pointed to see him so much like other boys, and said he
should hardly have thought it.

'He is,' cried Squeers. 'But about these boys of yours; you wanted to
speak to me?'

'Yes,' replied Snawley. 'The fact is, I am not their father, Mr Squeers.
I'm only their father-in-law.'

'Oh! Is that it?' said the schoolmaster. 'That explains it at once. I
was wondering what the devil you were going to send them to Yorkshire
for. Ha! ha! Oh, I understand now.'

'You see I have married the mother,' pursued Snawley; 'it's expensive
keeping boys at home, and as she has a little money in her own right, I
am afraid (women are so very foolish, Mr Squeers) that she might be led
to squander it on them, which would be their ruin, you know.'

'I see,' returned Squeers, throwing himself back in his chair, and
waving his hand.

'And this,' resumed Snawley, 'has made me anxious to put them to some
school a good distance off, where there are no holidays--none of those
ill-judged coming home twice a year that unsettle children's minds
so--and where they may rough it a little--you comprehend?'

'The payments regular, and no questions asked,' said Squeers, nodding
his head.

'That's it, exactly,' rejoined the other. 'Morals strictly attended to,
though.'

'Strictly,' said Squeers.

'Not too much writing home allowed, I suppose?' said the father-in-law,
hesitating.

'None, except a circular at Christmas, to say they never were so happy,
and hope they may never be sent for,' rejoined Squeers.

'Nothing could be better,' said the father-in-law, rubbing his hands.

'Then, as we understand each other,' said Squeers, 'will you allow me
to ask you whether you consider me a highly virtuous, exemplary, and
well-conducted man in private life; and whether, as a person whose
business it is to take charge of youth, you place the strongest
confidence in my unimpeachable integrity, liberality, religious
principles, and ability?'

'Certainly I do,' replied the father-in-law, reciprocating the
schoolmaster's grin.

'Perhaps you won't object to say that, if I make you a reference?'

'Not the least in the world.'

'That's your sort!' said Squeers, taking up a pen; 'this is doing
business, and that's what I like.'

Having entered Mr Snawley's address, the schoolmaster had next to
perform the still more agreeable office of entering the receipt of the
first quarter's payment in advance, which he had scarcely completed,
when another voice was he