When I quit it, I will hide myself from them and you, and, striving to support my mother by hard service, I will live, at least, in peace, and trust in God to help me.' With these words, she waved her hand, and quitted the room, leaving Ralph Nickleby motionless as a statue.
The surprise with which Kate, as she closed the room-door, beheld, close beside it, Newman Noggs standing bolt upright in a little niche in the wall like some scarecrow or Guy Faux laid up in winter quarters, almost occasioned her to call aloud.

But, Newman laying his finger upon his lips, she had the presence of mind to refrain.
'Don't,' said Newman, gliding out of his recess, and accompanying her across the hall.

'Don't cry, don't cry.' Two very large tears, by-the-bye, were running down Newman's face as he spoke.
'I see how it is,' said poor Noggs, drawing from his pocket what seemed to be a very old duster, and wiping Kate's eyes with it, as gently as if she were an infant.

'You're giving way now.

Yes, yes, very good; that's right, I like that.