"'Unhand me, sir, this instant,' cried Kate." — Chapter 19. C. S. Reinhart's twentieth illustration for Dickens's "Nicholas Nickleby" (1875)

"Unhand me, sir, this instant," cried Kate. [Page 106] by Charles Stanley Reinhart (1875), in Charles Dickens's The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Harper & Bros. New York Household Edition, for Chapter XIX. 9.3 x 13.6 cm (3 ⅝ by 5 ⅜ inches), framed. Running head: "An Agreeable Understanding" (197). [Click on the images to enlarge them.]

Passage Illustrated: Sir Mulberry Hawk's Unwanted Advances

The book fell from her hand. Lounging on an ottoman close beside her, was Sir Mulberry Hawk, evidently the worse — if a man be a ruffian at heart, he is never the better — for wine.

"What a delightful studiousness!" said this accomplished gentleman. "Was it real, now, or only to display the eyelashes?"

Kate, looking anxiously towards the door, made no reply.

"I have looked at ‘em for five minutes," said Sir Mulberry. "Upon my soul, they’re perfect. Why did I speak, and destroy such a pretty little picture?"

"Do me the favour to be silent now, sir," replied Kate.

"No, don’t," said Sir Mulberry, folding his crushed hat to lay his elbow on, and bringing himself still closer to the young lady; "upon my life, you oughtn’t to. Such a devoted slave of yours, Miss Nickleby—it’s an infernal thing to treat him so harshly, upon my soul it is."

"I wish you to understand, sir,’ said Kate, trembling in spite of herself, but speaking with great indignation, ‘that your behaviour offends and disgusts me. If you have a spark of gentlemanly feeling remaining, you will leave me."

"Now why," said Sir Mulberry, "why will you keep up this appearance of excessive rigour, my sweet creature? Now, be more natural — my dear Miss Nickleby, be more natural — do."

Kate hastily rose; but as she rose, Sir Mulberry caught her dress, and forcibly detained her.

"Let me go, sir," she cried, her heart swelling with anger. "Do you hear? Instantly — this moment."

"Sit down, sit down," said Sir Mulberry; "I want to talk to you."

"Unhand me, sir, this instant," cried Kate.

"Not for the world," rejoined Sir Mulberry. Thus speaking, he leaned over, as if to replace her in her chair; but the young lady, making a violent effort to disengage herself, he lost his balance, and measured his length upon the ground. As Kate sprung forward to leave the room, Mr. Ralph Nickleby appeared in the doorway, and confronted her. [Chapter XIX, "Descriptive of a Dinner at Mr. Ralph Nickleby’s, and of the Manner in which the Company entertained themselves, before Dinner, at Dinner, and after Dinner," 106-107]

Commentary: The Lascivious Sir Mulberry Hawk

Reinhart captures the essence of the licentious aristocrat who believes that all young women exist only for the satisfaction of his desires. In a book full of arrogant, devious, mercenary, and exploitative antagonist, Hawk is the worst. His languorous pose in Reinhart's illustration communicates his lecherous designs and sense of entitlement. Even though Kate defends herself, Ralph Nickleby has placed her in very real danger by inviting her to his house to meet his aristocratic associates. When she rejects his sexual advances, he pursues her to humiliate her, and therefore deserves the beating he receives from Kate's indignant brother.

The lecherous nobleman who has taken Lord Verisopht under his wing is the leader of Ralph's dissolute associates. One of the most truly evil characters in the novel, here he forces himself upon Kate, and, when he is beaten by Nicholas, swears to be avenged. But Lord Verisopht tries to prevent \his doing so, and murdered by Hawk in a duel. To avoid a murder charge, Hawk flees to France, living abroad in luxury until his money and credit run out. Hawk eventually returns to England, where he dies in debtors' prison.

Other Editions' Versions of Ralph's Aristocratic Associates

Left: Phiz introduces Kate and readers to Ralph Nickleby's dissolute associates: Miss Nickleby Introduced toher Uncle's Friends (September 1838). Right: Phiz's encore for the libertines: Affectionate Behaviour of Messrs. Pyke and Pluck (December 1838).

Left: Sol Eytinge, Jr.'s American Diamond Editioncomposite woodblock portrait of Sir Mulberry Hawk and trio of dissolute aristocrats: Hawk, Verisopht, Pyke, and Pluck (1867). Right: Harry Furniss's 1910 lithograph representing the same scene, Sir Mulberry Hawk insults Kate Nickleby, in the Charles Dickens Library Edition.

Related material by other illustrators (1838 through 1910)

Scanned image, colour correction, sizing, caption, and commentary by Philip V. Allingham. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose, as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image, and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

Bibliography

Barnard, J. "Fred" (il.). Charles Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby, with fifty-nine illustrations. The Works of Charles Dickens: The Household Edition. 22 vols. London: Chapman and Hall, 1875. Volume 15. Rpt. 1890.

Dickens, Charles. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. With fifty-two illustrations by C. S. Reinhart. The Household Edition. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1875.

__________. "Nicholas Nickleby." Scenes and Characters from the Works of Charles Dickens, being eight hundred and sixty-six drawings by Fred Barnard et al.. Household Edition. London: Chapman and Hall, 1908.

Schweitzer, Maria. "Jean Margaret Davenport." Ambassadors of Empire: Child Performers and Anglo-American Audiences, 1800s-1880s. Accessed 19 April 2021. Posted 7 January 2015. .

Created 23 April 2021