antalini put the tips of his whiskers, and, by
degrees, his head, through the half-opened door, and cried in a soft
voice--

'Is my life and soul there?'

'No,' replied his wife.

'How can it say so, when it is blooming in the front room like a little
rose in a demnition flower-pot?' urged Mantalini. 'May its poppet come
in and talk?'

'Certainly not,' replied Madame: 'you know I never allow you here. Go
along!'

The poppet, however, encouraged perhaps by the relenting tone of this
reply, ventured to rebel, and, stealing into the room, made towards
Madame Mantalini on tiptoe, blowing her a kiss as he came along.

'Why will it vex itself, and twist its little face into bewitching
nutcrackers?' said Mantalini, putting his left arm round the waist of
his life and soul, and drawing her towards him with his right.

'Oh! I can't bear you,' replied his wife.

'Not--eh, not bear ME!' exclaimed Mantalini. 'Fibs, fibs. It couldn't
be. There's not a woman alive, that could tell me such a thing to my
face--to my own face.' Mr Mantalini stroked his chin, as he said this,
and glanced complacently at an opposite mirror.

'Such destructive extravagance,' reasoned his wife, in a low tone.

'All in its joy at having gained such a lovely creature, such a little
Venus, such a demd, enchanting, bewitching, engrossing, captivating
little Venus,' said Mantalini.

'See what a situation you have placed me in!' urged Madame.

'No harm will come, no harm shall come, to its own darling,' rejoined
Mr Mantalini. 'It is all over; there will be nothing the matter; money
shall be got in; and if it don't come in fast enough, old Nickleby shall
stump up again, or have his jugular separated if he dares to vex and
hurt the little--'

'Hush!' interposed Madame. 'Don't you see?'

Mr Mantalini, who, in his eagerness to make up matters with his wife,
had overlooked, or feigned to overlook, Miss Nickleby hitherto, took
the hint, and laying his finger on his lip, sunk his voice still
lower. There was, then, a great deal of whispering, during which Madame
Mantalini appeared to make reference, more than once, to certain debts
incurred by Mr Mantalini previous to her coverture; and also to an
unexpected outlay of money in payment of the aforesaid debts; and
furthermore, to certain agreeable weaknesses on that gentleman's part,
such as gaming, wasting, idling, and a tendency to horse-flesh; each
of which matters of accusation Mr Mantalini disposed