The morning after he arrived in London, Nicholas went to the Employment office to look for a job. There were many advertisements in the window of the office for lots of different jobs: servants, clerks, teachers and more. While Nicholas was looking at these advertisements, he saw a short, fa older man with kind, smiling ayes looking at them too, and they started talking.
The man was very surprised that Nicholas, a young man from a good family, and a good student, didn't have a job. Nicholas told him a little about himself, about the death of his father, and about his worries for his mother and sister. The little man listened to him carefully and quietly, sometimes asking him a question or two. But when Nicholas told him about his uncle Ralph, and the way that he treated Kate, the man stood up very quickly and told him. 'Come with me!'
Without another word, they took a coach to the business part of the city and went into a large building. Over the door there was a sing that said, "Cheerfulness Brothers".
"What's the meaning of this journey? And what does this little man want with me? It's a mystery," thought Nicholas. "But perhaps something good will come out of it.
Inside the building, the man asked Nicholas to wait a little. He went into an office, and Nicholas could hear two men talking seriously about something for s moment or two. The strange thing was that their voices were exactly the same. After a short time, the door opened, and the man from the Employment Office asked Nicholas to go in.
"Young man, this is my twin brother Ned Cheerfulness, and I'm Charles Cheerfulness," he said.
Nicholas's mouth fell open. Charles Cheeryble wasn't exactly as short or as fat as his brother, Ned, but in every other way they were the same.They had the same smiling eyes, the same clothes, even the same white hats. Charles's hat was now in his hand, and Ned's was up on the coat rack on the wall. It was clear that they were twins.
' Young man, when we first came to this great city, we had no money in our coat pockets and no shoes on our feet.' said Ned.
'Since then we've started this business, and now we've become very rich,' said Charles.
'These days we enjoy helping other people with our money,' Ned went on.
'And we'd like to help you. We need a clever young man to help with the accounts for our business,' said Charles. 'Our old accounts clerk isn't getting any younger, you see.'
'And we think that you're just the right person for the job,' finished Ned.
Nicholas's mouth fell open again.
'I can't thank you enough for your kindness. I don't know what to say,' he began.
'Then don't say anything,' said Charles.
'Now, come on. It's all agreed,' said Ned. 'You'll start tomorrow at eight o'clock in the morning, and I'll show you then what you need to do.'
The Cheeryble brothers went on talking together Nicholas left.
'Charles, is anyone loving in that little house that we have in Bow?'
'No, Ned, it's empty.'
'Then perhaps Nicholas could live in it with his family. And they could pay a smaller rent than usual, couldn't they, Charles?'
'Or no rent, Ned. We're so rich, and they need the money more than us, after all.'
'You're so right, Charles. Let's tell Nicholas the good news tomorrow morning.'
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Nicholas started work for the Cheerybles the next day. The twins helped Nicholas a lot, and he quickly learned how to do the accounts. The brothers liked having a laugh with each other, and with those around them, and Nicholas enjoyed his work.
The next two weeks were a very happy time. Two days after Nicholas started work, Nicholas, Kate, Mrs Nickleby, and Smoke moved into the little house in Bow. The Cheerybles were again very helpful: they sent men to help with the moving, and they also gave the Nicklebys some pieces of furniture for their new home.
Every day, when Nicholas came back from work, he found some new change in the house. Kate worked quickly all day to make their little home comfortable. Mrs Nickleby talked a lot about all the work to do in the house, but did very little of it herself.
Smike worked in the garden, and made it look very beautiful. The poor boy was happy for the first time in his life; at last he had a family. He began to eat more, and to look less thin. And you could see the change in his face, too; he wasn't afraid or lonely any more.
But after two happy weeks, something happened that changed everything. Smoke was walking home from the park one afternoon when suddenly someone grabbed his shoulder. He turned round. Before he knew exactly what was happening, that same someone pushed him into a coach. It was Squeers.
'What a piece of luck to find you here.' Squeers said, smiling cruelly.
'I must go home!' cried Smoke, afraid.
'Oh, yes, I'll take you home - to Dotheboy's Hall in Yorkshire! Mrs Squeers will be very surprised to see you. Now I've never beaten a boy in a coach before, but I must say that I'm looking forward to it.'
Then Squeers hit Smike again again with all his strength. The poor boy fell to the floor with his head in hands and, his them, the coach began to move away fast.