Squeers then proceeded to give several messages of various degrees of unpleasantness to sundry of the boys, followed up by vigorous canings where he had any grudge to pay off.  One by one the boys answered to their names.

“Now let us see,” said Squeers.  “A letter for Cobbey.  Stand up, Cobbey.”

Another boy stood up and eyed the letter very hard, while Squeers made a mental abstract of the same.

“Oh,” said Squeers; “Cobbey’s grandmother is dead, which is all the news his sister sends, except eighteenpence, which will just pay for that broken square of glass.  Mrs. Squeers, my dear, will you take the money?”

The worthy lady pocketed the eighteenpence with a most business-like air, and Squeers passed on to the next boy, as coolly as possible.

“Mobbs’s step-mother,” said Squeers, “took to her bed on hearing that he wouldn’t eat fat, and has been very ill ever since.  She wishes to know, by an early post, where he expects to go to if he quarrels with his vittles; and with what feelings he could turn up his nose at the cow’s liver broth, after his good master had asked a blessing on it.  This was told her in the London newspapers—­not by Mr. Squeers, for he is too kind and good to set anybody against anybody—­and it has vexed her so much, Mobbs can’t think.  She is sorry to find he is discontented, which is sinful and horrid, and hopes Mr. Squeers will flog him into a happier state of mind; and with this view, she has also stopped his halfpenny a week pocket-money, and given a double-bladed knife with a corkscrew in it to the Missionaries, which she had bought on purpose for him.”

[Illustration:  BOLDER, COBBEY, GRAYMARSH, MOBB’S.]

“A sulky state of feeling,” said Squeers, after a terrible pause.  “Cheerfulness and contentment must be kept up.  Mobbs, come to me.”

Mobbs moved slowly towards the desk, rubbing his eyes in anticipation of good cause for doing so; and he soon afterwards retired by the side door, with as good a cause as a boy need have.

Mr. Squeers 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.