Nicholas Nickleby

Nicholas sends money to John Browdie to repay the loan he gave Nicholas when the latter was fleeing Yorkshire. He also sends money to Newman Noggs to pass on to Kate. Nicholas receives a note from a Mr. Lenville addressed to Mr. Johnson, Nicholas’s assumed name. Mr. Lenville is an actor in the troupe whose acclaim has been overshadowed by Nicholas’s arrival, and he wants to set a time to pull Nicholas by the nose. Nicholas shows up to the duel, and the entire troupe watches as Nicholas punches Mr. Lenville to the floor. Mr. Lenville gives up, and Nicholas is celebrated. That night, Nicholas receives a letter from Newman Noggs suggesting that Kate needs his help. Nicholas quits the theater troupe to return to London.

The troupe throws a goodbye party for Nicholas as he prepares to leave for London. Nicholas receives another note from Noggs to return to London by that night, if possible. Consequently, Nicholas is unable to make his final performance, but he is grateful for the short time he spent with the theater troupe.

Ralph sends Newman off with a package. Newman looks for the Nickleby women but can’t find them. He tells Miss La Creevy the circumstances surrounding Kate, Sir Mulberry, and Ralph and explains that Nicholas will be arriving to help save his sister. Fearing that Nicholas might do something rash if he learns the truth at once, Newman and Miss La Creevy make plans to avoid Nicholas until late at night; this will force Nicholas to “cool” until the morning after the revelation.

Nicholas returns to London, but Newman is not at home. He goes directly to Miss La Creevy, but she obfuscates about where his mother and sister might be. Nicholas has no choice but to wait. He stops at a nice restaurant, where he overhears Sir Mulberry Hawk bragging about Kate Nickleby. Nicholas confronts him. Sir Mulberry is drunk and mocks Nicholas’s bravado. Nicholas waits until Sir Mulberry starts his walk home and follows him. Annoyed by Nicholas’s attempts to detain him and refusing to “answer” for his conduct, Sir Mulberry strikes Nicholas with his coach whip. This sparks a physical altercation, and when Sir Mulberry manages to get away in his carriage, Nicholas flees the scene.

Nicholas meets Newman Noggs and explains what has happened; he asks Newman to relay the information to Miss La Creevy and Mrs. Nickleby, the latter of whom (along with Kate) will need to find new lodgings. Nicholas finds his sister at Mrs. Wititterly’s house, where she cries, and he promises that they’ll escape. Together, they go to rejoin their mother, whom Miss La Creevy is trying to convince to leave Ralph’s house, explaining that Sir Mulberry Hawk will ruin Kate and her reputation. Mrs. Nickleby is shocked, but Nicholas impresses the urgency of the situation on her. He blames Ralph for the shame that has come upon his family. Neither he nor Newman has heard if Sir Mulberry recovered from the fight the previous night. Nicholas sends a note with Newman to deliver to Ralph, cutting ties with him on behalf of the family.

Mr. and Madame Mantalini go to Ralph for business help and a loan. Mr. Mantalini reveals that Mr. Pyke told him the identity of the person who fought Sir Mulberry Hawk: Ralph’s nephew, Nicholas. Sir Mulberry isn’t dead, but he is badly injured. After the Mantalinis leave, Mr. Squeers arrives to meet with Ralph. Mr. Squeers explains that he paid a doctor to attend his injuries after Nicholas beat him by getting five boys sick with scarlet fever and billing their parents. Ralph gives him a little money, but what Mr. Squeers really wants is Smike. Though he doesn’t care about Smike, townspeople have been asking a lot of questions about him and it would be better for Mr. Squeers’s reputation if Smike returned to the school.

Nicholas helps move his mother and sister into Miss La Creevy’s apartment. He decides to introduce Smike to the family and is only worried about what his mother will think of Smike. However, everyone is kind to Smike, though Mrs. Nickleby is also wary of him.

While outside the register office to look for a new job, Nicholas happens to meet an older gentleman named Mr. Cheeryble, who is moved by Nicholas’s manners and story. Mr. Cheeryble hires Nicholas as a counter in the business Mr. Cheeryble owns with his brother. Mr. Cheeryble also rents a cottage to Nicholas’s family. The family is pleased with their new quarters; Smike makes a beautiful garden, and Kate busies herself around the house.

The Kenwigs welcome a new baby; this addition makes six children total. Nicholas visits the Kenwigs to deliver the news that Harriet Petowker and Mrs. Kenwigs’s uncle, Mr. Lillyvick, are married. The Kenwigs take this news very hard because they were counting on inheriting Mr. Lillyvick’s money.

Nicholas enjoys his new job; everybody who works at or around the business seems genuinely happy and peaceful. Tim Linkinwater, a beloved and long-term employee, helps teach Nicholas how to do the job, and he is impressed with Nicholas’s faculties. As it is Tim’s birthday, the Cheeryble brothers, Charles and Ned, host a party for him after work, inviting the other employees and Tim’s family. When Nicholas arrives home that night, Mrs. Nickleby tells her son about their new neighbor, whom she believes is interested in her. Mrs. Nickleby says she wouldn’t consider marrying again before Kate, but privately she wonders if she could be happy in another marriage.

Kate is particularly happy at the new cottage. Miss La Creevy visits her and expresses concerns about Smike, who seems run down by life.

Sir Mulberry Hawk is bedridden due to his injuries, and Mr. Pyke and Mr. Pluck keep him company. Ralph Nickleby also calls on Sir Mulberry. He apologizes that a relative of his exacted this “punishment,” the wording of which angers Sir Mulberry further. Ralph tells Sir Mulberry he won’t blame him if he hurts Nicholas. Lord Verisopht arrives and is angry to hear Sir Mulberry speak so badly about Nicholas. Lord Verisopht blames what happened on Sir Mulberry, as he refused to speak to Nicholas. Lord Verisopht confronts Sir Mulberry about his behavior and storms off.

Meanwhile, Smike strolls peacefully around the city. Mr. Squeers finds him on the street and pulls him into his carriage, where he beats him up.

Fanny Squeers, her friend Tilda, and Tilda’s husband (John) arrive in London. John finds it hilarious that Mr. Squeers kidnapped Smike. He sneaks into Smike’s room and frees him, gleeful that he can pull one over on Squeers. Smike safely escapes the boarding house.

Smike finds his way back to Newman Noggs, who offers to put him up for the night. Newman tells Smike that Nicholas and Kate are concerned about Smike, which pleases Smike. Smike wants to reunite with Nicholas and his family, so Newman accompanies him to their home.

At work, Tim tells Nicholas a sad story about a young boy with a curved spine and no familial support; the boy tends flowers that Tim can see from his bedroom window, and Tim believes that he will soon die. Later, Nicholas delivers a message to Charles Cheeryble’s office and is shocked to see a beautiful young woman—the same he had seen long ago in the register office—pleading at Mr. Cheeryble’s feet. Charles Cheeryble begs her to get up, and she nearly faints. The Cheeryble brother and Tim attend to her, but Nicholas remains very concerned; he asks Tim about her later, and Tim says she has already gone home.

Nicholas hopes for the mysterious woman’s return, and as the days go by and she doesn’t reappear, his longing for her develops into love. Nicholas tells Newman Noggs about the mysterious young woman, and Newman agrees to help Nicholas figure out who she is. Newman discovers that her name is Cecilia Bobster. Newman arranges a meeting between Cecilia and Nicholas. They call on Cecilia at her home, and Nicholas discovers that Newman has found the wrong woman.

Mrs. Nickleby feels lighter-hearted because of the prospect of romance with the man next door. Nevertheless, she and Kate are shocked when their elderly neighbor actually visits them, babbling about princesses and wealth. The keeper of the next-door garden arrives to lead him away and apologizes to the Nickleby women, explaining that the man has a mental illness. Flattered by the man’s attention, Mrs. Nickleby insists that he cannot possibly have a mental health condition.