And when the petition had been read and was about to be adopted, there came forward the Irish member (who was a young gentleman of ardent temperament,) with such a speech as only an Irish member can make, breathing the true soul and spirit of poetry, and poured forth with such fervour, that it made one warm to look at him; in the course whereof, he told them how he would demand the extension of that great boon to his native country; how he would claim for her equal rights in the muffin laws as in all other laws; and how he yet hoped to see the day when crumpets should be toasted in her lowly cabins, and muffin bells should ring in her rich green valleys. And, after him, came the Scotch member, with various pleasant allusions to the probable amount of profits, which increased the good humour that the poetry had awakened; and all the speeches put together did exactly what they were intended to do, and established in the hearers′ minds that there was no speculation so promising, or at the same time so praiseworthy, as the United Metropolitan Improved Hot Muffin and Crumpet Baking and Punctual Delivery Company.
So, the petition in favour of the bill was agreed upon, and the meeting adjourned with acclamations, and Mr Nickleby and the other directors went to the office to lunch, as they did every day at half-past one o′clock; and to remunerate themselves for which trouble, (as the company was yet in its infancy,) they only charged three guineas each man for every such attendance.
CHAPTER 3
Mr Ralph Nickleby receives Sad Tidings of his Brother, but bears up nobly against the Intelligence communicated to him. The Reader is informed how he liked Nicholas, who is herein introduced, and how kindly he proposed to make his Fortune at once
Having rendered his zealous assistance towards dispatching the lunch, with all that promptitude and energy which are among the most important qualities that men of business can possess, Mr Ralph Nickleby took a cordial farewell of his fellow-speculators, and bent his steps westward in unwonted good humour. As he passed St Paul′s he stepped aside into a doorway to set his watch, and with his hand on the key and his eye on the cathedral dial, was intent upon so doing, when a man suddenly stopped before him. It was Newman Noggs.
′Ah! Newman,′ said Mr Nickleby, looking up as he pursued his occupation. ′The letter about the mortgage has come, has it? I thought it would.′
′Wrong,′ replied Newman.
′What! and nobody called respecting it?′ inquired Mr Nickleby, pausing. Noggs shook his head.
′What HAS come, then?′ inquired Mr Nickleby.
′I have,′ said Newman.
′What else?′ demanded the master, sternly.
′This,′ said Newman, drawing a sealed letter slowly from his pocket. ′Post-mark, Strand, black wax, black border, woman′s hand, C. N. in the corner.′
′Black wax?′ said Mr Nickleby, glancing at the letter. ′I know something of that hand, too. Newman, I shouldn′t be surprised if my brother were dead.′
′I don′t think you would,′ said Newman, quietly.
′Why not, sir?′ demanded Mr Nickleby.
′You never are surprised,′ replied Newman, ′that′s all.′
Mr Nickleby snatched the letter from his assistant, and fixing a cold look upon him, opened, read it, put it in his pocket, and having now hit the time to a second, began winding up his watch.
′It is as I expected, Newman,′ said Mr Nickleby, while he was thus engaged. ′He IS dead. Dear me! Well, that′s sudden thing.
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