s ▁cl erk , ▁New man ▁N og gs . ▁A ▁once - wealth y ▁business man , ▁N og gs ▁lost ▁his ▁fortune , ▁became ▁a ▁dr unk , ▁and ▁had ▁no ▁other ▁rec ourse ▁but ▁to ▁seek ▁employ ment ▁with ▁Ralph , ▁whom ▁he ▁lo ath es . ▁The ▁letter ▁express es ▁concern ▁for ▁him ▁as ▁an ▁innoc ent ▁young ▁man , ▁and ▁offers ▁assistance ▁if ▁Nicholas ▁ever ▁requires ▁it . ▁Once ▁he ▁arriv es ▁in ▁York shire , ▁Nicholas ▁comes ▁to ▁real ise ▁that ▁S que ers ▁is ▁running ▁a ▁sc am : ▁he ▁takes ▁in ▁unw anted ▁children ▁( most ▁of ▁whom ▁are ▁il leg it imate , ▁cri pp led ▁or ▁de formed ) ▁for ▁a ▁high ▁fee , ▁and ▁star ves ▁and ▁mist re ats ▁them ▁while ▁using ▁the ▁money ▁sent ▁by ▁their ▁parents , ▁who ▁only ▁want ▁to ▁get ▁them ▁out ▁of ▁their ▁way , ▁to ▁pad ▁his ▁own ▁po ckets . ▁S que ers ▁and ▁his ▁mon str ous ▁wife ▁wh ip ▁and ▁beat ▁the ▁children ▁regularly , ▁while ▁spo iling ▁their ▁own ▁son . ▁Less ons ▁are ▁no ▁better ; ▁they ▁show ▁how ▁poor ly ▁educated ▁S que ers ▁himself ▁is ▁and ▁he ▁uses ▁the ▁less ons ▁as ▁exc uses ▁to ▁send ▁the ▁boys ▁off ▁on ▁ch ores . ▁While ▁he ▁is ▁there , ▁Nicholas ▁be fri ends ▁a ▁" simple " ▁boy ▁named ▁S mi ke , ▁who ▁is ▁older ▁than ▁the ▁other ▁" stud ents " ▁and ▁now ▁acts ▁as ▁an ▁un