Stranica 115 [115]
77
Nolly,” said the
Mr. Chitling wound up his ob¬
9)
don’t take fogles and tickers
“ What’s the of talking in that
way ?” inte Master - Bates; “he
don’t know what you mean.”
“If you don’t take pocket-hankechers
and watches,” said the Dodger, reducing
his conversation to the level of Oliver’s
capacity, " some other cove will; so that
the coves that lose Jem will be all the
worse, and you’ll be all the worse too,
and nobody half a ha’p’orth the better,
except the chaps wot gets them—and
you ’ve just as good a right to them as
they have.”
c" To be sure,—to be sure!" said the
Jew, who had entered unseen by Oliver.
‘Tt all lies in a nutshell, my dear—in a
nutshell, take the iow, ag word for it.
Ha! ha! he understands the cathechism
of his trade.”
The old man rubbed his hands glee¬
fully together as he corroborated the
Dodger’s reasoning in these terms, and
chuckled with delight at his pupil’s pro¬
ficiency.
The conversation proceeded no farther
at this time, for the Jew had returned
home accompanied by Miss Betsy, and a
ntleman whom Oliver had never seen
fore, but who was accosted by the
Dodger as Tom Chitling, and who, having
lingered on the stairs to exchange a few
fee 48 ni with the lady, now made his
appearance.
Mr. Chitling was older in years than
the Dodger, having perhaps numbered
eighteen winters; but there was a degree
of deference in his deportment towards
that young gentleman which seemed to
indicate that he felt himself conscious of
a slight inferiority in point of genius and
professional acquirements. He had small
twinkling eyes, and a pock-marked face ;
wore a fur cap, a dark corduroy jacket,
greasy fustian trousers, and an apron. His
wardrobe was, in truth, rather out of re¬
pair; but he excused himself to the com¬
pany by stating that his “ time” was only
out an hour before, and that, in conse¬
qpenpe of having worn the regimentals
or six weeks past, he had not been able
to bestow any attention on his private
clothes. Mr. Chitling added with stron
marks of irritation, that the new way of
fumigating clothes up yonder was infernal
unconstitutional, for it burnt holes in them,
and there was no remedy against the
county; the same remark he considered
to apply to the regulation mode of cutting
touched a drop of anything for forty-two
mortal long hard-working days, and that ¬
he ‘wished he might be busted if he
wasn’t as dry as a lime-basket !
c Where do you think the gentleman
has come from, Oliver ?" inquired the Jew
with a grin, as the other boys put a bottle
of spirits on the table.
6 [—J—don’t know, sir,” replied Oli
ver.
“ Who "s that ?” inquired Tom Chitling,
casting a contemptuous look at Oliver.
“A young friend of mine, my dear,”
replied the Jew.
s He’s in luck then,” said the young
man, with a meaning look at Fagin.
“ Never mind where | came from, young
‘un; you’ll find your way there soon
enough, 1711 bet a crown!”
At this sally the boys laughed, and, af¬
ter some more jokes on the same subject,
exchanged a few short whispers with Fa¬
gin, and withdrew.
After some words apart between the
last comer and Fagin, they drew their
chairs towards the fire; and the Jew, tell¬
ing Oliver to come and sit by him, led the
conversation to the topics most calculated
to interest his hearers. ‘These were, the
great advantages of the trade, the profi¬
ciency of the Dodger, the amiability of
Charley Bates, and the liberality of the
Jew himself. At length these subjects
displayed signs of being e a ex¬
hausted, and Mr. Chitling did the same
(for the house of correction becomes fa¬
tiguing after a week or two;) accordingly
Miss Betsy withdrew, and left the party
to their repose.
From this day Oliver was seldom left
alone, but was placed in almost constant
communication with the two boys, who
played the old game with the Jew every
day,—whether for their own improve¬
ment, or Oliver’s, Mr. Fagin best knew.
At other times the old man would tell
them stories of robberies he had commit¬
ted in his younger days, mixed up with
so much that was droll and curious, that
Oliver could not help laughing heartily,
and showing that he was amused in spite
of all his better feelings.
In short, the wily old Jew had the boy
in his toils; and, having prepared his
mind by solitude and gloom to prefer any
society to the companionship of his own
sad thoughts in such a dreary place, was
now slowly instilling into his soul the por
1 *