CHAPTER 1

littlecommercialspeculationofinsuringhislifenextquarter-day,andthenfallingfromthetopoftheMonumentbyaccident,therecame,onemorning,bythegeneralpost,ablack-borderedlettertoinformhimhowhisuncle,Mr.RalphNickleby,wasdead,andhadlefthimthebulkofhislittleproperty,amountinginalltofivethousandpoundssterling. Asthedeceasedhadtakennofurthernoticeofhisnephewinhislifetime,thansendingtohiseldestboy(whohadbeenchristenedafterhim,ondesperatespeculation)asilverspooninamoroccocase,which,ashehadnottoomuchtoeatwithit,seemedakindofsatireuponhishavingbeenbornwithoutthatusefularticleofplateinhismouth,Mr.GodfreyNicklebycould,atfirst,scarcelybelievethetidingsthusconveyedtohim.Onexamination,however,theyturnedouttobestrictlycorrect.Theamiableoldgentleman,itseemed,hadintendedtoleavethewholetotheRoyalHumaneSociety,andhadindeedexecutedawilltothateffectbuttheInstitution,havingbeenunfortunateenough,afewmonthsbefore,tosavethelifeofapoorrelationtowhomhepaidaweeklyallowanceofthreeshillingsandsixpence,hehad,inafitofverynaturalexasperation,revokedthebequestinacodicil,andleftitalltoMrGodfreyNicklebywithaspecialmentionofhisindignation,notonlyagainstthesocietyforsavingthepoorrelation’slife,butagainstthepoorrelationalso,forallowinghimselftobesaved. WithaportionofthispropertyMr.GodfreyNicklebypurchasedasmallfarm,nearDawlishinDevonshire,whitherheretiredwithhiswifeandtwochildren,toliveuponthebestinteresthecouldgetfortherestofhismoney,andthelittleproducehecouldraisefromhisland.Thetwoprosperedsowelltogetherthat,whenhedied,somefifteenyearsafterthisperiod,andsomefiveafterhiswife,hewasenabledtoleave,tohiseldestson,Ralph,threethousandpoundsincash,andtohisyoungestson,Nicholas,onethousandandthefarm,whichwasassmallalandedestateasonewoulddesiretosee. ThesetwobrothershadbeenbroughtuptogetherinaschoolatExeterand,beingaccustomedtogohomeonceaweek,hadoftenheard,fromtheirmother’slips,longaccountsoftheirfather’ssufferingsinhisdaysofpoverty,andoftheirdeceaseduncle’simportanceinhisdaysofaffluence:whichrecitals