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The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby Author:Charles Dickens General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1880 Original Publisher: Estes and Lauriat Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you c... more »an select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER VIII. OF THE INTERNAL ECONOMY OF DOTHEBOYS HALL. A Ride of two hundred and odd miles in severe weather, is one of the best softeners of a hard bed that ingenuity can devise. Perhaps it is even a sweetener of dreams, for those which hovered over the rough couch of Nicholas, and whispered their airy nothings in his ear, were of an agreeable and happy kind. He was making his fortune very fast indeed, when the faint glimmer of an expiring candle shone before his eyes, and a voice he had no difficulty in recognizing as part and parcel of Mr. Squeers, admonished him that it was time to rise. " Past seven, Nickleby," said Mr. Squeers. " Has morning come already ? " asked Nicholas, sitting up in bed. " Ah! that has it," replied Squeers, " and ready iced too. Now, Nickleby, come ; tumble up, will you ? " Nicholas needed no futher admonition, but " tumbled up " at once, and proceeded to dress himself by the light of the taper, which Mr. Squeers carried in his hand. " Here's a pretty go," said that gentleman ; " the pump's froze." " Indeed ! " said Nicholas, not much interested in the intelligence. " Yes," replied Squeers. " You can't wash yourself this morning." " Not wash myself ! " exclaimed Nicholas. "No, not a bit if it," rejoined Squeers tartly. " So you must be content with giving yourself a dry polish till we break the ice in the well, and can get a bucketful out for the boys. Don't stand staring at me, but do look sharp, will you ?" Offering no further observation,' Nicholas huddled on his clothes. Squeers, meanwhile, opened the shutters and blew ...« less