And yet Madame Mantalini was not weeping upon the body, but was scolding violently upon her chair; and all this amidst a clamour of tongues perfectly deafening, and which really appeared to have driven the unfortunate footman to the utmost verge of distraction.
`What is the matter here?' said Ralph, pressing forward.
At this inquiry, the clamour was increased twenty-fold, and an astounding string of such shrill contradictions as `He's poisoned himself'--`He hasn't'--`Send for a doctor'--`Don't'--`He's dying'--`He isn't, he's only pretending.'--with various other cries, poured forth with bewildering volubility, until Madame Mantalini was seen to address herself to Ralph, when female curiosity to know what she would say, prevailed, and, as if by general consent, a dead silence, unbroken by a single whisper, instantaneously succeeded.
`Mr Nickleby,' said Madame Mantalini; `by what chance you came here, I don't know.'
Here a gurgling voice was heard to ejaculate--as part of the wanderings of a sick man--the words `Demnition sweetness!' but nobody heeded them except the footman, who, being startled to hear such awful tones proceeding, as it were, from between his very fingers, dropped his master's head upon the floor with a pretty loud crash, and then, without an effort to lift it up, gazed upon the bystanders, as if he had done something rather clever than otherwise.
`I will, however,' continued Madame Mantalini, drying her eyes, and speaking with great indignation, `say before you, and before everybody here, for the first time, and once for all, that I never will supply that man's extravagances and viciousness again. I have been a dupe and a fool to him long enough. In future, he shall support himself if he can, and then he may spend what money he pleases, upon whom and how he pleases;but it shall not be mine, and therefore you had better pause before you trust him further.'
Thereupon Madame Mantalini, quite unmoved by some most pathetic lamentations on the part of her husband, that the apothecary had not mixed the prussic acid strong enough, and that he must take another bottle or two to finish the work he had in hand, entered into a catalogue of that amiable gentleman's gallantries, deceptions, extravagances, and infidelities (especially the last), winding up with a protest against being supposed to entertain the smallest remnant of regard for him; and adducing, in proof of the altered state of her affections, the circumstance of his having poisoned himself in private no less than six times within the last fortnight, and her not having, once interfered by word or deed to save his life.
`And I insist on being separated and left to myself,' said Madame Mantalini, sobbing. `If he dares to refuse me a separation, I'll have one in law--Ican--and I hope this will be a warning to all girls who have seen this disgraceful exhibition.'
Miss Knag, who was unquestionably the oldest girl in company, said with great solemnity, that it would be a warning to her , and so did the young ladies generally, with the exception of one or two who appeared to entertain some doubts whether such whispers could do wrong.
`Why do you say all this before so many listeners?' said Ralph, in a low voice. `You know you are not in earnest.'
`I am in earnest,' replied Madame Mantalini, aloud, and retreating towards Miss Knag.
`Well, but consider,' reasoned Ralph, who had a great interest in the matter. `It would be well to reflect. A married woman has no property.'
`Not a solitary single individual dem, my soul,' and Mr Mantalini, raising himself upon his elbow.
`I am quite aware of that,' retorted Madame Mantalini, tossing her head;`and I have none. The business, the stock, this house, and everything in it, all belong to Miss Knag.'
`That's quite true, Madame Mantalini,' said Miss Knag, with whom her late employer had secretly come to an amicable understanding on this point.
`Very true, indeed, Madame Mantalini--hem--very true. And I never was more glad in all my life, that I had strength of mind to resist matrimonial offers, no matter how advantageous, than I am when I think of my present position as compared with your most unfortunate and most undeserved one, Madame Mantalini.'
`Demmit!' cried Mr Mantalini, turning his head towards his wife. `Will it not slap and pinch the envious dowager, that dares to reflect upon its own delicious?'
But the day of Mr Mantalini's blandishments had departed. `Miss Knag, sir,' said his wife, `is my particular friend;' and although Mr Mantalini leered till his eyes seemed in danger of never coming back to their right places again, Madame Mantalini showed no signs of softening.