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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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518 grovelling people for twenty years, and never heard of it. How could she, indeed? what did they know about countesses? The two gentlemen having, by the greediness with which this little bait was swallowed, tested the extent of Mrs Wititterly’s appetite for adulation, proceeded to administer that commodity in very large doses, thus affording to Sir Mulberry Hawk an opportunity of pestering Miss Nickleby with questions and remarks, to which she was absolutely obliged to make some reply. Meanwhile, Lord Verisopht enjoyed unmolested the full flavour of the gold knob at the top of his cane, as he would have done to the end of the interview if Mr Wititterly had not come home, and caused the conversation to turn to his favourite topic. ‘My lord,’ said Mr Wititterly, ‘I am delighted--honoured-- proud. Be seated again, my lord, pray. I am proud, indeed--most proud.’ It was to the secret annoyance of his wife that Mr Wititterly said all this, for, although she was bursting with pride and arrogance, she would have had the illustrious guests believe that their visit was quite a common occurrence, and that they had lords and baronets to see them every day in the week. But Mr Wititterly’s feelings were beyond the power of suppression. ‘It is an honour, indeed!’ said Mr Wititterly. ‘Julia, my soul, you will suffer for this tomorrow.’ ‘Suffer!’ cried Lord Verisopht. ‘The reaction, my lord, the reaction,’ said Mr Wititterly. ‘This violent strain upon the nervous system over, my lord, what ensues? A sinking, a depression, a lowness, a lassitude, a debility. My lord, if Sir Tumley Snuffim was to see that delicate creature at this moment, he would not give a--a--this for her life.’ In |
