The road to London
After walking away from Dotheboy Hall for some time, Nicholas saw John Browdie on the road in front of him, carrying a big stick.
‘Oh no! Will he hit stick?’ thought Nicholas.
‘After what happened at tea the other day.’
‘Good evening, young gentleman,’ said John Browdie when they met.
‘Look, I’m sorry about what happened when you came to tea,’ said Nicholas. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it. Will you forget it, and shake hands?’
‘Of course,’ said Browdie, and he gave Nicholas his hand.
‘But what’s happened to your face?’
Nicholas told him everything. When John Browdie heard about Nicholas beating Squeers, he suddenly gave a great shout of joy.
‘That’s the best news that I’ve heard in twenty years,’ he laughed. ‘But what will you do now?’
‘I’m going to walk to London.’
‘Good luck. It’s a long way to walk. Here, take some money, and my stick. You’ll need it,’ said Browdie kindly, and he gave Nicholas a pound and his stick, and then went on his way. Stick in hand, Nicholas walked off towards London.
He slept that night in the cheapest inn that he could find.
He walked all the next day, but at night he could find only a barn to sleep in. After a deep sleep, he woke up early the next morning, and saw Smike standing in front of him.
‘Smike! How did you come here?’
‘When you left the school, I followed you all yesterday. I slept in this barn last night, too. I didn’t want you to see me, but this morning you woke up too quickly for me to hide.
Please take me to London with you. I’ll do anything. I’ll be your servant. I just want to be with you.’
‘Of course you can come with me, but not as my servant. We’ll go out into the world together, and what we fine there will be for both of us.’ So they started their long walk together. On the way, Nicholas thought, ‘We’ll go and look for Newman Noggs at the Crown Inn. He’ll tell me where I can fine Kate and my mother.’
Some day later, late at night, Newman Noggs was at home when he heard visitors at his door. Opening it, he saw Nicholas and Smike standing there, both exhausted. He asked them in, and gave them something to eat and drink. Soon after that, they both fell asleep.
The next morning Nicholas told Noggs their story.
I’ knew most of that already,’ said Noggs, when he finished. ‘Fanny Squeers wrote a long letter about it all to your uncle, you see.’
‘And dose it tell the same story?’