am VERY glad I
told him he was a barbarian, very glad indeed!'

By this time brother Charles was in such a very warm state of
indignation, that Nicholas thought he might venture to put in a word,
but the moment he essayed to do so, Mr Cheeryble laid his hand softly
upon his arm, and pointed to a chair.

'The subject is at an end for the present,' said the old gentleman,
wiping his face. 'Don't revive it by a single word. I am going to speak
upon another subject, a confidential subject, Mr Nickleby. We must be
cool again, we must be cool.'

After two or three turns across the room he resumed his seat, and
drawing his chair nearer to that on which Nicholas was seated, said:

'I am about to employ you, my dear sir, on a confidential and delicate
mission.'

'You might employ many a more able messenger, sir,' said Nicholas, 'but
a more trustworthy or zealous one, I may be bold to say, you could not
find.'

'Of that I am well assured,' returned brother Charles, 'well assured.
You will give me credit for thinking so, when I tell you that the object
of this mission is a young lady.'

'A young lady, sir!' cried Nicholas, quite trembling for the moment with
his eagerness to hear more.

'A very beautiful young lady,' said Mr Cheeryble, gravely.

'Pray go on, sir,' returned Nicholas.

'I am thinking how to do so,' said brother Charles; sadly, as it
seemed to his young friend, and with an expression allied to pain. 'You
accidentally saw a young lady in this room one morning, my dear sir, in
a fainting fit. Do you remember? Perhaps you have forgotten.'

'Oh no,' replied Nicholas, hurriedly. 'I--I--remember it very well
indeed.'

'SHE is the lady I speak of,' said brother Charles. Like the famous
parrot, Nicholas thought a great deal, but was unable to utter a word.

'She is the daughter,' said Mr Cheeryble, 'of a lady who, when she was a
beautiful girl herself, and I was very many years younger, I--it seems
a strange word for me to utter now--I loved very dearly. You will smile,
perhaps, to hear a grey-headed man talk about such things. You will not
offend me, for when I was as young as you, I dare say I should have done
the same.'

'I have no such inclination, indeed,' said Nicholas.

'My dear brother Ned,' continued Mr Cheeryble, 'was to have married her
sister, but she died. She is dead too now, and has been for many years.
She married her choice; and I wish I could add that her after-life was
as happy as God k