In Nicholas’s presence, Ralph explains that he is essentially extorting Nicholas by implicitly threatening his sister’s and mother’s well-being. Ralph’s willingness to say that out in the open suggests that extortion and coercion are part and parcel of how he normally does business. He seems to have become so inured to that approach that he either no longer recognizes that it is immoral, or he doesn’t care. The fact that Squeers changes his tune after Ralph speaks to him in private suggests that Ralph has further engaged in some underhanded dealings to get Nicholas the job.