Nicholas Nickleby: Chapter 49 Summary & Analysis

Nicholas’s feelings for Madeline continue to grow as he begins to see her regularly in his role as the faux art dealer. Smike seems to be ill and wasting away. Nicholas takes him to see a physician, who can’t identify an underlying cause for the illness. Smike also has a habit of retreating to his room when Frank comes to the house. One day, Mrs. Nickleby talks to Kate about Frank. She says that he’s a very attentive young man. Kate thinks that her mother is discussing the affection Frank feels for Kate and becomes embarrassed. Ultimately, though, Kate realizes that Mrs. Nickleby is oblivious to Frank’s apparent feelings toward Kate, and Kate relaxes.

One night, Tim and Frank visit the Nicklebys’ house at the same time that Miss La Creevy visits. Nicholas is at work, and Smike retreats to his room. The group spends a pleasant evening together, and Tim flirts with Miss La Creevy. At one point, the festivities are interrupted when they hear the muffled voice of a man singing as if he’s under five or six feather mattresses. Then, a pair of legs appears at the chimney. They investigate, and Mrs. Nickleby remarks that it’s their neighbor who is in love with her.

They pull the neighbor out of the chimney. He announces that he needs a bottle of wine and a corkscrew, though no one moves to comply with his request. Mrs. Nickleby tells the neighbor that her answer remains firm—she’s not going to reciprocate his advances. The neighbor doesn’t pay her much attention. When the neighbor sees Miss La Creevy, though, he repeatedly kisses his hand. Looking at her, he says that finally, his beautiful bride has come. Miss La Creevy is scared and hides behind Tim. Mrs. Nickleby says the neighbor must be confusing Miss La Creevy for her. The neighbor curses Mrs. Nickleby.

Kate tells Tim and Frank to bring the neighbor next door. Frank is concerned about whether they’ll be able to do that until he thinks of the solution of having Miss La Creevy walk slightly ahead and beckon the man to follow her. The plan works perfectly. Mrs. Nickleby tells Kate that she’s afraid her rejection of the neighbor caused him to lose his mind. Kate is incredulous but tells her mother that what she says must be true. When the neighbor has been brought back home, the group has a pleasant rest of the evening. When Nicholas comes home, he checks on Smike and asks him why he descends into his melancholic moods. Smike says that one day he will tell Nicholas why.