There once lived, in a sequestered1 part of the county of Devonshire, one Mr. Godfrey Nickleby: a worthy2 gentleman, who, taking it into his head rather late in life that he must get married, and not being young enough or rich enough to aspire3 to the hand of a lady of fortune, had wedded4 an old flame out of mere5 attachment6, who in her turn had taken him for the same reason. Thus two people who cannot afford to play cards for money, sometimes sit down to a quiet game for love.
Some ill-conditioned persons who sneer7 at the life-matrimonial, may perhaps suggest, in this place, that the good couple would be better likened to two principals in a sparring match, who, when fortune is low and backers scarce, will chivalrously8 set to, for the mere pleasure of the buffeting9; and in one respect indeed this comparison would hold good; for, as the adventurous10 pair of the Fives’ Court will afterwards send round a hat, and trust to the bounty12 of the lookers-on for the means of regaling themselves, so Mr. Godfrey Nickleby and his partner, the honeymoon13 being over, looked out wistfully into the world, relying in no inconsiderable degree upon chance for the improvement of their means. Mr. Nickleby’s income, at the period of his marriage, fluctuated between sixty and eighty pounds per annum.
There are people enough in the world, Heaven knows! and even in London (where Mr. Nickleby dwelt in those days) but few complaints prevail, of the population being scanty14. It is extraordinary how long a man may look among the crowd without discovering the face of a friend, but it is no less true. Mr. Nickleby looked, and looked, till his eyes became sore as his heart, but no friend appeared; and when, growing tired of the search, he turned his eyes homeward, he saw very little there to relieve his weary vision. A painter who has gazed too long upon some glaring colour, refreshes his dazzled sight by looking upon a darker and more sombre tint15; but everything that met Mr. Nickleby’s gaze wore so black and gloomy a hue16, that he would have been beyond description refreshed by the very reverse of the contrast.
At length, after five years, when Mrs. Nickleby had presented her husband with a couple of sons, and that embarrassed gentleman, impressed with the necessity of making some provision for his family, was seriously revolving17 in his mind a little commercial speculation18 of insuring his life next quarter-day, and then falling from the top of the Monument by accident, there came, one morning, by the general post, a black-bordered letter to inform him how his uncle, Mr. Ralph Nickleby, was dead, and had left him the bulk of his little property, amounting in all to five thousand pounds sterling19.
As the deceased had taken no further notice of his nephew in his lifetime, than sending to his eldest20 boy (who had been christened after him, on desperate speculation) a silver spoon in a morocco case, which, as he had not too much to eat with it, seemed a kind of satire21 upon his having been born without that useful article of plate in his mouth, Mr. Godfrey Nickleby could, at first, scarcely believe the tidings thus conveyed to him. On examination, however, they turned out to be strictly22 correct. The amiable23 old gentleman, it seemed, had intended to leave the whole to the Royal Humane24 Society, and had indeed executed a will to that effect; but the Institution, having been unfortunate enough, a few months before, to save the life of a poor relation to whom he paid a weekly allowance of three shillings and sixpence, he had, in a fit of very natural exasperation25, revoked26 the bequest27 in a codicil28, and left it all to Mr Godfrey Nickleby; with a special mention of his indignation, not only against the society for saving the poor relation’s life, but against the poor relation also, for allowing himself to be saved.
With a portion of this property Mr. Godfrey Nickleby purchased a small farm, near Dawlish in Devonshire, whither he retired29 with his wife and two children, to live upon the best interest he could get for the rest of his money, and the little produce he could raise from his land. The two prospered30 so well together that, when he died, some fifteen years after this period, and some five after his wife, he was enabled to leave, to his eldest son, Ralph, three thousand pounds in cash, and to his youngest son, Nicholas, one thousand and the farm, which was as small a landed estate as one would desire to see.
These two brothers had been brought up together in a school at Exeter; and, being accustomed to go home once a week, had often heard, from their mother’s lips, long accounts of their father’s sufferings in his days of poverty, and of their deceased uncle’s importance in his days of affluence31: which recitals32 produced a very different impression on the two: for, while the younger, who was of a timid and retiring disposition33, gleaned34 from thence nothing but forewarnings to shun35 the great world and attach himself to the quiet routine of a country life, Ralph, the elder, deduced from the often-repeated tale the two great morals that riches are the only true source of happiness and power, and that it is lawful36 and just to compass their acquisition by all means short of felony. ‘And,’ reasoned Ralph with himself, ‘if no good came of my uncle’s money when he was alive, a great deal of good came of it after he was dead, inasmuch as my father has got it now, and is saving it up for me, which is a highly virtuous37 purpose; and, going back to the old gentleman, good did come of it to him too, for he had the pleasure of thinking of it all his life long, and of being envied and courted by all his family besides.’ And Ralph always wound up these mental soliloquies by arriving at the conclusion, that there was nothing like money.
Not confining himself to theory, or permitting his faculties38 to rust11, even at that early age, in mere abstract speculations39, this promising40 lad commenced usurer on a limited scale at school; putting out at good interest a small capital of slate-pencil and marbles, and gradually extending his operations until they aspired41 to the copper42 coinage of this realm, in which he speculated to considerable advantage. Nor did he trouble his borrowers with abstract calculations of figures, or references to ready-reckoners; his simple rule of interest being all comprised in the one golden sentence, ‘two-pence for every half-penny,’ which greatly simplified the accounts, and which, as a familiar precept43, more easily acquired and retained in the memory than any known rule of arithmetic, cannot be too strongly recommended to the notice of capitalists, both large and small, and more especially of money-brokers and bill-discounters. Indeed, to do these gentlemen justice, many of them are to this day in the frequent habit of adopting it, with eminent44 success.
In like manner, did young Ralph Nickleby avoid all those minute and intricate calculations of odd days, which nobody who has worked sums in simple-interest can fail to have found most embarrassing, by establishing the one general rule that all sums of principal and interest should be paid on pocket-money day, that is to say, on Saturday: and that whether a loan were contracted on the Monday, or on the Friday, the amount of interest should be, in both cases, the same. Indeed he argued, and with great show of reason, that it ought to be rather more for one day than for five, inasmuch as the borrower might in the former case be very fairly presumed to be in great extremity45, otherwise he would not borrow at all with such odds46 against him. This fact is interesting, as illustrating47 the secret connection and sympathy which always exist between great minds. Though Master Ralph Nickleby was not at that time aware of it, the class of gentlemen before alluded48 to, proceed on just the same principle in all their transactions.
From what we have said of this young gentleman, and the natural admiration49 the reader will immediately conceive of his character, it may perhaps be inferred that he is to be the hero of the work which we shall presently begin. To set this point at rest, for once and for ever, we hasten to undeceive them, and stride to its commencement.
On the death of his father, Ralph Nickleby, who had been some time before placed in a mercantile house in London, applied50 himself passionately51 to his old pursuit of money-getting, in which he speedily became so buried and absorbed, that he quite forgot his brother for many years; and if, at times, a recollection of his old playfellow broke upon him through the haze52 in which he lived—for gold conjures53 up a mist about a man, more destructive of all his old senses and lulling54 to his feelings than the fumes55 of charcoal—it brought along with it a companion thought, that if they were intimate he would want to borrow money of him. So, Mr. Ralph Nickleby shrugged56 his shoulders, and said things were better as they were.
As for Nicholas, he lived a single man on the patrimonial57 estate until he grew tired of living alone, and then he took to wife the daughter of a neighbouring gentleman with a dower of one thousand pounds. This good lady bore him two children, a son and a daughter, and when the son was about nineteen, and the daughter fourteen, as near as we can guess—impartial records of young ladies’ ages being, before the passing of the new act, nowhere preserved in the registries of this country—Mr. Nickleby looked about him for the means of repairing his capital, now sadly reduced by this increase in his family, and the expenses of their education.
‘Speculate with it,’ said Mrs. Nickleby.
‘Spec—u—late, my dear?’ said Mr. Nickleby, as though in doubt.
‘Why not?’ asked Mrs. Nickleby.
‘Because, my dear, if we should lose it,’ rejoined Mr. Nickleby, who was a slow and time-taking speaker, ‘if we should lose it, we shall no longer be able to live, my dear.’
‘Fiddle,’ said Mrs. Nickleby.
‘I am not altogether sure of that, my dear,’ said Mr. Nickleby.
‘There’s Nicholas,’ pursued the lady, ‘quite a young man—it’s time he was in the way of doing something for himself; and Kate too, poor girl, without a penny in the world. Think of your brother! Would he be what he is, if he hadn’t speculated?’
‘That’s true,’ replied Mr. Nickleby. ‘Very good, my dear. Yes. I will speculate, my dear.’
Speculation is a round game; the players see little or nothing of their cards at first starting; gains may be great—and so may losses. The run of luck went against Mr. Nickleby. A mania58 prevailed, a bubble burst, four stock-brokers took villa59 residences at Florence, four hundred nobodies were ruined, and among them Mr. Nickleby.
‘The very house I live in,’ sighed the poor gentleman, ‘may be taken from me tomorrow. Not an article of my old furniture, but will be sold to strangers!’
The last reflection hurt him so much, that he took at once to his bed; apparently60 resolved to keep that, at all events.
‘Cheer up, sir!’ said the apothecary61.
‘You mustn’t let yourself be cast down, sir,’ said the nurse.
‘Such things happen every day,’ remarked the lawyer.
‘And it is very sinful to rebel against them,’ whispered the clergyman.
‘And what no man with a family ought to do,’ added the neighbours.
Mr. Nickleby shook his head, and motioning them all out of the room, embraced his wife and children, and having pressed them by turns to his languidly beating heart, sunk exhausted62 on his pillow. They were concerned to find that his reason went astray after this; for he babbled63, for a long time, about the generosity64 and goodness of his brother, and the merry old times when they were at school together. This fit of wandering past, he solemnly commended them to One who never deserted65 the widow or her fatherless children, and, smiling gently on them, turned upon his face, and observed, that he thought he could fall asleep.
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1
sequestered
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| adj.扣押的；隐退的；幽静的；偏僻的v.使隔绝，使隔离( sequester的过去式和过去分词 )；扣押 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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3
aspire
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| vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于 | |
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4
wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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8
chivalrously
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| adv.象骑士一样地 | |
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9
buffeting
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| 振动 | |
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adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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bounty
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| n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与 | |
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13
honeymoon
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| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
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14
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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16
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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17
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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18
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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19
sterling
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| adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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20
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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21
satire
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| n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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23
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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26
revoked
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| adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bequest
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| n.遗赠；遗产，遗物 | |
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codicil
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| n.遗嘱的附录 | |
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29
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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30
prospered
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| 成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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affluence
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| n.充裕，富足 | |
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32
recitals
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| n.独唱会( recital的名词复数 )；独奏会；小型音乐会、舞蹈表演会等；一系列事件等的详述 | |
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33
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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gleaned
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| v.一点点地收集（资料、事实）( glean的过去式和过去分词 )；（收割后）拾穗 | |
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35
shun
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| vt.避开，回避，避免 | |
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lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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39
speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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40
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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41
aspired
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| v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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43
precept
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| n.戒律；格言 | |
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44
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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45
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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46
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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47
illustrating
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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48
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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50
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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51
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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52
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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53
conjures
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的第三人称单数 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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54
lulling
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的现在分词形式） | |
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55
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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56
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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57
patrimonial
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| adj.祖传的 | |
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mania
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| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
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villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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apothecary
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| n.药剂师 | |
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62
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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63
babbled
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| v.喋喋不休( babble的过去式和过去分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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64
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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