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Or, another while, after chafing in jealousy for a long time over the coquetries going on between Tilda Price and Nicholas the Yorkshireman flattening his own nose with his clenched fist again and again, "as if to keep his hand in till he had an opportunity of exercising it on the nose of some other gentleman," until asked merrily by his betrothed to keep his glum silence no longer, but to say something: "Say summat?" roared John Browdie, with a mighty blow on the table; "Weal, then! what I say 's this Dang my boans and boddy, if I stan' this ony longer!
'As if he was a feller! observed Miss Squeers, with emphatic indignation. 'Ye'd betther inquire, mun, said John Browdie. 'An' hond up another pigeon-pie, will 'ee?
'Na; I dean't know, replied Mr Browdie, 'but t'oother teacher, 'cod he wur a learn 'un, he wur. The recollection of the last teacher's leanness seemed to afford Mr Browdie the most exquisite delight, for he laughed until he found it necessary to apply his coat-cuffs to his eyes.
Squeers was making one of his customary semi-annual visits to London, he was arrested and sent to jail by persons who had discovered his system of fraud and cruelty, as well as the fact that he had in his possession a stolen will. Upon John Browdie, a burly Scotchman, devolved the duty of carrying the painful news to Mrs. Squeers, and of dismissing the school.
Nickleby, whose logic, which some cynics would call feminine, is positively sublime in its want of coherence; and to John Browdie, the honest Yorkshire cornfactor, as good a fellow almost as Dandie Dinmont, the Border yeoman whom Scott made immortal. The high-life personages are far less successful. Dickens had small gift that way, and seldom succeeded in his society pictures.
'I leave such society, with my pa, for Hever, said Miss Squeers, looking contemptuously and loftily round. 'I am defiled by breathing the air with such creatures. Poor Mr Browdie! He! he! he! I do pity him, that I do; he's so deluded. He! he! he! Artful and designing 'Tilda!
'Especially, observed Mrs Browdie, looking very sly, 'after what we know about past and gone love matters. 'We know, indeed! said Nicholas, shaking his head. 'You behaved rather wickedly there, I suspect. 'O' course she did, said John Browdie, passing his huge forefinger through one of his wife's pretty ringlets, and looking very proud of her.
Determined to ascertain, if he could, through John Browdie, how the case really stood, he betook himself to his daily occupation: meditating, as he went, on a great variety of schemes for the punishment of the Yorkshire schoolmaster, all of which had their foundation in the strictest principles of retributive justice, and had but the one drawback of being wholly impracticable.
'Noa! interposed John Browdie, in a tone of compassion; for he was a giant in strength and stature, and Nicholas, very likely, in his eyes, seemed a mere dwarf; 'dean't say thot. 'Yes, I have, replied Nicholas, 'by that man Squeers, and I have beaten him soundly, and am leaving this place in consequence.
An old Acquaintance is recognised under melancholy Circumstances, and Dotheboys Hall breaks up for ever Nicholas was one of those whose joy is incomplete unless it is shared by the friends of adverse and less fortunate days. Surrounded by every fascination of love and hope, his warm heart yearned towards plain John Browdie.
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