第72章

Meanwhile, the company belowstairs, after listening attentively and not hearing any noise which would justify them in interfering for the gratification of their curiosity, returned to the chamber of the Kenwigses, and employed themselves in hazarding a great variety of conjectures relative to the cause of Mr Noggs' sudden disappearance and detention.

`Lor, I'll tell you what,' said Mrs Kenwigs. `Suppose it should be an express sent up to say that his property has all come back again!'

`Dear me,' said Mr Kenwigs; `it's not impossible. Perhaps, in that case, we'd better send up and ask if he won't take a little more punch.'

`Kenwigs!' said Mr Lillyvick, in a loud voice, `I'm surprised at you.'

`What's the matter, sir?' asked Mr Kenwigs, with becoming submission to the collector of water-rates.

`Making such a remark as that, sir,' replied Mr Lillyvick, angrily.

`He has had punch already, has he not, sir? I consider the way in which that punch was cut off, if I may use the expression, highly disrespectful to this company; scandalous, perfectly scandalous. It may be the custom to allow such things in this house, but it's not the kind of behaviour that I've been used to see displayed, and so I don't mind telling you, Kenwigs. A gentleman has a glass of punch before him to which he is just about to set his lips, when another gentleman comes and collars that glass of punch, without a "with your leave", or "by your leave", and carries that glass of punch away. This may be good manners--I dare say it is--but I don't understand it, that's all; and what's more, I don't care if I never do. It's my way to speak my mind, Kenwigs, and that is my mind; and if you don't like it, it's past my regular time for going to bed, and I can find my way home without making it later.'

Here was an untoward event! The collector had sat swelling and fuming in offended dignity for some minutes, and had now fairly burst out. The great man--the rich relation--the unmarried uncle--who had it in his power to make Morleena an heiress, and the very baby a legatee--was offended.

Gracious Powers, where was this to end!

`I am very sorry, sir,' said Mr Kenwigs, humbly.

`Don't tell me you're sorry,' retorted Mr Lillyvick, with much sharpness.

`You should have prevented it, then.'

The company were quite paralysed by this domestic crash. The back-parlour sat with her mouth wide open, staring vacantly at the collector, in a stupor of dismay; the other guests were scarcely less overpowered by the great man's irritation. Mr Kenwigs, not being skilful in such matters, only fanned the flame in attempting to extinguish it.

`I didn't think of it, I am sure, sir,' said that gentleman. `I didn't suppose that such a little thing as a glass of punch would have put you out of temper.'

`Out of temper! What the devil do you mean by that piece of impertinence, Mr Kenwigs?' said the collector. `Morleena, child--give me my hat.'

`Oh, you're not going, Mr Lillyvick, sir,' interposed Miss Petowker, with her most bewitching smile.

But still Mr Lillyvick, regardless of the siren, cried obdurately, `Morleena, my hat!' upon the fourth repetition of which demand, Mrs Kenwigs sunk back in her chair, with a cry that might have softened a water-butt, not to say a water-collector; while the four little girls (privately instructed to that effect) clasped their uncle's drab shorts in their arms, and prayed him, in imperfect English, to remain.

`Why should I stop here, my dears?' said Mr Lillyvick; `I'm not wanted here.'

`Oh, do not speak so cruelly, uncle,' sobbed Mrs Kenwigs, `unless you wish to kill me.'

`I shouldn't wonder if some people were to say I did,' replied Mr Lillyvick, glancing angrily at Kenwigs. `Out of temper!'

`Oh! I cannot bear to see him look so, at my husband,' cried Mrs Kenwigs.

`It's so dreadful in families. Oh!'

`Mr Lillyvick,' said Kenwigs, `I hope, for the sake of your niece, that you won't object to be reconciled.'

The collector's features relaxed, as the company added their entreaties to those of his nephew-in-law. He gave up his hat, and held out his hand.

`There, Kenwigs,' said Mr Lillyvick; `and let me tell you, at the same time, to show you how much out of temper I was, that if I had gone away without another word, it would have made no difference respecting that pound or two which I shall leave among your children when I die.'

`Morleena Kenwigs,' cried her mother, in a torrent of affection. `Go down upon your knees to your dear uncle, and beg him to love you all his life through, for he's more a angel than a man, and I've always said so.'

Miss Morleena approaching to do homage, in compliance with this injunction, was summarily caught up and kissed by Mr Lillyvick; and thereupon Mrs Kenwigs darted forward and kissed the collector, and an irrepressible murmur of applause broke from the company who had witnessed his magnanimity.

The worthy gentleman then became once more the life and soul of the society; being again reinstated in his old post of lion, from which high station the temporary distraction of their thoughts had for a moment dispossessed him. Quadruped lions are said to be savage, only when they are hungry;biped lions are rarely sulky longer than when their appetite for distinction remains unappeased. Mr Lillyvick stood higher than ever; for he had shown his power; hinted at his property and testamentary intentions; gained great credit for disinterestedness and virtue; and, in addition to all, was finally accommodated with a much larger tumbler of punch than that which Newman Noggs had so feloniously made off with.

`I say! I beg everybody's pardon for intruding again,' said Crowl, looking in at this happy juncture; `but what a queer business this is, isn't it?

Noggs has lived in this house, now going on for five years, and nobody has ever been to see him before, within the memory of the oldest inhabitant.'

`It's a strange time of night to be called away, sir, certainly,' said the collector; `and the behaviour of Mr Noggs himself, is, to say the least of it, mysterious.'