Newman Noggs scrambled in violent haste upstairs with the steamingbeverage, which he had so unceremoniously snatched from the table of MrKenwigs, and indeed from the very grasp of the water-rate collector, whowas eyeing the contents of the tumbler, at the moment of its unexpectedabstraction, with lively marks of pleasure visible in his countenance.He bore his prize straight to his own back-garret, where, footsore andnearly shoeless, wet, dirty, jaded, and disfigured with every mark offatiguing travel, sat Nicholas and Smike, at once the cause and partnerof his toil; both perfectly worn out by their unwonted and protractedexertion.

Newman's first act was to compel Nicholas, with gentle force, to swallowhalf of the punch at a breath, nearly boiling as it was; and his next,to pour the remainder down the throat of Smike, who, never having tastedanything stronger than aperient medicine in his whole life, exhibitedvarious odd manifestations of surprise and delight, during the passageof the liquor down his throat, and turned up his eyes most emphaticallywhen it was all gone.

'You are wet through,' said Newman, passing his hand hastily over thecoat which Nicholas had thrown off; 'and I--I--haven't even a change,'he added, with a wistful glance at the shabby clothes he wore himself.

'I have dry clothes, or at least such as will serve my turn well, inmy bundle,' replied Nicholas. 'If you look so distressed to see me, youwill add to the pain I feel already, at being compelled, for one night,to cast myself upon your slender means for aid and shelter.'

Newman did not look the less distressed to hear Nicholas talking in thisstrain; but, upon his young friend grasping him heartily by the hand,and assuring him that nothing but implicit confidence in the sincerityof his professions, and kindness of feeling towards himself, would haveinduced him, on any consideration, even to have made him acquaintedwith his arrival in London, Mr Noggs brightened up again, and went aboutmaking such arrangements as were in his power for the comfort of hisvisitors, with extreme alacrity.

These were simple enough; poor Newman's means halting at a veryconsiderable distance short of his inclinations; but, slight as theywere, they were not made without much bustling and running about. AsNicholas had husbanded his scanty stock of money, so well that it wasnot yet quite expended, a supper of bread and cheese, with some coldbeef from the cook's shop, was soon placed upon the table; and theseviands being flanked by a bottle of spirits and a pot of porter, therewas no ground for apprehension on the score of hunger or thirst, at allevents. Such preparations as Newman had it in his power to make, forthe accommodation of his guests during the night, occupied no very greattime in completing; and as he had insisted, as an express preliminary,that Nicholas should change his clothes, and that Smike should investhimself in his solitary coat (which no entreaties would dissuade himfrom stripping off for the purpose), the travellers partook of theirfrugal fare, with more satisfaction than one of them at least hadderived from many a better meal.

They then drew near the fire, which Newman Noggs had made up as well ashe could, after the inroads of Crowl upon the fuel; and Nicholas, whohad hitherto been restrained by the extreme anxiety of his friendthat he should refresh himself after his journey, now pressed him withearnest questions concerning his mother and sister.

'Well,' replied Newman, with his accustomed taciturnity; 'both well.'

'They are living in the city still?' inquired Nicholas.

'They are,' said Newman.

'And my sister,'--added Nicholas. 'Is she still engaged in the businesswhich she wrote to tell me she thought she should like so much?'

Newman opened his eyes rather wider than usual, but merely replied bya gasp, which, according to the action of the head that accompaniedit, was interpreted by his friends as meaning yes or no. In the presentinstance, the pantomime consisted of a nod, and not a shake; so Nicholastook the answer as a favourable one.

'Now listen to me,' said Nicholas, laying his hand on Newman's shoulder.'Before I would make an effort to see them, I deemed it expedient tocome to you, lest, by gratifying my own selfish desire, I should inflictan injury upon them which I can never repair. What has my uncle heardfrom Yorkshire?'

Newman opened and shut his mouth, several times, as though he weretrying his utmost to speak, but could make nothing of it, and finallyfixed his eyes on Nicholas with a grim and ghastly stare.

'What has he heard?' urged Nicholas, colouring. 'You see that I amprepared to hear the very worst that malice can have suggested. Whyshould you conceal it from me? I must know it sooner or later; and whatpurpose can be gained by trifling with the matter for a few minutes,when half the time would put me in possession of all that has occurred?Tell me at once, pray.'

'Tomorrow morning,' said Newman; 'hear it tomorrow.'

'What purpose would that answer?' urged Nicholas.

'You would sleep the better,' replied Newman.

'I should sleep the worse,' answered Nicholas, impatiently. 'Sleep!Exhausted as I am, and standing in no common need of rest, I cannot hopeto close my eyes all night, unless you tell me everything.'

'And if I should tell you everything,' said Newman, hesitating.

'Why, then you may rouse my indignation or wound my pride,' rejoinedNicholas; 'but you will not break my rest; for if the scene were actedover again, I could take no other part than I have taken; and whateverconsequences may accrue to myself from it, I shall never regret doing asI have done--never, if I starve or beg in consequence. What is a littlepoverty or suffering, to the disgrace of the basest and most inhumancowardice! I tell you, if I had stood by, tamely and passively, I shouldhave hated myself, and merited the contempt of every man in existence.The black-hearted scoundrel!'

With this gentle allusion to the absent Mr Squeers, Nicholas repressedhis rising wrath, and relating to Newman exactly what had passed atDotheboys Hall, entreated him to speak out without more pressing. Thusadjured, Mr Noggs took, from an old trunk, a sheet of paper, whichappeared to have been scrawled over in great haste; and after sundryextraordinary demonstrations of reluctance, delivered himself in thefollowing terms.

'My dear young man, you mustn't give way to--this sort of thingwill never do, you know--as to getting on in the world, if you takeeverybody's part that's ill-treated--Damn it, I am proud to hear of it;and would have done it myself!'

Newman accompanied this very unusual outbreak with a violent blow uponthe table, as if, in the heat of the moment, he had mistaken it for thechest or ribs of Mr Wackford Squeers. Having, by this open declarationof his feelings, quite precluded himself from offering Nicholas anycautious worldly advice (which had been his first intention), Mr Noggswent straight to the point.

'The day before yesterday,' said Newman, 'your uncle received thisletter. I took a hasty copy of it, while he was out. Shall I read it?'

'If you please,' replied Nicholas. Newman Noggs accordingly read asfollows:

'DOTHEBOYS HALL, 'THURSDAY MORNING.

'SIR,

'My pa requests me to write to you, the doctors considering it doubtfulwhether he will ever recuvver the use of his legs which prevents hisholding a pen.

'We are in a state of mind beyond everything, and my pa is one mask ofbrooses both blue and green likewise two forms are steepled in his Goar.We were kimpelled to have him carried down into the kitchen where he nowlays. You will judge from this that he has been brought very low.

'When your nevew that you recommended for a teacher had done this tomy pa and jumped upon his body with his feet and also langwedge whichI will not pollewt my pen with describing, he assaulted my ma withdreadful violence, dashed her to the earth, and drove her back combseveral inches into her head. A very little more and it must haveentered her skull. We have a medical certifiket that if it had, thetortershell would have affected the brain.

'Me and my brother were then the victims of his feury since which wehave suffered very much which leads us to the arrowing belief that wehave received some injury in our insides, especially as no marks ofviolence are visible externally. I am screaming out loud all the timeI write and so is my brother which takes off my attention rather and Ihope will excuse mistakes.

'The monster having sasiated his thirst for blood ran away, taking withhim a boy of desperate character that he had excited to rebellyon, and agarnet ring belonging to my ma, and not having been apprehended by theconstables is supposed to have been took up by some stage-coach. My pabegs that if he comes to you the ring may be returned, and that you willlet the thief and assassin go, as if we prosecuted him he would only betransported, and if he is let go he is sure to be hung before long whichwill save us trouble and be much more satisfactory. Hoping to hear fromyou when convenient

'I remain 'Yours and cetrer 'FANNY SQUEERS.

'P.S. I pity his ignorance and despise him.'

A profound silence succeeded to the reading of this choice epistle,during which Newman Noggs, as he folded it up, gazed with a kind ofgrotesque pity at the boy of desperate character therein referred to;who, having no more distinct perception of the matter in hand, than thathe had been the unfortunate cause of heaping trouble and falsehoodupon Nicholas, sat mute and dispirited, with a most woe-begone andheart-stricken look.

'Mr Noggs,' said Nicholas, after a few moments' reflection, 'I must goout at once.'

'Go out!' cried Newman.

'Yes,' said Nicholas, 'to Golden Square. Nobody who knows me wouldbelieve this story of the ring; but it may suit the purpose, or gratifythe hatred of Mr Ralph Nickleby to feign to attach credence to it. Itis due--not to him, but to myself--that I should state the truth; andmoreover, I have a word or two to exchange with him, which will not keepcool.'

'They must,' said Newman.

'They must not, indeed,' rejoined Nicholas firmly, as he prepared toleave the house.

'Hear me speak,' said Newman, planting himself before his impetuousyoung friend. 'He is not there. He is away from town. He will not beback for three days; and I know that letter will not be answered beforehe returns.'

'Are you sure of this?' asked Nicholas, chafing violently, and pacingthe narrow room with rapid strides.

'Quite,' rejoined Newman. 'He had hardly read it when he was calledaway. Its contents are known to nobody but himself and us.'

'Are you certain?' demanded Nicholas, precipitately; 'not even to mymother or sister? If I thought that they--I will go there--I must seethem. Which is the way? Where is it?'

'Now, be advised by me,' said Newman, speaking for the moment, in hisearnestness, like any other man--'make no effort to see even them, tillhe comes home. I know the man. Do not seem to have been tampering withanybody. When he returns, go straight to him, and speak as boldly as youlike. Guessing at the real truth, he knows it as well as you or I. Trusthim for that.'

'You mean well to me, and should know him better than I can,' repliedNicholas, after some consideration. 'Well; let it be so.'

Newman, who had stood during the foregoing conversation with his backplanted against the door, ready to oppose any egress from the apartmentby force, if necessary, resumed his seat with much satisfaction; andas the water in the kettle was by this time boiling, made a glassfulof spirits and water for Nicholas, and a cracked mug-full for the jointaccommodation of himself and Smike, of which the two partook in greatharmony, while Nicholas, leaning his head upon his hand, remained buriedin melancholy meditation.

Meanwhile, the company below stairs, after listening attentively andnot hearing any noise which would justify them in interfering forthe gratification of their curiosity, returned to the chamber of theKenwigses, and employed themselves in hazarding a great variety ofconjectures relative to the cause of Mr Noggs' sudden disappearance anddetention.

'Lor, I'll tell you what,' said Mrs Kenwigs. 'Suppose it should be anexpress sent up to say that his property has all come back again!'

'Dear me,' said Mr Kenwigs; 'it's not impossible. Perhaps, in that case,we'd better send up and ask if he won't take a little more punch.'

'Kenwigs!' said Mr Lillyvick, in a loud voice, 'I'm surprised at you.'

'What's the matter, sir?' asked Mr Kenwigs, with becoming submission tothe collector of water-rates.

'Making such a remark as that, sir,' replied Mr Lillyvick, angrily. 'Hehas had punch already, has he not, sir? I consider the way in which thatpunch was cut off, if I may use the expression, highly disrespectful tothis company; scandalous, perfectly scandalous. It may be the custom toallow such things in this house, but it's not the kind of behaviourthat I've been used to see displayed, and so I don't mind telling you,Kenwigs. A gentleman has a glass of punch before him to which he is justabout to set his lips, when another gentleman comes and collars thatglass of punch, without a "with your leave", or "by your leave", andcarries that glass of punch away. This may be good manners--I dare sayit is--but I don't understand it, that's all; and what's more, I don'tcare if I never do. It's my way to speak my mind, Kenwigs, and that ismy mind; and if you don't like it, it's past my regular time for goingto bed, and I can find my way home without making it later.'

Here was an untoward event! The collector had sat swelling and fumingin offended dignity for some minutes, and had now fairly burst out. Thegreat man--the rich relation--the unmarried uncle--who had it in hispower to make Morleena an heiress, and the very baby a legatee--wasoffended. Gracious Powers, where was this to end!

'I am very sorry, sir,' said Mr Kenwigs, humbly.

'Don't tell me you're sorry,' retorted Mr Lillyvick, with muchsharpness. 'You should have prevented it, then.'

The company were quite paralysed by this domestic crash. Theback-parlour sat with her mouth wide open, staring vacantly at thecollector, in a stupor of dismay; the other guests were scarcely lessoverpowered by the great man's irritation. Mr Kenwigs, not being skilfulin such matters, only fanned the flame in attempting to extinguish it.

'I didn't think of it, I am sure, sir,' said that gentleman. 'I didn'tsuppose that such a little thing as a glass of punch would have put youout of temper.'

'Out of temper! What the devil do you mean by that piece ofimpertinence, Mr Kenwigs?' said the collector. 'Morleena, child--give memy hat.'

'Oh, you're not going, Mr Lillyvick, sir,' interposed Miss Petowker,with her most bewitching smile.

But still Mr Lillyvick, regardless of the siren, cried obdurately,'Morleena, my hat!' upon the fourth repetition of which demand, MrsKenwigs sunk back in her chair, with a cry that might have softened awater-butt, not to say a water-collector; while the four little girls(privately instructed to that effect) clasped their uncle's drab shortsin their arms, and prayed him, in imperfect English, to remain.

'Why should I stop here, my dears?' said Mr Lillyvick; 'I'm not wantedhere.'

'Oh, do not speak so cruelly, uncle,' sobbed Mrs Kenwigs, 'unless youwish to kill me.'

'I shouldn't wonder if some people were to say I did,' replied MrLillyvick, glancing angrily at Kenwigs. 'Out of temper!'

'Oh! I cannot bear to see him look so, at my husband,' cried MrsKenwigs. 'It's so dreadful in families. Oh!'

'Mr Lillyvick,' said Kenwigs, 'I hope, for the sake of your niece, thatyou won't object to be reconciled.'

The collector's features relaxed, as the company added their entreatiesto those of his nephew-in-law. He gave up his hat, and held out hishand.

'There, Kenwigs,' said Mr Lillyvick; 'and let me tell you, at the sametime, to show you how much out of temper I was, that if I had gone awaywithout another word, it would have made no difference respecting thatpound or two which I shall leave among your children when I die.'

'Morleena Kenwigs,' cried her mother, in a torrent of affection. 'Godown upon your knees to your dear uncle, and beg him to love you allhis life through, for he's more a angel than a man, and I've always saidso.'

Miss Morleena approaching to do homage, in compliance with thisinjunction, was summarily caught up and kissed by Mr Lillyvick; andthereupon Mrs Kenwigs darted forward and kissed the collector, andan irrepressible murmur of applause broke from the company who hadwitnessed his magnanimity.

The worthy gentleman then became once more the life and soul of thesociety; being again reinstated in his old post of lion, from which highstation the temporary distraction of their thoughts had for a momentdispossessed him. Quadruped lions are said to be savage, only when theyare hungry; biped lions are rarely sulky longer than when their appetitefor distinction remains unappeased. Mr Lillyvick stood higher than ever;for he had shown his power; hinted at his property and testamentaryintentions; gained great credit for disinterestedness and virtue; and,in addition to all, was finally accommodated with a much larger tumblerof punch than that which Newman Noggs had so feloniously made off with.

'I say! I beg everybody's pardon for intruding again,' said Crowl,looking in at this happy juncture; 'but what a queer business this is,isn't it? Noggs has lived in this house, now going on for five years,and nobody has ever been to see him before, within the memory of theoldest inhabitant.'

'It's a strange time of night to be called away, sir, certainly,' saidthe collector; 'and the behaviour of Mr Noggs himself, is, to say theleast of it, mysterious.'

'Well, so it is,' rejoined Growl; 'and I'll tell you what's more--Ithink these two geniuses, whoever they are, have run away fromsomewhere.'

'What makes you think that, sir?' demanded the collector, who seemed, bya tacit understanding, to have been chosen and elected mouthpiece tothe company. 'You have no reason to suppose that they have run away fromanywhere without paying the rates and taxes due, I hope?'

Mr Crowl, with a look of some contempt, was about to enter a generalprotest against the payment of rates or taxes, under any circumstances,when he was checked by a timely whisper from Kenwigs, and several frownsand winks from Mrs K., which providentially stopped him.

'Why the fact is,' said Crowl, who had been listening at Newman's doorwith all his might and main; 'the fact is, that they have been talkingso loud, that they quite disturbed me in my room, and so I couldn'thelp catching a word here, and a word there; and all I heard, certainlyseemed to refer to their having bolted from some place or other. I don'twish to alarm Mrs Kenwigs; but I hope they haven't come from any jail orhospital, and brought away a fever or some unpleasantness of that sort,which might be catching for the children.'

Mrs Kenwigs was so overpowered by this supposition, that it needed allthe tender attentions of Miss Petowker, of the Theatre Royal, DruryLane, to restore her to anything like a state of calmness; not tomention the assiduity of Mr Kenwigs, who held a fat smelling-bottle tohis lady's nose, until it became matter of some doubt whether the tearswhich coursed down her face were the result of feelings or SAL VOLATILE.

The ladies, having expressed their sympathy, singly and separately,fell, according to custom, into a little chorus of soothing expressions,among which, such condolences as 'Poor dear!'--'I should feel just thesame, if I was her'--'To be sure, it's a very trying thing'--and 'Nobodybut a mother knows what a mother's feelings is,' were among the mostprominent, and most frequently repeated. In short, the opinion of thecompany was so clearly manifested, that Mr Kenwigs was on the point ofrepairing to Mr Noggs's room, to demand an explanation, and had indeedswallowed a preparatory glass of punch, with great inflexibility andsteadiness of purpose, when the attention of all present was diverted bya new and terrible surprise.

This was nothing less than the sudden pouring forth of a rapidsuccession of the shrillest and most piercing screams, from an upperstory; and to all appearance from the very two-pair back, in whichthe infant Kenwigs was at that moment enshrined. They were no sooneraudible, than Mrs Kenwigs, opining that a strange cat had come in, andsucked the baby's breath while the girl was asleep, made for the door,wringing her hands, and shrieking dismally; to the great consternationand confusion of the company.

'Mr Kenwigs, see what it is; make haste!' cried the sister, layingviolent hands upon Mrs Kenwigs, and holding her back by force. 'Oh don'ttwist about so, dear, or I can never hold you.'

'My baby, my blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed baby!' screamed MrsKenwigs, making every blessed louder than the last. 'My own darling,sweet, innocent Lillyvick--Oh let me go to him. Let me go-o-o-o!'

Pending the utterance of these frantic cries, and the wails andlamentations of the four little girls, Mr Kenwigs rushed upstairs to theroom whence the sounds proceeded; at the door of which, he encounteredNicholas, with the child in his arms, who darted out with such violence,that the anxious father was thrown down six stairs, and alighted on thenearest landing-place, before he had found time to open his mouth to askwhat was the matter.

'Don't be alarmed,' cried Nicholas, running down; 'here it is; it's allout, it's all over; pray compose yourselves; there's no harm done;'and with these, and a thousand other assurances, he delivered the baby(whom, in his hurry, he had carried upside down), to Mrs Kenwigs, andran back to assist Mr Kenwigs, who was rubbing his head very hard, andlooking much bewildered by his tumble.

Reassured by this cheering intelligence, the company in some degreerecovered from their fears, which had been productive of some mostsingular instances of a total want of presence of mind; thus, thebachelor friend had, for a long time, supported in his arms MrsKenwigs's sister, instead of Mrs Kenwigs; and the worthy Mr Lillyvickhad been actually seen, in the perturbation of his spirits, to kiss MissPetowker several times, behind the room-door, as calmly as if nothingdistressing were going forward.

'It is a mere nothing,' said Nicholas, returning to Mrs Kenwigs; 'thelittle girl, who was watching the child, being tired I suppose, fellasleep, and set her hair on fire.'

'Oh you malicious little wretch!' cried Mrs Kenwigs, impressivelyshaking her forefinger at the small unfortunate, who might be thirteenyears old, and was looking on with a singed head and a frightened face.

'I heard her cries,' continued Nicholas, 'and ran down, in time toprevent her setting fire to anything else. You may depend upon it thatthe child is not hurt; for I took it off the bed myself, and brought ithere to convince you.'

This brief explanation over, the infant, who, as he was christened afterthe collector! rejoiced in the names of Lillyvick Kenwigs, was partiallysuffocated under the caresses of the audience, and squeezed to hismother's bosom, until he roared again. The attention of the company wasthen directed, by a natural transition, to the little girl who had hadthe audacity to burn her hair off, and who, after receiving sundry smallslaps and pushes from the more energetic of the ladies, was mercifullysent home: the ninepence, with which she was to have been rewarded,being escheated to the Kenwigs family.

'And whatever we are to say to you, sir,' exclaimed Mrs Kenwigs,addressing young Lillyvick's deliverer, 'I am sure I don't know.'

'You need say nothing at all,' replied Nicholas. 'I have done nothing tofound any very strong claim upon your eloquence, I am sure.'

'He might have been burnt to death, if it hadn't been for you, sir,'simpered Miss Petowker.

'Not very likely, I think,' replied Nicholas; 'for there was abundanceof assistance here, which must have reached him before he had been inany danger.'

'You will let us drink your health, anyvays, sir!' said Mr Kenwigsmotioning towards the table.

'--In my absence, by all means,' rejoined Nicholas, with a smile.'I have had a very fatiguing journey, and should be most indifferentcompany--a far greater check upon your merriment, than a promoter of it,even if I kept awake, which I think very doubtful. If you will allowme, I'll return to my friend, Mr Noggs, who went upstairs again, when hefound nothing serious had occurred. Good-night.'

Excusing himself, in these terms, from joining in the festivities,Nicholas took a most winning farewell of Mrs Kenwigs and the otherladies, and retired, after making a very extraordinary impression uponthe company.

'What a delightful young man!' cried Mrs Kenwigs.

'Uncommon gentlemanly, really,' said Mr Kenwigs. 'Don't you think so, MrLillyvick?'

'Yes,' said the collector, with a dubious shrug of his shoulders, 'He isgentlemanly, very gentlemanly--in appearance.'

'I hope you don't see anything against him, uncle?' inquired MrsKenwigs.

'No, my dear,' replied the collector, 'no. I trust he may not turnout--well--no matter--my love to you, my dear, and long life to thebaby!'

'Your namesake,' said Mrs Kenwigs, with a sweet smile.

'And I hope a worthy namesake,' observed Mr Kenwigs, willing topropitiate the collector. 'I hope a baby as will never disgrace hisgodfather, and as may be considered, in arter years, of a piece with theLillyvicks whose name he bears. I do say--and Mrs Kenwigs is of the samesentiment, and feels it as strong as I do--that I consider his beingcalled Lillyvick one of the greatest blessings and Honours of myexistence.'

'THE greatest blessing, Kenwigs,' murmured his lady.

'THE greatest blessing,' said Mr Kenwigs, correcting himself. 'Ablessing that I hope, one of these days, I may be able to deserve.'

This was a politic stroke of the Kenwigses, because it made Mr Lillyvickthe great head and fountain of the baby's importance. The good gentlemanfelt the delicacy and dexterity of the touch, and at once proposed thehealth of the gentleman, name unknown, who had signalised himself, thatnight, by his coolness and alacrity.

'Who, I don't mind saying,' observed Mr Lillyvick, as a greatconcession, 'is a good-looking young man enough, with manners that Ihope his character may be equal to.'

'He has a very nice face and style, really,' said Mrs Kenwigs.

'He certainly has,' added Miss Petowker. 'There's something in hisappearance quite--dear, dear, what's that word again?'

'What word?' inquired Mr Lillyvick.

'Why--dear me, how stupid I am,' replied Miss Petowker, hesitating.'What do you call it, when Lords break off door-knockers and beatpolicemen, and play at coaches with other people's money, and all thatsort of thing?'

'Aristocratic?' suggested the collector.

'Ah! aristocratic,' replied Miss Petowker; 'something very aristocraticabout him, isn't there?'

The gentleman held their peace, and smiled at each other, as who shouldsay, 'Well! there's no accounting for tastes;' but the ladies resolvedunanimously that Nicholas had an aristocratic air; and nobody caring todispute the position, it was established triumphantly.

The punch being, by this time, drunk out, and the little Kenwigses (whohad for some time previously held their little eyes open with theirlittle forefingers) becoming fractious, and requesting rather urgentlyto be put to bed, the collector made a move by pulling out his watch,and acquainting the company that it was nigh two o'clock; whereat someof the guests were surprised and others shocked, and hats and bonnetsbeing groped for under the tables, and in course of time found, theirowners went away, after a vast deal of shaking of hands, and manyremarks how they had never spent such a delightful evening, and howthey marvelled to find it so late, expecting to have heard that it washalf-past ten at the very latest, and how they wished that Mr and MrsKenwigs had a wedding-day once a week, and how they wondered by whathidden agency Mrs Kenwigs could possibly have managed so well; anda great deal more of the same kind. To all of which flatteringexpressions, Mr and Mrs Kenwigs replied, by thanking every lady andgentleman, SERIATIM, for the favour of their company, and hoping theymight have enjoyed themselves only half as well as they said they had.

As to Nicholas, quite unconscious of the impression he had produced, hehad long since fallen asleep, leaving Mr Newman Noggs and Smike to emptythe spirit bottle between them; and this office they performed withsuch extreme good-will, that Newman was equally at a loss to determinewhether he himself was quite sober, and whether he had ever seen anygentleman so heavily, drowsily, and completely intoxicated as his newacquaintance.