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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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731 her to do so. Nicholas stammered out an awkward apology, and was precipitately retiring, when the young lady, turning her head a little, presented to his view the features of the lovely girl whom he had seen at the register-office on his first visit long before. Glancing from her to the attendant, he recognised the same clumsy servant who had accompanied her then; and between his admiration of the young lady’s beauty, and the confusion and surprise of this unexpected recognition, he stood stock-still, in such a bewildered state of surprise and embarrassment that, for the moment, he was quite bereft of the power either to speak or move. ‘My dear ma’am--my dear young lady,’ cried brother Charles in violent agitation, ‘pray don’t--not another word, I beseech and entreat you! I implore you--I beg of you--to rise. We--we--are not alone.’ As he spoke, he raised the young lady, who staggered to a chair and swooned away. ‘She has fainted, sir,’ said Nicholas, darting eagerly forward. ‘Poor dear, poor dear!’ cried brother Charles ‘Where is my brother Ned? Ned, my dear brother, come here pray.’ ‘Brother Charles, my dear fellow,’ replied his brother, hurrying into the room, ‘what is the--ah! what--’ ‘Hush! hush!--not a word for your life, brother Ned,’ returned the other. ‘Ring for the housekeeper, my dear brother--call Tim Linkinwater! Here, Tim Linkinwater, sir--Mr Nickleby, my dear sir, leave the room, I beg and beseech of you.’ ‘I think she is better now,’ said Nicholas, who had been watching the patient so eagerly, that he had not heard the request. |
