'
'Oh!' said the gentleman, glancing at the card, 'you are the Mr Squeers
mentioned here, I presume?'
'Yes, I am, sir,' replied the worthy pedagogue; 'Mr Wackford Squeers is
my name, and I'm very far from being ashamed of it. These are some of my
boys, sir; that's one of my assistants, sir--Mr Nickleby, a gentleman's
son, and a good scholar, mathematical, classical, and commercial. We
don't do things by halves at our shop. All manner of learning my boys
take down, sir; the expense is never thought of; and they get paternal
treatment and washing in.'
'Upon my word,' said the gentleman, glancing at Nicholas with a
half-smile, and a more than half expression of surprise, 'these are
advantages indeed.'
'You may say that, sir,' rejoined Squeers, thrusting his hands into his
great-coat pockets. 'The most unexceptionable references are given
and required. I wouldn't take a reference with any boy, that wasn't
responsible for the payment of five pound five a quarter, no, not if you
went down on your knees, and asked me, with the tears running down your
face, to do it.'
'Highly considerate,' said the passenger.
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