I want
a nose or an eye for any particular sitter, I have only to look out of
window and wait till I get one.'

'Does it take long to get a nose, now?' inquired Nicholas, smiling.

'Why, that depends in a great measure on the pattern,' replied Miss La
Creevy. 'Snubs and Romans are plentiful enough, and there are flats of
all sorts and sizes when there's a meeting at Exeter Hall; but perfect
aquilines, I am sorry to say, are scarce, and we generally use them for
uniforms or public characters.'

'Indeed!' said Nicholas. 'If I should meet with any in my travels, I'll
endeavour to sketch them for you.'

'You don't mean to say that you are really going all the way down into
Yorkshire this cold winter's weather, Mr Nickleby?' said Miss La Creevy.
'I heard something of it last night.'

'I do, indeed,' replied Nicholas. 'Needs must, you know, when somebody
drives. Necessity is my driver, and that is only another name for the
same gentleman.'

'Well, I am very sorry for it; that's all I can say,' said Miss La
Creevy; 'as much on your mother's and sister's account as on yours.
Your sister is a very pretty young lady, Mr Nickleby, and that is
an additional reason why she should have somebody to protect her. I
persuaded her to give me a sitting or two, for the street-door case.
'Ah! she'll make a sweet miniature.' As Miss La Creevy spoke, she held
up an ivory countenance intersected with very perceptible sky-blue
veins, and regarded it with so much complacency, that Nicholas quite
envied her.

'If you ever have an opportunity of showing Kate some little kindness,'
said Nicholas, presenting his hand, 'I think you will.'

'Depend upon that,' said the good-natured miniature painter; 'and God
bless you, Mr Nickleby; and I wish you well.'

It was very little that Nicholas knew of the world, but he guessed
enough about its ways to think, that if he gave Miss La Creevy one
little kiss, perhaps she might not be the less kindly disposed towards
those he was leaving behind. So, he gave her three or four with a kind
of jocose gallantry, and Miss La Creevy evinced no greater symptoms of
displeasure than declaring, as she adjusted her yellow turban, that she
had never heard of such a thing, and couldn't have believed it possible.

Having terminated the unexpected interview in this satisfactory manner,
Nicholas hastily withdrew himself from the house. By the time he had
found a man to carry his box it was only seven o'clock, so he wa