"Of what do they—or of what does he accuse me?" said Nicholas.
"First, of attacking your master, and being within an ace of qualifying yourself to be tried for murder," interposed Ralph. "I speak plainly, young man, bluster as you will."
"I interfered," said Nicholas, "to save a miserable wretched creature from the vilest and most degrading cruelty. In so doing I inflicted such punishment upon a wretch as he will not readily forget, though far less than he deserved from me. If the same scene were renewed before me now, I would take the same part; but I would strike harder and heavier, and brand him with such marks as he should carry to his grave, go to it when he would."
"You hear?" said Ralph, turning to Mrs. Nickleby. "Penitence, this!"
"Oh dear me!" cried Mrs. Nickleby, "I don't know what to think, I really don't."
"Do not speak just now, mama, I entreat you," said Kate. "Dear Nicholas, I only tell you, that you may know what wickedness can prompt, but they accuse you of—a ring is missing, and they dare to say that——"
"The woman," said Nicholas, haughtily, "the wife of the fellow from whom these charges come, dropped—as I suppose—a worthless ring among some clothes of mine, early in the morning on which I left the house. At least, I know that she was in the bed-room where they lay, struggling with an unhappy child, and that I found it when I opened my bundle on the road. I returned it at once by coach, and they have it now."
"I knew, I knew," said Kate, looking towards her uncle. "About this boy, love, in whose company they say you left?"
"That boy, a silly, helpless creature, from brutality and hard usage, is with me now," rejoined Nicholas.
"You hear?" said Ralph, appealing to the mother again, "everything proved, even upon his own confession. Do you choose to restore that boy, Sir?"
"No, I do not," replied Nicholas.
"You do not?" sneered Ralph.
"No," repeated Nicholas, "not to the man with whom I found him. I would that I knew on whom he has the claim of birth: I might wring something from his sense of shame, if he were dead to every tie of nature."
"Indeed!" said Ralph. "Now, Sir, will you hear a word or two from me?"
"You can speak when and what you please," replied Nicholas, embracing his sister. "I take little heed of what you say or threaten."
"Mighty well, Sir," retorted Ralph; "but perhaps it may concern others, who may think it worth their while to listen, and consider what I tell them. I will address your mother, Sir, who knows the world."
"Ah! and I only too dearly wish I didn't," sobbed Mrs. Nickleby.
There really was no necessity for the good lady to be much distressed upon this particular head, the extent of her worldly knowledge being,
