In which we accompany young Nicholas Nickleby as he takes leave of his family with a heart both heavy and hopeful, encounters the curious Mr Squeers and his peculiar pupils, and embarks on a wintry journey fraught with the harshness of the road and the company he keeps. The day’s travails unfold amidst biting cold and snow, with a motley band of fellow travellers whose contrasts and oddities provide a gentle reflection of the world beyond the city’s bounds.