▁love ▁with ▁Frank ▁Che ery ble . ▁After ▁S mi ke ▁dies ▁peace fully ▁of ▁" a ▁dread ▁disease " ▁( t uber cul osis ), ▁it ▁is ▁revealed ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁Ralph ▁Nick le by ' s ▁son . ▁W ack ford ▁S que ers : ▁A ▁cruel , ▁one - ey ed , ▁York shire ▁" school master ". ▁He ▁runs ▁D othe bo ys ▁Hall , ▁a ▁board ing ▁school ▁for ▁unw anted ▁children . ▁He ▁mist re ats ▁the ▁boys ▁hor rib ly , ▁star ving ▁them ▁and ▁be ating ▁them ▁regularly . ▁He ▁gets ▁his ▁come upp ance ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁Nicholas ▁when ▁he ▁is ▁be aten ▁in ▁ret ali ation ▁for ▁the ▁wh ipping ▁of ▁S mi ke . ▁He ▁travel s ▁to ▁London ▁after ▁he ▁re co vers , ▁and ▁part akes ▁in ▁more ▁bad ▁business , ▁ful fill ing ▁his ▁grud ge ▁against ▁Nicholas ▁by ▁becoming ▁a ▁close ▁partner ▁in ▁Ralph ' s ▁schemes ▁to ▁fake ▁S mi ke ' s ▁parent age ▁and ▁later ▁to ▁ob f usc ate ▁the ▁will ▁that ▁would ▁make ▁Mad eline ▁B ray ▁an ▁he ir ess . ▁He ▁is ▁arrested ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁these ▁tasks ▁and ▁sent enced ▁to ▁be ▁transport ed ▁to ▁Australia . ▁ ▁Dick ens ▁ins isted ▁that ▁S que ers ▁was ▁based ▁not ▁on ▁an ▁individual ▁York shire ▁school master ▁but ▁was ▁a ▁composite ▁of ▁several ▁he ▁had ▁met ▁while ▁visit ing ▁the ▁county ▁to ▁investigate ▁such ▁establish ments ▁for ▁himself ,