The storm had long given place to a calm the most profound, and theevening was pretty far advanced--indeed supper was over, and theprocess of digestion proceeding as favourably as, under the influence ofcomplete tranquillity, cheerful conversation, and a moderate allowanceof brandy-and-water, most wise men conversant with the anatomy andfunctions of the human frame will consider that it ought to haveproceeded, when the three friends, or as one might say, both in a civiland religious sense, and with proper deference and regard to the holystate of matrimony, the two friends, (Mr and Mrs Browdie counting asno more than one,) were startled by the noise of loud and angrythreatenings below stairs, which presently attained so high a pitch,and were conveyed besides in language so towering, sanguinary, andferocious, that it could hardly have been surpassed, if there hadactually been a Saracen's head then present in the establishment,supported on the shoulders and surmounting the trunk of a real, live,furious, and most unappeasable Saracen.

This turmoil, instead of quickly subsiding after the first outburst,(as turmoils not unfrequently do, whether in taverns, legislativeassemblies, or elsewhere,) into a mere grumbling and growling squabble,increased every moment; and although the whole din appeared to beraised by but one pair of lungs, yet that one pair was of so powerfula quality, and repeated such words as 'scoundrel,' 'rascal,' 'insolentpuppy,' and a variety of expletives no less flattering to the partyaddressed, with such great relish and strength of tone, that a dozenvoices raised in concert under any ordinary circumstances would havemade far less uproar and created much smaller consternation.

'Why, what's the matter?' said Nicholas, moving hastily towards thedoor.

John Browdie was striding in the same direction when Mrs Browdie turnedpale, and, leaning back in her chair, requested him with a faint voiceto take notice, that if he ran into any danger it was her intention tofall into hysterics immediately, and that the consequences might be moreserious than he thought for. John looked rather disconcerted by thisintelligence, though there was a lurking grin on his face at the sametime; but, being quite unable to keep out of the fray, he compromisedthe matter by tucking his wife's arm under his own, and, thusaccompanied, following Nicholas downstairs with all speed.

The passage outside the coffee-room door was the scene of disturbance,and here were congregated the coffee-room customers and waiters,together with two or three coachmen and helpers from the yard. These hadhastily assembled round a young man who from his appearance might havebeen a year or two older than Nicholas, and who, besides having givenutterance to the defiances just now described, seemed to have proceededto even greater lengths in his indignation, inasmuch as his feet had noother covering than a pair of stockings, while a couple of slippers layat no great distance from the head of a prostrate figure in an oppositecorner, who bore the appearance of having been shot into his presentretreat by means of a kick, and complimented by having the slippersflung about his ears afterwards.

The coffee-room customers, and the waiters, and the coachmen, and thehelpers--not to mention a barmaid who was looking on from behind anopen sash window--seemed at that moment, if a spectator might judge fromtheir winks, nods, and muttered exclamations, strongly disposed to takepart against the young gentleman in the stockings. Observing this, andthat the young gentleman was nearly of his own age and had in nothingthe appearance of an habitual brawler, Nicholas, impelled by suchfeelings as will influence young men sometimes, felt a very strongdisposition to side with the weaker party, and so thrust himself at onceinto the centre of the group, and in a more emphatic tone, perhaps, thancircumstances might seem to warrant, demanded what all that noise wasabout.

'Hallo!' said one of the men from the yard, 'this is somebody indisguise, this is.'

'Room for the eldest son of the Emperor of Roosher, gen'l'men!' criedanother fellow.

Disregarding these sallies, which were uncommonly well received, assallies at the expense of the best-dressed persons in a crowd usuallyare, Nicholas glanced carelessly round, and addressing the younggentleman, who had by this time picked up his slippers and thrust hisfeet into them, repeated his inquiries with a courteous air.

'A mere nothing!' he replied.

At this a murmur was raised by the lookers-on, and some of the boldestcried, 'Oh, indeed!--Wasn't it though?--Nothing, eh?--He called thatnothing, did he? Lucky for him if he found it nothing.' These and manyother expressions of ironical disapprobation having been exhausted, twoor three of the out-of-door fellows began to hustle Nicholas and theyoung gentleman who had made the noise: stumbling against them byaccident, and treading on their toes, and so forth. But this being around game, and one not necessarily limited to three or four players,was open to John Browdie too, who, bursting into the little crowd--tothe great terror of his wife--and falling about in all directions,now to the right, now to the left, now forwards, now backwards, andaccidentally driving his elbow through the hat of the tallest helper,who had been particularly active, speedily caused the odds to wear avery different appearance; while more than one stout fellow limped awayto a respectful distance, anathematising with tears in his eyes theheavy tread and ponderous feet of the burly Yorkshireman.

'Let me see him do it again,' said he who had been kicked into thecorner, rising as he spoke, apparently more from the fear of JohnBrowdie's inadvertently treading upon him, than from any desire to placehimself on equal terms with his late adversary. 'Let me see him do itagain. That's all.'

'Let me hear you make those remarks again,' said the young man, 'andI'll knock that head of yours in among the wine-glasses behind youthere.'

Here a waiter who had been rubbing his hands in excessive enjoymentof the scene, so long as only the breaking of heads was in question,adjured the spectators with great earnestness to fetch the police,declaring that otherwise murder would be surely done, and that he wasresponsible for all the glass and china on the premises.

'No one need trouble himself to stir,' said the young gentleman, 'I amgoing to remain in the house all night, and shall be found here in themorning if there is any assault to answer for.'

'What did you strike him for?' asked one of the bystanders.

'Ah! what did you strike him for?' demanded the others.

The unpopular gentleman looked coolly round, and addressing himself toNicholas, said:

'You inquired just now what was the matter here. The matter is simplythis. Yonder person, who was drinking with a friend in the coffee-roomwhen I took my seat there for half an hour before going to bed, (for Ihave just come off a journey, and preferred stopping here tonight, togoing home at this hour, where I was not expected until tomorrow,) choseto express himself in very disrespectful, and insolently familiarterms, of a young lady, whom I recognised from his description and othercircumstances, and whom I have the honour to know. As he spoke loudenough to be overheard by the other guests who were present, I informedhim most civilly that he was mistaken in his conjectures, which wereof an offensive nature, and requested him to forbear. He did so for alittle time, but as he chose to renew his conversation when leaving theroom, in a more offensive strain than before, I could not refrainfrom making after him, and facilitating his departure by a kick, whichreduced him to the posture in which you saw him just now. I am thebest judge of my own affairs, I take it,' said the young man, who hadcertainly not quite recovered from his recent heat; 'if anybody herethinks proper to make this quarrel his own, I have not the smallestearthly objection, I do assure him.'

Of all possible courses of proceeding under the circumstances detailed,there was certainly not one which, in his then state of mind, couldhave appeared more laudable to Nicholas than this. There were not manysubjects of dispute which at that moment could have come home to hisown breast more powerfully, for having the unknown uppermost in histhoughts, it naturally occurred to him that he would have done just thesame if any audacious gossiper durst have presumed in his hearing tospeak lightly of her. Influenced by these considerations, he espousedthe young gentleman's quarrel with great warmth, protesting that he haddone quite right, and that he respected him for it; which John Browdie(albeit not quite clear as to the merits) immediately protested too,with not inferior vehemence.

'Let him take care, that's all,' said the defeated party, who was beingrubbed down by a waiter, after his recent fall on the dusty boards. 'Hedon't knock me about for nothing, I can tell him that. A pretty state ofthings, if a man isn't to admire a handsome girl without being beat topieces for it!'

This reflection appeared to have great weight with the young lady inthe bar, who (adjusting her cap as she spoke, and glancing at a mirror)declared that it would be a very pretty state of things indeed; and thatif people were to be punished for actions so innocent and natural asthat, there would be more people to be knocked down than there wouldbe people to knock them down, and that she wondered what the gentlemanmeant by it, that she did.

'My dear girl,' said the young gentleman in a low voice, advancingtowards the sash window.

'Nonsense, sir!' replied the young lady sharply, smiling though as sheturned aside, and biting her lip, (whereat Mrs Browdie, who was stillstanding on the stairs, glanced at her with disdain, and called to herhusband to come away).

'No, but listen to me,' said the young man. 'If admiration of a prettyface were criminal, I should be the most hopeless person alive, for Icannot resist one. It has the most extraordinary effect upon me, checksand controls me in the most furious and obstinate mood. You see what aneffect yours has had upon me already.'

'Oh, that's very pretty,' replied the young lady, tossing her head,'but--'

'Yes, I know it's very pretty,' said the young man, looking with an airof admiration in the barmaid's face; 'I said so, you know, just thismoment. But beauty should be spoken of respectfully--respectfully, andin proper terms, and with a becoming sense of its worth and excellence,whereas this fellow has no more notion--'

The young lady interrupted the conversation at this point, by thrustingher head out of the bar-window, and inquiring of the waiter in a shrillvoice whether that young man who had been knocked down was going tostand in the passage all night, or whether the entrance was to be leftclear for other people. The waiters taking the hint, and communicatingit to the hostlers, were not slow to change their tone too, and theresult was, that the unfortunate victim was bundled out in a twinkling.

'I am sure I have seen that fellow before,' said Nicholas.

'Indeed!' replied his new acquaintance.

'I am certain of it,' said Nicholas, pausing to reflect. 'Where can Ihave--stop!--yes, to be sure--he belongs to a register-office up at thewest end of the town. I knew I recollected the face.'

It was, indeed, Tom, the ugly clerk.

'That's odd enough!' said Nicholas, ruminating upon the strange mannerin which the register-office seemed to start up and stare him in theface every now and then, and when he least expected it.

'I am much obliged to you for your kind advocacy of my cause when itmost needed an advocate,' said the young man, laughing, and drawing acard from his pocket. 'Perhaps you'll do me the favour to let me knowwhere I can thank you.'

Nicholas took the card, and glancing at it involuntarily as he returnedthe compliment, evinced very great surprise.

'Mr Frank Cheeryble!' said Nicholas. 'Surely not the nephew of CheerybleBrothers, who is expected tomorrow!'

'I don't usually call myself the nephew of the firm,' returned Mr Frank,good-humouredly; 'but of the two excellent individuals who compose it,I am proud to say I AM the nephew. And you, I see, are Mr Nickleby, ofwhom I have heard so much! This is a most unexpected meeting, but notthe less welcome, I assure you.'

Nicholas responded to these compliments with others of the same kind,and they shook hands warmly. Then he introduced John Browdie, who hadremained in a state of great admiration ever since the young lady inthe bar had been so skilfully won over to the right side. Then Mrs JohnBrowdie was introduced, and finally they all went upstairs togetherand spent the next half-hour with great satisfaction and mutualentertainment; Mrs John Browdie beginning the conversation bydeclaring that of all the made-up things she ever saw, that young womanbelow-stairs was the vainest and the plainest.

This Mr Frank Cheeryble, although, to judge from what had recently takenplace, a hot-headed young man (which is not an absolute miracle andphenomenon in nature), was a sprightly, good-humoured, pleasant fellow,with much both in his countenance and disposition that reminded Nicholasvery strongly of the kind-hearted brothers. His manner was as unaffectedas theirs, and his demeanour full of that heartiness which, to mostpeople who have anything generous in their composition, is peculiarlyprepossessing. Add to this, that he was good-looking and intelligent,had a plentiful share of vivacity, was extremely cheerful, andaccommodated himself in five minutes' time to all John Browdie'soddities with as much ease as if he had known him from a boy; and itwill be a source of no great wonder that, when they parted for thenight, he had produced a most favourable impression, not only upon theworthy Yorkshireman and his wife, but upon Nicholas also, who, revolvingall these things in his mind as he made the best of his way home,arrived at the conclusion that he had laid the foundation of a mostagreeable and desirable acquaintance.

'But it's a most extraordinary thing about that register-office fellow!'thought Nicholas. 'Is it likely that this nephew can know anything aboutthat beautiful girl? When Tim Linkinwater gave me to understand theother day that he was coming to take a share in the business here, hesaid he had been superintending it in Germany for four years, and thatduring the last six months he had been engaged in establishing an agencyin the north of England. That's four years and a half--four years and ahalf. She can't be more than seventeen--say eighteen at the outside. Shewas quite a child when he went away, then. I should say he knew nothingabout her and had never seen her, so HE can give me no information. Atall events,' thought Nicholas, coming to the real point in his mind,'there can be no danger of any prior occupation of her affections inthat quarter; that's quite clear.'

Is selfishness a necessary ingredient in the composition of that passioncalled love, or does it deserve all the fine things which poets, in theexercise of their undoubted vocation, have said of it? There are, nodoubt, authenticated instances of gentlemen having given up ladiesand ladies having given up gentlemen to meritorious rivals, undercircumstances of great high-mindedness; but is it quite establishedthat the majority of such ladies and gentlemen have not made a virtue ofnecessity, and nobly resigned what was beyond their reach; as a privatesoldier might register a vow never to accept the order of the Garter, ora poor curate of great piety and learning, but of no family--save a verylarge family of children--might renounce a bishopric?

Here was Nicholas Nickleby, who would have scorned the thought ofcounting how the chances stood of his rising in favour or fortune withthe brothers Cheeryble, now that their nephew had returned, already deepin calculations whether that same nephew was likely to rival him in theaffections of the fair unknown--discussing the matter with himself too,as gravely as if, with that one exception, it were all settled; andrecurring to the subject again and again, and feeling quite indignantand ill-used at the notion of anybody else making love to one withwhom he had never exchanged a word in all his life. To be sure, heexaggerated rather than depreciated the merits of his new acquaintance;but still he took it as a kind of personal offence that he should haveany merits at all--in the eyes of this particular young lady, that is;for elsewhere he was quite welcome to have as many as he pleased. Therewas undoubted selfishness in all this, and yet Nicholas was of a mostfree and generous nature, with as few mean or sordid thoughts, perhaps,as ever fell to the lot of any man; and there is no reason to supposethat, being in love, he felt and thought differently from other peoplein the like sublime condition.

He did not stop to set on foot an inquiry into his train of thought orstate of feeling, however; but went thinking on all the way home,and continued to dream on in the same strain all night. For, havingsatisfied himself that Frank Cheeryble could have no knowledge of, oracquaintance with, the mysterious young lady, it began to occur to himthat even he himself might never see her again; upon which hypothesis hebuilt up a very ingenious succession of tormenting ideas which answeredhis purpose even better than the vision of Mr Frank Cheeryble, andtantalised and worried him, waking and sleeping.

Notwithstanding all that has been said and sung to the contrary,there is no well-established case of morning having either deferredor hastened its approach by the term of an hour or so for the meregratification of a splenetic feeling against some unoffending lover:the sun having, in the discharge of his public duty, as the booksof precedent report, invariably risen according to the almanacs, andwithout suffering himself to be swayed by any private considerations.So, morning came as usual, and with it business-hours, and with them MrFrank Cheeryble, and with him a long train of smiles and welcomes fromthe worthy brothers, and a more grave and clerk-like, but scarcely lesshearty reception from Mr Timothy Linkinwater.

'That Mr Frank and Mr Nickleby should have met last night,' saidTim Linkinwater, getting slowly off his stool, and looking round thecounting-house with his back planted against the desk, as was his customwhen he had anything very particular to say: 'that those two young menshould have met last night in that manner is, I say, a coincidence, aremarkable coincidence. Why, I don't believe now,' added Tim, taking offhis spectacles, and smiling as with gentle pride, 'that there's such aplace in all the world for coincidences as London is!'

'I don't know about that,' said Mr Frank; 'but--'

'Don't know about it, Mr Francis!' interrupted Tim, with an obstinateair. 'Well, but let us know. If there is any better place for suchthings, where is it? Is it in Europe? No, that it isn't. Is it in Asia?Why, of course it's not. Is it in Africa? Not a bit of it. Is it inAmerica? YOU know better than that, at all events. Well, then,' saidTim, folding his arms resolutely, 'where is it?'

'I was not about to dispute the point, Tim,' said young Cheeryble,laughing. 'I am not such a heretic as that. All I was going to say was,that I hold myself under an obligation to the coincidence, that's all.'

'Oh! if you don't dispute it,' said Tim, quite satisfied, 'that'sanother thing. I'll tell you what though. I wish you had. I wish youor anybody would. I would so put that man down,' said Tim, tapping theforefinger of his left hand emphatically with his spectacles, 'so putthat man down by argument--'

It was quite impossible to find language to express the degree of mentalprostration to which such an adventurous wight would be reduced in thekeen encounter with Tim Linkinwater, so Tim gave up the rest of hisdeclaration in pure lack of words, and mounted his stool again.

'We may consider ourselves, brother Ned,' said Charles, after he hadpatted Tim Linkinwater approvingly on the back, 'very fortunate inhaving two such young men about us as our nephew Frank and Mr Nickleby.It should be a source of great satisfaction and pleasure to us.'

'Certainly, Charles, certainly,' returned the other.

'Of Tim,' added brother Ned, 'I say nothing whatever, because Tim isa mere child--an infant--a nobody that we never think of or take intoaccount at all. Tim, you villain, what do you say to that, sir?'

'I am jealous of both of 'em,' said Tim, 'and mean to look out foranother situation; so provide yourselves, gentlemen, if you please.'

Tim thought this such an exquisite, unparalleled, and most extraordinaryjoke, that he laid his pen upon the inkstand, and rather tumbling offhis stool than getting down with his usual deliberation, laughed till hewas quite faint, shaking his head all the time so that little particlesof powder flew palpably about the office. Nor were the brothers at allbehind-hand, for they laughed almost as heartily at the ludicrous ideaof any voluntary separation between themselves and old Tim. Nicholasand Mr Frank laughed quite boisterously, perhaps to conceal some otheremotion awakened by this little incident, (and so, indeed, did the threeold fellows after the first burst,) so perhaps there was as much keenenjoyment and relish in that laugh, altogether, as the politest assemblyever derived from the most poignant witticism uttered at any oneperson's expense.

'Mr Nickleby,' said brother Charles, calling him aside, and taking himkindly by the hand, 'I--I--am anxious, my dear sir, to see that you areproperly and comfortably settled in the cottage. We cannot allow thosewho serve us well to labour under any privation or discomfort that it isin our power to remove. I wish, too, to see your mother and sister: toknow them, Mr Nickleby, and have an opportunity of relieving their mindsby assuring them that any trifling service we have been able to dothem is a great deal more than repaid by the zeal and ardour youdisplay.--Not a word, my dear sir, I beg. Tomorrow is Sunday. I shallmake bold to come out at teatime, and take the chance of finding you athome; if you are not, you know, or the ladies should feel a delicacy inbeing intruded on, and would rather not be known to me just now, whyI can come again another time, any other time would do for me. Let itremain upon that understanding. Brother Ned, my dear fellow, let me havea word with you this way.'

The twins went out of the office arm-in-arm, and Nicholas, who saw inthis act of kindness, and many others of which he had been the subjectthat morning, only so many delicate renewals on the arrival of theirnephew of the kind assurance which the brothers had given him in hisabsence, could scarcely feel sufficient admiration and gratitude forsuch extraordinary consideration.

The intelligence that they were to have visitor--and such avisitor--next day, awakened in the breast of Mrs Nickleby mingledfeelings of exultation and regret; for whereas on the one hand shehailed it as an omen of her speedy restoration to good society and thealmost-forgotten pleasures of morning calls and evening tea-drinkings,she could not, on the other, but reflect with bitterness of spirit onthe absence of a silver teapot with an ivory knob on the lid, and amilk-jug to match, which had been the pride of her heart in days ofyore, and had been kept from year's end to year's end wrapped up inwash-leather on a certain top shelf which now presented itself in livelycolours to her sorrowing imagination.

'I wonder who's got that spice-box,' said Mrs Nickleby, shaking herhead. 'It used to stand in the left-hand corner, next but two to thepickled onions. You remember that spice-box, Kate?'

'Perfectly well, mama.'

'I shouldn't think you did, Kate,' returned Mrs Nickleby, in a severemanner, 'talking about it in that cold and unfeeling way! If thereis any one thing that vexes me in these losses more than the lossesthemselves, I do protest and declare,' said Mrs Nickleby, rubbing hernose with an impassioned air, 'that it is to have people about me whotake things with such provoking calmness.'

'My dear mama,' said Kate, stealing her arm round her mother's neck,'why do you say what I know you cannot seriously mean or think, or whybe angry with me for being happy and content? You and Nicholas are leftto me, we are together once again, and what regard can I have for a fewtrifling things of which we never feel the want? When I have seen allthe misery and desolation that death can bring, and known the lonesomefeeling of being solitary and alone in crowds, and all the agony ofseparation in grief and poverty when we most needed comfort and supportfrom each other, can you wonder that I look upon this as a place of suchdelicious quiet and rest, that with you beside me I have nothing towish for or regret? There was a time, and not long since, when allthe comforts of our old home did come back upon me, I own, veryoften--oftener than you would think perhaps--but I affected to carenothing for them, in the hope that you would so be brought to regretthem the less. I was not insensible, indeed. I might have felt happierif I had been. Dear mama,' said Kate, in great agitation, 'I know nodifference between this home and that in which we were all so happyfor so many years, except that the kindest and gentlest heart that everached on earth has passed in peace to heaven.'

'Kate my dear, Kate,' cried Mrs Nickleby, folding her in her arms.

'I have so often thought,' sobbed Kate, 'of all his kind words--of thelast time he looked into my little room, as he passed upstairs to bed,and said "God bless you, darling." There was a paleness in his face,mama--the broken heart--I know it was--I little thought so--then--'

A gush of tears came to her relief, and Kate laid her head upon hermother's breast, and wept like a little child.

It is an exquisite and beautiful thing in our nature, that when theheart is touched and softened by some tranquil happiness or affectionatefeeling, the memory of the dead comes over it most powerfully andirresistibly. It would almost seem as though our better thoughts andsympathies were charms, in virtue of which the soul is enabled to holdsome vague and mysterious intercourse with the spirits of those whomwe dearly loved in life. Alas! how often and how long may those patientangels hover above us, watching for the spell which is so seldomuttered, and so soon forgotten!

Poor Mrs Nickleby, accustomed to give ready utterance to whatevercame uppermost in her mind, had never conceived the possibility of herdaughter's dwelling upon these thoughts in secret, the more especiallyas no hard trial or querulous reproach had ever drawn them from her. Butnow, when the happiness of all that Nicholas had just told them, andof their new and peaceful life, brought these recollections so stronglyupon Kate that she could not suppress them, Mrs Nickleby began to havea glimmering that she had been rather thoughtless now and then, and wasconscious of something like self-reproach as she embraced her daughter,and yielded to the emotions which such a conversation naturallyawakened.

There was a mighty bustle that night, and a vast quantity of preparationfor the expected visitor, and a very large nosegay was brought from agardener's hard by, and cut up into a number of very small ones, withwhich Mrs Nickleby would have garnished the little sitting-room, ina style that certainly could not have failed to attract anybody'sattention, if Kate had not offered to spare her the trouble, andarranged them in the prettiest and neatest manner possible. If thecottage ever looked pretty, it must have been on such a bright andsunshiny day as the next day was. But Smike's pride in the garden,or Mrs Nickleby's in the condition of the furniture, or Kate's ineverything, was nothing to the pride with which Nicholas looked at Kateherself; and surely the costliest mansion in all England might havefound in her beautiful face and graceful form its most exquisite andpeerless ornament.

About six o'clock in the afternoon Mrs Nickleby was thrown into a greatflutter of spirits by the long-expected knock at the door, nor was thisflutter at all composed by the audible tread of two pair of boots in thepassage, which Mrs Nickleby augured, in a breathless state, must be 'thetwo Mr Cheerybles;' as it certainly was, though not the two Mrs Nicklebyexpected, because it was Mr Charles Cheeryble, and his nephew, Mr Frank,who made a thousand apologies for his intrusion, which Mrs Nickleby(having tea-spoons enough and to spare for all) most graciouslyreceived. Nor did the appearance of this unexpected visitor occasionthe least embarrassment, (save in Kate, and that only to the extent ofa blush or two at first,) for the old gentleman was so kind and cordial,and the young gentleman imitated him in this respect so well, that theusual stiffness and formality of a first meeting showed no signs ofappearing, and Kate really more than once detected herself in the veryact of wondering when it was going to begin.

At the tea-table there was plenty of conversation on a great variety ofsubjects, nor were there wanting jocose matters of discussion, such asthey were; for young Mr Cheeryble's recent stay in Germany happening tobe alluded to, old Mr Cheeryble informed the company that the aforesaidyoung Mr Cheeryble was suspected to have fallen deeply in love withthe daughter of a certain German burgomaster. This accusation youngMr Cheeryble most indignantly repelled, upon which Mrs Nickleby slylyremarked, that she suspected, from the very warmth of the denial, theremust be something in it. Young Mr Cheeryble then earnestly entreated oldMr Cheeryble to confess that it was all a jest, which old Mr Cheerybleat last did, young Mr Cheeryble being so much in earnest about it,that--as Mrs Nickleby said many thousand times afterwards in recallingthe scene--he 'quite coloured,' which she rightly considered a memorablecircumstance, and one worthy of remark, young men not being as a classremarkable for modesty or self-denial, especially when there is a ladyin the case, when, if they colour at all, it is rather their practice tocolour the story, and not themselves.

After tea there was a walk in the garden, and the evening being veryfine they strolled out at the garden-gate into some lanes and bye-roads,and sauntered up and down until it grew quite dark. The time seemed topass very quickly with all the party. Kate went first, leaning uponher brother's arm, and talking with him and Mr Frank Cheeryble; andMrs Nickleby and the elder gentleman followed at a short distance, thekindness of the good merchant, his interest in the welfare of Nicholas,and his admiration of Kate, so operating upon the good lady's feelings,that the usual current of her speech was confined within very narrowand circumscribed limits. Smike (who, if he had ever been an object ofinterest in his life, had been one that day) accompanied them, joiningsometimes one group and sometimes the other, as brother Charles, layinghis hand upon his shoulder, bade him walk with him, or Nicholas, lookingsmilingly round, beckoned him to come and talk with the old friend whounderstood him best, and who could win a smile into his careworn facewhen none else could.

Pride is one of the seven deadly sins; but it cannot be the pride ofa mother in her children, for that is a compound of two cardinalvirtues--faith and hope. This was the pride which swelled Mrs Nickleby'sheart that night, and this it was which left upon her face, glisteningin the light when they returned home, traces of the most grateful tearsshe had ever shed.

There was a quiet mirth about the little supper, which harmonisedexactly with this tone of feeling, and at length the two gentlementook their leave. There was one circumstance in the leave-taking whichoccasioned a vast deal of smiling and pleasantry, and that was, that MrFrank Cheeryble offered his hand to Kate twice over, quite forgettingthat he had bade her adieu already. This was held by the elder MrCheeryble to be a convincing proof that he was thinking of his Germanflame, and the jest occasioned immense laughter. So easy is it to movelight hearts.

In short, it was a day of serene and tranquil happiness; and as weall have some bright day--many of us, let us hope, among a crowd ofothers--to which we revert with particular delight, so this one wasoften looked back to afterwards, as holding a conspicuous place in thecalendar of those who shared it.

Was there one exception, and that one he who needed to have been mosthappy?

Who was that who, in the silence of his own chamber, sunk upon his kneesto pray as his first friend had taught him, and folding his hands andstretching them wildly in the air, fell upon his face in a passion ofbitter grief?