un having, in the discharge of his public duty, as the books
of precedent report, invariably risen according to the almanacs, and
without suffering himself to be swayed by any private considerations.
So, morning came as usual, and with it business-hours, and with them Mr
Frank Cheeryble, and with him a long train of smiles and welcomes from
the worthy brothers, and a more grave and clerk-like, but scarcely less
hearty reception from Mr Timothy Linkinwater.

'That Mr Frank and Mr Nickleby should have met last night,' said
Tim Linkinwater, getting slowly off his stool, and looking round the
counting-house with his back planted against the desk, as was his custom
when he had anything very particular to say: 'that those two young men
should have met last night in that manner is, I say, a coincidence, a
remarkable coincidence. Why, I don't believe now,' added Tim, taking off
his spectacles, and smiling as with gentle pride, 'that there's such a
place in all the world for coincidences as London is!'

'I don't know about that,' said Mr Frank; 'but--'

'Don't know about it, Mr Francis!' interrupted Tim, with an obstinate
air. 'Well, but let us know. If there is any better place for such
things, where is it? Is it in Europe? No, that it isn't. Is it in Asia?
Why, of course it's not. Is it in Africa? Not a bit of it. Is it in
America? YOU know better than that, at all events. Well, then,' said
Tim, folding his arms resolutely, 'where is it?'

'I was not about to dispute the point, Tim,' said young Cheeryble,
laughing. 'I am not such a heretic as that. All I was going to say was,
that I hold myself under an obligation to the coincidence, that's all.'

'Oh! if you don't dispute it,' said Tim, quite satisfied, 'that's
another thing. I'll tell you what though. I wish you had. I wish you
or anybody would. I would so put that man down,' said Tim, tapping the
forefinger of his left hand emphatically with his spectacles, 'so put
that man down by argument--'

It was quite impossible to find language to express the degree of mental
prostration to which such an adventurous wight would be reduced in the
keen encounter with Tim Linkinwater, so Tim gave up the rest of his
declaration in pure lack of words, and mounted his stool again.

'We may consider ourselves, brother Ned,' said Charles, after he had
patted Tim Linkinwater approvingly on the back, 'very fortunate in
having two such young men about us as our nephew Frank and Mr Nickleb