Nicholas Nickleby

s Leave-taking and his Fellow-Travel

rose to impede their utterance; that the little preparations for his journey were made mournfully indeed. A hundred things which the anxious care of his mother and sister deemed indispensable for his comfort, Nicholas insisted on leaving behind, as they might prove of some after use, or might be convertible into mon

he poor lad nearly choked himself by attempting to partake of it, and almost suffocated himself in affecting a jest or two, and forcing a melancholy laugh. Thus, they lingered on till the hour of separating for the night

e back as they used to be, thank God! in sleep-and rose quite brisk and gay. He wrote a few lines in pencil, to say the goodbye which he was afrai

rom Miss La Creevy's sitting-room, whe

said Nicholas, putting do

rting and putting her hand to her curl-pa

u,' replie

d, Mr. Nickleby,' returned the lady. 'I'm w

of an ugly little boy, destined for his grandmother in the country,

e of living in a thoroughfare like the Strand. When I want a nose or an eye for a

get a nose, now?' inqu

tiful enough, and there are flats of all sorts and sizes when there's a meeting at Exeter Hall; but perfe

ld meet with any in my travels, I'l

down into Yorkshire this cold winter's weather, Mr. Nickleb

now, when somebody drives. Necessity is my driver, a

eby, and that is an additional reason why she should have somebody to protect her. I persuaded her to give me a sitting or two, for the street-door case. 'Ah! she'll make a sweet miniat

g Kate some little kindness,' said Nichola

red miniature painter; 'and God bless

t not be the less kindly disposed towards those he was leaving behind. So, he gave her three or four with a kind of jocose gallantry, and Miss La Creevy evinced no

was only seven o'clock, so he walked slowly on, a little in advance of the porter, and very probably with not half as light a heart in his breast as the man had, although

eemed rather hard that so many people of all ranks and stations could earn a livelihood in London, and that he should be compelled to journey so far in search of one; Nicholas speedily

e lucky chance since the interview of the previous day, ranged in a row on the opposite seat. Mr. Squeers had before him a small measure

looking down into a large blue mug, and slanting it gently, so as

'orth, sir,' re

on!' said Mr. Squeers, with a sigh. 'Just fill th

quired the waiter. 'Why, t

erve it right for being so dear. You ordered t

direct

passions, boys, and don't be eager after vittles.' As he uttered this moral prec

said Squeers. 'Here we are

g, except Mr. Squeers; but he bowed with all beco

illiam?' said Squeers. 'Very good; don't

le boys looked very eager, and followed the waiter out, with

of the many beggars and orphans in the streets that would be glad of

ng, sir,' sa

on the left hand nearest the window may take a drink; and when I say number two, the boy nex

ll the little boys

e your appetites, my dears, and you've conquered human natur. This is the way we inculcate strength of mind, Mr

ze between the mug, the bread and butter (which had by this time arrived), and every morsel w

said Squeers, when he had finish

n Mr. Squeers gave the signal for number two, who gave up at the same interesting moment to nu

s many portions as there were children, 'you had better look sharp with your bre

rate haste: while the schoolmaster (who was in high good humour after his meal) picked

roducing a little basket from under the seat; 'put what you hav

the top of the coach, and their boxes had to be brought out and put in, and Mr. Squeers's luggage was to be seen carefully deposited in the boot, and all

said Ralph. 'Here are you

Nicholas, looki

oney and nothing at all to do with it, they w

nt away from us,' said Mrs. Nickleby, embracing her son,

ing a hackney coach. I never pay a hackney coach, ma'am; I never hire one. I haven't been in a hackne

him,' said Mrs Nickleby. 'Poor dear boy-going away with

business, ma'am, I took a penny loaf and a ha'porth of milk for my breakfast as I

s greatcoat; 'I think you'd better get up behind. I'm afraid of one

ate, touching her brother's

ad caught the inquiry. 'Do you wish to

No, uncle. Oh no!' repli

etorted Ralph in his cold sarcastic manner. 'M

inch or two. 'I wish Mrs. Squeers took gals, and we had you for a teacher. I

some surprise, that he was as near being soundly pummelled as he had ever been in his life. Kate Nickleby, having a quicker perception of her b

dy, 'who is this man? What kind of pl

his sister's hand. 'I suppose the Yorkshire folk

person,' u

eness ill. They are looking this way, and it is time I was in my place. Bless you, love, and goodbye! Mother, look forward to

nimbly to his seat, and waved his hand a

rewing out the last reluctant sixpences, itinerant newsmen making the last offer of a morning paper, and the horses giving the last impatient rattle to

s?' inquire

who was saying a few earnest words to Squeers, a short d

cried

replie

p, again, but Newm

ig

avier guard, climbed into their seats; a cry of all right, a few notes from the horn, a hasty glance of two sorrowful face

olas had enough to do over the stones to hold them on. Between the manual exertion and the mental anxiety attendant upon this task, he was not a little relieved when the coach stopped at the Peacoc

middle,' said the new-comer, 'they'll be

ke three of them boys between you and the gentleman. Belling and the youngest Snawley can sit bet

leman; 'I have a brother who wouldn't object to book his six children as

, sir?' excla

boys,' replied

e six boys can be brought up in an enlightened, liberal, and moral manner, with no mistake at all about it, for twenty guineas a year

g at the card, 'you are the Mr. S

sir; that's one of my assistants, sir-Mr. Nickleby, a gentleman's son, and a good scholar, mathematical, classical, and commercial. We don't do things

cholas with a half-smile, and a more than half exp

rences are given and required. I wouldn't take a reference with any boy, that wasn't responsible for the payment of five p

derate,' said

ey, junior, if you don't leave off chattering your teeth, and shaking with t

lmen,' said the guar

there, Dick?' cr

al of all the judges of coaches and coach-horses congregated at the Peacock, but more especially of the helpers, who stood, with the cloths over their

r any of them gentlemen carried a snuff-box. It happening that nobody did, he remarked with a mysterious air that he had heard a medical gentleman as went down to Grantham last week, say how that snuff-taking was bad for the eyes; but for his part he had never found it so, and what he said was, that everybody should speak as they found. Nobody attempting to controvert this position, he took a small brown-paper parcel out of his hat, and putting on a pair of horn spectacles (the writing being crabbed) read the direction half-a-dozen times over; having done which,

tly, there is reason to suppose that he derived great benefit from the process. The little pupils having been stimulated with the remains of their breakfast, and further invigorated by sundry small cups of a curious cordial carried by Mr. Squeers, which tasted very like toast-and-water put into a brandy

the taking up, at a roadside inn, of a very fastidious lady with an infinite variety of cloaks and small parcels, who loudly lamented, for the behoof of the outsides, the non-arrival of her own carriage which was to have taken her on, and made the guard solemnly promise to stop every green chariot he saw coming; which, as it was a dark night and he was

streets of Stamford were deserted as they passed through the town; and its old churches rose, frowning and dark, from the whitened ground. Twenty miles further on, two of the front outside passengers, wisely availing themselves of their arrival at one of the best inns in England, turned in, for the night, at the

threw him from his seat. Grasping the rail, he found that the coach had sunk greatly on one side, though it was still dragged forward by the horses; and while-confused by their plunging and the lo