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