ll
coming home to HIM, as there was nothing to be got by it; but he said
nothing, and resting his head upon his hand, subsided into a kind of
doze.

Then, the matrons again expatiated on the expediency of taking the good
gentleman to bed; observing that he would be better tomorrow, and that
they knew what was the wear and tear of some men's minds when their
wives were taken as Mrs Kenwigs had been that day, and that it did him
great credit, and there was nothing to be ashamed of in it; far from it;
they liked to see it, they did, for it showed a good heart. And one lady
observed, as a case bearing upon the present, that her husband was often
quite light-headed from anxiety on similar occasions, and that once,
when her little Johnny was born, it was nearly a week before he came to
himself again, during the whole of which time he did nothing but cry 'Is
it a boy, is it a boy?' in a manner which went to the hearts of all his
hearers.

At length, Morleena (who quite forgot she had fainted, when she
found she was not noticed) announced that a chamber was ready for her
afflicted parent; and Mr Kenwigs, having partially smothered his four
daughters in the closeness of his embrace, accepted the doctor's arm on
one side, and the support of Nicholas on the other, and was conducted
upstairs to a bedroom which been secured for the occasion.

Having seen him sound asleep, and heard him snore most satisfactorily,
and having further presided over the distribution of the toys, to the
perfect contentment of all the little Kenwigses, Nicholas took his
leave. The matrons dropped off one by one, with the exception of six
or eight particular friends, who had determined to stop all night; the
lights in the houses gradually disappeared; the last bulletin was issued
that Mrs Kenwigs was as well as could be expected; and the whole family
were left to their repose.

CHAPTER 37

Nicholas finds further Favour in the Eyes of the brothers Cheeryble and
Mr Timothy Linkinwater. The brothers give a Banquet on a great Annual
Occasion. Nicholas, on returning Home from it, receives a mysterious and
important Disclosure from the Lips of Mrs Nickleby

The square in which the counting-house of the brothers Cheeryble
was situated, although it might not wholly realise the very sanguine
expectations which a stranger would be disposed to form on hearing
the fervent encomiums bestowed upon it by Tim Linkinwater, was,
nevertheless, a sufficiently des