Page 43 [43]
OLIVER
TWIST. 19
a long grace was said over the short com¬
mons. "The gruel disappeared, and the
boys whispered to each other and winked
at Oliver, while his next neighbours
nudged him. Child as he was, he was
desperate with hunger, and reckless with
misery. He rose from the table, and, ad¬
-vancing, basin and spoon in hand, to the
master, said, somewhat alarmed at his
own temerity—
. 46 Please, sir, I want some more.”
. The master was a fat, healthy man, but
he turned very pale. He gazed in stupi¬
some seconds, and then clung for support
to the copper. ‘The assistants were para¬
c What!” said the master at length, in
a faint voice.
“ Please, sir,” replied Oliver, "I want
some more.” | .
The master aimed a blow at Oliver’s
head with the ladle, pinioned him in his
arms, and shrieked aloud for the beadle.
The board were sitting in solemn. con¬
room in great excitement, and addressing
the cee in the high chair, said, —
_ Mr. Limbkins, I beg your pardon, sir ;
— Oliver Twist has asked for more.”
. There was a general start. Horror was
_depicted:on every countenance.
“For more!” said Mr. Limbkins.
“Compose yourself, Bumble, and answer
me distinctly. Do I understand that he
asked for more, after he had eaten the sup¬
per allotted by the dietary ?”
“He did, sir,’ replied Bumble.
“That boy will be hung,” said the gen¬
tleman in the white waistcoat; “1 know
that boy will be hung.” %
_ Nobody controverted the prophetic gen¬
tleman’s opinion. An animated discussion
took place. Oliver was ordered into in¬
stant confinement; and a bill ‘was next
morning pasted on the outside of the gate,
offering a reward of five pounds to any¬
body who would take Oliver Twist off the
hands of the parish: in other words, five
pounds and Oliver Twist were offered to
any man or woman who wanted an ap¬
prentice to any trade, business, or calling.
“J never was more convinced of. any¬
thing in my life,” said the gentleman in
the white waistcoat, as he knocked at the
gate and read the bill next morning,—* I
never was more convinced of anything in
my life, than I am that that boy will come
to be hung.”
As I propose to show in the sequel whe¬
ther the white-waistcoated gentleman was
right or not, I should perhaps mar the in¬
terest of this narrative, (supposing it to
possess any at all,) if I ventured to hint
just yet, whether the life of Oliver Twist
will be a long or a short piece of biogra¬
phy.
a
TY pa
w
CHAPTER THE THIRD
Relates how Oliver was very near getting a place,
which would not have been a sinecure.
For a week after the commission of the
impious and profane offence of askmg for
more, Oliver remained a close prisoner in
the dark and solitary room to which he
had been consigned by the wisdom and
mercy of the board. It appears, at first
sight, not unreasonable to suppose, that,
if he had entertained a becoming feeling
of respect for the prediction of the gentle¬
man in the white waistcoat, he would
have: established that sage individual’s
prophetic character, once and for ever, by
ip bere end of his pocket-handkerchief
a hook in the wall, and attaching him¬
self to the other.. To the performance of
this feat, however, there was gne obstacle,
namely, that pocket-handkerchiefs being
decided articles of luxury, had been, for
all future times and ages, removed from
the noses of paupers by the express order
of the board in council assembled, solemn!
given and pronounced under their hands
and seals. There was a still greater
obstacle in Oliver’s youth and childish¬
ness. He only cried bitterly all day; and
when the long, dismal night came on, he
read his little hands before his eyes to
shut out the darkness, and crouching in
the corner, tried to sleep, ever and anon
waking with a start and tremble, and
drawing himself closer and closer to the
face were a protection in the gloom and
loneliness which surrounded him.
Let it not be supposed by the enemies
of “the system,” that, during the period
of his solitary incarceration, Oliver was
denied ‘the benefit of exercise, the plea¬
sure of society, or the advantages of rell¬
gious consolation. As for exercise, it was
nice cold weather, and he was allowed to
perform his ablutions every morning under
the pump, in a stone yard, in the presence
of Mr. Bumble, who prevented his catch¬
ing cold, and caused a tingling sensation
to pervade his frame, by repeated applica¬
tions of the cane; as for society, he was: "
carried every other day into the hall
where the boys dined, and there sociably
flogged as a public warning and example;