Oldal 78 [78]
OCR
48 “Oh, he won’t speak out, won’t he?” said Fang. “Very well, very well. Where does he live ?” «Where he can, your worship,” replied the officer, again pretending to receive Oliver’s answer. “Has he any parents?” inquired Mr. Fang. ‘ He says they died in his infancy, your worship,” replied the officer, hazarding the usual reply. — At this point of the inquiry Oliver raised his head, and, looking round with imploring eyes, murmured a feeble prayer for a draught of water. “ Stuff and nonsense!” said Mr. Fang; “don’t try to make a fool of me.” “| think he really is ill, your worship,” remonstrated the officer. “] know better,” said Mr. Fang. old gentleman, raising his hands instinctively; “he’ll fall down.” “Stand away, officer,” cried Fang savage ; ‘let him, if he likes.” Oliver availed himself of the kind permission, and fell heavily to the floor in a fainting fit. The men in the office looked at each other, but no one dared to stir. c [ knew he was shamming,” said Fang, as if this were incontestable proof of the fact. ‘ Let him lie; hel soon be tired of that.” “ How do you propose to deal with the case, sir?" mquired the clerk in a low voice. * Summarily,” replied Mr. Fang. “He stands committed for three months,—hard labour of course. Clear the office.” The door was opened for this purpose, and a couple of men were preparing to the insensible boy to his cell, when an elderly man of decent but poor appearance, clad in an old suit of black, rushed hastily into the office, and advanced to the bench. “Stop, stop,—don’t take him away,— for Heaven’s sake stop a moment,” cried the new-comer, breathless with haste. Although the presiding geniuses in such an office as this exercise a summary and arbitrary power over the liberties, the name, the character, almost the lives of his Majesty’s subjects, especially of the rer class, and although within such walls enough fantastic tricks are daily played to make the angels weep thick tears of blood, they are closed to the pubsic, save through the medium of the daily a Mr. Fang was consequently not a ittle indignant to see an unbidden guest enter in segh irrevéretőőttonásk “What is this? Whois this? Turn this man out. Clear the office,’ cried Mr. Fang. 7 “T will speak,” cried the man; “I will not be turned out —I saw itall. I kee the book-stall. I demand to be sworn. will not be putdown. Mr. Fang, you must hear me. You dare not refuse, sir.” The man was right. His manner was bold and determined, and the matter was growing rather too serious to be hushed up. “Swear the fellow,” growled Fang with a very ill grace. § Now, man, what have you got to say ?” “This,” said the man: “I saw three boys—two others and the prisoner here— loitering on the opposite side of the way, when this gentleman was reading. ‘The robbery was committed by another boy. I saw it done, and I saw that this boy was perfectly amazed and stupified by it.” | Having by this time recovered a little breath, the worthy book-stall keeper pro| ceeded to relate in a more coherent manner the exact circumstances of the robbery. s Why didn’t you come here before?" said Fang after a pause. 6] hadn’t a soul to mind the shop,” replied the man; “everybody that could have helped me had joined in the pursuit. I could get nobody till five minutes ago, and I’ve run here all the way.” “The prosecutor was reading, was he!" inquired Fang, after another pause. “ Yes,” replied the man, “the very book he has got in his hand.” “Oh, that book, eh?” said Fang. “Is it paid for?" c No, it is not,” replied the man, with a smile. 6 Dear me, I forgot all about it!” exclaimed the absent old gentleman, innocently. “A nice person to prefer a charge against a poor boy!” said Fang, with a comical effort to look humane. “TI consider, sir, that you have obtained possession of that book under very suspicious and disreputable circumstances, and you may think yourself very fortunate that the owner of the property declines to prosecute. Let this be a lesson to you, my man, or the law will overtake you yet. The boy is discharged. Clear the office !” “D—me!” cried the old gentleman, bursting out with the rage he had kept down so long, “ D—me! [711—" “Clear the office!” roared the magistrate. ‘Officers, do you hear?! Clear the office !”
