Part 10 (1/2)

'Why, your father has got soentleman that died the other day,' said Mrs Squeers

'The son of a gentleman!'

'Yes; but I don't believe a word of it If he's a gentle, that's ,' but, as she frequently remarked when she made any such mistake, it would be all the same a hundred years hence; hich axiom of philosophy, indeed, she was in the constant habit of consoling the boys when they laboured underof the kind,' said Squeers, in answer to the above remark, 'for his father was married to his mother years before he was born, and she is alive now If he was, it would be no business of ours, for wehi besides ain, I hate him worse than poison,' said Mrs Squeers vehemently

'If you dislike him, my dear,' returned Squeers, 'I don't know anybody who can show dislike better than you, and of course there's no occasion, with him, to take the trouble to hide it'

'I don't intend to, I assure you,' interposed Mrs S

'That's right,' said Squeers; 'and if he has a touch of pride about hiland that can bring anybody's spirit down, as quick as you can, my love'

Mrs Squeers chuckled vastly on the receipt of these flattering coh spirit or two in her day It is but due to her character to say, that in conjunction with her estimable husband, she had broken many and many a one

Miss fanny Squeers carefully treasured up this, and much more conversation on the saht, when she questioned the hungry servant,the outward appearance and deirl returned such enthusiastic replies, coupled with sohis beautiful dark eyes, and his sweet ss-upon which last-naeneral run of legs at Dotheboys Hall being crooked-that Miss Squeers was not long in arriving at the conclusion that the new usher nificantly phrased it, 'so quite out of the common' And so Miss Squeers made up her mind that she would take a personal observation of Nicholas the very next day

In pursuance of this design, the young lady watched the opportunity of her ed, and her father absent, and went accidentally into the schoolroo nobody but Nicholas presiding over the boys, she blushed very deeply, and exhibited great confusion

'I beg your pardon,' faltered Miss Squeers; 'I thought ht be-dear me, how very aard!'

'Mr Squeers is out,' said Nicholas, by no h it was

'Do you knoill he be long, sir?' asked Miss Squeers, with bashful hesitation

'He said about an hour,' replied Nicholas-politely of course, but without any indication of being stricken to the heart by Miss Squeers's char happen so cross,' exclai lady 'Thank you! I aht my father was here, I wouldn't upon any account have-it is very provoking-e,' , froain

'If that is all you want,' said Nicholas, pointing to the pen, and s, in spite of himself, at the affected ehter, 'perhaps I can supply his place'

Miss Squeers glanced at the door, as if dubious of the propriety of advancing any nearer to an utter stranger; then round the schoolrooh in some measure reassured by the presence of forty boys; and finally sidled up to Nicholas and delivered the pen into his hand, with amixture of reserve and condescension

'Shall it be a hard or a soft nib?' inquired Nicholas, sht

'He HAS a beautiful sht Miss Squeers

'Which did you say?' asked Nicholas

'Dearelse for the moment, I declare,' replied Miss Squeers 'Oh! as soft as possible, if you please' With which words, Miss Squeers sighed It ive Nicholas to understand that her heart was soft, and that the pen anted to match

Upon these instructions Nicholas ave it to Miss Squeers, Miss Squeers dropped it; and when he stooped to pick it up, Miss Squeers stopped also, and they knocked their heads together; whereat five-and-twenty little boys laughed aloud: being positively for the first and only time that half-year

'Very aard oflady's retreat

'Not at all, sir,' replied Miss Squeers; 'it was !'

'Goodbye,' said Nicholas 'The next I make for you, I hope will bethe nib off now'

'Really,' said Miss Squeers; 'so eive you so much trouble'

'Not the least trouble in the world,' replied Nicholas, closing the schoolroos in the whole course of my life!' said Miss Squeers, as she walked away

In fact, Miss Squeers was in love with Nicholas Nickleby

To account for the rapidity hich this young lady had conceived a passion for Nicholas, it may be necessary to state, that the friend frohter of only eighteen, who had contracted herself unto the son of a small corn-factor, resident in the nearestfast friends, had covenanted together so young ladies, that whoever was first engaged to be hty secret to the boso soul, and bespeak her as bridese the eht as the corn-factor's son made an offer of his hand and heart at twenty-five minutes past ten by the Dutch clock in the kitchen, and rushed into Miss Squeers's bedroo five years older, and out of her teens (which is also a great matter), had, since, been more than commonly anxious to return the compliment, and possess her friend with a si it hard to please herself, or harder still to please anybody else, had never had an opportunity so to do, inasmuch as she had no such secret to disclose The little intervieith Nicholas had no sooner passed, as above described, however, than Miss Squeers, putting on her bonnet, reat precipitation, to her friend's house, and, upon a solemn renewal of divers old vows of secrecy, revealed how that she was-not exactly engaged, but going to be-to a gentleentleh descent)-who had come down as teacher to Dotheboys Hall, under most mysterious and remarkable circumstances-indeed, as Miss Squeers ood reason to believe, induced, by the fame of her many charms, to seek her out, and woo and win her

'Isn't it an extraordinary thing?' said Miss Squeers, ely

'Most extraordinary,' replied the friend 'But what has he said to you?'

'Don't ask me what he said, my dear,' rejoined Miss Squeers 'If you had only seen his looks and smiles! I never was so overcome in all my life'

'Did he look in this way?' inquired the , as nearly as she could, a favourite leer of the corn-factor

'Very like that-only enteel,' replied Miss Squeers

'Ah!' said the friend, 'then heslight s on the subject, was by no means ill pleased to be confir, on further conversation and coreat many points of resemblance between the behaviour of Nicholas, and that of the corn-factor, grew so exceedingly confidential, that she intrusted her friend with a vast nus Nicholas had NOT said, which were all so very complimentary as to be quite conclusive Then, she dilated on the fearful hardshi+p of having a father and mother strenuously opposed to her intended husband; on which unhappy circuth; for the friend's father andmarried, and the whole courtshi+p was in consequence as flat and coine

'How I should like to see him!' exclaimed the friend

'So you shall, 'Tilda,' replied Miss Squeers 'I should consider rateful creatures alive, if I denied you I thinkaway for two days to fetch some boys; and when she does, I'll ask you and John up to tea, and have hi fully discussed it, the friends parted

It so fell out, that Mrs Squeers's journey, to some distance, to fetch three new boys, and dun the relations of two old ones for the balance of a small account, was fixed that very afternoon, for the next day but one; and on the next day but one, Mrs Squeers got up outside the coach, as it stopped to change at Greta Bridge, taking with her a s in a bottle, and soe white top-coat to wear in the night-tie she went her way

Whenever such opportunities as these occurred, it was Squeers's custo, on pretence of urgent business, and stop till ten or eleven o'clock at a tavern he much affected As the party was not in his way, therefore, but rather afforded a means of compromise with Miss Squeers, he readily yielded his full assent thereunto, and willingly communicated to Nicholas that he was expected to take his tea in the parlour that evening, at five o'clock

To be sure Miss Squeers was in a desperate flutter as the time approached, and to be sure she was dressed out to the best advantage: with her hair-it had e of red, and she wore it in a crop-curled in five distinct rows, up to the very top of her head, and arranged dexterously over the doubtful eye; to say nothing of the blue sash which floated down her back, or the worked apron or the long gloves, or the green gauze scarf worn over one shoulder and under the other; or any of the numerous devices which were to be as so many arrows to the heart of Nicholas She had scarcely coements to her entire satisfaction, when the friend arrived with a whity-brown parcel-flat and three-cornered-containing sundry small adornments which were to be put on upstairs, and which the friend put on, talking incessantly When Miss Squeers had 'done' the friend's hair, the friend 'did' Miss Squeers's hair, throwing in solets down the neck; and then, when they were both touched up to their entire satisfaction, they went downstairs in full state with the long gloves on, all ready for company

'Where's John, 'Tilda?' said Miss Squeers

'Only gone home to clean himself,' replied the friend 'He will be here by the time the tea's drawn'

'I do so palpitate,' observed Miss Squeers

'Ah! I knohat it is,' replied the friend