Festivities are held in honour of Nicholas, who suddenly withdraws himself from the Society of Mr Vincent Crummles and his Theatrical Companions Mr Vincent Crummles was no sooner acquainted with the public announcement which Nicholas had made relative to the probability of his shortly ceasing to be a member of the company, than he evinced many tokens of grief and consternation; and, in the extremity of his despair, even held out certain vague promises of a speedy improvement not only in the amount of his regular salary, but also in the contingent emoluments appertaining to his authorship.

Finding Nicholas bent upon quitting the society--for he had now determined that, even if no further tidings came from Newman, he would, at all hazards, ease his mind by repairing to London and ascertaining the exact position of his sister--Mr Crummles was fain to content himself by calculating the chances of his coming back again, and taking prompt and energetic measures to make the most of him before he went away.
'Let me see,' said Mr Crummles, taking off his outlaw's wig, the better to arrive at a cool-headed view of the whole case.

'Let me see.

This is Wednesday night.

We'll have posters out the first thing in the morning, announcing positively your last appearance for tomorrow.' 'But perhaps it may not be my last appearance, you know,' said Nicholas.
'Unless I am summoned away, I should be sorry to inconvenience you by leaving before the end of the week.' 'So much the better,' returned Mr Crummles.