. Still there was no reference made to
anybody with whom he was acquainted, and Nicholas became persuaded
that his excited fancy had either imagined the sounds altogether, or
converted some other words into the name which had been so much in his
thoughts.

'It is remarkable too,' thought Nicholas: 'if it had been "Kate" or
"Kate Nickleby," I should not have been so much surprised: but "little
Kate Nickleby!"'

The wine coming at the moment prevented his finishing the sentence. He
swallowed a glassful and took up the paper again. At that instant--

'Little Kate Nickleby!' cried the voice behind him.

'I was right,' muttered Nicholas as the paper fell from his hand. 'And
it was the man I supposed.'

'As there was a proper objection to drinking her in heel-taps,' said the
voice, 'we'll give her the first glass in the new magnum. Little Kate
Nickleby!'

'Little Kate Nickleby,' cried the other three. And the glasses were set
down empty.

Keenly alive to the tone and manner of this slight and careless mention
of his sister's name in a public place, Nicholas fired at once; but he
kept himself quiet by a great effort, and did not even turn his head.

'The jade!' said the same voice which had spoken before. 'She's a true
Nickleby--a worthy imitator of her old uncle Ralph--she hangs back to be
more sought after--so does he; nothing to be got out of Ralph unless you
follow him up, and then the money comes doubly welcome, and the bargain
doubly hard, for you're impatient and he isn't. Oh! infernal cunning.'

'Infernal cunning,' echoed two voices.

Nicholas was in a perfect agony as the two elderly gentlemen opposite,
rose one after the other and went away, lest they should be the means of
his losing one word of what was said. But the conversation was suspended
as they withdrew, and resumed with even greater freedom when they had
left the room.

'I am afraid,' said the younger gentleman, 'that the old woman has grown
jea-a-lous, and locked her up. Upon my soul it looks like it.'

'If they quarrel and little Nickleby goes home to her mother, so much
the better,' said the first. 'I can do anything with the old lady.
She'll believe anything I tell her.'

'Egad that's true,' returned the other voice. 'Ha, ha, ha! Poor deyvle!'

The laugh was taken up by the two voices which always came in together,
and became general at Mrs Nickleby's expense. Nicholas turned burning
hot with rage, but he commanded himself for the momen