Nicholas Nickleby

the Intelligence communicated to him. The Reader is informed how he liked Nichola

possess, Mr. Ralph Nickleby took a cordial farewell of his fellow-speculators, and bent his steps westward in unwonted good humour. As he passed St Paul's he stepped aside into

he pursued his occupation. 'The letter about th

replied

ting it?' inquired Mr. Nickleby

then?' inquire

,' said

emanded the ma

ly from his pocket. 'Post-mark, Strand, black wax

tter. 'I know something of that hand, too. Newman,

ou would,' said

r?' demanded

prised,' replied N

a cold look upon him, opened, read it, put it in his pocket, and

ing. I shouldn't have thought it, really.' With these touching expressions of sorrow, Mr Nickleby replaced his watch in h

inquired Noggs,

ickleby, as though his thoughts were about

d Newman Noggs,

kleby, 'and all three in London, co

rd laughter, nobody but himself could possibly explain. The expression of a man's face is commonly a help to his thoughts, or glossar

at the clerk as if he were his dog. The words were scarcely uttered when Newm

r did anything for me, and I never expected it; the breath is no sooner out of his body than I am to be looke

f his way to the Strand, and, referring to his letter as if to ascertain the number of th

uniform, flourishing a sabre; and one of a literary character with a high forehead, a pen and ink, six books, and a curtain. There was, moreover, a touching representation of a young lady reading a manuscript in an unfathomable forest, and a charming whole length of a large-headed li

, and gave a double knock, which, having been thrice repeated

t home, girl?' dema

eby,' said the girl,

with much asperity what she meant; which she was about to state, when a female voice proc

kleby,' s

the same voice; 'what a stupid thing

nk it was the attic which had been a c

ll is, and tell him he mustn't knock double knocks for the second floor; I can't

out more parley, 'I beg your pardon

he voice, as a yellow headdre

moment, ma'am, with y

eived by the wearer of the yellow head-dress, who had a gown to correspond, and was of much the same colour herself. Miss La Creevy w

ck silk mitten. 'A miniature, I presume. A very strongly-marke

have no money to throw away on miniatures, ma'am, and nobody to give one to (thank God) if

this cough was to conceal her dis

servant, that the floor above belong

d no necessity for the second-floor rooms just then, she was in the habit of letting them. Ind

ma'am?'

a widow,' rep

with a powerful emphasis on that li

she is poor,' rejo

aid Ralph. 'Now, what business has a poo

t all displeased with this implied complim

alph; 'in fact, I am a relation of the family; and I

meet the pecuniary obligations,' said Miss La Creevy

,' interrupted Ralph, ha

id Miss La Creevy, 'the case wea

family, ma'am-at least, I believe I am the only relation they have, and I think it right that you s

d Miss La Creevy. 'Mrs. Nickleby

said Ralph. 'They can't do better than go back to t

'if Mrs. Nickleby took the apartments without the mea

t was, ma'am

I who am, at present-hem-an unprotected fema

can't, ma'am,

have nothing whatever to say against the lady, who is extremely pleasant and affable, though, poor thing, she seems t

ums on poverty irritated him; 'I have done my duty, and perhaps more

id Miss La Creevy in a gracious manner. 'Would you do me th

off with great speed; 'but as I have a visit to pay

py,' said Miss La Creevy. 'Perhaps you will have the kindnes

door abruptly after him to prevent any further

ke breath on the landing, when he was overtaken by the handmaid, whom the politeness of Miss La Creevy had dispatched to announce him, and who ha

e?' said

y,' repl

he girl, throwing open the

t him, and leant upon the arm of a slight but very beautiful girl of about seventeen, who had been sit

an ill-favoured frown, 'yo

me, sir,' repl

. 'Well, ma'am, how do you do? You must be

aid Mrs. Nickleby, applying

alph, as he coolly unbuttoned his spencer. '

,' said Nicholas, with

ied his uncle, taking a chair. 'You didn't mention i

ig

ase,' said Mrs Nickleby; shedding tears. 'We have too

from a broken arm, or a broken head, or a broken leg, or a broken nose; but a broken heart!-nonsense, it

ave no hearts to break,' o

Ralph, wheeling back his chair, and surveying

nearly nineteen,'

h; 'and what do you mean

r,' replied Nicholas, his

upon, if you did,' retorted the

, flushed with anger, 'I shall

collect yourself,' rem

, pray,' urged

ph. 'Upon my word! Fine beginning

ured, and forbidding; that of the young one, open, handsome, and ingenuous. The old man's eye was keen with the twinklings of avarice and cunning; the young man's bright with the light of intelligence and spirit.

e keenness or acuteness of perfection with which it strikes to the very soul of him whose inf

calling Nicholas 'a boy.' This word is much used as a term of reproach by elderly gentlemen towards their juniors: pro

'the creditors have administered, you te

replied Mrs

, in coming all the way to London, to se

ortunity of doing something for your brother's children. It wa

enever a man dies without any property of his own, he always seems to think he

rs. Nickleby. 'Tell your uncle, my dear

ur something, when her uncle st

oarding-school,' said Ralph. 'You have not bee

ping girl. 'I will try to do anythin

ch a point, and say the latter). 'You must try it, and if the life is too hard, perhaps dressmak

ied Nichol

. 'This is the way my brother b

ion as his poor father could give him,' rejo

, ma'am: and if he had turned his son into the world, as my father turned me, when I wasn't as old as that boy by a year and a half, he would have been in a situation to help you, instead of

to deploring her hard fate, and then to remarking, with many sobs, that to be sure she had been a slave to poor Nicholas, and had often told him she might have married better (as indeed she had, very often), and that she never knew in his lifetime how the money went, but that if he had confided in her they might all have been better off that day; with other bi

nd when the widow had finished, quietly took up the su

rk, sir?' he inquired,

,' replied Nich

. 'This caught my eye this morning,

from his pocket, and after unfolding it, and looking for

languages living and dead, mathematics, orthography, geometry, astronomy, trigonometry, the use of the globes, algebra, single stick (if required), writing, arithmetic, fortification, and every other branch of classical literature. Terms, twenty guin

paper again. 'Let him get that si

Master of Arts,'

lph, 'that, I thin

, and it is such a long way

erposed Mrs. Nickleby; 'y

f. Without friends, money, recommendation, or knowledge of business of any kind, let him find honest employment in London, which will ke

ung lady. 'Oh! uncle, must

nking only for our good, my love,' said Mrs. Nickleby

d in thought. 'If I am fortunate enough to be appointed to this post, sir, for

y me, and placed in some sphere of life in which they will be able to be independent. That will be m

ncle's hand, 'I am ready to do anything you wish me. Let us

Make yourself of use to him, and you'll rise to be a partner in the establishment i

conjuring up before him. 'Or suppose some young nobleman who is being educated at the Hall, were to take a fancy to me, and get his father

sure!' sn

s he would of course), he might fall in love with Kate, who woul

eed!' sna

a beautiful woman, and I so proud to hear them say so, and mother so happy to be with us once again, and all these sad times forgo

cts before them, when Mr. Ralph Nickleby suggested, that if they lost time, some more fortunate candidate might deprive Nicholas of the stepping-stone to fortune which the advertisement pointed out, and so undermine all their air-built castles. This timely reminder effectually stopped the conversation. Nicholas, having carefully copied the address of Mr. Squeers, the uncle and nep

although she had dearly loved her husband, and still doted on her children, he had struck so successfully on one of those little jarring chords in the human heart (Ralph was well acquainte