Stranica 71 [71]
43
Nancy. They wore a good deal of hair,
not very neatly turned up behind, and
were rather untidy about the shoes and
stockings, They were not exactly pretty,
perhaps; but they had a great deal of
colour in their faces, and looked quite
stout and hearty. Being remarkably free
and agreeable in their manners, Oliver
thought them very nice girls indeed, as
there is no doubt they were.
These visiters stopped a long time.
Spirits were produced, in consequence of
one of the young ladies complaiming of a
coldness in her inside, and the conversa¬
tion took a very convivial and improvin
turn. At length Charley Bates expre
his opinion that it was time to pad the
hoof, which it occurred to Oliver must be
French for going out; for directly after¬
wards the ger, and Charley, and the
two young ladies went away together,
having been kindly furnished with money
to spend, by the amiable old Jew.
c There, my dear,” said Fagin, “ that’s
a pleasant life, isn’t it? They have gone
out for the day.”
“Have they done work, sir?” inquired
Oliver.
* Yes,” said the Jew; “that is, unless
they should unexpectedly come across
any when they are out; and they won't
neglect it if they do, my dear, depend
upon it.”
“ Make ’em your models, my dear,
make ’em your models,” said the Jew,
tapping the fire-shovel on the hearth to
add force to his words; “do every thing
. they bid you, and take their advice in all
matters, especially the Dodger’s, my dear.
He 11 be a great man himself, and make
you one too, if you take pattern’by him. Is
my handkerchief hanging out of my pock¬
et, my dear?” said the Jew, stopping short.
66 Yes, sir,” said Oliver.
“See if you can take it out, without
my feeling it, as you saw them do when
we were at play this morning.”
Oliver held up the bottom of the pocket
with one hand as he had seen the Dodger
do, and drew the handkerchief lightly out
of it with the other.
. “Ts it gone?” cried the Jew.
“ Here it is, sir,” said Oliver, showing
it in his hand.
* You ’re a clever boy, my dear,” said
the playful old gentleman, patting Oliver
on the head approvingly; “ I never saw a
sharper lad. Here’s a shilling for you.
If you go on in this way, you'll be the
= man of the time. And now come
ere, and 1711 show you how to take the
marks out of the handkerchiefs.”
Oliver wondered what picking the old
entleman’s pocket in play had to do with
is chances of being a great man; but
thinking that the Jew, being so much his
senior, must know best, followed him qui¬
etly to the table, and was soon deeply in¬
volved in his new study.
——== e —— tt
CHAPTER THE TENTH.
Oliver becomes better acguainted with the charac
ters of his new associates, and purchases expe.
rience at a high price. Being a short but very
important chapter in this history.
For eight or ten days Oliver remained
in the Jew’s room, picking the marks out
of the pocket-handkerchiefs, (of which a
great number were brought home,) and
sometimes taking part in the game already
ty oo the two rei and the Jew
played regularly every day. At length
he began to languish for the fresh air, and
took many occasions of earnestly entreat¬
ing the old gentleman to allow him to go
out to work with his two companions.
Oliver was rendered the more anxious
to be actively employed by what he had
seen of the stern morality of the old gen¬
tleman’s character. Whenever the Dodger
or Charley Bates came*home at night
empty-handed, he would expatiate with
great vehemence on the misery of idle
and lazy habits, and enforce upon them
the necessity of an active life by sending
them supperless to bed: upon one occa¬
sion he even went so far as to knock them
both down a flight of stairs; but this was
carrying out his virtuous precepts to an
unusual extent. .
At length one morning Oliver obtained
the permission he had so eagerly sought.
There had been no handkerchiefs to work
upon for two or three days, and the dinners
had been rather meagre. Perhaps these
were reasons for the old gentleman’s giv¬
ing his assent; but, whether they were
or no, he told Oliver he might go, and
placed him under the joint guardianship
‘int his friend the
er.
The three boys sallied out, the Dodger
with his coat-sleeves tucked up, and his
hat cocked as usual; Master Bates saun¬
tering along with his hands in his pockets,
and Oliver between them, vane
where they were going, and what branc
— he would be instructed im
The pace at which they went was such
a very lazy, ill-looking saunter, that Olr