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PinkMonkey.com-Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens




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conclusion, the suitor evinced a very irreverent degree of
inattention, and Mrs Nickleby had scarcely finished speaking,
when, to the great terror both of that lady and her daughter, he
suddenly flung off his coat, and springing on the top of the wall,
threw himself into an attitude which displayed his small-clothes
and grey worsteds to the fullest advantage, and concluded by
standing on one leg, and repeating his favourite bellow with
increased vehemence.

While he was still dwelling on the last note, and embellishing it
with a prolonged flourish, a dirty hand was observed to glide
stealthily and swiftly along the top of the wall, as if in pursuit of a
fly, and then to clasp with the utmost dexterity one of the old
gentleman’s ankles. This done, the companion hand appeared,
and clasped the other ankle.

Thus encumbered the old gentleman lifted his legs awkwardly
once or twice, as if they were very clumsy and imperfect pieces of
machinery, and then looking down on his own side of the wall,
burst into a loud laugh.

‘It’s you, is it?’ said the old gentleman.
‘Yes, it’s me,’ replied a gruff voice.
‘How’s the Emperor of Tartary?’ said the old gentleman.
‘Oh! he’s much the same as usual,’ was the reply. ‘No better and
no worse.’

‘The young Prince of China,’ said the old gentleman, with much
interest. ‘Is he reconciled to his father-in-law, the great potato
salesman?’

‘No,’ answered the gruff voice; ‘and he says he never will be,
that’s more.’

‘If that’s the case,’ observed the old gentleman, ‘perhaps I’d


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