nd Glavormelly, sir!' said Miss Snevellicci's
papa. 'Then you have never seen acting yet. If he had lived--'

'Oh, he is dead, is he?' interrupted Nicholas.

'He is,' said Mr Snevellicci, 'but he isn't in Westminster Abbey, more's
the shame. He was a--. Well, no matter. He is gone to that bourne from
whence no traveller returns. I hope he is appreciated THERE.'

So saying Miss Snevellicci's papa rubbed the tip of his nose with a very
yellow silk handkerchief, and gave the company to understand that these
recollections overcame him.

'Well, Mr Lillyvick,' said Nicholas, 'and how are you?'

'Quite well, sir,' replied the collector. 'There is nothing like the
married state, sir, depend upon it.'

'Indeed!' said Nicholas, laughing.

'Ah! nothing like it, sir,' replied Mr Lillyvick solemnly. 'How do you
think,' whispered the collector, drawing him aside, 'how do you think
she looks tonight?'

'As handsome as ever,' replied Nicholas, glancing at the late Miss
Petowker.

'Why, there's air about her, sir,' whispered the collector, 'that I
never saw in anybody. Look at her, now she moves to put the kettle on.
There! Isn't it fascination, sir?'

'You're a lucky man,' said Nicholas.

'Ha, ha, ha!' rejoined the collector. 'No. Do you think I am though,
eh? Perhaps I may be, perhaps I may be. I say, I couldn't have done much
better if I had been a young man, could I? You couldn't have done much
better yourself, could you--eh--could you?' With such inquires, and
many more such, Mr Lillyvick jerked his elbow into Nicholas's side, and
chuckled till his face became quite purple in the attempt to keep down
his satisfaction.

By this time the cloth had been laid under the joint superintendence of
all the ladies, upon two tables put together, one being high and narrow,
and the other low and broad. There were oysters at the top, sausages
at the bottom, a pair of snuffers in the centre, and baked potatoes
wherever it was most convenient to put them. Two additional chairs were
brought in from the bedroom: Miss Snevellicci sat at the head of the
table, and Mr Lillyvick at the foot; and Nicholas had not only
the honour of sitting next Miss Snevellicci, but of having Miss
Snevellicci's mama on his right hand, and Miss Snevellicci's papa over
the way. In short, he was the hero of the feast; and when the table was
cleared and something warm introduced, Miss Snevellicci's papa got up
and proposed his health in a speech containing suc