restrain his satisfaction any longer, descended from his stool, and
caught him rapturously by the hand.

"He has done it!" said Tim, looking round triumphantly at his employers.
"His capital 'B's' and 'D's' are exactly like mine; he dots his small
'i's' and crosses every 't.' There ain't such a young man in all London.
The City can't produce his equal. I challenge the City to do it!"

_IV.--The Brothers Cheeryble_

In course of time the brothers Cheeryble, in their frequent visits to
the cottage at Bow, often took with them their nephew Frank; and it also
happened that Miss Madeline Bray, a ward of the brothers, was taken to
the cottage to recover from a serious illness.

Nicholas, from the first time he had seen Madeline in the office of
Cheeryble Brothers, had fallen in love with her; but he decided that as
an honourable man no word of love must pass his lips. While Kate
Nickleby had been equally firm in declining to listen to any proposal
from Frank.

It was some time after Madeline had left the cottage, and Nicholas and
Kate had begun to try in good earnest to stifle their own regrets, and
to live for each other and for their mother, when there came one
evening, per Mr. Linkinwater, an invitation from the brothers to dinner
on the next day but one.

"You may depend on it that this means something besides dinner," said
Mrs. Nickleby solemnly.

When the great day arrived who should be there at the house of the
brothers but Frank and Madeline.

"Young men," said brother Charles, "shake hands."

"I need no bidding to do that," said Nicholas.

"Nor I," rejoined Frank, and the two young men clasped hands heartily.

The old gentleman took them aside.

"I wish to see you friends--close and firm friends. Frank, look here!
Mrs. Nickleby, will you come on the other side? This is a copy of the
will of Madeline's grandfather, bequeathing her the sum of L12,000. Now,
Frank, you were largely instrumental in recovering this document. The
fortune is but a small one, but we love Madeline. Will you become a
suitor for her hand?"

"No, sir. I interested myself in the recovery of that instrument,
believing that her hand was already pledged elsewhere. In this, it
seems, I judged hastily."

"As you always do, sir!" cried brother Charles. "How dare you think,
Frank, that we could have you marry for money? How dare you go and make
love to Mr. Nickleby's sister without telling us first, and letting us
speak for you. Mr