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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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462 ‘Why, then, he’s a lucky fellow,’ replied Nicholas. ‘That’s what I say,’ retorted the collector, patting him benignantly on the side of the head with his umbrella; ‘just what I say. Henrietta Petowker, the talented Henrietta Petowker has a fortune in herself, and I am going to--’ ‘To make her Mrs Lillyvick?’ suggested Nicholas. ‘No, sir, not to make her Mrs Lillyvick,’ replied the collector. ‘Actresses, sir, always keep their maiden names--that’s the regular thing--but I’m going to marry her; and the day after tomorrow, too.’ ‘I congratulate you, sir,’ said Nicholas. ‘Thank you, sir,’ replied the collector, buttoning his waistcoat. ‘I shall draw her salary, of course, and I hope after all that it’s nearly as cheap to keep two as it is to keep one; that’s a consolation.’ ‘Surely you don’t want any consolation at such a moment?’ observed Nicholas. ‘No,’ replied Mr Lillyvick, shaking his head nervously: ‘no--of course not.’ ‘But how come you both here, if you’re going to be married, Mr Lillyvick?’ asked Nicholas. ‘Why, that’s what I came to explain to you,’ replied the collector of water-rate. ‘The fact is, we have thought it best to keep it secret from the family.’ ‘Family!’ said Nicholas. ‘What family?’ ‘The Kenwigses of course,’ rejoined Mr Lillyvick. ‘If my niece and the children had known a word about it before I came away, they’d have gone into fits at my feet, and never have come out of ’em till I took an oath not to marry anybody--or they’d have got out a commission of lunacy, or some dreadful thing,’ said the |
