping and watching in her chamber; still worse and more tryingwas the necessity of rendering herself agreeable to Mrs Wititterly,who, being in low spirits after the fatigue of the preceding night,of course expected her companion (else wherefore had she board andsalary?) to be in the best spirits possible. As to Mr Wititterly,he went about all day in a tremor of delight at having shaken handswith a lord, and having actually asked him to come and see him inhis own house. The lord himself, not being troubled to anyinconvenient extent with the power of thinking, regaled himself withthe conversation of Messrs Pyke and Pluck, who sharpened their witby a plentiful indulgence in various costly stimulants at hisexpense.It was four in the afternoon--that is, the vulgar afternoon of thesun and the clock--and Mrs Wititterly reclined, according to custom,on the drawing-room sofa, while Kate read aloud a new novel in threevolumes, entitled 'The Lady Flabella,' which Alphonse the doubtfulhad procured from the library that very morning. And it was aproduction admirably suited to a lady labouring under MrsWititterly's complaint, seeing that there was not a line in it, frombeginning to end, which could, by the most remote contingency,awaken the smallest excitement in any person breathing.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 onthe previous 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 butdevoted Cherizette plentifully besprinkled with the fragrantcompound the Lady Flabella's mouchoir of finest cambric, edged withrichest lace, and emblazoned at the four corners with the Flabellacrest, and gorgeous heraldic bearings of that noble family."Mercie--that will do."'At this instant, while the Lady Flabella yet inhaled that deliciousfragrance by holding the mouchoir to her exquisite, butthoughtfully-chiselled nose, the door of the boudoir (artfullyconcealed by rich hangings of silken damask, the hue of Italy'sfirmament) was thrown open, and with noiseless tread two valets-de-chambre,clad in sumptuous liveries of peach-blossom and gold,advanced into the room followed by a page in bas de soie--silkstockings--who, while they remained at some distance making the mostgraceful obeisances, advanced to the feet of his lovely mistress,and dropping on one knee presented, on a golden salver gorgeouslychased, 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 ownBefillaire.''Oh, charming!' interrupted Kate's patroness, who was sometimestaken literary. 'Poetic, really. Read that description again, MissNickleby.'Kate complied.'Sweet, indeed!' said Mrs Wititterly, with a sigh. 'So voluptuous,is it not--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 ofthat sweet description. Close the book.'Kate complied, not unwillingly; and, as she did so, Mrs Wititterlyraising her glass with a languid hand, remarked, that she lookedpale.'It was the fright of that--that noise and confusion last night,'said Kate.'How very odd!' exclaimed Mrs Wititterly, with a look of surprise.And certainly, when one comes to think of it, it was very odd thatanything should have disturbed a companion. A steam-engine, orother ingenious piece of mechanism out of order, would have beennothing to it.'How did you come to know Lord Frederick, and those other delightfulcreatures, child?' asked Mrs Wititterly, still eyeing Kate throughher glass.'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 toher face 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,your mother, gave us of being known to them,' said Mrs Wititterly,in a lofty manner. 'Some friends of ours were on the very point ofintroducing 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 Pluckwere included among the delightful creatures), whom Mrs Wititterlydid not know. But as the circumstance had made no impression oneway or other upon Kate's mind, the force of the observation wasquite lost upon her.'They asked permission to call,' said Mrs Wititterly. 'I gave itthem of course.''Do you expect them today?' Kate ventured to inquire.Mrs Wititterly's answer was lost in the noise of a tremendousrapping at the street-door, and before it had ceased to vibrate,there drove up a handsome cabriolet, out of which leaped SirMulberry Hawk and his friend Lord Verisopht.'They are here now,' said Kate, rising and hurrying away.'Miss Nickleby!' cried Mrs Wititterly, perfectly aghast at acompanion's attempting to quit the room, without her permissionfirst had and obtained. '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,'said Mrs 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 MrPluck, 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 extraordinarything. As Lord Frederick and Sir Mulberry drove up to the door,Pyke and I had that 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,had got up quite a little pantomime of graceful attitudes, and nowthrew herself into the most striking of the whole series, toastonish the visitors. 'I am delighted, I am sure.''And how is Miss Nickleby?' said Sir Mulberry Hawk, accosting Kate,in a low voice--not so low, however, but that it reached the ears ofMrs Wititterly.'Why, she complains of suffering from the fright of last night,'said the lady. 'I am sure I don't wonder at it, for my nerves arequite torn to pieces.''And yet you look,' observed Sir Mulberry, turning round; 'and yetyou look--''Beyond everything,' said Mr Pyke, coming to his patron'sassistance. Of course Mr Pluck said the same.'I am afraid Sir Mulberry is a flatterer, my lord,' said MrsWititterly, turning to that young gentleman, who had been suckingthe head of his cane 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,bending his bold gaze upon her. 'She was always handsome, but uponmy soul, ma'am, you seem to have imparted some of your own goodlooks to her besides.'To judge from the glow which suffused the poor girl's countenanceafter this speech, Mrs Wititterly might, with some show of reason,have been supposed to have imparted to it some of that artificialbloom which decorated her own. Mrs Wititterly admitted, though notwith the best grace in the world, that Kate did look pretty. Shebegan to think, too, that Sir Mulberry was not quite so agreeable acreature as she had at first supposed him; for, although a skilfulflatterer is a most delightful companion if you can keep him all toyourself, his taste becomes very doubtful when he takes tocomplimenting 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 youknow, 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. 'TheD. of B.?''The C. of B.,' replied Pyke, with the faintest trace of a grinlingering in his countenance. 'The beautiful sister is thecountess; not the 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 gettinginto good society. Why, she might have moved among grovellingpeople for twenty years, and never heard of it. How could she,indeed? what did they know about countesses?The two gentlemen having, by the greediness with which this littlebait was swallowed, tested the extent of Mrs Wititterly's appetitefor adulation, proceeded to administer that commodity in very largedoses, thus affording to Sir Mulberry Hawk an opportunity ofpestering Miss Nickleby with questions and remarks, to which she wasabsolutely obliged to make some reply. Meanwhile, Lord Verisophtenjoyed unmolested the full flavour of the gold knob at the top ofhis cane, as he would have done to the end of the interview if MrWititterly had not come home, and caused the conversation to turn tohis 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 saidall this, for, although she was bursting with pride and arrogance,she would have had the illustrious guests believe that their visitwas quite a common occurrence, and that they had lords and baronetsto see them every day in the week. But Mr Wititterly's feelingswere beyond the power of suppression.'It is an honour, indeed!' said Mr Wititterly. 'Julia, my soul, youwill suffer for this tomorrow.''Suffer!' cried Lord Verisopht.'The reaction, my lord, the reaction,' said Mr Wititterly. 'Thisviolent strain upon the nervous system over, my lord, what ensues?A sinking, a depression, a lowness, a lassitude, a debility. Mylord, if Sir Tumley Snuffim was to see that delicate creature atthis moment, he would not give a--a--this for her life.' Inillustration of which remark, Mr Wititterly took a pinch of snufffrom his box, and jerked it lightly into the air as an emblem ofinstability.'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 itwere no trifling distinction for a man to have a wife in such adesperate state, and Mrs Wititterly sighed and looked on, as if shefelt the honour, but had determined to bear it as meekly as mightbe.'Mrs Wititterly,' said her husband, 'is Sir Tumley Snuffim'sfavourite patient. I believe I may venture to say, that MrsWititterly is the first person who took the new medicine which issupposed to have destroyed a family at Kensington Gravel Pits. Ibelieve she was. If I am wrong, Julia, my dear, you will correctme.''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 Pykethrew himself into the breach, and, by way of saying something tothe point, inquired--with reference to the aforesaid medicine--whether it was nice.'No, sir, it was not. It had not even that recommendation,' said MrW.'Mrs Wititterly is quite a martyr,' observed Pyke, with acomplimentary bow.'I think I am,' said Mrs Wititterly, smiling.'I think you are, my dear Julia,' replied her husband, in a tonewhich seemed to say that he was not vain, but still must insist upontheir privileges. 'If anybody, my lord,' added Mr Wititterly,wheeling round to the nobleman, 'will produce to me a greater martyrthan Mrs Wititterly, all I can say is, that I shall be glad to seethat martyr, whether male or female--that's all, my lord.'Pyke and Pluck promptly remarked that certainly nothing could befairer than that; and the call having been by this time protractedto a very great length, they obeyed Sir Mulberry's look, and rose togo. This brought Sir Mulberry himself and Lord Verisopht on theirlegs also. Many protestations of friendship, and expressionsanticipative of the pleasure which must inevitably flow from sohappy an acquaintance, were exchanged, and the visitors departed,with renewed assurances that at all times and seasons the mansion ofthe Wititterlys would be honoured by receiving them beneath itsroof.That they came at all times and seasons--that they dined there oneday, supped the next, dined again on the next, and were constantlyto and fro on all--that they made parties to visit public places,and met by accident at lounges--that upon all these occasions MissNickleby was exposed to the constant and unremitting persecution ofSir Mulberry Hawk, who now began to feel his character, even in theestimation of his two dependants, involved in the successfulreduction of her pride--that she had no intervals of peace or rest,except at those hours when she could sit in her solitary room, andweep over the trials of the day--all these were consequencesnaturally flowing from the well-laid plans of Sir Mulberry, andtheir able execution by the auxiliaries, Pyke and Pluck.And thus for a fortnight matters went on. That any but the weakestand silliest of people could have seen in one interview that LordVerisopht, though he was a lord, and Sir Mulberry Hawk, though hewas a baronet, were not persons accustomed to be the best possiblecompanions, and were certainly not calculated by habits, manners,tastes, or conversation, to shine with any very great lustre in thesociety of ladies, need scarcely be remarked. But with MrsWititterly the two titles were all sufficient; coarseness becamehumour, vulgarity softened itself down into the most charmingeccentricity; insolence took the guise of an easy absence ofreserve, attainable only by those who had had the good fortune tomix with high folks.If the mistress put such a construction upon the behaviour of hernew friends, what could the companion urge against them? If theyaccustomed themselves to very little restraint before the lady ofthe house, with how much more freedom could they address her paiddependent! Nor was even this the worst. As the odious Sir MulberryHawk attached himself to Kate with less and less of disguise, MrsWititterly began to grow jealous of the superior attractions of MissNickleby. If this feeling had led to her banishment from thedrawing-room when such company was there, Kate would have been onlytoo happy and willing that it should have existed, but unfortunatelyfor her she possessed that native grace and true gentility ofmanner, and those thousand nameless accomplishments which give tofemale society its greatest charm; if these be valuable anywhere,they were especially so where the lady of the house was a mereanimated doll. The consequence was, that Kate had the doublemortification of being an indispensable part of the circle when SirMulberry and his friends were there, and of being exposed, on thatvery 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,attributed the circumstance, as ladies sometimes do, to nervousindisposition. However, as the dreadful idea that Lord Verisophtalso was somewhat taken with Kate, and that she, Mrs Wititterly, wasquite a secondary person, dawned upon that lady's mind and graduallydeveloped itself, she became possessed with a large quantity ofhighly proper and most virtuous indignation, and felt it her duty,as a married lady and a moral member of society, to mention thecircumstance to 'the young person' without delay.Accordingly Mrs Wititterly broke ground next morning, during a pausein the 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,but you leave me no alternative, Miss Nickleby.' Here Mrs Wititterlytossed her head--not passionately, only virtuously--and remarked,with some appearance of excitement, that she feared that palpitationof the heart was 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 dowell, but you may depend upon it, Miss Nickleby, you will not, ifyou go on as you do.''Ma'am!' exclaimed Kate, proudly.'Don't agitate me by speaking in that way, Miss Nickleby, don't,'said Mrs Wititterly, with some violence, 'or you'll compel me toring the bell.'Kate looked at her, but said nothing.'You needn't suppose,' resumed Mrs Wititterly, 'that your looking atme in that way, Miss Nickleby, will prevent my saying what I amgoing to say, which I feel to be a religious duty. You needn'tdirect your glances towards me,' said Mrs Wititterly, with a suddenburst of spite; 'I am not Sir Mulberry, no, nor Lord FrederickVerisopht, Miss Nickleby, nor am I Mr Pyke, nor Mr Pluck either.'Kate looked at her again, but less steadily than before; and restingher elbow 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 timebefore), 'I don't suppose anybody would have believed it.''I don't think they would,' murmured Kate. 'I do not think anybodywould believe, without actually knowing it, what I seem doomed toundergo!''Don't talk to me of being doomed to undergo, Miss Nickleby, if youplease,' said Mrs Wititterly, with a shrillness of tone quitesurprising in so great an invalid. 'I will not be answered, MissNickleby. I am not accustomed to be answered, nor will I permit itfor an instant. Do you hear?' she added, waiting with some apparentinconsistency for an answer.'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 youngperson for your station in life,' said Mrs Wititterly; 'and as youare a person of healthy appearance, and neat in your dress and soforth, I have taken an interest in you, as I do still, consideringthat I owe a sort of duty to that respectable old female, yourmother. For these reasons, Miss Nickleby, I must tell you once forall, and begging you to mind what I say, that I must insist uponyour immediately altering your very forward behaviour to thegentleman who visit at this house. It really is not becoming,' saidMrs Wititterly, closing her chaste eyes as she spoke; 'it isimproper--quite improper."'Oh!' cried Kate, looking upwards and clasping her hands; 'is notthis, is not this, too cruel, too hard to bear! Is it not enoughthat I should have suffered as I have, night and day; that I shouldalmost have sunk in my own estimation from very shame of having beenbrought into contact with such people; but must I also be exposed tothis unjust and most unfounded 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 isuntrue.''I do,' said Kate with honest indignation. 'Whether you make thisaccusation of yourself, or at the prompting of others, is alike tome. I say it is vilely, grossly, wilfully untrue. Is it possible!'cried Kate, 'that anyone of my own sex can have sat by, and not haveseen the misery these men have caused me? Is it possible that you,ma'am, can have been present, and failed to mark the insultingfreedom that their every look bespoke? Is it possible that you canhave avoided seeing, that these libertines, in their utterdisrespect for you, and utter disregard of all gentlemanlybehaviour, and almost of decency, have had but one object inintroducing themselves here, and that the furtherance of theirdesigns upon a friendless, helpless girl, who, without thishumiliating confession, might have hoped to receive from one so muchher senior something like womanly aid and sympathy? I do not--Icannot believe it!'If poor Kate had possessed the slightest knowledge of the world, shecertainly would not have ventured, even in the excitement into whichshe had been lashed, upon such an injudicious speech as this. Itseffect was precisely what a more experienced observer would haveforeseen. Mrs Wititterly received the attack upon her veracity withexemplary calmness, and listened with the most heroic fortitude toKate's account of her own sufferings. But allusion being made toher being held in disregard by the gentlemen, she evinced violentemotion, and this blow was no sooner followed up by the remarkconcerning her seniority, than she fell back upon the sofa, utteringdismal 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;so Mr Wititterly rang the bell, and danced in a frenzied mannerround the sofa on which Mrs Wititterly lay; uttering perpetual criesfor Sir Tumley Snuffim, and never once leaving off to ask for anyexplanation of the scene before him.'Run for Sir Tumley,' cried Mr Wititterly, menacing the page withboth fists. 'I knew it, Miss Nickleby,' he said, looking round withan air of melancholy triumph, 'that society has been too much forher. This is all soul, you know, every bit of it.' With thisassurance Mr Wititterly took up the prostrate form of MrsWititterly, and carried her bodily off to bed.Kate waited until Sir Tumley Snuffim had paid his visit and lookedin with a report, that, through the special interposition of amerciful Providence (thus spake Sir Tumley), Mrs Wititterly had goneto sleep. She then hastily attired herself for walking, and leavingword that she should return within a couple of hours, hurried awaytowards her uncle's house.It had been a good day with Ralph Nickleby--quite a lucky day; andas he walked to and fro in his little back-room with his handsclasped behind him, adding up in his own mind all the sums that hadbeen, or would be, netted from the business done since morning, hismouth was drawn into a hard stern smile; while the firmness of thelines and curves that made it up, as well as the cunning glance ofhis cold, bright eye, seemed to tell, that if any resolution orcunning would increase the profits, they would not fail to beexcited for the purpose.'Very good!' said Ralph, in allusion, no doubt, to some proceedingof the day. 'He defies the usurer, does he? Well, we shall see."Honesty is the 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 hisknown character and conduct against the power of money--dross, as hecalls it. Why, what a dull blockhead this fellow must be! Drossto, dross! Who's that?''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 shewas waiting 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 itsstead an empty purse. 'There,' said Ralph. 'now she may come in.'Newman, with a grim smile at this manoeuvre, beckoned the young ladyto advance, and having placed a chair for her, retired; lookingstealthily over 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 aneffort to master her emotion strove to speak, but in vain. Sodrooping her head again, she remained silent. Her face was hiddenfrom his view, but Ralph could 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 hewatched the anguish of his beautiful niece. 'Where is the harm?only a few tears; and it's an excellent lesson for her, an excellentlesson.''What is the matter?' asked Ralph, drawing a chair opposite, andsitting down.He was rather taken aback by the sudden firmness with which Katelooked up and answered him.'The matter which brings me to you, sir,' she said, 'is one whichshould call the blood up into your cheeks, and make you burn tohear, as it does me to tell. I have been wronged; my feelings havebeen outraged, insulted, wounded past all healing, and by yourfriends.''Friends!' cried Ralph, sternly. 'I have no friends, girl.''By the men I saw here, then,' returned Kate, quickly. 'If theywere no friends of yours, and you knew what they were,--oh, the moreshame on you, uncle, for bringing me among them. To have subjectedme to what I was exposed to here, through any misplaced confidenceor imperfect knowledge of your guests, would have required somestrong excuse; but if you did it--as I now believe you did--knowingthem well, it was most dastardly and cruel.'Ralph drew back in utter amazement at this plain speaking, andregarded Kate with the sternest look. But she met his gaze proudlyand firmly, and although her face was very pale, it looked morenoble and handsome, lighted up as it was, than it had ever appearedbefore.'There is some of that boy's blood in you, I see,' said Ralph,speaking in his harshest tones, as something in the flashing eyereminded him of Nicholas at their last meeting.'I hope there is!' replied Kate. 'I should be proud to know it. Iam young, uncle, and all the difficulties and miseries of mysituation have kept it down, but I have been roused today beyond allendurance, and come what may, I will not, as I am your brother'schild, bear these insults 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 mefrom such vile and degrading companionship as I am exposed to now.I do not mean,' said Kate, hurrying to the old man, and laying herarm upon his shoulder; 'I do not mean to be angry and violent--I begyour pardon if I have seemed so, dear uncle,--but you do not knowwhat I have suffered, you do not indeed. You cannot tell what theheart of a young girl is--I have no right to expect you should; butwhen I tell you that I am wretched, and that my heart is breaking, Iam sure you will help me. I am sure, I am sure you will!'Ralph looked at her for an instant; then turned away his head, andbeat his foot nervously upon the ground.'I have gone on day after day,' said Kate, bending over him, andtimidly placing her little hand in his, 'in the hope that thispersecution would cease; I have gone on day after day, compelled toassume the appearance of cheerfulness, when I was most unhappy. Ihave had no counsellor, no adviser, no one to protect me. Mamasupposes that these are honourable men, rich and distinguished, andhow can I--how can I undeceive her--when she is so happy in theselittle delusions, which are the only happiness she has? The ladywith whom you placed me, is not the person to whom I could confidematters of so much delicacy, and I have come at last to you, theonly friend I have at hand--almost the only friend I have at all--toentreat and implore you to assist me.''How can I assist you, child?' said Ralph, rising from his chair,and pacing 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 fromthis unmanly course?''No,' said Ralph, suddenly turning; 'at least--that--I can't say it,if it 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 doubtwhether she had heard aright.'We are connected in business,' said Ralph, poising himselfalternately on his toes and heels, and looking coolly in his niece'sface, 'in business, and I can't afford to offend them. What is itafter all? We have all our trials, and this is one of yours. Somegirls would be proud to have such gallants at their feet.''Proud!' cried Kate.'I don't say,' rejoined Ralph, raising his forefinger, 'but that youdo right to despise them; no, you show your good sense in that, asindeed I knew from the first you would. Well. In all otherrespects you are comfortably bestowed. It's not much to bear. Ifthis young lord does dog your footsteps, and whisper his drivellinginanities in your ears, what of it? It's a dishonourable passion.So be it; it won't last long. Some other novelty will spring up oneday, and you will be released. In the mean 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 despisedby all honest and honourable men; sunken in my own esteem, anddegraded in every eye that looks upon me. No, not if I work myfingers to the bone, not if I am driven to the roughest and hardestlabour. Do not mistake me. I will not disgrace yourrecommendation. I will remain in the house in which it placed me,until I am entitled to leave it by the terms of my engagement;though, mind, I see these men no more. When I quit it, I will hidemyself from them and you, and, striving to support my mother by hardservice, I will live, at least, in peace, and trust in God to helpme.'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,close beside it, Newman Noggs standing bolt upright in a littleniche in the wall like some scarecrow or Guy Faux laid up in winterquarters, almost occasioned her to call aloud. But, Newman layinghis finger upon his lips, 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 whatseemed to be a very old duster, and wiping Kate's eyes with it, asgently as if she were an infant. 'You're giving way now. Yes, yes,very good; that's right, I like that. It was right not to give waybefore him. Yes, yes! Ha, ha, ha! Oh, yes. Poor thing!'With these disjointed exclamations, Newman wiped his own eyes withthe afore-mentioned duster, and, limping to the street-door, openedit to let 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 wayto say 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 noteddown, but not solved;--although Ralph felt no remorse at that momentfor his conduct towards the innocent, true-hearted girl; althoughhis libertine clients had done precisely what he had expected,precisely what he most wished, and precisely what would tend most tohis advantage, still he hated them for doing it, from the verybottom of his soul.'Ugh!' said Ralph, scowling round, and shaking his clenched hand asthe faces of the two profligates rose up before his mind; 'you shallpay for this. 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 havebecome acquainted with it.Newman Noggs was the sole actor. He stood at a little distance fromthe door, with his face towards it; and with the sleeves of his coatturned back at the wrists, was occupied in bestowing the mostvigorous, 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 eagernessand joy depicted in the face of Newman Noggs, which was suffusedwith perspiration; the surprising energy with which he directed aconstant succession of blows towards a particular panel about fivefeet eight from the ground, and still worked away in the mostuntiring and persevering manner, would have sufficiently explainedto the attentive observer, that his imagination was thrashing, towithin an inch of his life, his body's most active employer, MrRalph Nickleby.