the collector
`He is,' rejoined the collector. `I have lived in the world for nigh sixty year, and I ought to know what it is.'`You ought to know, certainly,' thought Nicholas; `but whether you do or not, MBT Shoes Sale is another question.'`If a bachelor happens to have saved a little matter of money,' said Mr Lillyvick, `his sisters and brothers, and nephews and nieces, look to that money, and not to him; even if, by being a public character, he is the head of the family, or, as it may be, the main from which all the other little branches are turned on, they still wish him dead all the while, and get low-spirited every time they see him looking in good health, because they want to come into his little property. You see that?'`Oh yes,' replied Nicholas: `it's very true, no doubt.'`The great reason for not being married,' resumed Mr Lillyvick, `is the expense; that's what's kept me off, or else -- Lord!' said Mr Lillyvick, snapping his fingers, `I might have had fifty women.'`Fine women?' asked Nicholas.`Fine women, sir!' replied the collector; `ay! not so fine as Henrietta Petowker, for she is an uncommon specimen, but such women as don't fall into every man's way, I can tell you. Now suppose a man can get a fortune in a wife instead of with her -- eh?'`Why, then, he's a lucky fellow,' replied Nicholas.`That's what I say,' retorted the collector, patting him benignantly on the side of the head with his umbrella; `just what I say. Henrietta Petowker, the talented Henrietta Petowker has a fortune in herself, and I am going to--'`To make her Mrs Lillyvick?' suggested Nicholas.`No, sir, not to make her Mrs Lillyvick,' replied the collector. `Actresses, sir, always keep their maiden names -- that's the regular thing -- but I'm going to marry her; and the day after tomorrow, too.'`I congratulate you, MBT Trainers sir,' said Nicholas.`Thank you, sir,' replied the collector, buttoning his waistcoat. `Ishall draw her salary, of course, and I hope after all that it's nearly as cheap to keep two as it is to keep one; that's a consolation.'`Surely you don't want any consolation at such a moment?' observed Nicholas.`No,' replied Mr Lillyvick, shaking his head nervously: `no -- of course not.'`But how come you both here, if you're going to be married, Mr Lillyvick?' asked Nicholas.`Why, that's what I came to explain to you,' replied the collector of water-rate. `The fact is, we have thought it best to keep it secret from the family.'`Family!' said Nicholas. `What family?'`The Kenwigses of course,' rejoined Mr Lillyvick. MBT Shoes `If my niece and the children had known a word about it before I came away, they'd have gone into fits at my feet, and MBT never have come out of 'em till I took an oath not to marry anybody -- or they'd have got out a commission of lunacy, or some dreadful thing,' said the collector, quite trembling as he spoke.`To be sure,' said Nicholas. `Yes; they would have been jealous, no doubt.'`To prevent which,' said Mr Lillyvick, `Henrietta Petowker (it was settled between us) should come down here to her friends, the Crummleses, under pretence of this engagement, and I should go down to Guildford the day before, and join her on the coach there, which I did, and we came down from Guildford yesterday together.
come to the pony
I've got another novelty, Johnson,' said Mr Crummles one morning in great glee.`What's that?' rejoined Nicholas. `The pony?'`No, no, we never come to the pony till everything else has failed,' said Mr Crummles. `I don't think we shall come to the pony at all, this season. No, no, not the pony.'`A boy phenomenon, perhaps?' suggested Nicholas.`There is only one phenomenon, sir,' replied Mr Crummles impressively, `and that's a girl.'`Very true,' said Nicholas. `I beg your pardon. Then I don't know what it is, I am sure.'`What should you say to a young lady from London?' inquired Mr Crummles. `Miss So-and-so, of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane?'`I should say she would MBT Shoes Sale look MBT very well in the bills,' said Nicholas.`You're about right there,' said Mr Crummles; `and if you had said she would look very well upon the stage too, you wouldn't have been far out. Look here; what do you think of this?'With this inquiry Mr Crummles unfolded a red poster, and a blue poster, and a yellow poster, at the top of each of which public notification was inscribed in enormous characters -- `First appearance of the unrivalled Miss Petowker of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane!'`Dear me!' said Nicholas, `I know that lady.'`Then you are acquainted with as much talent as was ever compressed into one young person's body,' retorted Mr Crummles, rolling up the bills again; `that is, talent of a certain sort -- of a certain sort. "The Blood Drinker,"' added MBT Shoes Mr Crummles with a prophetic sigh, `"The Blood Drinker" will die with that girl; and she's the only sylph I ever saw, who could stand upon one leg, and play the tambourine on her other knee, like a sylph.'`When does she come down?' asked Nicholas.`We expect her today,' replied Mr Crummles. `She is an old friend of Mrs Crummles's. Mrs Crummles saw what she could do -- always knew it from the first. She taught her, indeed, nearly all she knows. Mrs Crummles was the original Blood Drinker.'`Was she, indeed?'`Yes. She was obliged to give it up though.'`Did it disagree with her?' asked Nicholas.`Not so much with her, as with her audiences,' replied Mr Crummles. `Nobody could stand it. It was too tremendous. You don't quite know what Mrs Crummles is yet.'Nicholas ventured to insinuate that he thought he did.`No, no, you don't,' said Mr Crummles; `you don't, indeed. I don't, and that's a fact. I MBT Trainers don't think her country will, till she is dead. Some new proof of talent bursts from that astonishing woman every year of her life. Look at her -- mother of six children -- three of 'em alive, and all upon the stage!'`Extraordinary!' cried Nicholas.`Ah! extraordinary indeed,' rejoined Mr Crummles, taking a complacent pinch of snuff, and shaking his head gravely. `I pledge you my professional word I didn't even know she could dance, till her last benefit, and then she played Juliet, and Helen Macgregor, and did the skipping-rope hornpipe between the pieces.
got clear
`Odd people those,' said Nicholas, when they got clear of the house.`I assure you,' said Miss Snevellicci, taking his arm, `that I think myself very lucky they did not owe all the money instead of being sixpence short. Now, if you were to succeed, they would give people to understand that they had always patronised you; and if you were to fail, they would have been quite certain of that from the very beginning.'At the next house they visited, they were in great glory; for, there, resided the six children who were so enraptured with the public actions of the phenomenon, and who, being called down from the nursery to be treated with a private view of that young lady, proceeded to poke their fingers into her eyes, and tread upon her toes, and show her many other little attentions peculiar to their time of life.`I shall certainly persuade Mr Borum to take a private box,' said the lady of the house, after a most gracious reception. `I shall only take two of the children, and will make up the rest of the party, of gentlemen--your admirers, Miss Snevellicci. Augustus, you naughty boy, MBT Shoes Sale leave the little girl MBT Trainers alone.'This was addressed to a young gentleman who was pinching, the phenomenon behind, apparently with a view of ascertaining whether she was real.`I am sure you must be very tired,' said the mamma, turning to Miss Snevellicci. `I cannot think of allowing you to go, without first taking a glass of wine. Fie, Charlotte, I am ashamed of you! MBT Shoes Miss Lane, my dear, pray see to the children.'Miss Lane was the governess, and this entreaty was rendered necessary by the abrupt behaviour of the youngest Miss Borum, who, having filched the phenomenon's little green parasol, was now carrying it bodily off, while the distracted infant looked helplessly on.`I am sure, where you ever learnt to act as you do,' said good-natured Mrs Borum, turning again to Miss Snevellicci, `I cannot understand (Emma, don't stare so); laughing in one piece, and crying in the next, and so natural in all--oh, dear!'`I am very happy to hear you express so favourable an opinion,' said Miss Snevellicci. `It's quite delightful to think you like it.'`Like it!' cried Mrs Borum. `Who can help liking it? I would go to the play, twice a week if I could: I dote upon it--only you're too affecting sometimes. You do put me in such a state--into such fits of crying! Goodness gracious me, Miss Lane, how can you let them torment that poor child so!'The phenomenon was really in a fair way of being torn limb from limb; for two strong little boys, one holding on by each of her hands, were dragging her in different directions as a trial of strength. However, Miss Lane (who had herself been too much occupied in contemplating the grown-up actors, to pay the necessary attention to these proceedings) rescued the unhappy infant at this juncture, who, being recruited with a glass of wine, was shortly afterwards taken away by her friends, after sustaining no more serious damage than a flattening of the pink gauze bonnet, and a rather extensive creasing of the white frock and trousers.It was a trying morning; MBT for there were a great many calls to make, and everybody wanted a different thing. Some wanted tragedies, and others comedies; some objected to dancing; some wanted scarcely anything else.