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    With that, Mrs. Nickleby would draw up a chair, and for some three quarters
of an hour, run through a great variety of distracting topics in the most
distracting manner possible: tearing herself away, at length, on the plea that
she must now go and amuse Nicholas while he took his supper. After a preliminary
raising of his spirits with the information that she considered the patient
decidedly worse, she would further cheer him up, by relating how dull, listless,
and low-spirited Miss Bray was, because Kate foolishly talked about nothing else
but him and family matters. When she had made Nicholas thoroughly comfortable
with these and other inspiriting remarks, she would discourse at length, on the
arduous duties she had performed that day; and, sometimes, would be moved to
tears in wondering how, if anything were to happen to herself, the family would
ever get on without her.
    At other times, when Nicholas came home at night, he would be accompanied by
Mr. Frank Cheeryble, who was commissioned by the brothers to inquire how
Madeline was, that evening. On such occasions (and they were of very frequent
occurrence), Mrs. Nickleby deemed it of particular importance that she should
have her wits about her; for, from certain signs and tokens which had attracted
her attention, she shrewdly suspected that Mr. Frank, interested as his uncles
were in Madeline, came quite as much to see Kate as to inquire after her; the
more especially as the brothers were in constant communication with the medical
man, came backwards and forwards very frequently themselves, and received a full
report from Nicholas every morning. These were proud times for Mrs. Nickleby;
never was anybody half so discreet and sage as she, or half so mysterious
withal; and never were there such cunning generalship, and such unfathomable
designs, as she brought to bear upon Mr. Frank, with a view of ascertaining
whether her suspicions were well founded: and if so, of tantalising him into
taking her into his confidence and throwing himself upon her merciful
consideration. Extensive was the artillery, heavy and light, which Mrs. Nickleby
brought into play for the furtherance of these great schemes: various and
opposite were the means she employed to bring about the end she had in view. At
one time, she was all cordiality and ease; at another, all stiffness and
frigidity. Now, she would seem to open her whole heart to her unhappy victim;
the next time they met, she would receive him with the most distant and studious
reserve, as if a new light had broken in upon
