CHAPTER 1

IntroducesalltheRest Thereoncelived,inasequesteredpartofthecountyofDevonshire,oneMr.GodfreyNickleby:aworthygentleman,who,takingitintohisheadratherlateinlifethathemustgetmarried,andnotbeingyoungenoughorrichenoughtoaspiretothehandofaladyoffortune,hadweddedanoldflameoutofmereattachment,whoinherturnhadtakenhimforthesamereason.Thustwopeoplewhocannotaffordtoplaycardsformoney,sometimessitdowntoaquietgameforlove. Someill-conditionedpersonswhosneeratthelife-matrimonial,mayperhapssuggest,inthisplace,thatthegoodcouplewouldbebetterlikenedtotwoprincipalsinasparringmatch,who,whenfortuneislowandbackersscarce,willchivalrouslysetto,forthemerepleasureofthebuffetingandinonerespectindeedthiscomparisonwouldholdgoodfor,astheadventurouspairoftheFives’Courtwillafterwardssendroundahat,andtrusttothebountyofthelookers-onforthemeansofregalingthemselves,soMr.GodfreyNicklebyandhispartner,thehoneymoonbeingover,lookedoutwistfullyintotheworld,relyinginnoinconsiderabledegreeuponchancefortheimprovementoftheirmeans.Mr.Nickleby’sincome,attheperiodofhismarriage,fluctuatedbetweensixtyandeightypoundsperannum. Therearepeopleenoughintheworld,Heavenknows!andeveninLondon(whereMr.Nicklebydweltinthosedays)butfewcomplaintsprevail,ofthepopulationbeingscanty.Itisextraordinaryhowlongamanmaylookamongthecrowdwithoutdiscoveringthefaceofafriend,butitisnolesstrue.Mr.Nicklebylooked,andlooked,tillhiseyesbecamesoreashisheart,butnofriendappearedandwhen,growingtiredofthesearch,heturnedhiseyeshomeward,hesawverylittletheretorelievehiswearyvision.Apainterwhohasgazedtoolonguponsomeglaringcolour,refresheshisdazzledsightbylookinguponadarkerandmoresombretintbuteverythingthatmetMr.Nickleby’sgazeworesoblackandgloomyahue,thathewouldhavebeenbeyonddescriptionrefreshedbytheveryreverseofthecontrast. Atlength,afterfiveyears,whenMrs.Nicklebyhadpresentedherhusbandwithacoupleofsons,andthatembarrassedgentleman,impressedwiththenecessityofmakingsomeprovisionforhisfamily,wasseriouslyrevolvinginhisminda