on. It was gratifying, of course, naturally so,
but still it was an annoyance, because the pew was in a very conspicuous
place, and he was several times publicly taken out by the beadle for
doing it. But that was nothing to this. This is a great deal worse, and
a great deal more embarrassing. I would rather, Kate, my dear,' said
Mrs Nickleby, with great solemnity, and an effusion of tears: 'I would
rather, I declare, have been a pig-faced lady, than be exposed to such a
life as this!'

Frank Cheeryble and Tim Linkinwater looked, in irrepressible
astonishment, first at each other and then at Kate, who felt that some
explanation was necessary, but who, between her terror at the apparition
of the legs, her fear lest their owner should be smothered, and her
anxiety to give the least ridiculous solution of the mystery that it was
capable of bearing, was quite unable to utter a single word.

'He gives me great pain,' continued Mrs Nickleby, drying her eyes,
'great pain; but don't hurt a hair of his head, I beg. On no account
hurt a hair of his head.'

It would not, under existing circumstances, have been quite so easy to
hurt a hair of the gentleman's head as Mrs Nickleby seemed to imagine,
inasmuch as that part of his person was some feet up the chimney, which
was by no means a wide one. But, as all this time he had never left off
singing about the bankruptcy of the beautiful maid in respect of truth,
and now began not only to croak very feebly, but to kick with great
violence as if respiration became a task of difficulty, Frank Cheeryble,
without further hesitation, pulled at the shorts and worsteds with
such heartiness as to bring him floundering into the room with greater
precipitation than he had quite calculated upon.

'Oh! yes, yes,' said Kate, directly the whole figure of this singular
visitor appeared in this abrupt manner. 'I know who it is. Pray don't be
rough with him. Is he hurt? I hope not. Oh, pray see if he is hurt.'

'He is not, I assure you,' replied Frank, handling the object of his
surprise, after this appeal, with sudden tenderness and respect. 'He is
not hurt in the least.'

'Don't let him come any nearer,' said Kate, retiring as far as she
could.

'Oh, no, he shall not,' rejoined Frank. 'You see I have him secure here.
But may I ask you what this means, and whether you expected, this old
gentleman?'

'Oh, no,' said Kate, 'of course not; but he--mama does not think so, I
believe--but he is a m