Oldal 119 [119]
81
we once get into the work,—in for a
nny, in for a pound,—you won’t see
im alive again, Fagin. Think of that
before you send him. Mark my words!"
said the robber, shaking a.heavy crowbar
which he had drawn from under the bed¬
stead.
s [ "ve thought of it all,” said the Jew
with energy. “I’ve—I’ve had my eye
upon him, my dears, close: close. Once
let him feel that he is one of us; once fill
his mind with the idea that he has been a
thief, and he’s ours ours for his life!
Oho! Itcouldn’t have come about better!"
The old man crossed his arms upon his
breast, and, drawing his head and shoulders
into a heap, literally hugged himself for
joy.
“Ours!” said Sikes. ‘ Yours, you
mean.”
“Perhaps I do, my dear,” said the Jew
= a shrill chuckle. “ Mine, if you like,
mee
« And wot,” said Sikes, scowling fierce¬
ly on his agreeable friend,—“ wot makes
you take so much pains about one chalk¬
faced kid, when you know there are fifty
boys snoozing about Common Garden
every night, as you might pick and choose
from ?”’
“ Because they "re of no use to me, my
dear,” replied the Jew with some confu¬
sion, “not worth the taking; for their
looks convict "Tem when they get into
trouble, and I lose’em all. With this boy
properly managed, my dears, I could do
what | couldn’t with twenty of them.
Besides,” said the Jew, recovering his
self-possession, “ he has us now if he could
only give us leg-bail again; and he must
be in the same boat with us; never mind
how he came there, it’s quite enough for
my power over him that he was in a
robbery, that’s all I want. Now how much
better this is, than being obliged to put
the poor leetle boy out of the way, which
would be dangerous,—and we should lose
by it, besides.”
c When is it to be done?” asked Nancy,
stopping some turbulent exclamation on
the part of Mr. Sikes, expressive of the
disgust with which he received Fagin’s
affectation of humanity.
66 Ah, to be sure,” said the Jew, “ when
is it to be done, Bill?"
“T planned with Toby the night arter
to-morrow,” rejoined Sikesin a surly voice,
“if he heard nothing from me to the con¬
trairy.”
“Good,” said the Jew; “there’s no
moon.”
4 No,” rejoined Sikes.
L
“Tt’s all arranged about bring
the swag,* is it?” asked the Jew.
Sikes nodded.
«* And about —"
“Oh ah, it’s all planned,” rejoined
Sikes, interrupting -him; § Never mind
particulars. You’d better bring the boy
here to-morrow night; [ shall get off the
stones an hour arter day-break. Then
you hold your tongue, and keep the melt¬
ing-pot ready, and that’s all you have
to do.” .
After some discussion in which all three
took an active part, it was decided that
Nancy should repair to the Jew’s next
evening when the night had set in, and
bring Oliver away with her: Fagin craftily
observing, that, if he evinced any disincli¬
nation to the task, he would be the more
willing to accompany the girl, who had so
recently interfered in his behalf, than any¬
body else. It was solemnly arranged that
ing off
r Oliver should, for the purposes of the
contemplated expedition, be unreservedly
consigned to the care and custody of Mr.
William Sikes; and further, that the said
Sikes should deal with him as he thought
fit, and should not be held responsible by
might befal the boy, or any punishment
with which it might be necessary to visit
him, it being understood that, to render
the compact in this respect binding, any
representations made by Mr, Sikes on his
return should be required to be confirmed
and corroborated; in all important par¬
ticulars, by the testimony of flash Toby
These preliminaries adjusted, Mr. Sikes
proceeded to drink brandy at a furious
rate, and to flourish the crowbar in an
alarming manner, yelling forth at the
same time most unmusical snatches of
length, in a fit of professional enthusiasm,
he insisted upon producing his box of
housebreaking tools, which he had no
sooner stumbled in with, and opened for
the purpose of explaining the nature and
properties of the various implements it
contained, and the peculiar beauties of
their construction, than he fell over it
upon the floor, and went to sleep where
he fell.
“Good night, Nancy !” said the Jew,
muffling himself up as before.
c Good night !”
Their eyes met, and the Jew scruti¬
nised her narrowly. There was no flinch¬
ing about the girl. She was as true and
* Booty,