‘He says,’ replied the woman, abashed by his harshness, ‘that he comes on very particular business which admits of no excuse; and I thought perhaps it might be about—’

Here, both Mr and Mrs Wititterly, who had talked rather at the Nicklebys than to each other, left off speaking, and looked at their two hearers, with an expression of countenance which seemed to say, ‘What do you think of all this?’