
almanacks, and without suffering himself to be swayed by any private
considerations. So, morning came as usual, and with it business-hours, and with
them Mr. Frank Cheeryble, and with him a long train of smiles and welcomes from
the worthy brothers, and a more grave and clerk-like, but scarcely less hearty
reception from Mr. Timothy Linkinwater.
    »That Mr. Frank and Mr. Nickleby should have met last night,« said Tim
Linkinwater, getting slowly off his stool, and looking round the counting-house
with his back planted against the desk, as was his custom when he had anything
very particular to say: »that those two young men should have met last night in
that manner is, I say, a coincidence, a remarkable coincidence. Why, I don't
believe now,« added Tim, taking off his spectacles, and smiling as with gentle
pride, »that there's such a place in all the world for coincidences as London
is!«
    »I don't know about that,« said Mr. Frank; »but -«
    »Don't know about it, Mr. Francis!« interrupted Tim, with an obstinate air.
»Well, but let us know. If there is any better place for such things, where is
it? Is it in Europe? No, that it isn't. Is it in Asia? Why, of course it's not.
Is it in Africa? Not a bit of it. Is it in America? You know better than that,
at all events. Well, then,« said Tim, folding his arms resolutely, »where is
it?«
    »I was not about to dispute the point, Tim,« said young Cheeryble, laughing.
»I am not such a heretic as that. All I was going to say was, that I hold myself
under an obligation to the coincidence, that's all.«
    »Oh! if you don't dispute it,« said Tim, quite satisfied, »that's another
thing. I'll tell you what though. I wish you had. I wish you or anybody would. I
would so put that man down,« said Tim, tapping the forefinger of his left hand
emphatically with his spectacles, »so put that man down by argument -«
    It was quite impossible to find language to express the degree of mental
prostration to which such an adventurous wight would be reduced in the keen
encounter with Tim Linkinwater, so Tim gave up the rest of
