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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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352 ‘Now why,’ said Sir Mulberry, ‘why will you keep up this appearance of excessive rigour, my sweet creature? Now, be more natural--my dear Miss Nickleby, be more natural--do.’ Kate hastily rose; but as she rose, Sir Mulberry caught her dress, and forcibly detained her. ‘Let me go, sir,’ she cried, her heart swelling with anger. ‘Do you hear? Instantly--this moment.’ ‘Sit down, sit down,’ said Sir Mulberry; ‘I want to talk to you.’ ‘Unhand me, sir, this instant,’ cried Kate. ‘Not for the world,’ rejoined Sir Mulberry. Thus speaking, he leaned over, as if to replace her in her chair; but the young lady, making a violent effort to disengage herself, he lost his balance, and measured his length upon the ground. As Kate sprung forward to leave the room, Mr Ralph Nickleby appeared in the doorway, and confronted her. ‘What is this?’ said Ralph. ‘It is this, sir,’ replied Kate, violently agitated: ‘that beneath the roof where I, a helpless girl, your dead brother’s child, should most have found protection, I have been exposed to insult which should make you shrink to look upon me. Let me pass you.’ Ralph did shrink, as the indignant girl fixed her kindling eye upon him; but he did not comply with her injunction, nevertheless: for he led her to a distant seat, and returning, and approaching Sir Mulberry Hawk, who had by this time risen, motioned towards the door. ‘Your way lies there, sir,’ said Ralph, in a suppressed voice, that some devil might have owned with pride. ‘What do you mean by that?’ demanded his friend, fiercely. The swoln veins stood out like sinews on Ralph’s wrinkled |
