'The fact is, we have thought it best to keep it secret from the family.' 'Family!' said Nicholas.

'What family ?' 'The Kenwigses of course,' rejoined Mr Lillyvick.

'If my niece and the children had known a word about it before I came away, they'd have gone into fits at my feet, and never have come out of 'em till I took an oath not to marry anybody--or they'd have got out a commission of lunacy, or some dreadful thing,' said the collector, quite trembling as he spoke.
'To be sure,' said Nicholas.

'Yes; they would have been jealous, no doubt.' 'To prevent which,' said Mr Lillyvick, 'Henrietta Petowker (it was settled between us) should come down here to her friends, the Crummleses, under pretence of this engagement, and I should go down to Guildford the day before, and join her on the coach there, which I did, and we came down from Guildford yesterday together.

Now, for fear you should be writing to Mr Noggs, and might say anything about us, we have thought it best to let you into the secret.