摘要
His
brother
was
an
unfriendly
man
who
lived
and
worked
ina
large
house
in
Golden
Square.
Nobody
knew
how
he
got
hismoney,
but
everybody
knew
he
was
quite
wealthy.
The
houses
inthat
part
of
London
were
large
but
were
out
of
the
way,
and
itdid
not
seem
to
be
a
good
place
to
have
a
business.
Ralph
Nickleby,however,
had
lived
there
for
many
years.
He
knew
very
few
ofhis
neighbors,
and
few
of
them
knew
him.
He
had
an
employeewho
did
whatever
Ralph
asked
him
to
do.
This
man
was
NewmanNoggs,
a
tall
man
of
middle
age
with
enormous
eyes
and
a
rednose.
His
clothes
were
very
old
and
too
small
for
him,
and
he
hada
strange
habit
of
cracking
the
joints
of
his
fingers.
"I
am
going
to
the
London
Tavern
for
a
public
meeting
thismorning,"
Ralph
Nickleby
said
to
Noggs
one
day.
"I
shall
bewalking
to
Charing
Cross
after
the
meeting.
If
any
letters
comewhile
1
am
away,
come
and
meet
me
and
bring
the
letters
withyou."
Noggs
nodded
just
as
the
bell
rang.
Noggs
went
to
open
the
door.
He
returned
with
Mr.
Bonney,a
pale,
untidy
man
who
was
very
excited.
"My
dear
Nickleby,
I
have
a
cab
at
the
door.
We
must
hurry.Sir
Matthew
Pupker
will
chair
the
meeting,
and
three
Membersof
Parliament
are
coming
to
speak.
The
United
City
Cake
Companywill
be
very
successful,
I
am
sure."
He
continued
to
speak
as
they
went
out
to
the
cab.
"It
is
abrilliant
idea.
Five
million
pounds
of
capital
was
made
up
of
fivehundred
thousand
shares
of
ten
pounds
each.
The
shares
willsoon
be
worth
more."
"And
when
they
are
..."
"We
know
what
to
do,"
said
Mr.
Bonney,
"and
you
knowa
pound,
but
I
needed
a
clerk
and
I
employed
him."
Ralph
did
not
tell
Mr.
Bonney
that
he
paid
Noggs
less
than
aboy
of
thirteen
might
earn
and
that
he
found
him
useful
becausehe
knew
bow
to
keep
secrets.
The
two
men
got
into
the
cab
and
hurried
off
to
the
LondonTavern
for
their
public
meeting.
A
large
number
of
people
hadbeen
attracted
to
the
meeting,
and
they
were
waiting
noisily
forit
to
begin.
When
Mr.
Bonney
and
Ralph
arrived,
people
beganto
cheer
and
clap
their
hands.
The
purpose
of
the
meeting
wasto
form
a
company.
People
could
buy
shares
in
the
company
forten
pounds
each.
The
money
from
the
shares
would
be
used
tobuild
a
factory.
The
company
would
make
cakes
and
sell
them.Everybody
who
had
shares
would
get
some
of
the
profit.
Ralphand
Mr.
Bonney
said
they
would
be
the
best
cakes
in
London.
Alot
of
people
wanted
to
buy
shares.
However,
Ralph
was
not
very
honest.
He
knew
the
companywould
not
make
any
profits,
but
he
would
sell
his
shares
beforeanybody
else
found
this
out.
He
would
sell
the
shares
for
a
profit.This
was
one
way
that
Ralph
became
rich.
Everybody
at
the
meeting
was
so
enthusiastic
that
Ralphcalculated
the
shares
were
probably
worth
twelve
pounds
eachalready
and
began
to
think
how
soon
he
should
begin
to
sell
them.
He
enjoyed
his
lunch
and
set
out
on
his
walk
to
Chafing
Cross.
On
the
way,
he
saw
Noggs,
who
gave
him
a
letter
that
had
arrived.
It
had
a
black
edge
around
it,
which
indicated
that
it
was
sad
news.
"I
wouldn't
be
surprised
if
my
brother
is
dead,"
he
told
Noggs.
"I
don't
think
you
would,"
replied
Noggs.
"Why
not?"
"Because
you
are
never
surprised.
That's
all."
Ralph
read
the
letter
and
found
that
he
was
correct.
His
brotherwas
dead,
and
his
widow
and
two
children
had
come
to
London.Noggs
had
a
strange
expression
on
his
face
when
he
heard
thisnews.
Ralph
was
not
very
sad
about
his
brother's
death,
but
hewas
annoyed
by
his
widow
and
children
coming
to
London.
"My
brother
never
did
anything
for
me,"
he
muttered,
"butas
soon
as
he
is
dead,
he
expects
me
to
look
after
his
wife
andchildren.
I
suppose
I
had
better
go
and
see
them."
He
went
to
a
house
on
The
Strand,
where
his
sister-in-law
andher
children
were
staying,
and
knocked
on
the
door.
The
housewas
owned
by
Miss
La
Creevy,
who
painted
portraits.
The
Nicklebyfamily
was
staying
on
the
second
floor.
Ralph
spoke
to
Miss
LaCreevy
and
warned
her
that
the
family
staying
in
her
rooms
wasa
very
poor
family
and
advised
her
not
to
keep
them
there.
Hetold
her
if
they
could
not
pay
their
rent,
he
would
not
help
them.
"I
am
the
only
family
they
have,"
he
said,
"and
I
think
theyshould
go
back
to
the
country.
They
are
in
everybody's
way
here."
Then
he
went
upstairs
to
talk
to
his
sister-in-law.
She
was
stillvery
sad
about
her
husband's
death,
but
he
did
not
have
muchsympathy
for
her.
"Husbands
die
every
day,"
he
said.
Nineteen-year-old
Nicholas
was
annoyed
and
answered,
"Sodo
brothers!"
"Yes,"
agreed
Ralph,
"and
so
do
rude,
young
men!"
"Howdid
your
husband
die?"
Ralph
asked
Mrs.
Nickleby.
"The
doctors
could
find
no
reason,"
replied
Mrs.
Nickleby,"and
we
think
he
died
of
a
broken
heart."
"Nonsense!"
said
Ralph.
"You
can
die
of
a
broken
head
orneck
but
not
of
a
broken
heart."P2-P4
