door, reclining in a strange and uneasy position upon a
chair; that he had been spoken to several times, and not answering, was
supposed to be asleep, until some person going in and shaking him by the
arm, he fell heavily to the ground and was discovered to be dead.

'Who is the owner of this house?' said Nicholas, hastily.

An elderly woman was pointed out to him; and to her he said, as he knelt
down and gently unwound Madeline's arms from the lifeless mass round
which they were entwined: 'I represent this lady's nearest friends, as
her servant here knows, and must remove her from this dreadful scene.
This is my sister to whose charge you confide her. My name and address
are upon that card, and you shall receive from me all necessary
directions for the arrangements that must be made. Stand aside, every
one of you, and give me room and air for God's sake!'

The people fell back, scarce wondering more at what had just occurred,
than at the excitement and impetuosity of him who spoke. Nicholas,
taking the insensible girl in his arms, bore her from the chamber and
downstairs into the room he had just quitted, followed by his sister and
the faithful servant, whom he charged to procure a coach directly, while
he and Kate bent over their beautiful charge and endeavoured, but in
vain, to restore her to animation. The girl performed her office with
such expedition, that in a very few minutes the coach was ready.

Ralph Nickleby and Gride, stunned and paralysed by the awful event
which had so suddenly overthrown their schemes (it would not otherwise,
perhaps, have made much impression on them), and carried away by the
extraordinary energy and precipitation of Nicholas, which bore down
all before him, looked on at these proceedings like men in a dream
or trance. It was not until every preparation was made for Madeline's
immediate removal that Ralph broke silence by declaring she should not
be taken away.

'Who says so?' cried Nicholas, rising from his knee and confronting
them, but still retaining Madeline's lifeless hand in his.

'I!' answered Ralph, hoarsely.

'Hush, hush!' cried the terrified Gride, catching him by the arm again.
'Hear what he says.'

'Ay!' said Nicholas, extending his disengaged hand in the air, 'hear
what he says. That both your debts are paid in the one great debt of
nature. That the bond, due today at twelve, is now waste paper. That
your contemplated fraud shall be discovered yet. That your schem