Oldal 117 [117]
—_—
79
im.
ment, with nothing but the contents o
closet to induce the belief that its occu¬
pier was anything but a working man;
and with no more suspicious articles dis¬
layed to view than two or three heavy
ludgeons which stood in a corner, and a
cs life-preserver” that hung over the man¬
telpiece.
“There,” said Sikes, smacking his lips.
“ Now I’m ready.”
c For business—eh?” inquired the Jew.
“For business,” replied Sikes; “so say
what you "ve got to say.”
“ About the crib at Chertsey, Bill?"
said the Jew, drawing his chair forward,
and speaking in a very low voice.
s Yes. What about it?’ inquired Sikes.
6 Ah! you know what I mean, my dear,”
said the Jew. ‘“ He knows what Í mean,
Nancy; don’t he?”
‘No, he don’t,” sneered Mr. Sikes,
“or he won’t, and that’s the same thing.
Speak out, and call things by their right
names; don’t sit there winking and blink¬
ing, and talking to me in hints, as if you
warn’t the very first that thought about
the robbery. D—n your eyes! wot d’ye
mean ?"
cc Hush, Bill, hush!” said the Jew, who
had in vain attempted to stop this burst
of indignation ; “somebody will hear us,
my dear; somebody will hear us.”
“Let "Tem hear!” said Sikes; “ I don’t
care.” But as Mr. Sikes did care, upon
reflection he dropped his voice as he said
the words, and grew calmer.
“There, there,” said the Jew coaxingly.
“Tt was only my caution—nothing more.
Now, my dear, about that crib at Chert¬
sey; when is it to be done, Bill, eh !—
when is it to be done? Such plate, my
dears, such plate!” said the Jew, rubbing
his hands, and elevating his eyebrows in
a rapture of anticipation.
cc Not at all,” replied Sikes coldly.
*“ Not to be done at all!” echoed the
Jew, leaning back in his chair.
s No, not at all,” rejoined Sikes; “at
least it can’t be a put-up job, as we ex¬
pected.”
“Then it hasn’t been properly gone
about,” said the Jew, turning pale with
anger. § Don’t tell me!”
“But I will tell you,” retorted Sikes.
6 Who are you, that’s not to be told? I
tell you that Toby Crackit has been hang¬
ing about the place for a fortnight, and he
can’t get one of the servants into a line.”
“Do you mean to tell me, Bill,” said
the Jew, softening as the other grew
the house can be got over?"
c Yes, I do mean to tell you so,” replied
Sikes. “The old lady has had’em these
twenty years; and if you were to give
"em five hundred pound, they wouldn’t be
in it.”
c But do you mean to say, my dear,”
remonstrated the Jew, “ that the women
can’t be got over ?”
“ Not a bit of it," replied Sikes.
“ Not by flash Toby Crackit?" said the
Jew incredulously. " Think what women
are, Bill.”
s No; not even by flash Toby Crackit,"
replied Sikes. “He says he s worn sham
whiskers and a canary waistcoat the whole
blessed time he’s been loitering down
there, and it’s all of no use.”
“He should have tried mustachios and
a pair of military trousers, my dear,” said
the Jew after a few moments’ reflection.
c So he did,” rejoined Sikes, “ and they
warn’t of no more use than the other
plant.”
The Jew looked very blank at this in¬
formation, and, after ruminating for some
minutes with his chm sunk on his breast,
raised his head, and said with a deep sigh
that, if flash Toby Crackit reported aright,
he feared the e was up. :
“ And yet,” said the old man, dropping
his hands on his knees, “it’s a sad thing,
my dear, to lose so much when we had
set our hearts upon it.” .
“So it is,” said Mr. Sikes; “ worse
luck!"
A long silence ensued, during which
the Jew was plunged in deep thought,
with his face wrinkled into an expression
of villany perfectly demoniacal. Sikes
eyed him furtively from time to time ; and
ancy, apparently fearful of irritating the
housebreaker, sat with her eyes fixed upon
the fire, as if she had been deaf to all
that passed.
“Fagin,” said Sikes, abruptly breaking
the stillness that prevailed, “is it worth
fifty shiners extra if it’s safely done from
the outside ?”
“ Yes,” said the Jew, suddenly rousing
himself as if from a trance.
“Ts it a bargain?” inquired Sikes.
“ Yes, my dear, yes,” rejoined the Jew,
grasping the other’s hand, his eyes glist¬
ening, and every muscle in his face work
ing with the excitement that the inquiry
had awakened.
“ Then,” said Sikes, thrusting aside the
Jew’s hand with some disdain, "let it
come off as soon as you like. Toby and
I were over the garden-wall the night