Stranica 99 [99]
OCR
65 any sister, or father and mother either. ’m an orphan; I live at Pentonville.” c Oh, only hear him, how he braves it out!” cried the young woman. c Why, it’s Nancy!” exclaimed Oliver, who now saw her face for the first time, and started back in irrepressible astonishment. c You see he knows me,” cried Nancy, aye to the bystanders. " He can’t help himself. Make him come home, there "s good people, or he "11 kill his dear c What the devil’s this?” said a man bursting out of a beer-shop, with a white dog at his heels; "young Oliver! Come home to your poor mother, you young dog! come home directly.” . “I don’t belong to them. I don’t know them. Help! help!” cried Oliver, struggling in the man’s powerful grasp. «Help ) repeated the man. * Yes; I"11 help you, you young rascal! What books are these? You’ve been a stealing "em, have yout Give’em here!” With these words the man tore the volumes from his grasp, and struck him violently on the head. c "That ’s right!” cried a looker-on, from a garret window. ‘“ That’s the only way of bringing him to his senses !” c "To be sure,” cried a sleepy-faced carpenter, casting an approving look at the garret-window. “Tt’ll do him good!” said the two women. s And he shall have it, too!” rejoined the man, administering another blow, and seizing Oliver by the collar. “Come on, you young villain! Here, Bull’s-eye, mind him, boy! mind him!” Weak with recent illness, stupified by the blows and the suddenness of the attack, terrified by the fierce growling of the dog and the brutality of the man, and overpowered by the conviction of the bystubsiaia that he was really the hardened little wretch he was described to be, what could one poor child dot Darkness had set in; it was a low neighbourhood ; no help was near; resistance was useless. In another moment he was dragged into a ny rinth of dark, narrow courts, and forced along them. at a pace which rendered the few cries he dared give utterance to, wholly unintelligible. It was of little moment, indeed, whether they were intelligible or not, for there was nobody to care for them had they been ever so plain. a x ak *K * * The e. TAN lighted ; Mrs. Bed* win was waiting anxiously at the open door; the servant had run up the street twenty times, to see if there were any traces of Oliver; and still the two old gentlemen sat perseveringly in the dark parlour, with the watch between them. CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH Relates what became of Oliver Twist, after he had been claimed by Nancy, THE narrow streets and courts at length terminated in a large open space, scattered about which, were pens for beasts, and other indications of a cattle-market. Sikes slackened his pace when they reached this spot, the girl being unable to support any longer the rapid rate at which they had hitherto walked; and, turning to Oliver, commanded him roughly to take hold of Nancy’s hand. “ Do you hear?” growled Sikes, as Oliver hesitated, and looked round. They were in a dark corner, quite out of the track of passengers, and Oliver saw but too plainly that resistance would be of no avail. He held out his hand, which Nancy clasped tight in hers. “(ive me the other,” said Sikes, seizing Oliver’s unoccupied hand. " Here, Bull’s-eye !" The dog looked up, and growled. “See here, boy!” said Sikes, putting his other hand to Oliver’s throat, and uttering a savage oath; “if he ever . so soft a word, hold him! D’ye mind?” The dog growled again, and licking his lips, eyed Oliver as if he were anxious to attach himself to his windpipe without any unnecessary delay. 6 He "s as willing as a Christian, strike — me blind if he isn’t!” said Sikes, regarding the animal with a kind of grim and ferocious approval. “Now you know what you ’ve got to expect, master, so call away as quick as you like; the dog will soon stop the game. Get on, young un!" Bull’s-eye wagged his tail in acknowledgment of this unusually endearing form of speech, and, giving vent to another admonitory growl for the benefit of Oliver, led the way onward. It was Smithfield they were crossing, although it might have been Grosvenor Square, for anything Oliver knew to the contrary. The night was dark and oggya and it was just beginning to rain. lights in the shops coula scarcely struggle
