for number two, who
gave up at the same interesting moment to number three; and the process
was repeated until the milk and water terminated with number five.

"And now," said Squeers, dividing the bread for three into as many
portions as there were children, "You had better look sharp with your
breakfast, for the horn will blow in a minute or two, and then every boy
leaves off.--Ah! I thought it wouldn't be long; put what you haven't had
time to eat in here, boys! You'll want it on the road." Which they
certainly did, for the air was cool, and the journey was long and
tiresome. However, they arrived quite safely; and Nicholas, weary,
retired to rest.

In the morning he was taken to the school-room accompanied by Squeers.

"There, this is our shop, Nickleby." It was a crowded scene. A bare and
dirty room, with a couple of windows, whereof a tenth part might be of
glass, the remainder being stopped up with old copybooks and paper. Pale
and haggard faces, lank and bony figures, little faces, which should
have been handsome, darkened with the scowl of sullen, dogged suffering.
There was childhood with the light of its eye quenched, its beauty gone
and its helplessness alone remaining--truly an incipient Hell. A few
minutes having elapsed, Squeers called up the first class.

"This is the first class in English, spelling, and philosophy,
Nickleby. We'll get up a Latin one, and hand that over to you. Now then,
where's the first boy?"

"Please, sir, he's cleaning the back parlor window."

"So he is, to be sure. We go upon the practical mode of teaching,
Nickleby, the regular educational system. C-l-e-a-n, clean. Verb active.
To make bright, to scour. W-i-n, win, d-e-r, der, winder. A casement.
When a boy knows this out of his book he goes and does it. It's just the
same principle as the use of the globes. Where's the second boy?"

"Please, sir, he's weeding the garden."

"To be sure, so he is. B-o-t, bot, t-i-n, tin, bottin, n-e-y, ney,
bottinney. Noun substantive. A knowledge of plants. When a boy learns
that bottinney is a knowledge of plants, he goes and knows 'em. That's
our system, Nickleby. Third boy, what's a horse?"

"A beast, sir."

"So it is. A horse is a quadruped, and quadruped is Latin for beast, as
everybody that's gone through the grammar knows, or else where's the use
of havin' grammars at all? As you're perfect in that, go and look after
my horse, and rub him down well or I'll rub you down. The rest