pa id ▁servant . ▁Nicholas ▁attract s ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁F anny ▁S que ers , ▁his ▁employ er ' s ▁plain ▁and ▁sh rew ish ▁daughter , ▁who ▁del udes ▁herself ▁into ▁thinking ▁that ▁Nicholas ▁is ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁her . ▁She ▁attempts ▁to ▁disc lose ▁her ▁aff e ctions ▁during ▁a ▁game ▁of ▁cards , ▁but ▁Nicholas ▁doesn ' t ▁catch ▁her ▁meaning . ▁Instead ▁he ▁ends ▁up ▁fl ir ting ▁with ▁her ▁friend ▁T ilda ▁Price , ▁to ▁the ▁const ern ation ▁of ▁both ▁F anny ▁and ▁T ilda ' s ▁friendly ▁but ▁cru de - mann ered ▁f ian cé ▁John ▁Brow die . ▁After ▁being ▁acc ost ed ▁by ▁F anny ▁again , ▁Nicholas ▁bl unt ly ▁tells ▁her ▁he ▁does ▁not ▁return ▁her ▁aff e ctions ▁and ▁wishes ▁to ▁be ▁free ▁of ▁the ▁hor rible ▁atmosphere ▁of ▁D othe bo ys ▁Hall , ▁ear ning ▁her ▁en m ity . ▁ ▁F anny ▁uses ▁her ▁new - found ▁lo ath ing ▁of ▁Nicholas ▁to ▁make ▁life ▁difficult ▁for ▁the ▁only ▁friend ▁he ▁has ▁at ▁the ▁school : ▁S mi ke , ▁whom ▁S que ers ▁takes ▁to ▁be ating ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁frequently . ▁One ▁day ▁S mi ke ▁runs ▁away , ▁but ▁is ▁caught ▁and ▁brought ▁back ▁to ▁D othe bo ys . ▁S que ers ▁begins ▁to ▁beat ▁him , ▁but ▁Nicholas ▁interven es . ▁S que ers ▁strik es ▁him ▁across ▁the ▁face ▁and ▁Nicholas ▁sn aps , ▁be ating ▁the ▁school master ▁viol