Then Nicholas said, that he wondered what could possibly be inside the basket, and attempted to peep in, whereat Miss Snevellicci screamed, and declared that if she thought he had seen, she was sure she should faint away. This declaration was followed by a similar attempt on the bandbox, and similar demonstrations on the part of Miss Ledrook, and then both ladies vowed that they wouldn't move a step further until Nicholas had promised that he wouldn't offer to peep again. At last Nicholas pledged himself to betray no further curiosity, and they walked on: both ladies giggling very much, and declaring that they never had seen such a wicked creature in all their born days -- never.
Lightening the way with such pleasantry as this, they arrived at the tailor's house in no time; and here they made quite a little party, there being present besides Mr Lillyvick and Mrs Lillyvick, not only Miss Snevellicci's mamma, but her papa also. And an uncommonly fine man Miss Snevellicci's papa was, with a hook nose, and a white forehead, and curly black hair, and high cheek bones, and altogether quite a handsome face, only a little pimply as though with drinking. He had a very broad chest had Miss Snevellicci's papa, and he wore a threadbare blue dress-coat buttoned with gilt buttons tight across it; and he no sooner saw Nicholas come into the room, than he whipped the two forefingers of his right hand in between the two centre buttons, and sticking his other arm gracefully a-kimbo seemed to say, `Now, here I am, my buck, and what have you got to say to me?'
Such was, and in such an attitude sat Miss Snevellicci's papa, who had been in the profession ever since he had first played the ten-year-old imps in the Christmas pantomimes; who could sing a little, dance a little, fence a little, act a little, and do everything a little, but not much;who had been sometimes in the ballet, and sometimes in the chorus, at every theatre in London; who was always selected in virtue of his figure to play the military visitors and the speechless noblemen; who always wore a smart dress, and came on arm-in-arm with a smart lady in short petticoats, --and always did it too with such an air that people in the pit had been several times known to cry out `Bravo!' under the impression that he was somebody. Such was Miss Snevellicci's papa, upon whom some envious persons cast the imputation that he occasionally beat Miss Snevellicci's mamma, who was still a dancer, with a neat little figure and some remains of good looks; and who now sat, as she danced, -- being rather too old for the full glare of the foot-lights, -- in the background.
To these good people Nicholas was presented with much formality. The introduction being completed, Miss Snevellicci's papa (who was scented with rum-and-water) said that he was delighted to make the acquaintance of a gentleman so highly talented; and furthermore remarked, that there hadn't been such a hit made -- no, not since the first appearance of his friend Mr Glavormelly, at the Coburg.
`You have seen him, sir?' Miss Snevellicci's papa.
`No, really I never did,' replied Nicholas.
`You never saw my friend Glavormelly, sir!' said Miss Snevellicci's papa. `Then you have never seen acting yet. If he had lived --'
`Oh, he is dead, is he?' interrupted Nicholas.
`He is,' said Mr Snevellicci, `but he isn't in Westminster Abbey, more's the shame. He was a -- Well, no matter. He is gone to that bourne from whence no traveller returns. I hope he is appreciated there .'
So saying Miss Snevellicci's papa rubbed the tip of his nose with a very yellow silk handkerchief, and gave the company to understand that these recollections overcame him.
`Well, Mr Lillyvick,' said Nicholas, `and how are you?'
`Quite well, sir,' replied the collector. `There is nothing like the married state, sir, depend upon it.'
`Indeed!' said Nicholas, laughing.
`Ah! nothing like it, sir,' replied Mr Lillyvick solemnly. `How do you think,' whispered the collector, drawing him aside, `how do you think she looks tonight?'
`As handsome as ever,' replied Nicholas, glancing at the late Miss Petowker.
`Why, there's air about her, sir,' whispered the collector, `that Inever saw in anybody. Look at her now she moves to put the kettle on. There!
Isn't it fascination, sir?'
`You're a lucky man,' said Nicholas.
`Ha, ha, ha!' rejoined the collector. `No. Do you think I am though, eh? Perhaps I may be, perhaps I may be. I say, I couldn't have done much better if I had been a young man, could I? You couldn't have done much better yourself, could you -- eh -- could you?' With such inquires, and many more such, Mr Lillyvick jerked his elbow into Nicholas's side, and chuckled till his face became quite purple in the attempt to keep down his satisfaction.
By this time the cloth had been laid under the joint superintendence of all the ladies, upon two tables put together, one being high and narrow, and the other low and broad. There were oysters at the top, sausages at the bottom, a pair of snuffers in the centre, and baked potatoes wherever it was most convenient to put them. Two additional chairs were brought in from the bedroom: Miss Snevellicci sat at the head of the table, and Mr Lillyvick at the foot; and Nicholas had not only the honour of sitting next Miss Snevellicci, but of having Miss Snevellicci's mamma on his right hand, and Miss Snevellicci's papa over the way. In short, he was the hero of the feast; and when the table was cleared and something warm introduced, Miss Snevellicci's papa got up and proposed his health in a speech containing such affecting allusions to his coming departure, that Miss Snevellicci wept, and was compelled to retire into the bedroom.
`Hush! Don't take any notice of it,' said Miss Ledrook, peeping in from the bedroom. `Say, when she comes back, that she exerts herself too much.'