r,
compounded of cunning, lecherousness, slyness, and avarice.

Such was old Arthur Gride, in whose face there was not a wrinkle, in
whose dress there was not one spare fold or plait, but expressed
the most covetous and griping penury, and sufficiently indicated his
belonging to that class of which Ralph Nickleby was a member. Such was
old Arthur Gride, as he sat in a low chair looking up into the face of
Ralph Nickleby, who, lounging upon the tall office stool, with his arms
upon his knees, looked down into his; a match for him on whatever errand
he had come.

'And how have you been?' said Gride, feigning great interest in Ralph's
state of health. 'I haven't seen you for--oh! not for--'

'Not for a long time,' said Ralph, with a peculiar smile, importing
that he very well knew it was not on a mere visit of compliment that his
friend had come. 'It was a narrow chance that you saw me now, for I had
only just come up to the door as you turned the corner.'

'I am very lucky,' observed Gride.

'So men say,' replied Ralph, drily.

The older money-lender wagged his chin and smiled, but he originated no
new remark, and they sat for some little time without speaking. Each was
looking out to take the other at a disadvantage.

'Come, Gride,' said Ralph, at length; 'what's in the wind today?'

'Aha! you're a bold man, Mr Nickleby,' cried the other, apparently very
much relieved by Ralph's leading the way to business. 'Oh dear, dear,
what a bold man you are!'

'Why, you have a sleek and slinking way with you that makes me seem so
by contrast,' returned Ralph. 'I don't know but that yours may answer
better, but I want the patience for it.'

'You were born a genius, Mr Nickleby,' said old Arthur. 'Deep, deep,
deep. Ah!'

'Deep enough,' retorted Ralph, 'to know that I shall need all the depth
I have, when men like you begin to compliment. You know I have stood by
when you fawned and flattered other people, and I remember pretty well
what THAT always led to.'

'Ha, ha, ha!' rejoined Arthur, rubbing his hands. 'So you do, so you do,
no doubt. Not a man knows it better. Well, it's a pleasant thing now to
think that you remember old times. Oh dear!'

'Now then,' said Ralph, composedly; 'what's in the wind, I ask again?
What is it?'

'See that now!' cried the other. 'He can't even keep from business while
we're chatting over bygones. Oh dear, dear, what a man it is!'

'WHICH of the bygones do you want to revive?' said Ra