was giving loose to these grumblings below
stairs, Arthur Gride was cogitating in the parlour upon what had taken
place last night.

'I can't think how he can have picked up what he knows,' said Arthur,
'unless I have committed myself--let something drop at Bray's, for
instance--which has been overheard. Perhaps I may. I shouldn't be
surprised if that was it. Mr Nickleby was often angry at my talking to
him before we got outside the door. I mustn't tell him that part of
the business, or he'll put me out of sorts, and make me nervous for the
day.'

Ralph was universally looked up to, and recognised among his fellows as
a superior genius, but upon Arthur Gride his stern unyielding character
and consummate art had made so deep an impression, that he was actually
afraid of him. Cringing and cowardly to the core by nature, Arthur Gride
humbled himself in the dust before Ralph Nickleby, and, even when they
had not this stake in common, would have licked his shoes and crawled
upon the ground before him rather than venture to return him word
for word, or retort upon him in any other spirit than one of the most
slavish and abject sycophancy.

To Ralph Nickleby's, Arthur Gride now betook himself according to
appointment; and to Ralph Nickleby he related how, last night, some
young blustering blade, whom he had never seen, forced his way into his
house, and tried to frighten him from the proposed nuptials. Told, in
short, what Nicholas had said and done, with the slight reservation upon
which he had determined.

'Well, and what then?' said Ralph.

'Oh! nothing more,' rejoined Gride.

'He tried to frighten you,' said Ralph, 'and you WERE frightened I
suppose; is that it?'

'I frightened HIM by crying thieves and murder,' replied Gride. 'Once
I was in earnest, I tell you that, for I had more than half a mind to
swear he uttered threats, and demanded my life or my money.'

'Oho!' said Ralph, eyeing him askew. 'Jealous too!'

'Dear now, see that!' cried Arthur, rubbing his hands and affecting to
laugh.

'Why do you make those grimaces, man?' said Ralph; 'you ARE jealous--and
with good cause I think.'

'No, no, no; not with good cause, hey? You don't think with good cause,
do you?' cried Arthur, faltering. 'Do you though, hey?'

'Why, how stands the fact?' returned Ralph. 'Here is an old man about
to be forced in marriage upon a girl; and to this old man there comes a
handsome young fellow--you said he was handsome, di