If
the waiter took him for a gentleman's servant, so much the better. Then
all Mrs Browdie would have to do would be to send her card back by the
carrier (he could easily come with a double knock), and there's an end
of it.'
'My dear mother,' said Nicholas, 'I don't suppose such unsophisticated
people as these ever had a card of their own, or ever will have.'
'Oh that, indeed, Nicholas, my dear,' returned Mrs Nickleby, 'that's
another thing. If you put it upon that ground, why, of course, I have
no more to say, than that I have no doubt they are very good sort of
persons, and that I have no kind of objection to their coming here to
tea if they like, and shall make a point of being very civil to them if
they do.'
The point being thus effectually set at rest, and Mrs Nickleby duly
placed in the patronising and mildly-condescending position which became
her rank and matrimonial years, Mr and Mrs Browdie were invited and
came; and as they were very deferential to Mrs Nickleby, and seemed
to have a becoming appreciation of her greatness, and were very much
pleased with everything, the good lady had more than once given Kate
to understand, in a whisper, that she thought they were the very
best-meaning people she had ever seen, and perfectly well behaved.
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