CHAPTER 2

OfMr.RalphNickleby,andhisEstablishments,andhisUndertakings,andofagreatJointStockCompanyofvastnationalImportance Mr.RalphNicklebywasnot,strictlyspeaking,whatyouwouldcallamerchant,neitherwasheabanker,noranattorney,noraspecialpleader,noranotary.Hewascertainlynotatradesman,andstilllesscouldhelayanyclaimtothetitleofaprofessionalgentlemanforitwouldhavebeenimpossibletomentionanyrecognisedprofessiontowhichhebelonged.Nevertheless,ashelivedinaspacioushouseinGoldenSquare,which,inadditiontoabrassplateuponthestreet-door,hadanotherbrassplatetwosizesandahalfsmalleruponthelefthanddoor-post,surroundingabrassmodelofaninfant’sfistgraspingafragmentofaskewer,anddisplayingtheword‘Office,’itwasclearthatMr.RalphNicklebydid,orpretendedtodo,businessofsomekindandthefact,ifitrequiredanyfurthercircumstantialevidence,wasabundantlydemonstratedbythediurnalattendance,betweenthehoursofhalf-pastnineandfive,ofasallow-facedmaninrustybrown,whosatuponanuncommonlyhardstoolinaspeciesofbutler’spantryattheendofthepassage,andalwayshadapenbehindhisearwhenheansweredthebell. AlthoughafewmembersofthegraverprofessionsliveaboutGoldenSquare,itisnotexactlyinanybody’swaytoorfromanywhere.Itisoneofthesquaresthathavebeenaquarterofthetownthathasgonedownintheworld,andtakentolettinglodgings.Manyofitsfirstandsecondfloorsarelet,furnished,tosinglegentlemenandittakesboardersbesides.Itisagreatresortofforeigners.Thedark-complexionedmenwhowearlargerings,andheavywatch-guards,andbushywhiskers,andwhocongregateundertheOperaColonnade,andaboutthebox-officeintheseason,betweenfourandfiveintheafternoon,whentheygiveawaytheorders,—allliveinGoldenSquare,orwithinastreetofit.TwoorthreeviolinsandawindinstrumentfromtheOperabandresidewithinitsprecincts.Itsboarding-housesaremusical,andthenotesofpianosandharpsfloatintheeveningtimeroundtheheadofthemournfulstatue,theguardiangeniusofalittlewildernessofshrubs,inthecentreofthesquare.Onasummer’snight,windowsarethrownopen,andgroupsofswarthymoustachedmenareseenbythepasser-by,loungingatthecasements,andsmokingfearfully.Soundsofgruffvoicespractisingvocalmusicinvadetheevening’ssilenceandthefumesofchoicetobaccoscenttheair.There,snuffandcigars,andGermanpipesandflutes,andviolinsandvioloncellos,dividethesupremacybetweenthem.Itistheregionofsongandsmoke.StreetbandsareontheirmettleinGoldenSquareanditinerantglee-singersquaverinvoluntarilyastheyraisetheirvoiceswithinitsboundaries. ThiswouldnotseemaspotverywelladaptedtothetransactionofbusinessbutMr.RalphNicklebyhadlivedthere,notwithstanding,formanyyears,andutterednocomplaintonthatscore.Heknewnobodyroundabout,andnobodyknewhim,althoughheenjoyedthereputationofbeingimmenselyrich.Thetradesmenheldthathewasasortoflawyer,andtheotherneighboursopinedthathewasakindofgeneralagentbothofwhichguesseswereascorrectanddefiniteasguessesaboutotherpeople’saffairsusuallyare,orneedtobe. Mr.RalphNicklebysatinhisprivateofficeonemorning,readydressedtowalkabroad.Heworeabottle-greenspenceroverabluecoatawhitewaistcoat,greymixturepantaloons,andWellingtonbootsdrawnoverthem.Thecornerofasmall-plaitedshirt-frillstruggledout,asifinsistingtoshowitself,frombetweenhischinandthetopbuttonofhisspencerandthelattergarmentwasnotmadelowenoughtoconcealalonggoldwatch-chain,composedofaseriesofplainrings,whichhaditsbeginningatthehandleofagoldrepeaterinMr.Nickleby’spocket,anditsterminationintwolittlekeys:onebelongingtothewatchitself,andtheothertosomepatentpadlock.Heworeasprinklingofpowderuponhishead,asiftomakehimselflookbenevolentbutifthatwerehispurpose,hewouldperhapshavedonebettertopowderhiscountenancealso,fortherewassomethinginitsverywrinkles,andinhiscoldrestlesseye,whichseemedtotellofcunningthatwouldannounceitselfinspiteofhim.Howeverthismightbe,therehewasandashewasallalone,neitherthepowder,northewrinkles,northeeyes,hadthesmallesteffect,goodorbad,uponanybodyjustthen,andareconsequentlynobusinessofoursjustnow. Mr.Nicklebyclosedanaccount-bookwhichlayonhisdesk,and,throwinghimselfbackinhischair,gazedwithanairofabstractionthroughthedirtywindow.SomeLondonhouseshaveamelancholylittleplotofgroundbehindthem,usuallyfencedinbyfourhighwhitewashedwalls,andfrowneduponbystacksofchimneys:inwhichtherewitherson,fromyeartoyear,acrippledtree,thatmakesashowofputtingforthafewleaveslateinautumnwhenothertreesshedtheirs,and,droopingintheeffort,lingerson,allcrackledandsmoke-dried,tillthefollowingseason,whenitrepeatsthesameprocess,andperhaps,iftheweatherbeparticularlygenial,eventemptssomerheumaticsparrowtochirrupinitsbranches.Peoplesometimescallthesedarkyards‘g