"Here is Miss Nickleby," observed Sir Mulberry, "wondering why the deuce somebody doesn't make love to her."
"No, indeed," said Kate, looking hastily up, "I——" and then she stopped, feeling it would have been better to have said nothing at all.
"I'll hold any man fifty pounds," said Sir Mulberry, "that Miss Nickleby can't look in my face, and tell me she wasn't thinking so."
"Done!" cried the noble gull. "Within ten minutes."
"Done!" responded Sir Mulberry. The money was produced on both sides, and the Honourable Mr. Snobb was elected to the double office of stake-holder and time-keeper.
"Pray," said Kate, in great confusion, while these preliminaries were in course of completion. "Pray do not make me the subject of any bets. Uncle, I cannot really—"
"Why not, my dear? " replied Ralph, in whose grating voice, however, there was an unusual huskiness, as though he spoke unwillingly, and would rather that the proposition had not been broached. "It is done in a moment; there is nothing in it. If the gentlemen insist on it——"
"I don't insist on it," said Sir Mulberry, with a loud laugh. "That is, I by no means insist upon Miss Nickleby's making the denial, for if she does, I lose; but I shall be glad to see her bright eyes, especially as she favours the mahogany so much."
"So she does, and it's too ba-a-d of you, Miss Nickleby," said the noble youth.
"Quite cruel," said Mr. Pyke.
"Horrid cruel," said Mr. Pluck.
"I don't care if I do lose," said Sir Mulberry, "for one tolerable look at Miss Nickleby's eyes is worth double the money."
"More," said Mr. Pyke.
"Far more," said Mr. Pluck.
"How goes the enemy, Snobb?" asked Sir Mulberry Hawk.
"Four minutes gone."
"Bravo!"
"Won't you ma-ake one effort for me, Miss Nickleby?" asked Lord Frederick, after a short interval.
"You needn't trouble yourself to inquire, my buck," said Sir Mulberry; "Miss Nickleby and I understand each other; she declares on my side, and shews her taste. You haven't a chance, old fellow. Time now, Snobb?"
"Eight minutes gone."
"Get the money ready," said Sir Mulberry; "you'll soon hand over."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Pyke.
Mr. Pluck, who always came second, and topped his companion if he could, screamed outright.
The poor girl, who was so overwhelmed with confusion that she scarcely knew what she did, had determined to remain perfectly quiet; but fearing that by so doing she might seem to countenance Sir Mulberry's boast, which had been uttered with great coarseness and vulgarity of manner, raised her eyes, and looked him in the face. There was
