ind that way so soon? Half knave and half
fool, and detected in both characters? I think your day is over, sir.'

As he said this, he made some memorandum in his pocket-book in which Mr
Mantalini's name figured conspicuously, and finding by his watch that it
was between nine and ten o'clock, made all speed home.

'Are they here?' was the first question he asked of Newman.

Newman nodded. 'Been here half an hour.'

'Two of them? One a fat sleek man?'

'Ay,' said Newman. 'In your room now.'

'Good,' rejoined Ralph. 'Get me a coach.'

'A coach! What, you--going to--eh?' stammered Newman.

Ralph angrily repeated his orders, and Noggs, who might well have been
excused for wondering at such an unusual and extraordinary circumstance
(for he had never seen Ralph in a coach in his life) departed on his
errand, and presently returned with the conveyance.

Into it went Mr Squeers, and Ralph, and the third man, whom Newman Noggs
had never seen. Newman stood upon the door-step to see them off, not
troubling himself to wonder where or upon what business they were going,
until he chanced by mere accident to hear Ralph name the address whither
the coachman was to drive.

Quick as lightning and in a state of the most extreme wonder, Newman
darted into his little office for his hat, and limped after the coach
as if with the intention of getting up behind; but in this design he
was balked, for it had too much the start of him and was soon hopelessly
ahead, leaving him gaping in the empty street.

'I don't know though,' said Noggs, stopping for breath, 'any good that
I could have done by going too. He would have seen me if I had. Drive
THERE! What can come of this? If I had only known it yesterday I could
have told--drive there! There's mischief in it. There must be.'

His reflections were interrupted by a grey-haired man of a very
remarkable, though far from prepossessing appearance, who, coming
stealthily towards him, solicited relief.

Newman, still cogitating deeply, turned away; but the man followed him,
and pressed him with such a tale of misery that Newman (who might have
been considered a hopeless person to beg from, and who had little enough
to give) looked into his hat for some halfpence which he usually kept
screwed up, when he had any, in a corner of his pocket-handkerchief.

While he was busily untwisting the knot with his teeth, the man said
something which attracted his attention; whatever that something was,