The agitation she had undergone, rendered Kate Nickleby unable to resumeher duties at the dressmaker's for three days, at the expiration ofwhich interval she betook herself at the accustomed hour, and withlanguid steps, to the temple of fashion where Madame Mantalini reignedparamount and supreme.

The ill-will of Miss Knag had lost nothing of its virulence inthe interval. The young ladies still scrupulously shrunk from allcompanionship with their denounced associate; and when that exemplaryfemale arrived a few minutes afterwards, she was at no pains to concealthe displeasure with which she regarded Kate's return.

'Upon my word!' said Miss Knag, as the satellites flocked round, torelieve her of her bonnet and shawl; 'I should have thought some peoplewould have had spirit enough to stop away altogether, when they knowwhat an incumbrance their presence is to right-minded persons. But it'sa queer world; oh! it's a queer world!'

Miss Knag, having passed this comment on the world, in the tone in whichmost people do pass comments on the world when they are out of temper,that is to say, as if they by no means belonged to it, concludedby heaving a sigh, wherewith she seemed meekly to compassionate thewickedness 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 Knag totoss her head so much, and bite her lips so hard, that her powers ofconversation were, for the time, annihilated.

'Well, Miss Nickleby, child,' said Madame Mantalini, when Kate presentedherself; '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. 'Bodily illnessis 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 to yourwork, child, and put the things in order, do.'

While Kate was wondering within herself what these symptoms of unusualvexation portended, Mr Mantalini put the tips of his whiskers, and, bydegrees, his head, through the half-opened door, and cried in a softvoice--

'Is my life and soul there?'

'No,' replied his wife.

'How can it say so, when it is blooming in the front room like a littlerose in a demnition flower-pot?' urged Mantalini. 'May its poppet comein and talk?'

'Certainly not,' replied Madame: 'you know I never allow you here. Goalong!'

The poppet, however, encouraged perhaps by the relenting tone of thisreply, ventured to rebel, and, stealing into the room, made towardsMadame Mantalini on tiptoe, blowing her a kiss as he came along.

'Why will it vex itself, and twist its little face into bewitchingnutcrackers?' said Mantalini, putting his left arm round the waist ofhis 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. It couldn'tbe. There's not a woman alive, that could tell me such a thing to myface--to my own face.' Mr Mantalini stroked his chin, as he 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 a littleVenus, such a demd, enchanting, bewitching, engrossing, captivatinglittle 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,' rejoinedMr Mantalini. 'It is all over; there will be nothing the matter; moneyshall be got in; and if it don't come in fast enough, old Nickleby shallstump up again, or have his jugular separated if he dares to vex andhurt the little--'

'Hush!' interposed Madame. 'Don't you see?'

Mr Mantalini, who, in his eagerness to make up matters with his wife,had overlooked, or feigned to overlook, Miss Nickleby hitherto, tookthe hint, and laying his finger on his lip, sunk his voice stilllower. There was, then, a great deal of whispering, during which MadameMantalini appeared to make reference, more than once, to certain debtsincurred by Mr Mantalini previous to her coverture; and also to anunexpected outlay of money in payment of the aforesaid debts; andfurthermore, to certain agreeable weaknesses on that gentleman's part,such as gaming, wasting, idling, and a tendency to horse-flesh; eachof which matters of accusation Mr Mantalini disposed of, by one kissor more, as its relative importance demanded. The upshot of it allwas, that Madame Mantalini was in raptures with him, and that they wentupstairs to breakfast.

Kate busied herself in what she had to do, and was silently arrangingthe various articles of decoration in the best taste she could display,when she started to hear a strange man's voice in the room, and startedagain, to observe, on looking round, that a white hat, and a redneckerchief, and a broad round face, and a large head, and part of agreen coat were in the room too.

'Don't alarm yourself, miss,' said the proprietor of these appearances.'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 to beckonto some unseen person outside, came, very deliberately, into the room,and was closely followed by a little man in brown, very much the worsefor wear, who brought with him a mingled fumigation of stale tobacco andfresh onions. The clothes of this gentleman were much bespeckled withflue; and his shoes, stockings, and nether garments, from his heels tothe waist buttons of his coat inclusive, were profusely embroidered withsplashes of mud, caught a fortnight previously--before the setting-in ofthe 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 did notattempt to disguise her apprehensions, and made a move towards the door.

'Wait a minnit,' said the man in the green coat, closing it softly, andstanding with his back against it. 'This is a unpleasant bisness. Vere'syour 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 at home?'

'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 made afavour on. You can jist give him that 'ere card, and tell him if hewants 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's hand,and, turning to his friend, remarked, with an easy air, 'that the roomswas a good high pitch;' to which the friend assented, adding, by way ofillustration, 'that there was lots of room for a little boy to grow upa man in either on 'em, vithout much fear of his ever bringing his headinto contract vith the ceiling.'

After ringing the bell which would summon Madame Mantalini, Kate glancedat the card, and saw that it displayed the name of 'Scaley,' togetherwith some other information to which she had not had time to refer, whenher attention was attracted by Mr Scaley himself, who, walking up to oneof the cheval-glasses, gave it a hard poke in the centre with his stick,as coolly as if it had been made of cast iron.

'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 its reflection,proceeded to the minute consideration of a pimple on his chin; in whichabsorbing occupation he was yet engaged, when Madame Mantalini, enteringthe room, uttered an exclamation of surprise which 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 pocket andunfolding it very slowly, 'this is a writ of execution, and if it's notconwenient to settle we'll go over the house at wunst, please, and takethe inwentory.'

Poor Madame Mantalini wrung her hands for grief, and rung the bellfor her husband; which done, she fell into a chair and a fainting fit,simultaneously. The professional gentlemen, however, were not at alldiscomposed by this event, for Mr Scaley, leaning upon a stand on whicha handsome dress was displayed (so that his shoulders appeared above it,in nearly the same manner as the shoulders of the lady for whom it wasdesigned would have done if she had had it on), pushed his hat on oneside and scratched his head with perfect unconcern, while his friendMr Tix, taking that opportunity for a general survey of the apartmentpreparatory to entering on business, stood with his inventory-book underhis arm and his hat in his hand, mentally occupied in putting a priceupon every object within his range of vision.

Such was the posture of affairs when Mr Mantalini hurried in; and asthat distinguished specimen had had a pretty extensive intercourse withMr Scaley's fraternity in his bachelor days, and was, besides, veryfar from being taken by surprise on the present agitating occasion, hemerely shrugged his shoulders, thrust his hands down to the bottom ofhis pockets, elevated his eyebrows, whistled a bar or two, swore an oathor two, and, sitting astride upon a chair, put the best face upon thematter with great composure and decency.

'What's the demd total?' was the first question he asked.

'Fifteen hundred and twenty-seven pound, four and ninepence ha'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 the ninepence.'

'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 bedone--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 you won'tsleep at home for three nights to come, along of being in possessionhere. Wot's the good of the lady a fretting herself?' continued MrScaley, as Madame Mantalini sobbed. 'A good half of wot's here isn'tpaid for, I des-say, and wot a consolation oughtn't that to be to herfeelings!'

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 his wifewith a penitent air; 'will you listen to me for two minutes?'

'Oh! don't speak to me,' replied his wife, sobbing. 'You have ruined 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, than herecoiled several paces, assumed an expression of consuming mental agony,rushed headlong from the room, and was, soon afterwards, heard to slamthe door of an upstairs dressing-room with great violence.

'Miss Nickleby,' cried Madame Mantalini, when this sound met herear, 'make haste, for Heaven's sake, he will destroy himself! I spokeunkindly to him, and he cannot bear it from me. Alfred, my darlingAlfred.'

With such exclamations, she hurried upstairs, followed by Kate who,although she did not quite participate in the fond wife's apprehensions,was a little flurried, nevertheless. The dressing-room door beinghastily flung open, Mr Mantalini was disclosed to view, with hisshirt-collar symmetrically thrown back: putting a fine edge to abreakfast knife by means of his razor strop.

'Ah!' cried Mr Mantalini, 'interrupted!' and whisk went the breakfastknife into Mr Mantalini's dressing-gown pocket, while Mr Mantalini'seyes rolled wildly, and his hair floating in wild disorder, mingled withhis whiskers.

'Alfred,' cried his wife, flinging her arms about him, 'I didn't mean tosay it, I didn't mean to say it!'

'Ruined!' cried Mr Mantalini. 'Have I brought ruin upon the best andpurest creature that ever blessed a demnition vagabond! Demmit, letme go.' At this crisis of his ravings Mr Mantalini made a pluck at thebreakfast knife, and being restrained by his wife's grasp, attempted todash his head against the wall--taking very good care to be at least sixfeet from it.

'Compose yourself, my own angel,' said Madame. 'It was nobody's fault;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, aftercalling several times for poison, and requesting some lady or gentlemanto blow his brains out, gentler feelings came upon him, and he weptpathetically. In this softened frame of mind he did not oppose thecapture of the knife--which, to tell the truth, he was rather glad to berid of, as an inconvenient and dangerous article for a skirt pocket--andfinally he suffered himself to be led away by his affectionate partner.

After a delay of two or three hours, the young ladies were informed thattheir services would be dispensed with until further notice, and at theexpiration of two days, the name of Mantalini appeared in the list ofbankrupts: Miss Nickleby received an intimation per post, on the samemorning, that the business would be, in future, carried on underthe name of Miss Knag, and that her assistance would no longer berequired--a piece of intelligence with which Mrs Nickleby was no soonermade acquainted, than that good lady declared she had expected it allalong and cited divers unknown occasions on which she had prophesied tothat precise effect.

'And I say again,' remarked Mrs Nickleby (who, it is scarcely necessaryto observe, had never said so before), 'I say again, that a milliner'sand dressmaker's is the very last description of business, Kate, thatyou should have thought of attaching yourself to. I don't make ita reproach to you, my love; but still I will say, that if you hadconsulted your own mother--'

'Well, well, mama,' said Kate, mildly: 'what would you recommend now?'

'Recommend!' cried Mrs Nickleby, 'isn't it obvious, my dear, that of alloccupations in this world for a young lady situated as you are, thatof companion to some amiable lady is the very thing for which youreducation, and manners, and personal appearance, and everything else,exactly qualify you? Did you never hear your poor dear papa speak of theyoung lady who was the daughter of the old lady who boarded in the samehouse that he boarded in once, when he was a bachelor--what was her nameagain? I know it began with a B, and ended with g, but whether it wasWaters or--no, it couldn't have been that, either; but whatever her namewas, don't you know that that young lady went as companion to a marriedlady who died soon afterwards, and that she married the husband, and hadone of the finest little boys that the medical man had ever seen--allwithin eighteen months?'

Kate knew, perfectly well, that this torrent of favourable recollectionwas occasioned by some opening, real or imaginary, which her mother haddiscovered, in the companionship walk of life. She therefore waited,very patiently, until all reminiscences and anecdotes, bearing or notbearing upon the subject, had been exhausted, and at last venturedto inquire what discovery had been made. The truth then came out. MrsNickleby had, that morning, had a yesterday's newspaper of the veryfirst respectability from the public-house where the porter came from;and in this yesterday's newspaper was an advertisement, couched in thepurest and most grammatical English, announcing that a married lady wasin want of a genteel young person as companion, and that the marriedlady's name and address were to be known, on application at a certainlibrary at the west end of the town, therein mentioned.

'And I say,' exclaimed Mrs Nickleby, laying the paper down in triumph,'that if your uncle don't object, it's well worth the trial.'

Kate was too sick at heart, after the rough jostling she had already hadwith the world, and really cared too little at the moment what fate wasreserved for her, to make any objection. Mr Ralph Nickleby offered none,but, on the contrary, highly approved of the suggestion; neither did heexpress any great surprise at Madame Mantalini's sudden failure, indeedit would have been strange if he had, inasmuch as it had been procuredand brought about chiefly by himself. So, the name and address wereobtained without loss of time, and Miss Nickleby and her mama went offin quest of Mrs Wititterly, of Cadogan Place, Sloane Street, that sameforenoon.

Cadogan Place is the one slight bond that joins two great extremes; itis the connecting link between the aristocratic pavements of BelgraveSquare, and the barbarism of Chelsea. It is in Sloane Street, but not ofit. The people in Cadogan Place look down upon Sloane Street, and thinkBrompton low. They affect fashion too, and wonder where the New Roadis. Not that they claim to be on precisely the same footing as the highfolks of Belgrave Square and Grosvenor Place, but that they stand, withreference to them, rather in the light of those illegitimate children ofthe great who are content to boast of their connections, although theirconnections disavow them. Wearing as much as they can of the airsand semblances of loftiest rank, the people of Cadogan Place have therealities of middle station. It is the conductor which communicates tothe inhabitants of regions beyond its limit, the shock of pride ofbirth and rank, which it has not within itself, but derives from afountain-head beyond; or, like the ligament which unites the Siamesetwins, it contains something of the life and essence of two distinctbodies, and yet belongs to neither.

Upon this doubtful ground, lived Mrs Wititterly, and at Mrs Wititterly'sdoor Kate Nickleby knocked with trembling hand. The door was opened bya big footman with his head floured, or chalked, or painted in some way(it didn't look genuine powder), and the big footman, receiving the cardof introduction, gave it to a little page; so little, indeed, that hisbody would not hold, in ordinary array, the number of small buttonswhich are indispensable to a page's costume, and they were consequentlyobliged to be stuck on four abreast. This young gentleman took the cardupstairs on a salver, and pending his return, Kate and her mother wereshown into a dining-room of rather dirty and shabby aspect, and socomfortably arranged as to be adapted to almost any purpose rather thaneating and drinking.

Now, in the ordinary course of things, and according to all authenticdescriptions of high life, as set forth in books, Mrs Wititterly oughtto have been in her BOUDOIR; but whether it was that Mr Wititterly wasat that moment shaving himself in the BOUDOIR or what not, certain itis that Mrs Wititterly gave audience in the drawing-room, where waseverything proper and necessary, including curtains and furniturecoverings of a roseate hue, to shed a delicate bloom on Mrs Wititterly'scomplexion, and a little dog to snap at strangers' legs for MrsWititterly's amusement, and the afore-mentioned page, to hand chocolatefor Mrs Wititterly's refreshment.

The lady had an air of sweet insipidity, and a face of engagingpaleness; there was a faded look about her, and about the furniture, andabout the house. She was reclining on a sofa in such a very unstudiedattitude, that she might have been taken for an actress all ready forthe first scene in a ballet, and only waiting for the drop curtain to goup.

'Place chairs.'

The page placed them.

'Leave the room, Alphonse.'

The page left it; but if ever an Alphonse carried plain Bill in his faceand 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 with anapplication.'

'Yes,' drawled Mrs Wititterly again.

'If you have already made a selection--'

'Oh dear no,' interrupted the lady, 'I am not so easily suited. I reallydon't know what to say. You have never been a companion before, haveyou?'

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 for some 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 little thought,at one time, that it would be necessary for my daughter to go out intothe world at all, for her poor dear papa was an independent gentleman,and would have been at this moment if he had but listened in time to myconstant 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, andfor once Mrs Nickleby was stopped upon the very brink of an oration.

'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 two calculationsagreed, so Mrs Nickleby had no excuse for talking.

'You are a good temper?' asked Mrs Wititterly, opening her eyes for aninstant, 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 me lookat you,' said Mrs Wititterly; 'I am so very nearsighted that I can'tquite discern your features.'

Kate complied, though not without some embarrassment, with this request,and Mrs Wititterly took a languid survey of her countenance, whichlasted 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, duringwhich not a word was spoken on either side, opened the door for animportant gentleman of about eight-and-thirty, of rather plebeiancountenance, and with a very light head of hair, who leant over MrsWititterly for a little time, and conversed with her in whispers.

'Oh!' he said, turning round, 'yes. This is a most important matter. MrsWititterly is of a very excitable nature; very delicate, very fragile; ahothouse plant, an exotic.'

'Oh! Henry, my dear,' interposed Mrs Wititterly.

'You are, my love, you know you are; one breath--' said Mr W., blowingan 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 that thereis not a physician who is not proud of being called in to you. Whatis their unanimous declaration? "My dear doctor," said I to Sir TumleySnuffim, in this very room, the very last time he came. "My dear doctor,what is my wife's complaint? Tell me all. I can bear it. Is it nerves?""My dear fellow," he said, "be proud of that woman; make much of her;she is an ornament to the fashionable world, and to you. Her complaintis soul. It swells, expands, dilates--the blood fires, the pulsequickens, the excitement increases--Whew!"' Here Mr Wititterly, who, inthe ardour of his description, had flourished his right hand to withinsomething less than an inch of Mrs Nickleby's bonnet, drew it hastilyback again, and blew his nose as fiercely as if it had been done by someviolent machinery.

'You make me out worse than I am, Henry,' said Mrs Wititterly, with afaint smile.

'I do not, Julia, I do not,' said Mr W. 'The society in whichyou move--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 night youdanced with the baronet's nephew at the election ball, at Exeter! It wastremendous.'

'I always suffer for these triumphs afterwards,' said Mrs Wititterly.

'And for that very reason,' rejoined her husband, 'you must have acompanion, in whom there is great gentleness, great sweetness, excessivesympathy, and perfect repose.'

Here, both Mr and Mrs Wititterly, who had talked rather at the Nicklebysthan to each other, left off speaking, and looked at their two hearers,with an expression of countenance which seemed to say, 'What do youthink of all this?'

'Mrs Wititterly,' said her husband, addressing himself to Mrs Nickleby,'is sought after and courted by glittering crowds and brilliant circles.She is excited by the opera, the drama, the fine arts, the--the--the--'

'The nobility, my love,' interposed Mrs Wititterly.

'The nobility, of course,' said Mr Wititterly. 'And the military. Sheforms and expresses an immense variety of opinions on an immense varietyof subjects. If some people in public life were acquainted with MrsWititterly's real opinion of them, they would not hold their 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 this younglady's qualifications for the office.'

In obedience to this request, the qualifications were all gone throughagain, with the addition of many interruptions and cross-questioningsfrom Mr Wititterly. It was finally arranged that inquiries should bemade, and a decisive answer addressed to Miss Nickleby under coverof her uncle, within two days. These conditions agreed upon, the pageshowed them down as far as the staircase window; and the big footman,relieving guard at that point, piloted them in perfect safety to thestreet-door.

'They are very distinguished people, evidently,' said Mrs Nickleby, asshe took her daughter's arm. 'What a superior person Mrs Wititterly 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 not bewearing 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 of thedisconsolate widower bestowing his hand on her daughter. Before reachinghome, she had freed Mrs Wititterly's soul from all bodily restraint;married Kate with great splendour at St George's, Hanover Square;and only left undecided the minor question, whether a splendidFrench-polished mahogany bedstead should be erected for herself in thetwo-pair back of the house in Cadogan Place, or in the three-pair front:between which apartments she could not quite balance the advantages, andtherefore adjusted the question at last, by determining to leave it tothe decision of her son-in-law.

The inquiries were made. The answer--not to Kate's very great joy--wasfavourable; and at the expiration of a week she betook herself, with allher movables and valuables, to Mrs Wititterly's mansion, where for thepresent we will leave her.