I want a novelty.' 'I don't know anything about it,' rejoined Nicholas, whose breath had been almost taken away by this sudden proposal.

'I never acted a part in my life, except at school.' 'There's genteel comedy in your walk and manner, juvenile tragedy in your eye, and touch-and-go farce in your laugh,' said Mr Vincent Crummles.

'You'll do as well as if you had thought of nothing else but the lamps, from your birth downwards.' Nicholas thought of the small amount of small change that would remain in his pocket after paying the tavern bill; and he hesitated.
'You can be useful to us in a hundred ways,' said Mr Crummles.
'Think what capital bills a man of your education could write for the shop-windows.' 'Well, I think I could manage that department,' said Nicholas.
'To be sure you could,' replied Mr Crummles.

'"For further particulars see small hand-bills"-- we might have half a volume in every one of 'em.

Pieces too; why, you could write us a piece to bring out the whole strength of the company, whenever we wanted one.' 'I am not quite so confident about that,' replied Nicholas.