Mr Ralph Nickleby has some confidential intercourse with another old friend. They concert between them a project, which promises well for both `T HERE GO THE three-quarters past!' muttered Newman Noggs, listening to the chimes of some neighbouring church `and my dinner-time's two. He does it on purpose. He makes a point of it. It's just like him.'
It was in his own little den of an office and on the top of his official stool that Newman thus soliloquised; and the soliloquy referred, as Newman's grumbling soliloquies usually did, to Ralph Nickleby.
`I don't believe he ever had an appetite,' said Newman, `except for pounds, shillings, and pence, and with them he's as greedy as a wolf. Ishould like to have him compelled to swallow one of every English coin.
The penny would be an awkward morsel -- but the crown -- ha! ha!'
His good-humour being in some degree restored by the vision of Ralph Nickleby swallowing, perforce, a five-shilling piece, Newman slowly brought forth from his desk one of those portable bottles, currently known as pocket-pistols, and shaking the same close to his ear so as to produce a rippling sound very cool and pleasant to listen to, suffered his features to relax, and took a gurgling drink, which relaxed them still more. Replacing the cork, he smacked his lips twice or thrice with an air of great relish, and, the taste of the liquor having by this time evaporated, recurred to his grievances again.
`Five minutes to three,' growled Newman; `it can't want more by this time; and I had my breakfast at eight o'clock, and such a breakfast!
and my right dinner-time two! And I might have a nice little bit of hot roast meat spoiling at home all this time -- how does he know Ihaven't? "Don't go till I come back," "Don't go till I come back," day after day. What do you always go out at my dinner-time for then -- eh?
Don't you know it's nothing but aggravation eh?'
These words, though uttered in a very loud key, were addressed to nothing but empty air. The recital of his wrongs, however, seemed to have the effect of making Newman Noggs desperate; for he flattened his old hat upon his head, and drawing on the everlasting gloves, declared with great vehemence, that come what might, he would go to dinner that very minute.
Carrying this resolution into instant effect, he had advanced as far as the passage, when the sound of the latch-key in the street-door caused him to make a precipitate retreat into his own office again.
`Here he is,' growled Newman, `and somebody with him. Now it'll be "Stop till this gentleman's gone." But I won't -- that's flat.'
So saying, Newman slipped into a tall empty closet which opened with two half-doors, and shut himself up; intending to slip out directly Ralph was safe inside his own room.
`Noggs,' cried Ralph, `where is that fellow? -- Noggs.'
But not a word said Newman.
`The dog has gone to his dinner, though I told him not,' muttered Ralph, looking into the office, and pulling out his watch. `Humph!' You had better come in here, Gride. My man's out, and the sun is hot upon my room. This is cool and in the shade, if you don't mind roughing it.'
`Not at all, Mr Nickleby, oh not at all! All places are alike to me, sir. Ah! very nice indeed. Oh! very nice!'
The parson who made this reply was a little old man, of about seventy or seventy-five years of age, of a very lean figure, much bent and slightly twisted. He wore a grey coat with a very narrow collar, an old-fashioned waistcoat of ribbed black silk, and such scanty trousers as displayed his shrunken spindleshanks in their full ugliness. The only articles of display or ornament in his dress were a steel watch-chain to which were attached some large gold seals; and a black ribbon into which, in compliance with an old fashion scarcely ever observed in these days, his grey hair was gathered behind. His nose and chin were sharp and prominent, his jaws had fallen inwards from loss of teeth, his face was shrivelled and yellow, save where the cheeks were streaked with the colour of a dry winter apple;and where his beard had been, there lingered yet a few grey tufts which seemed, like the ragged eyebrows, to denote the badness of the soil from which they sprung. The whole air and attitude of the form was one of stealthy cat-like obsequiousness; the whole expression of the face was concentrated in a wrinkled leer, compounded of cunning, lecherousness, slyness, and avarice.
Such was old Arthur Gride, in whose face there was not a wrinkle, in whose dress there was not one spare fold or plait, but expressed the most covetous and griping penury, and sufficiently indicated his belonging to that class of which Ralph Nickleby was a member. Such was old Arthur Gride, as he sat in a low chair looking up into the face of Ralph Nickleby, who, lounging upon the tall office stool, with his arms upon his knees, looked down into his, -- a match for him on whatever errand he had come.
`And how have you been?' said Gride, feigning great interest in Ralph's state of health. `I haven't seen you for -- oh! not for --'
`Not for a long time,' said Ralph, with a peculiar smile, importing that he very well knew it was not on a mere visit of compliment that his friend had come. `It was a narrow chance that you saw me now, for I had only just come up to the door as you turned the corner.'
`I am very lucky,' observed Gride.
`So men say,' replied Ralph, drily.
The older money-lender wagged his chin and smiled, but he originated no new remark, and they sat for some little time without speaking. Each was looking out to take the other at a disadvantage.
`Come, Gride,' said Ralph, at length; `what's in the wind today?'
`Aha! you're a bold man, Mr Nickleby,' cried the other, apparently very much relieved by Ralph's leading the way to business. `Oh dear, dear, what a bold man you are!'
`Why, you have a sleek and slinking way with you that makes me seem so by contrast,' returned Ralph. `I don't know but that yours may answer better, but I want the patience for it.'