Smike and Newman Noggs, who in his impatience had returned home longbefore the time agreed upon, sat before the fire, listening anxiouslyto every footstep on the stairs, and the slightest sound that stirredwithin the house, for the approach of Nicholas. Time had worn on, andit was growing late. He had promised to be back in an hour; and hisprolonged absence began to excite considerable alarm in the minds ofboth, as was abundantly testified by the blank looks they cast upon eachother 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 atthe conclusion 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 no bones.'What have you been doing?'

'I know all,' interrupted Nicholas; 'I have heard a part, and guessedthe rest. But before I remove one jot of these stains, I must hear thewhole from you. You see I am collected. My resolution is taken. Now, mygood friend, speak out; for the time for any palliation or concealmentis past, and nothing will avail Ralph Nickleby now.'

'Your dress is torn in several places; you walk lame, and I am sure youare suffering pain,' said Newman. 'Let me see to your hurts first.'

'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 preserved mysenses, you should not bandage one till you had told me what I have theright to know. Come,' said Nicholas, giving his hand to Noggs. 'You hada sister of your own, you told me once, who died before you fell intomisfortune. 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 fixed hiseyes upon the fire, and did not look round once.

His recital ended, Newman insisted upon his young friend's stripping offhis coat and allowing whatever injuries he had received to be properlytended. Nicholas, after some opposition, at length consented, and, whilesome pretty severe bruises on his arms and shoulders were being rubbedwith oil and vinegar, and various other efficacious remedies whichNewman borrowed from the different lodgers, related in what manner theyhad been received. The recital made a strong impression on the warmimagination of Newman; for when Nicholas came to the violent part of thequarrel, he rubbed so hard, as to occasion him the most exquisite pain,which he would not have exhibited, however, for the world, it beingperfectly clear that, for the moment, Newman was operating on SirMulberry Hawk, and had quite 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. He thenwrapped himself in Smike's greatcoat, and repaired to the inn where theywere to pass the night, and where (after writing a few lines to Ralph,the delivery of which was to be intrusted to Newman next day), heendeavoured to obtain the repose of which he stood so much 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 in otherkinds of violent excitement: certain it is, that although Nicholasexperienced some pain on first awakening next morning, he sprung out ofbed as the clock struck seven, with very little difficulty, and was soonas much on the alert as if nothing had occurred.

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 the previousnight.

It wanted a quarter to eight when they reached Cadogan Place. Nicholasbegan to fear that no one might be stirring at that early hour, when hewas relieved by the sight of a female servant, employed in cleaning thedoor-steps. By this functionary he was referred to the doubtful page,who appeared with dishevelled hair and a very warm and glossy face, asof a page who had just got out of 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 haste tosee her,' said Nicholas.

The plated buttons disappeared with an alacrity most unusual to them,and Nicholas paced the room in a state of feverish agitation which madethe delay even of a minute insupportable. He soon heard a light footstepwhich he well knew, and before he could advance to meet her, Kate hadfallen on his neck and burst into tears.

'My darling girl,' said Nicholas as he embraced her. 'How pale you are!'

'I have been so unhappy here, dear brother,' sobbed poor Kate; 'so very,very miserable. Do not leave me here, dear Nicholas, or I shall die of abroken heart.'

'I will leave you nowhere,' answered Nicholas--'never again, Kate,' hecried, moved in spite of himself as he folded her to his heart. 'Tellme that I acted for the best. Tell me that we parted because I feared tobring misfortune on your head; that it was a trial to me no less than toyourself, and that if I did wrong it was in ignorance of the world andunknowingly.'

'Why should I tell you what we know so well?' returned Kate soothingly.'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 kind andpatient--God!' cried Nicholas, clenching his fist and suddenly changinghis tone and manner, 'it sets my whole blood on fire again. You mustleave here with me directly; you should not have slept here last night,but that I knew all this too late. To whom can I speak, before we driveaway?'

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 a man onthe right side, 'is not yet half expired. Therefore--'

'Therefore,' interposed Nicholas, 'the quarter's salary must be lost,sir. You will excuse this extreme haste, but circumstances require thatI should immediately remove my sister, and I have not a moment's time tolose. 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 than otherwise,Sir Tumley Snuffim having given it as his opinion, that she ratherdisagreed with Mrs Wititterly's constitution.

'With regard to the trifle of salary that is due,' said Mr Wititterly,'I will'--here he was interrupted by a violent fit of coughing--'Iwill--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 little pleasant wayof their own; and this was Mr Wititterly's.

'If you please,' said Nicholas. And once more offering a hurried apologyfor so sudden a departure, he hurried Kate into the vehicle, and badethe man drive with all speed into the city.

To the city they went accordingly, with all the speed the hackney coachcould make; and as the horses happened to live at Whitechapel and to bein the habit of taking their breakfast there, when they breakfastedat all, they performed the journey with greater expedition than couldreasonably have been expected.

Nicholas sent Kate upstairs a few minutes before him, that hisunlooked-for appearance might not alarm his mother, and when the way hadbeen paved, presented himself with much duty and affection. Newman hadnot been idle, for there was a little cart at the door, and the effectswere 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 had beensubjected to a full hour's preparation by little Miss La Creevy, and wasnow addressed in most lucid terms both by Nicholas and his sister, shewas in a state of singular bewilderment and confusion, and could by nomeans be made to comprehend the necessity of such hurried proceedings.

'Why don't you ask your uncle, my dear Nicholas, what he can possiblymean 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 with thescorn and indignation he deserves. Your own honour and good name demandthat, after the discovery of his vile proceedings, you should not bebeholden to him one hour, even for the shelter of these 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 I havehad this ceiling whitewashed at the expense of eighteen-pence, which isa very distressing thing, considering that it is so much gone into youruncle'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 that SirMulberry Hawk should be such an abandoned wretch as Miss La Creevy sayshe is, Nicholas, my dear; when I was congratulating myself every day onhis being an admirer of our dear Kate's, and thinking what a thing itwould be for the family if he was to become connected with us, and usehis interest to get you some profitable government place. There arevery good places to be got about the court, I know; for a friend of ours(Miss Cropley, at Exeter, my dear Kate, you recollect), he had one, andI know that it was the chief part of his duty to wear silk stockings,and a bag wig like a black watch-pocket; and to think that it shouldcome to this after all--oh, dear, dear, it's enough to kill one, that itis!' With which expressions of sorrow, Mrs Nickleby gave fresh vent toher grief, and wept piteously.

As Nicholas and his sister were by this time compelled to superintendthe removal of the few articles of furniture, Miss La Creevy devotedherself to the consolation of the matron, and observed with greatkindness of manner that she must really make an effort, and cheer up.

'Oh I dare say, Miss La Creevy,' returned Mrs Nickleby, with a petulancenot unnatural in her unhappy circumstances, 'it's very easy to say cheerup, but if you had as many occasions to cheer up as I have had--andthere,' said Mrs Nickleby, stopping short. 'Think of Mr Pyke and MrPluck, two of the most perfect gentlemen that ever lived, what am I toosay to them--what can I say to them? Why, if I was to say to them, "I'mtold your friend Sir Mulberry is a 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 until Monday, at allevents, we will return to our old quarters.'

'--Where everything is ready, and a hearty welcome into the bargain,'added Miss La Creevy. 'Now, let me go with you downstairs.'

But Mrs Nickleby was not to be so easily moved, for first she insistedon going upstairs to see that nothing had been left, and then on goingdownstairs to see that everything had been taken away; and when she wasgetting into the coach she had a vision of a forgotten coffee-pot on theback-kitchen hob, and after she was shut in, a dismal recollection ofa green umbrella behind some unknown door. At last Nicholas, in acondition of absolute despair, ordered the coachman to drive away,and in the unexpected jerk of a sudden starting, Mrs Nickleby lost ashilling among the straw, which fortunately confined her attention tothe coach until it was too late to remember anything else.

Having seen everything safely out, discharged the servant, and lockedthe door, Nicholas jumped into a cabriolet and drove to a bye place nearGolden Square where he had appointed to meet Noggs; and so quickly hadeverything been done, that it was barely half-past nine when he reachedthe place of meeting.

'Here is the letter for Ralph,' said Nicholas, 'and here the key. Whenyou come to me this evening, not a word of last night. Ill news travelsfast, and they will know it soon enough. Have you heard if he was muchhurt?'

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 fevered andill.'

Nicholas waved his hand carelessly, and concealing the indisposition hereally felt, now that the excitement which had sustained him was over,took a hurried farewell of Newman Noggs, and left him.

Newman was not three minutes' walk from Golden Square, but in the courseof that three minutes he took the letter out of his hat and put it inagain twenty times at least. First the front, then the back, then thesides, then the superscription, then the seal, were objects of Newman'sadmiration. Then he held it at arm's length as if to take in the wholeat one delicious survey, and then he rubbed his hands in a perfectecstasy 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-known creaking ofhis boots was heard on the stairs, and then the bell rung.

'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, orless.'

Ralph glanced at the direction, opened the letter, and read asfollows:--

'You are known to me now. There are no reproaches I could heap upon yourhead which would carry with them one thousandth part of the grovellingshame that this assurance will awaken even in your breast.

'Your brother's widow and her orphan child spurn the shelter of yourroof, and shun you with disgust and loathing. Your kindred renounce you,for they know no shame but the ties of blood which bind them in namewith 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, fell intoa fit of musing; the paper fluttered from his hand and dropped upon thefloor, but he clasped his fingers, as if he held it still.

Suddenly, he started from his seat, and thrusting it all crumpled intohis pocket, turned furiously to Newman Noggs, as though to ask himwhy he lingered. But Newman stood unmoved, with his back towards him,following up, with the worn and blackened stump of an old pen, somefigures in an Interest-table which was pasted against the wall, andapparently quite abstracted from every other object.