In which we follow Miss Nickleby as she embarks upon her new employment amid the humbler clatter of millinery and the quiet dutifulness of a dressmaker's workshop, encountering both the trivialities of gossiping colleagues and the sharp sting of social condescension. Through the course of the day, her spirit is touched by kindness and pierced by pride, yet is comforted somewhat by the distant cheer of her brother’s hopeful letters.