then proceeded to open a miscellaneous collection of letters;
some enclosing money, which Mrs. Squeers "took care of;" and others
referring to small articles of apparel, all of which the same lady stated
to be too large, or too small, and calculated for nobody but young
Squeers, who would appear indeed to have had most accommodating limbs,
since everything that came into the school fitted him to a nicety. His
head, in particular, must have been singularly elastic, for hats and caps
of all dimensions were alike to him.

This business despatched, a few slovenly lessons were performed, and
Squeers retired to his fireside, leaving Nicholas to take care of the boys
in the schoolroom. There was a small stove at that corner of the room
which was nearest to the master's desk, and by it Nicholas sat down,
depressed and degraded by the consciousness of his position. But for the
present his resolve was taken. He had written to his mother and sister,
announcing the safe conclusion of his journey, and saying as little about
Dotheboys Hall, and saying that little as cheerfully, as he could. He
hoped that by remaining where he was, he might do some good, even there;
at all events, others depended too much on him to admit of his complaining
just then.

From the moment of making that resolve, Nicholas got on in his place as
well as he could, doing his best to improve matters. He arranged a few
regular lessons for the boys, and saw that they were well attended; but
his heart sank more and more, for besides the dull, unvarying round of
misery there was another system of annoyance which nearly drove him wild
by its injustice and cruelty. Upon the wretched creature Smike, all the
spleen and ill-humour that could not be vented on Nicholas, were
unceasingly bestowed. Drudgery would have been nothing--Smike was well
used to that. Buffetings inflicted without cause would have been equally a
matter of course, for to them also he had served a long and weary
apprenticeship; but it was no sooner observed that he had become attached
to Nicholas, than stripes and blows, morning, noon, and night, were his
only portion. Squeers was jealous of the influence which his new teacher
had so soon acquired; and his family hated him, and Smike paid for both.
Nicholas saw this, and ground his teeth at every repetition of the savage
and cowardly attack.

Not many weeks later, on a cold January morning, when Nicholas awoke he
found the entire school agog with qu