upon his nose; though even that is not so ridiculous as it
may seem to you, for we had a footboy once, who had not only a wart, but
a wen also, and a very large wen too, and he demanded to have his wages
raised in consequence, because he found it came very expensive. Let me
see, what was I--oh yes, I know. The best way that I can think of would
be to send a card, and my compliments, (I've no doubt he'd take 'em for
a pot of porter,) by this young man, to the Saracen with Two Necks. If
the waiter took him for a gentleman's servant, so much the better. Then
all Mrs Browdie would have to do would be to send her card back by the
carrier (he could easily come with a double knock), and there's an end
of it.'

'My dear mother,' said Nicholas, 'I don't suppose such unsophisticated
people as these ever had a card of their own, or ever will have.'

'Oh that, indeed, Nicholas, my dear,' returned Mrs Nickleby, 'that's
another thing. If you put it upon that ground, why, of course, I have
no more to say, than that I have no doubt they are very good sort of
persons, and that I have no kind of objection to their coming here to
tea if they like, and shall make a point of being very civil to them if
they do.'

The point being thus effectually set at rest, and Mrs Nickleby duly
placed in the patronising and mildly-condescending position which became
her rank and matrimonial years, Mr and Mrs Browdie were invited and
came; and as they were very deferential to Mrs Nickleby, and seemed
to have a becoming appreciation of her greatness, and were very much
pleased with everything, the good lady had more than once given Kate
to understand, in a whisper, that she thought they were the very
best-meaning people she had ever seen, and perfectly well behaved.

And thus it came to pass, that John Browdie declared, in the parlour
after supper, to wit, and twenty minutes before eleven o'clock p.m.,
that he had never been so happy in all his days.

Nor was Mrs Browdie much behind her husband in this respect, for that
young matron, whose rustic beauty contrasted very prettily with the
more delicate loveliness of Kate, and without suffering by the contrast
either, for each served as it were to set off and decorate the other,
could not sufficiently admire the gentle and winning manners of the
young lady, or the engaging affability of the elder one. Then Kate had
the art of turning the conversation to subjects upon which the country
girl, bashful at fir