第91章

`Everybody is talking about her,' said the young lady, in the same careless manner; `and my lord, being a great admirer of beauty, must positively see her.'

`She is universally admired,' replied Madame Mantalini. `Miss Knag, send up Miss Nickleby. You needn't return.'

`I beg your pardon, Madame Mantalini, what did you say last?' asked Miss Knag, trembling.

`You needn't return,' repeated the superior, sharply. Miss Knag vanished without another word, and in all reasonable time was replaced by Kate, who took off the new bonnets and put on the old ones: blushing very much to find that the old lord and the two young ladies were starting her out of countenance all the time.

`Why, how you colour, child!' said the lord's chosen bride.

`She is not quite so accustomed to her business, as she will be in a week or two,' interposed Madame Mantalini with a gracious smile.

`I am afraid you have been giving her some of your wicked looks, my lord,' said the intended.

`No, no, no,' replied the old lord, `no, no, I'm going to be married, and lead a new life. Ha, ha, ha! a new life, a new life! ha, ha, ha!'

It was a satisfactory thing to hear that the old gentleman was going to lead a new life, for it was pretty evident that his old one would not last him much longer. The mere exertion of protracted chuckling reduced him to a fearful ebb of coughing and gasping; it was some minutes before he could find breath to remark that the girl was too pretty for a milliner.

`I hope you don't think good looks a disqualification for the business, my lord,' said Madame Mantalini, simpering.

`Not by any means,' replied the old lord, `or you would have left it long ago.'

`You naughty creature,' said the lively lady, poking the peer with her parasol; `I won't have you talk so. How dare you?'

This playful inquiry was accompanied with another poke, and another, and then the old lord caught the parasol, and wouldn't give it up again, which induced the other lady to come to the rescue, and some very pretty sportiveness ensued.

`You will see that those little alterations are made, Madame Mantalini,'

said the lady. `Nay, you bad man, you positively shall go first; I wouldn't leave you behind with that pretty girl, not for half a second. I know you too well. Jane, my dear, let him go first, and we shall be quite sure of him.'

The old lord, evidently much flattered by this suspicion, bestowed a grotesque leer upon Kate as he passed; and, receiving another tap with the parasol for his wickedness, tottered downstairs to the door, where his sprightly body was hoisted into the carriage by two stout footmen.

`Foh!' said Madame Mantalini, `how he ever gets into a carriage without thinking of a hearse, I can't think. There, take the things away, my dear, take them away.'

Kate, who had remained during the whole scene with her eyes modestly fixed upon the ground, was only too happy to avail herself of the permission to retire, and hasten joyfully downstairs to Miss Knag's dominion.

The circumstances of the little kingdom had greatly changed, however, during the short period of her absence. In place of Miss Knag being stationed in her accustomed seat, preserving all the dignity and greatness of Madame Mantalini's representative, that worthy soul was reposing on a large box, bathed in tears, while three or four of the young ladies in close attendance upon her, together with the presence of hartshorn, vinegar, and other restoratives, would have borne ample testimony, even without the derangement of the head-dress and front row of curls, to her having fainted desperately.

`Bless me!' said Kate, stepping hastily forward, `what is the matter?'