10 



."To the werry top, sir?" inquired the waiter. "Why the 

 milk will be drounded." 



"Never you mind that," replied Mr. Squeers. " Serve it right 

 for being so dear. You ordered that thick bread and butter for 

 three, did you?" 



" Coming directly, Sir." 



" You needn't hurry yourself," said Squeers; "there's plenty 

 of time. Conquer your passions, boys, and don't be eager after 

 vittles." As he uttered this moral precept, Mr. Squeers took a 

 large bite out of the cold beef, and recognized Nicholas. " Sit 

 down, Mr. Nickleby," said Squeers, " we are a breakfasting you 

 see." Nicholas did not see that any body was -breakfasting ex- 

 cept Mr. Squeers ; but he bowed with all becoming reverence 

 and looked as cheerful as he could. 



" Oh ! that is the milk and water, is it William ? " said 

 Squeers, " very good, don't forget the bread and butter pre- 

 sently." 



At this fresh mention of the bread and butter the five little 

 boys looked very eager, and followed the waiter out with their 

 eyes ; meanwhile, Mr. Squeers tasted the milk and water. 



" Ah ! " said that gentleman, smacking his lips, " here's rich- 

 ness ! Think of the many beggars and orphans in the streets 

 that would be glad of this, little boys. A shocking thing hun- 

 ger is, isn't it, Mr. Nickleby." 



" Very shocking, Sir," said Nicholas. 



Here is richness, yes ! let us think of the widows and orphans 

 in the street who have to suffer by this " richness," by such a stan- 

 dard as is proposed by these learned gentlemen. Now observe 

 how this controversy has been shaped, with what art the parti- 

 cular issue has been concealed. The first point in the trial of 

 such cases, the first point in the movement of public officers to 

 prevent an evil so enormous as this, must depend on some prac- 

 tical mode of detection of fraud. So cumbrous and lengthy a 

 method of detection, involving the necessity of this parade of a 

 whole laboratory, as you saw here, in which, after forty minutes 

 of experiment in the evaporation of milk, the experiment was 

 not concluded, and several parts you had to take upon your im- 



