Page 72 [72]
44
ver soon began to think his companions
by not going to work at all. The Dodger
a vicious propensity, too, of pulling
the caps from the heads of small boys and
tossing them down areas; while Charley
Bates exhibited some very loose notions
concerning the rights of property, by pil¬
fering divers apples and onions from the
stalls at the kennel sides, and thrusting
them into pockets which were so sur¬
prisingly capacious, that they seemed to
undermine his whole suit of clothes in
every direction. ‘These things looked so
bad, that Oliver was on the point of de¬
claring his intention of seeking his way
back in the best way he could, when his
thoughts were suddenly directed into an¬
other channel by a very mysterious change
of behaviour on the part of the Dodger.
They were just emerging from a nar¬
row court not far from the open square in
Clerkenwell, which is called, by some
strange perversion of terms, "The Green,”
when the Dodger made a sudden stop, and,
laying his finger on his lip, drew his com¬
panions back again with the greatest cau¬
tion and circumspection.
s What’s the matter?” demanded Oli¬
ver.
“Hush!” replied the Dodger. ‘Do
you see that old cove at the book-stall ?”
“The old gentleman over the way?"
said Oliver. ‘ Yes, I see him.”
“ He’ll do,” said the Dodger.
“A prime plant,” observed Charley
Bates. |
Oliver looked from one to the other
with the greatest surprise, but was not
permitted to make any inquiries, for the
two boys walked stealthily across the road,
and slunk close behind the old gentleman
towards whom his attention had been di¬
rected. Oliver walked a few paces after
them, and, not knowing whether to ad¬
vance or retire, stood looking on in silent
amazement.
The old gentleman was a very respect¬
able-looking personage, with a powdered
head and gold spectacles; dressed in a
bottle-green coat with a black velvet col¬
lar, and white trousers: with a smart
bamboo cane under his arm. He had
taken up a book from the stall, and there
he sad: reading away as hard as if he
were in his elbow-chair in his own study.
It was very possible that he fancied him¬
self there, indeed; for it was plain, from
his utter abstraction, that he saw not the
hook-stall, nor the street, nor the boys,
nor, in short, anything but the book itself,
which he was reading straight through,
4
turning over the leaves when he got to
e top
line of the next one, and going regularly
on with the greatest interest and eager¬
ness.
What was Oliver’s horror and alarm
as he stood a few paces off, looking on with
his eyelids as wide open as they would
possibly go, to see the Dodger plunge his
hand into this old gentleman’s pocket, and
draw from thence a handkerchief, which
he handed to Charley Bates, and with
which they both ran away round the cor¬
ner at full speed !
In one instant the whole mystery of the
handkerchiefs, and the watches, and the
jewels, and the Jew, rushed upon the
boy’s mind. He stood for a moment with
the blood tingling so through all his veins
from terror, that he felt as if he were in
a burning fire; then, confused and fright¬
ened, he took to his heels, and, not know¬
ing what he did, made off as fast as he
could lay his feet to the ground.
This was all done in a minute’s space,
and the very instant that Oliver began to
run, the old gentleman, putting his hand
to his pocket, and missing his handker¬
chief, turned sharp round. Seeing the
boy scudding away at such a rapid pace,
he very naturally concluded him to be the
depredator, and, shouting “Stop thief!”
with all his might, made off after him,
book in hand. |
But the old gentleman was not the only
person who raised the hue and cry. The
Dodger and Master Bates, unwilling to
attract public attention by running down
the open street, had merely retired into
the very first doorway round the corner.
They no sooner heard the cry, and saw
Oliver running, than, guessing exactl
how the matter stood, they issued fo
with great promptitude, and, shouting
“Stop thief!” too, joined in the pursuit
like good citizens.
Although Oliver had been brought up
" by philosophers, he was not theoretically
acquainted with their beautiful axiom that
self-preservation is the first law of nature.
If he had been, perhaps he would have
been prepared for this. Not being pre¬
pared, however, it alarmed him the more;
so away he went like the wind, with the
old gentleman and the two boys roarmg
and shouting behind him. I
“Stop thief! stop thief!” ‘There isa
magic in the sound. The tradesman
leaves his counter, and the carman his
wagon; the butcher throws down his
tray, the baker his basket, the milkman
his pail, the errand-boy his parcels, the