第154章

Now the ladies were on the side of Nicholas, and the gentlemen (being jealous) were on the side of the disappointed tragedian; so that the latter formed a little group about the redoubtable Mr Lenville, and the former looked on at a little distance in some trepidation and anxiety. On Nicholas stopping to salute them, Mr Lenville laughed a scornful laugh, and made some general remark touching the natural history of puppies.

`Oh!' said Nicholas, looking quietly round, `are you there?'

`Slave!' returned Mr Lenville, flourishing his right arm, and approaching Nicholas with a theatrical stride. But somehow he appeared just at that moment a little startled, as if Nicholas did not look quite so frightened as he had expected, and came all at once to an awkward halt, at which the assembled ladies burst into a shrill laugh.

`Object of my scorn and hatred!' said Mr Lenville, `I hold ye in contempt.'

Nicholas laughed in very unexpected enjoyment of this performance; and the ladies, by way of encouragement, laughed louder than before; whereat Mr Lenville assumed his bitterest smile, and expressed his opinion that they were `minions'.

`But they shall not protect ye!' said the tragedian, taking an upward look at Nicholas, beginning at his boots and ending at the crown of his head, and then a downward one, beginning at the crown of his head, and ending at his boots--which two looks, as everybody knows, express defiance on the stage. `They shall not protect ye--boy!'

Thus speaking, Mr Lenville folded his arms, and treated Nicholas to that expression of face with which, in melodramatic performances, he was in the habit of regarding the tyrannical kings when they said, `Away with him to the deepest dungeon beneath the castle moat;' and which, accompanied with a little jingling of fetters, had been known to produce great effects in its time.

Whether it was the absence of the fetters or not, it made no very deep impression on Mr Lenville's adversary, however, but rather seemed to increase the good-humour expressed in his countenance; in which stage of the contest, one or two gentlemen, who had come out expressly to witness the pulling of Nicholas's nose, grew impatient, murmuring that if it were to be done at all it had better be done at once, and that if Mr Lenville didn't mean to do it he had better say so, and not keep them waiting there. Thus urged, the tragedian adjusted the cuff of his right coat sleeve for-the performance of the operation, and walked in a very stately manner up to Nicholas, who suffered him to approach to within the requisite distance, and then, without the smallest discomposure, knocked him down.

Before the discomfited tragedian could raise his head from the boards, Mrs Lenville (who, as has been before hinted, was in an interesting state)rushed from the rear rank of ladies, and uttering a piercing scream threw herself upon the body.

`Do you see this, monster? Do you see this ?' cried Mr Lenville, sitting up, and pointing to his prostrate lady, who was holding him very tight round the waist.

`Come,' said Nicholas, nodding his head, `apologise for the insolent note you wrote to me last night, and waste no more time in talking.'

`Never!' cried Mr Lenville.

`Yes--yes--yes!' screamed his wife. `For my sake--for mine, Lenville--forego all idle forms, unless you would see me a blighted corse at your feet.'

`This is affecting!' said Mr Lenville, looking round him, and drawing the back of his hand across his eyes. `The ties of nature are strong. The weak husband and the father--the father that is yet to be--relents. I apologise.'

`Humbly and submissively?' said Nicholas.

`Humbly and submissively,' returned the tragedian, scowling upwards.

`But only to save her,--for a time will come--'

`Very good,' said Nicholas; `I hope Mrs Lenville may have a good one;and when it does come, and you are a father, you shall retract it if you have the courage. There. Be careful, sir, to what lengths your jealousy carries you another time; and be careful, also, before you venture too far, to ascertain your rival's temper.' With this parting advice Nicholas picked up Mr Lenville's ash stick which had flown out of his hand, and breaking it in half, threw him the pieces and withdrew, bowing slightly to the spectators as he walked out.