but her surprise was soon redoubled, no less by the matter of their
conversation, than by the smoothed and altered manner of Mr Nickleby
himself.

'Ah! my dear!' said Ralph; 'we were at that moment talking about you.'

'Indeed!' replied Kate, shrinking, though she scarce knew why, from her
uncle's cold glistening eye.

'That instant,' said Ralph. 'I was coming to call for you, making sure
to catch you before you left; but your mother and I have been talking
over family affairs, and the time has slipped away so rapidly--'

'Well, now, hasn't it?' interposed Mrs Nickleby, quite insensible to the
sarcastic tone of Ralph's last remark. 'Upon my word, I couldn't have
believed it possible, that such a--Kate, my dear, you're to dine with
your uncle at half-past six o'clock tomorrow.'

Triumphing in having been the first to communicate this extraordinary
intelligence, Mrs Nickleby nodded and smiled a great many times, to
impress its full magnificence on Kate's wondering mind, and then flew
off, at an acute angle, to a committee of ways and means.

'Let me see,' said the good lady. 'Your black silk frock will be quite
dress enough, my dear, with that pretty little scarf, and a plain band
in your hair, and a pair of black silk stock--Dear, dear,' cried Mrs
Nickleby, flying off at another angle, 'if I had but those unfortunate
amethysts of mine--you recollect them, Kate, my love--how they used to
sparkle, you know--but your papa, your poor dear papa--ah! there
never was anything so cruelly sacrificed as those jewels were, never!'