=Nugent Dubourg=, twin brother of Oscar Dubourg, somewhat conceited, who patronizes his brother, and would like to marry his brother’s betrothed, Lucilla Finch, blind and an heiress. Her sight is restored by an operation, and Nugent places himself where her eyes will first fall upon him, instead of on his disfigured brother. Beginning with this, he personates Oscar until Lucilla again loses her sight. He then yields her to his brother, joins an Arctic exploring expedition, and perishes in the Polar regions.--Wilkie Collins, _Poor Miss Finch_. =Numa Roumestan=, French deputy from the South of France. Audacious, gay and unprincipled, he possesses all the qualities that render him “the joy of the street, the sorrow of the home.”--Alphonse Daudet, _Numa Roumestan_. =Number Nip=, the name of the gnome king of the Giant Mountains.--Musæus, _Popular Tales_ (1782). ⁂ Musæus was a German, uncle of Kotzebue (died 1788). =Nuncanou= (_Aurore and Clotilde_). Beautiful Creoles, mother and daughter, in George W. Cable’s novel, _The Grandissimes_. =Nun’s Tale= (_The_), the tale of the cock and the fox. One day, dan Russell, the fox, came into the poultry-yard, and told Master Chanticlere, he could not resist the pleasure of hearing him sing, for his voice was so divinely ravishing. The cock, pleased with this flattery, shut his eyes, and began to crow most lustily; whereupon dan Russell seized him by the throat, and ran off with him. When they got to the wood, the cock said to the fox, “I would recommend you to eat me at once, I think I can hear your pursuers.” “I am going to do so,” said the fox; but when he opened his mouth to reply, off flew the cock into a tree, and while the fox was deliberating how he might regain his prey, up came the farmer and his men with scythes, flails, and pitchforks, with which they despatched the fox without mercy.--Chaucer, _Canterbury Tales_ (1388). ⁂ This fable is one of those by Marie, of France, called _Don Coc and Don Werpil_. _Nun’s Tale_ (_The Second_). This is the tale about Maxime and the martyrs, Valerian and Tiburcê. The prefect ordered Maxime (2 _syl._) to put Valerian and Tiburcê to death, because they refused to worship the image of Jupiter; but Maxime showed kindness to the two Christians, took them home, became converted, and was baptized. When Valerian and Tiburcê were put to death, Maxime declared that he saw angels come and carry them up to heaven, whereupon the prefect caused him to be beaten to death with whips of lead.--Chaucer, _Canterbury Tales_ (1388). ⁂ This tale is very similar to that of St. Cecilia, in the _Legenda Aurea_. See also _Acts_ xvi. 25-34. =Nupkins=, mayor of Ipswich, a man who has a most excellent opinion of himself, but who, in all magisterial matters, really depends almost entirely on Jinks, his half-starved clerk.--C. Dickens, _The Pickwick Papers_ (1836).