The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Charles Dickens
Paperback
(RareBooksClub.com, Sept. 13, 2013)
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ...towards them, and postponing his order for a pint of claret until such time as 'the waiter and one of the elderly gentlemen should have settled a disputed question relative to the price of an item in the bill of fare, took up a newspaper and began to read. He had not read twenty lines, and was in truth half-dozing, when he was startled by the mention of his sister's name. " Little Kate Nickleby " were the words that caught his ear. He his head in amazement, and as he did so, saw by the reflection in the opposite glass, that two of the party behind him had risen and were standing before the fire. " It must have come from one of them," thought Nicholas. He waited to hear more with a countenance of some indignation, for the tone of speech had been anything-b1.rt-resp-ectf-ul;; and the appearance of the individual whom he presumed to have been the speaker was coarse and swaggering. This-per-sun--so Nicholas observed in the same glance at the mirror which had enabled him to see his face---was standing with-his back to the fire conversing with a younger man, who stood with his back to the company, wore his hat, and was adjusting his shirt collar by the aid of the glass. They spoke in whispers, now and then bursting into a loud laugh, but Nicholas could catch no repetition of the words, nor anything sounding at all like the words, which had attracted his attention. At length the two resumed their seats, and more wine being ordered, the party grew louder in their mirth. Still there was no reference made to anybody with whom _he was acquainted, and Nicholas became persuaded that his excited fancy had either imagined the sounds altogether, or converted some other words into the name which had been so much in his...