▁def ends ▁herself ▁against ▁the ▁le cher ous ▁Sir ▁Mul berry ▁Haw k . ▁She ▁finds ▁well - des erved ▁happiness ▁with ▁Frank ▁Che ery ble . ▁ ▁Mrs . ▁Catherine ▁Nick le by : ▁Nicholas ▁and ▁Kate ' s ▁mother , ▁who ▁provides ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁com ic ▁relief . ▁The ▁mud d le head ed ▁Mrs . ▁Nick le by ▁often ▁does ▁not ▁see ▁the ▁true ▁evil ▁her ▁children ▁encounter ▁until ▁it ▁is ▁directly ▁pointed ▁out ▁to ▁her , ▁and ▁her ▁obt us eness ▁occasionally ▁w ors ens ▁her ▁children ' s ▁pred ic aments . ▁She ▁is ▁stub born , ▁pr one ▁to ▁long ▁dig ress ions ▁on ▁irrelevant ▁or ▁un important ▁topics ▁and ▁un real istic ▁fant as ies , ▁and ▁displays ▁an ▁often ▁vague ▁grasp ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁going ▁on ▁around ▁her . ▁ ▁Associ ates ▁of ▁Ralph ▁Nick le by ▁New man ▁N og gs : ▁Ralph ' s ▁cl erk , ▁who ▁becomes ▁Nicholas ' s ▁devoted ▁friend . ▁He ▁was ▁once ▁a ▁business man ▁of ▁high ▁standing ▁but ▁went ▁bank rupt . ▁He ▁is ▁an ▁alco hol ic , ▁and ▁his ▁general ▁good ▁nature ▁and ▁insight ▁into ▁human ▁nature ▁is ▁hidden ▁under ▁a ▁v ene er ▁of ▁ir r ational ▁t ics ▁and ▁err atic ▁behaviour . ▁ ▁Sir ▁Mul berry ▁Haw k : ▁A ▁le cher ous ▁no blem an ▁who ▁has ▁taken ▁Lord ▁Ver is op ht ▁under ▁his ▁wing . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁truly ▁evil ▁characters ▁in ▁the