Chapter 5

by Charles Dickens

　　Nicholas starts for Yorkshire. Of his Leave-taking and his Fellow-Travellers, and what befell them on the RoadIf tears dropped into a trunk were charms to preserve its owner fromsorrow and misfortune, Nicholas Nickleby would have commenced hisexpedition under most happy auspices. There was so much to be done,and so little time to do it in; so many kind words to be spoken, andsuch bitter pain in the hearts in which they rose to impede theirutterance; that the little preparations for his journey were mademournfully indeed. A hundred things which the anxious care of hismother and sister deemed indispensable for his comfort, Nicholasinsisted on leaving behind, as they might prove of some after use,or might be convertible into money if occasion required. A hundredaffectionate contests on such points as these, took place on the sadnight which preceded his departure; and, as the termination of everyangerless dispute brought them nearer and nearer to the close oftheir slight preparations, Kate grew busier and busier, and weptmore silently.The box was packed at last, and then there came supper, with somelittle delicacy provided for the occasion, and as a set-off againstthe expense of which, Kate and her mother had feigned to dine whenNicholas was out. The poor lady nearly choked himself by attemptingto partake of it, and almost suffocated himself in affecting a jestor two, and forcing a melancholy laugh. Thus, they lingered on tillthe hour of separating for the night was long past; and then theyfound that they might as well have given vent to their real feelingsbefore, for they could not suppress them, do what they would. So,they let them have their way, and even that was a relief.Nicholas slept well till six next morning; dreamed of home, or ofwhat was home once--no matter which, for things that are changed orgone will come back as they used to be, thank God! in sleep--androse quite brisk and gay. He wrote a few lines in pencil, to saythe goodbye which he was afraid to pronounce himself, and layingthem, with half his scanty stock of money, at his sister's door,shouldered his box and crept softly downstairs.'Is that you, Hannah?' cried a voice from Miss La Creevy's sitting-room, whence shone the light of a feeble candle.'It is I, Miss La Creevy,' said Nicholas, putting down the box andlooking in.'Bless us!' exclaimed Miss La Creevy, starting and putting her handto her curl-papers. 'You're up very early, Mr Nickleby.''So are you,' replied Nicholas.'It's the fine arts that bring me out of bed, Mr Nickleby,' returnedthe lady. 'I'm waiting for the light to carry out an idea.'Miss La Creevy had got up early to put a fancy nose into a miniatureof an ugly little boy, destined for his grandmother in the country,who was expected to bequeath him property if he was like the family.'To carry out an idea,' repeated Miss La Creevy; 'and that's thegreat convenience of living in a thoroughfare like the Strand. WhenI want a nose or an eye for any particular sitter, I have only tolook out of window and wait till I get one.''Does it take long to get a nose, now?' inquired Nicholas, smiling.'Why, that depends in a great measure on the pattern,' replied MissLa Creevy. 'Snubs and Romans are plentiful enough, and there areflats of all sorts and sizes when there's a meeting at Exeter Hall;but perfect aquilines, I am sorry to say, are scarce, and wegenerally use them for uniforms or public characters.''Indeed!' said Nicholas. 'If I should meet with any in my travels,I'll endeavour to sketch them for you.''You don't mean to say that you are really going all the way downinto Yorkshire this cold winter's weather, Mr Nickleby?' said MissLa Creevy. 'I heard something of it last night.''I do, indeed,' replied Nicholas. 'Needs must, you know, whensomebody drives. Necessity is my driver, and that is only anothername for the same gentleman.''Well, I am very sorry for it; that's all I can say,' said Miss LaCreevy; 'as much on your mother's and sister's account as on yours.Your sister is a very pretty young lady, Mr Nickleby, and that is anadditional reason why she should have somebody to protect her. Ipersuaded her to give me a sitting or two, for the street-door case.'Ah! she'll make a sweet miniature.' As Miss La Creevy spoke, sheheld up an ivory countenance intersected with very perceptible sky-blue veins, and regarded it with so much complacency, that Nicholasquite envied her.'If you ever have an opportunity of showing Kate some littlekindness,' said Nicholas, presenting his hand, 'I think you will.''Depend upon that,' said the good-natured miniature painter; 'andGod bless you, Mr Nickleby; and I wish you well.'It was very little that Nicholas knew of the world, but he guessedenough about its ways to think, that if he gave Miss La Creevy onelittle kiss, perhaps she might not be the less kindly disposedtowards those he was leaving behind. So, he gave her three or fourwith a kind of jocose gallantry, and Miss La Creevy evinced nogreater symptoms of displeasure than declaring, as she adjusted heryellow turban, that she had never heard of such a thing, andcouldn't have believed it possible.Having terminated the unexpected interview in this satisfactorymanner, Nicholas hastily withdrew himself from the house. By thetime he had found a man to carry his box it was only seven o'clock,so he walked slowly on, a little in advance of the porter, and veryprobably with not half as light a heart in his breast as the manhad, although he had no waistcoat to cover it with, and hadevidently, from the appearance of his other garments, been spendingthe night in a stable, and taking his breakfast at a pump.Regarding, with no small curiosity and interest, all the busypreparations for the coming day which every street and almost everyhouse displayed; and thinking, now and then, that it seemed ratherhard that so many people of all ranks and stations could earn alivelihood in London, and that he should be compelled to journey sofar in search of one; Nicholas speedily arrived at the Saracen'sHead, Snow Hill. Having dismissed his attendant, and seen the boxsafely deposited in the coach-office, he looked into the coffee-roomin search of Mr Squeers.He found that learned gentleman sitting at breakfast, with the threelittle boys before noticed, and two others who had turned up by somelucky chance since the interview of the previous day, ranged in arow on the opposite seat. Mr Squeers had before him a small measureof coffee, a plate of hot toast, and a cold round of beef; but hewas at that moment intent on preparing breakfast for the littleboys.'This is twopenn'orth of milk, is it, waiter?' said Mr Squeers,looking down into a large blue mug, and slanting it gently, so as toget an accurate view of the quantity of liquid contained in it.'That's twopenn'orth, sir,' replied the waiter.'What a rare article milk is, to be sure, in London!' said MrSqueers, with a sigh. 'Just fill that mug up with lukewarm water,William, will you?''To the wery top, sir?' inquired the waiter. 'Why, the milk will bedrownded.''Never you mind that,' replied Mr Squeers. 'Serve it right forbeing so dear. You ordered that thick bread and butter for three,did you?''Coming directly, sir.''You needn't hurry yourself,' said Squeers; 'there's plenty of time.Conquer your passions, boys, and don't be eager after vittles.' Ashe uttered this moral precept, Mr Squeers took a large bite out ofthe cold beef, and recognised Nicholas.'Sit down, Mr Nickleby,' said Squeers. 'Here we are, a breakfastingyou see!'Nicholas did not see that anybody was breakfasting, except MrSqueers; but he bowed with all becoming reverence, and looked ascheerful as he could.'Oh! that's the milk and water, is it, William?' said Squeers.'Very good; don't forget the bread and butter presently.'At this fresh mention of the bread and butter, the five little boyslooked very eager, and followed the waiter out, with their eyes;meanwhile Mr Squeers tasted the milk and water.'Ah!' said that gentleman, smacking his lips, 'here's richness!Think of the many beggars and orphans in the streets that would beglad of this, little boys. A shocking thing hunger, isn't it, MrNickleby?''Very shocking, sir,' said Nicholas.'When I say number one,' pursued Mr Squeers, putting the mug beforethe children, 'the boy on the left hand nearest the window may takea drink; and when I say number two, the boy next him will go in, andso till we come to number five, which is the last boy. Are youready?''Yes, sir,' cried all the little boys with great eagerness.'That's right,' said Squeers, calmly getting on with his breakfast;'keep ready till I tell you to begin. Subdue your appetites, mydears, and you've conquered human natur. This is the way weinculcate strength of mind, Mr Nickleby,' said the schoolmaster,turning to Nicholas, and speaking with his mouth very full of beefand toast.Nicholas murmured something--he knew not what--in reply; and thelittle boys, dividing their gaze between the mug, the bread andbutter (which had by this time arrived), and every morsel which MrSqueers took into his mouth, remained with strained eyes in tormentsof expectation.'Thank God for a good breakfast,' said Squeers, when he hadfinished. 'Number one may take a drink.'Number one seized the mug ravenously, and had just drunk enough tomake him wish for more, when Mr Squeers gave the signal for numbertwo, who gave up at the same interesting moment to number three; andthe process was repeated until the milk and water terminated withnumber five.'And now,' said the schoolmaster, dividing the bread and butter forthree into as many portions as there were children, 'you had betterlook sharp with your breakfast, for the horn will blow in a minuteor two, and then every boy leaves off.'Permission being thus given to fall to, the boys began to eatvoraciously, and in desperate haste: while the schoolmaster (who wasin high good humour after his meal) picked his teeth with a fork,and looked smilingly on. In a very short time, the horn was heard.'I thought it wouldn't be long,' said Squeers, jumping up andproducing a little basket from under the seat; 'put what you haven'thad time to eat, in here, boys! You'll want it on the road!'Nicholas was considerably startled by these very economicalarrangements; but he had no time to reflect upon them, for thelittle boys had to be got up to the top of the coach, and theirboxes had to be brought out and put in, and Mr Squeers's luggage wasto be seen carefully deposited in the boot, and all these officeswere in his department. He was in the full heat and bustle ofconcluding these operations, when his uncle, Mr Ralph Nickleby,accosted him.'Oh! here you are, sir!' said Ralph. 'Here are your mother andsister, sir.''Where?' cried Nicholas, looking hastily round.'Here!' replied his uncle. 'Having too much money and nothing atall to do with it, they were paying a hackney coach as I came up,sir.''We were afraid of being too late to see him before he went awayfrom us,' said Mrs Nickleby, embracing her son, heedless of theunconcerned lookers-on in the coach-yard.'Very good, ma'am,' returned Ralph, 'you're the best judge ofcourse. I merely said that you were paying a hackney coach. Inever pay a hackney coach, ma'am; I never hire one. I haven't beenin a hackney coach of my own hiring, for thirty years, and I hope Ishan't be for thirty more, if I live as long.''I should never have forgiven myself if I had not seen him,' saidMrs Nickleby. 'Poor dear boy--going away without his breakfast too,because he feared to distress us!''Mighty fine certainly,' said Ralph, with great testiness. 'When Ifirst went to business, ma'am, I took a penny loaf and a ha'porth ofmilk for my breakfast as I walked to the city every morning; what doyou say to that, ma'am? Breakfast! Bah!''Now, Nickleby,' said Squeers, coming up at the moment buttoning hisgreatcoat; 'I think you'd better get up behind. I'm afraid of oneof them boys falling off and then there's twenty pound a year gone.''Dear Nicholas,' whispered Kate, touching her brother's arm, 'who isthat vulgar man?''Eh!' growled Ralph, whose quick ears had caught the inquiry. 'Doyou wish to be introduced to Mr Squeers, my dear?''That the schoolmaster! No, uncle. Oh no!' replied Kate, shrinkingback.'I'm sure I heard you say as much, my dear,' retorted Ralph in hiscold sarcastic manner. 'Mr Squeers, here's my niece: Nicholas'ssister!''Very glad to make your acquaintance, miss,' said Squeers, raisinghis hat an inch or two. 'I wish Mrs Squeers took gals, and we hadyou for a teacher. I don't know, though, whether she mightn't growjealous if we had. Ha! ha! ha!'If the proprietor of Dotheboys Hall could have known what waspassing in his assistant's breast at that moment, he would havediscovered, with some surprise, that he was as near being soundlypummelled as he had ever been in his life. Kate Nickleby, having aquicker perception of her brother's emotions, led him gently aside,and thus prevented Mr Squeers from being impressed with the fact ina peculiarly disagreeable manner.'My dear Nicholas,' said the young lady, 'who is this man? Whatkind of place can it be that you are going to?''I hardly know, Kate,' replied Nicholas, pressing his sister's hand.'I suppose the Yorkshire folks are rather rough and uncultivated;that's all.''But this person,' urged Kate.'Is my employer, or master, or whatever the proper name may be,'replied Nicholas quickly; 'and I was an ass to take his coarsenessill. They are looking this way, and it is time I was in my place.Bless you, love, and goodbye! Mother, look forward to our meetingagain someday! Uncle, farewell! Thank you heartily for all youhave done and all you mean to do. Quite ready, sir!'With these hasty adieux, Nicholas mounted nimbly to his seat, andwaved his hand as gallantly as if his heart went with it.At this moment, when the coachman and guard were comparing notes forthe last time before starting, on the subject of the way-bill; whenporters were screwing out the last reluctant sixpences, itinerantnewsmen making the last offer of a morning paper, and the horsesgiving the last impatient rattle to their harness; Nicholas feltsomebody pulling softly at his leg. He looked down, and there stoodNewman Noggs, who pushed up into his hand a dirty letter.'What's this?' inquired Nicholas.'Hush!' rejoined Noggs, pointing to Mr Ralph Nickleby, who wassaying a few earnest words to Squeers, a short distance off: 'Takeit. Read it. Nobody knows. That's all.''Stop!' cried Nicholas.'No,' replied Noggs.Nicholas cried stop, again, but Newman Noggs was gone.A minute's bustle, a banging of the coach doors, a swaying of thevehicle to one side, as the heavy coachman, and still heavier guard,climbed into their seats; a cry of all right, a few notes from thehorn, a hasty glance of two sorrowful faces below, and the hardfeatures of Mr Ralph Nickleby--and the coach was gone too, andrattling over the stones of Smithfield.The little boys' legs being too short to admit of their feet restingupon anything as they sat, and the little boys' bodies beingconsequently in imminent hazard of being jerked off the coach,Nicholas had enough to do over the stones to hold them on. Betweenthe manual exertion and the mental anxiety attendant upon this task,he was not a little relieved when the coach stopped at the Peacockat Islington. He was still more relieved when a hearty-lookinggentleman, with a very good-humoured face, and a very fresh colour,got up behind, and proposed to take the other corner of the seat.'If we put some of these youngsters in the middle,' said the new-comer, 'they'll be safer in case of their going to sleep; eh?''If you'll have the goodness, sir,' replied Squeers, 'that'll be thevery thing. Mr Nickleby, take three of them boys between you andthe gentleman. Belling and the youngest Snawley can sit between meand the guard. Three children,' said Squeers, explaining to thestranger, 'books as two.''I have not the least objection I am sure,' said the fresh-colouredgentleman; 'I have a brother who wouldn't object to book his sixchildren as two at any butcher's or baker's in the kingdom, I daresay. Far from it.''Six children, sir?' exclaimed Squeers.'Yes, and all boys,' replied the stranger.'Mr Nickleby,' said Squeers, in great haste, 'catch hold of thatbasket. Let me give you a card, sir, of an establishment wherethose six boys can be brought up in an enlightened, liberal, andmoral manner, with no mistake at all about it, for twenty guineas ayear each--twenty guineas, sir--or I'd take all the boys togetherupon a average right through, and say a hundred pound a year for thelot.''Oh!' said the gentleman, glancing at the card, 'you are the MrSqueers mentioned here, I presume?''Yes, I am, sir,' replied the worthy pedagogue; 'Mr Wackford Squeersis my name, and I'm very far from being ashamed of it. These aresome of my boys, sir; that's one of my assistants, sir--Mr Nickleby,a gentleman's son, amd a good scholar, mathematical, classical, andcommercial. We don't do things by halves at our shop. All mannerof learning my boys take down, sir; the expense is never thought of;and they get paternal treatment and washing in.''Upon my word,' said the gentleman, glancing at Nicholas with ahalf-smile, and a more than half expression of surprise, 'these areadvantages indeed.''You may say that, sir,' rejoined Squeers, thrusting his hands intohis great-coat pockets. 'The most unexceptionable references aregiven and required. I wouldn't take a reference with any boy, thatwasn't responsible for the payment of five pound five a quarter, no,not if you went down on your knees, and asked me, with the tearsrunning down your face, to do it.''Highly considerate,' said the passenger.'It's my great aim and end to be considerate, sir,' rejoinedSqueers. 'Snawley, junior, if you don't leave off chattering yourteeth, and shaking with the cold, I'll warm you with a severethrashing in about half a minute's time.''Sit fast here, genelmen,' said the guard as he clambered up.'All right behind there, Dick?' cried the coachman.'All right,' was the reply. 'Off she goes!' And off she did go--ifcoaches be feminine--amidst a loud flourish from the guard's horn,and the calm approval of all the judges of coaches and coach-horsescongregated at the Peacock, but more especially of the helpers, whostood, with the cloths over their arms, watching the coach till itdisappeared, and then lounged admiringly stablewards, bestowingvarious gruff encomiums on the beauty of the turn-out.When the guard (who was a stout old Yorkshireman) had blown himselfquite out of breath, he put the horn into a little tunnel of abasket fastened to the coach-side for the purpose, and givinghimself a plentiful shower of blows on the chest and shoulders,observed it was uncommon cold; after which, he demanded of everyperson separately whether he was going right through, and if not,where he was going. Satisfactory replies being made to thesequeries, he surmised that the roads were pretty heavy arter thatfall last night, and took the liberty of asking whether any of themgentlemen carried a snuff-box. It happening that nobody did, heremarked with a mysterious air that he had heard a medical gentlemanas went down to Grantham last week, say how that snuff-taking wasbad for the eyes; but for his part he had never found it so, andwhat he said was, that everybody should speak as they found. Nobodyattempting to controvert this position, he took a small brown-paperparcel out of his hat, and putting on a pair of horn spectacles (thewriting being crabbed) read the direction half-a-dozen times over;having done which, he consigned the parcel to its old place, put uphis spectacles again, and stared at everybody in turn. After this,he took another blow at the horn by way of refreshment; and, havingnow exhausted his usual topics of conversation, folded his arms aswell as he could in so many coats, and falling into a solemnsilence, looked carelessly at the familiar objects which met his eyeon every side as the coach rolled on; the only things he seemed tocare for, being horses and droves of cattle, which he scrutinisedwith a critical air as they were passed upon the road.The weather was intensely and bitterly cold; a great deal of snowfell from time to time; and the wind was intolerably keen. MrSqueers got down at almost every stage--to stretch his legs as hesaid--and as he always came back from such excursions with a veryred nose, and composed himself to sleep directly, there is reason tosuppose that he derived great benefit from the process. The littlepupils having been stimulated with the remains of their breakfast,and further invigorated by sundry small cups of a curious cordialcarried by Mr Squeers, which tasted very like toast-and-water putinto a brandy bottle by mistake, went to sleep, woke, shivered, andcried, as their feelings prompted. Nicholas and the good-temperedman found so many things to talk about, that between conversingtogether, and cheering up the boys, the time passed with them asrapidly as it could, under such adverse circumstances.So the day wore on. At Eton Slocomb there was a good coach dinner,of which the box, the four front outsides, the one inside, Nicholas,the good-tempered man, and Mr Squeers, partook; while the fivelittle boys were put to thaw by the fire, and regaled withsandwiches. A stage or two further on, the lamps were lighted, anda great to-do occasioned by the taking up, at a roadside inn, of avery fastidious lady with an infinite variety of cloaks and smallparcels, who loudly lamented, for the behoof of the outsides, thenon-arrival of her own carriage which was to have taken her on, andmade the guard solemnly promise to stop every green chariot he sawcoming; which, as it was a dark night and he was sitting with hisface the other way, that officer undertook, with many ferventasseverations, to do. Lastly, the fastidious lady, finding therewas a solitary gentleman inside, had a small lamp lighted which shecarried in reticule, and being after much trouble shut in, thehorses were put into a brisk canter and the coach was once more inrapid motion.The night and the snow came on together, and dismal enough theywere. There was no sound to be heard but the howling of the wind;for the noise of the wheels, and the tread of the horses' feet, wererendered inaudible by the thick coating of snow which covered theground, and was fast increasing every moment. The streets ofStamford were deserted as they passed through the town; and its oldchurches rose, frowning and dark, from the whitened ground. Twentymiles further on, two of the front outside passengers, wiselyavailing themselves of their arrival at one of the best inns inEngland, turned in, for the night, at the George at Grantham. Theremainder wrapped themselves more closely in their coats and cloaks,and leaving the light and warmth of the town behind them, pillowedthemselves against the luggage, and prepared, with many half-suppressed moans, again to encounter the piercing blast which sweptacross the open country.They were little more than a stage out of Grantham, or about halfwaybetween it and Newark, when Nicholas, who had been asleep for ashort time, was suddenly roused by a violent jerk which nearly threwhim from his seat. Grasping the rail, he found that the coach hadsunk greatly on one side, though it was still dragged forward by thehorses; and while--confused by their plunging and the loud screamsof the lady inside--he hesitated, for an instant, whether to jumpoff or not, the vehicle turned easily over, and relieved him fromall further uncertainty by flinging him into the road.