Part 2, Act 1, Scenes 9-10 Summary

Scene 9. Back in Portsmouth, the Crummles Company has gathered for a party at the home of Miss Snevellicci's parents. Mrs. Snevellicci tries to match-make Nicholas and her daughter while Mr. Snevellecci makes a thinly veiled reference in a toast to his daughter becoming "spliced." Mrs. Grudden (the company stage manager) gives Nicholas a letter that she'd forgotten to give him before. He reads it as Mr. Snevellicci proposes a toast to him, but then announces that he's got to leave both the party and the company. Crummles offers him more money and tries to convince him to stay in order to make money off of his "farewell performances," but Nicholas refuses. As Mrs. Grudden sings a sentimental song, Nicholas makes his farewells and leaves with Smike.

Scene 10. Back in London, the social climbing Mrs. Wititterly asks Kate...