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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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614 to amaze Mr Mantalini, and cast a wistful glance at the face of Newman Noggs, which had several times appeared behind a couple of panes of glass in the room door; it being a part of Newman’s duty, when unimportant people called, to make various feints of supposing that the bell had rung for him to show them out: by way of a gentle hint to such visitors that it was time to go. ‘Don’t you know,’ said Mr Mantalini, taking Ralph by the button, ‘that it wasn’t an accident at all, but a demd, furious, manslaughtering attack made upon him by your nephew?’ ‘What!’ snarled Ralph, clenching his fists and turning a livid white. ‘Demmit, Nickleby, you’re as great a tiger as he is,’ said Mantalini, alarmed at these demonstrations. ‘Go on,’ cried Ralph. ‘Tell me what you mean. What is this story? Who told you? Speak,’ growled Ralph. ‘Do you hear me?’ ‘‘Gad, Nickleby,’ said Mr Mantalini, retreating towards his wife, ‘what a demneble fierce old evil genius you are! You’re enough to frighten the life and soul out of her little delicious wits--flying all at once into such a blazing, ravaging, raging passion as never was, demmit!’ ‘Pshaw,’ rejoined Ralph, forcing a smile. ‘It is but manner.’ ‘It is a demd uncomfortable, private-madhouse-sort of a manner,’ said Mr Mantalini, picking up his cane. Ralph affected to smile, and once more inquired from whom Mr Mantalini had derived his information. ‘From Pyke; and a demd, fine, pleasant, gentlemanly dog it is,’ replied Mantalini. ‘Demnition pleasant, and a tip-top sawyer.’ ‘And what said he?’ asked Ralph, knitting his brows. ‘That it happened this way--that your nephew met him at a |
