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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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862 looking up into the face of Ralph Nickleby, who, lounging upon the tall office stool, with his arms upon his knees, looked down into his; a match for him on whatever errand he had come. ‘And how have you been?’ said Gride, feigning great interest in Ralph’s state of health. ‘I haven’t seen you for--oh! not for--’ ‘Not for a long time,’ said Ralph, with a peculiar smile, importing that he very well knew it was not on a mere visit of compliment that his friend had come. ‘It was a narrow chance that you saw me now, for I had only just come up to the door as you turned the corner.’ ‘I am very lucky,’ observed Gride. ‘So men say,’ replied Ralph, drily. The older money-lender wagged his chin and smiled, but he originated no new remark, and they sat for some little time without speaking. Each was looking out to take the other at a disadvantage. ‘Come, Gride,’ said Ralph, at length; ‘what’s in the wind today?’ ‘Aha! you’re a bold man, Mr Nickleby,’ cried the other, apparently very much relieved by Ralph’s leading the way to business. ‘Oh dear, dear, what a bold man you are!’ ‘Why, you have a sleek and slinking way with you that makes me seem so by contrast,’ returned Ralph. ‘I don’t know but that yours may answer better, but I want the patience for it.’ ‘You were born a genius, Mr Nickleby,’ said old Arthur. ‘Deep, deep, deep. Ah!’ ‘Deep enough,’ retorted Ralph, ‘to know that I shall need all the depth I have, when men like you begin to compliment. You know I have stood by when you fawned and flattered other people, and I remember pretty well what that always led to.’ |
