Sir Mulberry garnished this speech with a hoarse laugh, and terminated it with a pleasant oath regarding Mr. Nickleby's limbs, whereat Messrs. Pyke and Pluck "laughed consumedly."
These gentlemen had not yet quite recovered the jest when dinner was announced, and then they were thrown into fresh ecstacies by a similar cause; for Sir Mulberry Hawk, in an excess of humour, shot dexterously past Lord Frederick Verisopht who was about to lead Kate down stairs, and drew her arm through his up to the elbow.
"No, damn it, Verisopht," said Sir Mulberry, "fair play's a jewel, and Miss Nickleby and I settled the matter with our eyes, ten minutes ago."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the Honourable Mr. Snobb, "very good, very good."
Rendered additionally witty by this applause, Sir Mulberry Hawk leered upon his friends most facetiously, and led Kate down stairs with an air of familiarity, which roused in her gentle breast such disgust and burning indignation, as she felt it almost impossible to repress. Nor was the intensity of these feelings at all diminished, when she found herself placed at the top of the table, with Sir Mulberry Hawk and Lord Verisopht on either side.
"Oh, you've found your way into our neighbourhood, have you?" said Sir Mulberry as his lordship sat down.
"Of course," replied Lord Frederick, fixing his eyes on Miss Nickleby, "how can you a-ask me?"
"Well, you attend to your dinner," said Sir Mulberry, "and don't mind Miss Nickleby and me, for we shall prove very indifferent company, I dare say."
"I wish you'd interfere here, Nickleby," said Lord Verisopht.
"What is the matter, my lord?" demanded Ralph from the bottom of the table, where he was supported by Messrs. Pyke and Pluck.
"This fellow, Hawk, is monopolising your niece," said Lord Frederick.
"He has a tolerable share of everything that you lay claim to, my lord," said Ralph with a sneer.
"'Gad, so he has," replied the young man; "deyvle take me if I know which is master in my house, he or I."
"I know," muttered Ralph.
"I think I shall cut him off with a shilling," said the young nobleman, jocosely.
"No, no, curse it," said Sir Mulberry. "When you come to the shilling—the last shilling—I'll cut you fast enough; but till then, I'll never leave you—you may take your oath of it."
This sally (which was strictly founded on fact,) was received with a general roar, above which, was plainly distinguishable the laughter of Mr. Pyke and Mr. Pluck, who were evidently Sir Mulberry's toads in ordinary. Indeed, it was not difficult to see, that the majority of the company preyed upon the unfortunate young lord, who, weak and silly as he was, appeared by far the least vicious of the party. Sir Mulberry Hawk was remarkable for his tact in ruining, by himself
