 so very much in earnest.«
    Now, the truth was, that in the interval which had elapsed since the dinner
at Ralph Nickleby's, Sir Mulberry Hawk had been furtively trying by every means
in his power to discover whence Kate had so suddenly appeared, and whither she
had disappeared. Unassisted by Ralph, however, with whom he had held no
communication since their angry parting on that occasion, all his efforts were
wholly unavailing, and he had therefore arrived at the determination of
communicating to the young lord the substance of the admission he had gleaned
from that worthy. To this he was impelled by various considerations; among which
the certainty of knowing whatever the weak young man knew was decidedly not the
least, as the desire of encountering the usurer's niece again, and using his
utmost arts to reduce her pride, and revenge himself for her contempt, was
uppermost in his thoughts. It was a politic course of proceeding, and one which
could not fail to redound to his advantage in every point of view, since the
very circumstance of his having extorted from Ralph Nickleby his real design in
introducing his niece to such society, coupled with his extreme
disinterestedness in communicating it so freely to his friend, could not but
advance his interests in that quarter, and greatly facilitate the passage of
coin (pretty frequent and speedy already) from the pockets of Lord Frederick
Verisopht to those of Sir Mulberry Hawk.
    Thus reasoned Sir Mulberry, and in pursuance of this reasoning he and his
friend soon afterward repaired to Ralph Nickleby's, there to execute a plan of
operations concerted by Sir Mulberry himself, avowedly to promote his friend's
object, and really to attain his own.
    They found Ralph at home, and alone. As he led them into the drawing-room,
the recollection of the scene which had taken place there seemed to occur to
him, for he cast a curious look at Sir Mulberry, who bestowed upon it no other
acknowledgment than a careless smile.
    They had a short conference upon some money matters then in progress, which
were scarcely disposed of when the lordly dupe (in pursuance of his friend's
instructions) requested with some embarrassment to speak to Ralph alone.
    »Alone, eh?« cried Sir Mulberry, affecting surprise. »Oh, very good. I'll
walk into the next room here. Don't keep me long, that's all.«
    So saying, Sir Mulberry took up his hat, and humming a fragment of a song
disappeared through the door of communication between the two drawing-rooms, and
closed it after
