Chapter 33

by Charles Dickens

　　In which Mr Ralph Nickleby is relieved, by a very expeditiousProcess, from all Commerce with his RelationsSmike and Newman Noggs, who in his impatience had returned home longbefore the time agreed upon, sat before the fire, listeninganxiously to every footstep on the stairs, and the slightest soundthat stirred within the house, for the approach of Nicholas. Timehad worn on, and it was growing late. He had promised to be back inan hour; and his prolonged absence began to excite considerablealarm in the minds of both, as was abundantly testified by the blanklooks they cast upon each other at every new disappointment.At length a coach was heard to stop, and Newman ran out to lightNicholas up the stairs. Beholding him in the trim described at theconclusion of the last chapter, he stood aghast in wonder andconsternation.'Don't be alarmed,' said Nicholas, hurrying him back into the room.'There is no harm done, beyond what a basin of water can repair.''No harm!' cried Newman, passing his hands hastily over the back andarms of Nicholas, as if to assure himself that he had broken nobones. 'What have you been doing?''I know all,' interrupted Nicholas; 'I have heard a part, andguessed the rest. But before I remove one jot of these stains, Imust hear the whole from you. You see I am collected. Myresolution is taken. Now, my good friend, speak out; for the timefor any palliation or concealment is past, and nothing will availRalph Nickleby now.''Your dress is torn in several places; you walk lame, and I am sureyou are suffering pain,' said Newman. 'Let me see to your hurtsfirst.''I have no hurts to see to, beyond a little soreness and stiffnessthat will soon pass off,' said Nicholas, seating himself with somedifficulty. 'But if I had fractured every limb, and still preservedmy senses, you should not bandage one till you had told me what Ihave the right to know. Come,' said Nicholas, giving his hand toNoggs. 'You had a sister of your own, you told me once, who diedbefore you fell into misfortune. Now think of her, and tell me,Newman.''Yes, I will, I will,' said Noggs. 'I'll tell you the whole truth.'Newman did so. Nicholas nodded his head from time to time, as itcorroborated the particulars he had already gleaned; but he fixedhis eyes upon the fire, and did not look round once.His recital ended, Newman insisted upon his young friend's strippingoff his coat and allowing whatever injuries he had received to beproperly tended. Nicholas, after some opposition, at lengthconsented, and, while some pretty severe bruises on his arms andshoulders were being rubbed with oil and vinegar, and various otherefficacious remedies which Newman borrowed from the differentlodgers, related in what manner they had been received. The recitalmade a strong impression on the warm imagination of Newman; for whenNicholas came to the violent part of the quarrel, he rubbed so hard,as to occasion him the most exquisite pain, which he would not haveexhibited, however, for the world, it being perfectly clear that,for the moment, Newman was operating on Sir Mulberry Hawk, and hadquite lost sight of his real patient.This martyrdom over, Nicholas arranged with Newman that while he wasotherwise occupied next morning, arrangements should be made for hismother's immediately quitting her present residence, and also fordispatching Miss La Creevy to break the intelligence to her. Hethen wrapped himself in Smike's greatcoat, and repaired to the innwhere they were to pass the night, and where (after writing a fewlines to Ralph, the delivery of which was to be intrusted to Newmannext day), he endeavoured to obtain the repose of which he stood somuch in need.Drunken men, they say, may roll down precipices, and be quiteunconscious of any serious personal inconvenience when their reasonreturns. The remark may possibly apply to injuries received inother kinds of violent excitement: certain it is, that althoughNicholas experienced some pain on first awakening next morning, hesprung out of bed as the clock struck seven, with very littledifficulty, and was soon as much on the alert as if nothing hadoccurred.Merely looking into Smike's room, and telling him that Newman Noggswould call for him very shortly, Nicholas descended into the street,and calling a hackney coach, bade the man drive to Mrs Wititterly's,according to the direction which Newman had given him on theprevious night.It wanted a quarter to eight when they reached Cadogan Place.Nicholas began to fear that no one might be stirring at that earlyhour, when he was relieved by the sight of a female servant,employed in cleaning the door-steps. By this functionary he wasreferred to the doubtful page, who appeared with dishevelled hairand a very warm and glossy face, as of a page who had just got outof bed.By this young gentleman he was informed that Miss Nickleby was thentaking her morning's walk in the gardens before the house. On thequestion being propounded whether he could go and find her, the pagedesponded and thought not; but being stimulated with a shilling, thepage grew sanguine and thought he could.'Say to Miss Nickleby that her brother is here, and in great hasteto see her,' said Nicholas.The plated buttons disappeared with an alacrity most unusual tothem, and Nicholas paced the room in a state of feverish agitationwhich made the delay even of a minute insupportable. He soon hearda light footstep which he well knew, and before he could advance tomeet her, Kate had fallen on his neck and burst into tears.'My darling girl,' said Nicholas as he embraced her. 'How pale youare!''I have been so unhappy here, dear brother,' sobbed poor Kate; 'sovery, very miserable. Do not leave me here, dear Nicholas, or Ishall die of a broken heart.''I will leave you nowhere,' answered Nicholas--'never again, Kate,'he cried, moved in spite of himself as he folded her to his heart.'Tell me that I acted for the best. Tell me that we parted becauseI feared to bring misfortune on your head; that it was a trial to meno less than to yourself, and that if I did wrong it was inignorance of the world and unknowingly.''Why should I tell you what we know so well?' returned Katesoothingly. 'Nicholas--dear Nicholas--how can you give way thus?''It is such bitter reproach to me to know what you have undergone,'returned her brother; 'to see you so much altered, and yet so kindand patient--God!' cried Nicholas, clenching his fist and suddenlychanging his tone and manner, 'it sets my whole blood on fire again.You must leave here with me directly; you should not have slept herelast night, but that I knew all this too late. To whom can I speak,before we drive away?'This question was most opportunely put, for at that instant MrWititterly walked in, and to him Kate introduced her brother, who atonce announced his purpose, and the impossibility of deferring it.'The quarter's notice,' said Mr Wititterly, with the gravity of aman on the right side, 'is not yet half expired. Therefore--''Therefore,' interposed Nicholas, 'the quarter's salary must belost, sir. You will excuse this extreme haste, but circumstancesrequire that I should immediately remove my sister, and I have not amoment's time to lose. Whatever she brought here I will send for,if you will allow me, in the course of the day.'Mr Wititterly bowed, but offered no opposition to Kate's immediatedeparture; with which, indeed, he was rather gratified thanotherwise, Sir Tumley Snuffim having given it as his opinion, thatshe rather disagreed with Mrs Wititterly's constitution.'With regard to the trifle of salary that is due,' said MrWititterly, 'I will'--here he was interrupted by a violent fit ofcoughing--'I will--owe it to Miss Nickleby.'Mr Wititterly, it should be observed, was accustomed to owe smallaccounts, and to leave them owing. All men have some littlepleasant way of their own; and this was Mr Wititterly's.'If you please,' said Nicholas. And once more offering a hurriedapology for so sudden a departure, he hurried Kate into the vehicle,and bade the man drive with all speed into the city.To the city they went accordingly, with all the speed the hackneycoach could make; and as the horses happened to live at Whitechapeland to be in the habit of taking their breakfast there, when theybreakfasted at all, they performed the journey with greaterexpedition than could reasonably have been expected.Nicholas sent Kate upstairs a few minutes before him, that hisunlooked-for appearance might not alarm his mother, and when the wayhad been paved, presented himself with much duty and affection.Newman had not been idle, for there was a little cart at the door,and the effects were hurrying out already.Now, Mrs Nickleby was not the sort of person to be told anything ina hurry, or rather to comprehend anything of peculiar delicacy orimportance on a short notice. Wherefore, although the good lady hadbeen subjected to a full hour's preparation by little Miss LaCreevy, and was now addressed in most lucid terms both by Nicholasand his sister, she was in a state of singular bewilderment andconfusion, and could by no means be made to comprehend the necessityof such hurried proceedings.'Why don't you ask your uncle, my dear Nicholas, what he canpossibly mean by it?' said Mrs Nickleby.'My dear mother,' returned Nicholas, 'the time for talking has goneby. There is but one step to take, and that is to cast him off withthe scorn and indignation he deserves. Your own honour and goodname demand that, after the discovery of his vile proceedings, youshould not be beholden to him one hour, even for the shelter ofthese bare walls.''To be sure,' said Mrs Nickleby, crying bitterly, 'he is a brute, amonster; and the walls are very bare, and want painting too, and Ihave had this ceiling whitewashed at the expense of eighteen-pence,which is a very distressing thing, considering that it is so muchgone into your uncle's pocket. I never could have believed it--never.''Nor I, nor anybody else,' said Nicholas.'Lord bless my life!' exclaimed Mrs Nickleby. 'To think that thatSir Mulberry Hawk should be such an abandoned wretch as Miss LaCreevy says he is, Nicholas, my dear; when I was congratulatingmyself every day on his being an admirer of our dear Kate's, andthinking what a thing it would be for the family if he was to becomeconnected with us, and use his interest to get you some profitablegovernment place. There are very good places to be got about thecourt, I know; for a friend of ours (Miss Cropley, at Exeter, mydear Kate, you recollect), he had one, and I know that it was thechief part of his duty to wear silk stockings, and a bag wig like ablack watch-pocket; and to think that it should come to this afterall--oh, dear, dear, it's enough to kill one, that it is!' Withwhich expressions of sorrow, Mrs Nickleby gave fresh vent to hergrief, and wept piteously.As Nicholas and his sister were by this time compelled tosuperintend the removal of the few articles of furniture, Miss LaCreevy devoted herself to the consolation of the matron, andobserved with great kindness of manner that she must really make aneffort, and cheer up.'Oh I dare say, Miss La Creevy,' returned Mrs Nickleby, with apetulance not unnatural in her unhappy circumstances, 'it's veryeasy to say cheer up, but if you had as many occasions to cheer upas I have had--and there,' said Mrs Nickleby, stopping short.'Think of Mr Pyke and Mr Pluck, two of the most perfect gentlementhat ever lived, what am I too say to them--what can I say to them?Why, if I was to say to them, "I'm told your friend Sir Mulberry isa base wretch," they'd laugh at me.''They will laugh no more at us, I take it,' said Nicholas,advancing. 'Come, mother, there is a coach at the door, and untilMonday, at all events, we will return to our old quarters.''--Where everything is ready, and a hearty welcome into thebargain,' added Miss La Creevy. 'Now, let me go with youdownstairs.'But Mrs Nickleby was not to be so easily moved, for first sheinsisted on going upstairs to see that nothing had been left, andthen on going downstairs to see that everything had been taken away;and when she was getting into the coach she had a vision of aforgotten coffee-pot on the back-kitchen hob, and after she was shutin, a dismal recollection of a green umbrella behind some unknowndoor. At last Nicholas, in a condition of absolute despair, orderedthe coachman to drive away, and in the unexpected jerk of a suddenstarting, Mrs Nickleby lost a shilling among the straw, whichfortunately confined her attention to the coach until it was toolate to remember anything else.Having seen everything safely out, discharged the servant, andlocked the door, Nicholas jumped into a cabriolet and drove to a byeplace near Golden Square where he had appointed to meet Noggs; andso quickly had everything been done, that it was barely half-pastnine when he reached the place of meeting.'Here is the letter for Ralph,' said Nicholas, 'and here the key.When you come to me this evening, not a word of last night. Illnews travels fast, and they will know it soon enough. Have youheard if he was much hurt?'Newman shook his head.'I will ascertain that myself without loss of time,' said Nicholas.'You had better take some rest,' returned Newman. 'You are feveredand ill.'Nicholas waved his hand carelessly, and concealing the indispositionhe really felt, now that the excitement which had sustained him wasover, took a hurried farewell of Newman Noggs, and left him.Newman was not three minutes' walk from Golden Square, but in thecourse of that three minutes he took the letter out of his hat andput it in again twenty times at least. First the front, then theback, then the sides, then the superscription, then the seal, wereobjects of Newman's admiration. Then he held it at arm's length asif to take in the whole at one delicious survey, and then he rubbedhis hands in a perfect ecstasy with his commission.He reached the office, hung his hat on its accustomed peg, laid theletter and key upon the desk, and waited impatiently until RalphNickleby should appear. After a few minutes, the well-knowncreaking of his boots was heard on the stairs, and then the bellrung.'Has the post come in?''No.''Any other letters?''One.' Newman eyed him closely, and laid it on the desk.'What's this?' asked Ralph, taking up the key.'Left with the letter;--a boy brought them--quarter of an hour ago,or less.'Ralph glanced at the direction, opened the letter, and read asfollows:--'You are known to me now. There are no reproaches I could heap uponyour head which would carry with them one thousandth part of thegrovelling shame that this assurance will awaken even in yourbreast.'Your brother's widow and her orphan child spurn the shelter of yourroof, and shun you with disgust and loathing. Your kindred renounceyou, for they know no shame but the ties of blood which bind them inname with you.'You are an old man, and I leave you to the grave. May everyrecollection of your life cling to your false heart, and cast theirdarkness on your death-bed.'Ralph Nickleby read this letter twice, and frowning heavily, fellinto a fit of musing; the paper fluttered from his hand and droppedupon the floor, but he clasped his fingers, as if he held it still.Suddenly, he started from his seat, and thrusting it all crumpledinto his pocket, turned furiously to Newman Noggs, as though to askhim why he lingered. But Newman stood unmoved, with his backtowards him, following up, with the worn and blackened stump of anold pen, some figures in an Interest-table which was pasted againstthe wall, and apparently quite abstracted from every other object.