Stranica 142 [142]
100 OLIVER TWIST.
pulled off a large shawl which had con-| “First and foremost, Fagey,” said the
cealed the lower portion of his face, and | housebreaker, “ how "s Bill ?”
disclosed—all haggard, unwashed, and] ‘ What!” screamed the Jew, starting
unshaven,—the features of flash Toby | from his seat.
Crackit. “ Why, you don’t mean to say
“How are you, Fagey?" said the | began Toby, turning pale.
worthy, nodding to the Jew. “Pop that] “Mean!” cried the Jew, stamping fu¬
shawl away in my castor, Dodger, so that | riously on the ground. “ Where are they!
I may know where to find it when I cut; | —Sikes and the boy—where are they '—
that’s the time of day! You'll be a| where have they been !—where are they
fine young cracksman afore the old file | hiding !—why have they not been here!"
now !” c The crack failed,” said Toby faintly.
With these words he pulled up the| “I know it,” replied the Jew, tearing a
smock-frock, and, winding it round his | newspaper from his pocket and pointing
middle, drew a chair to the fire, and | toit. “ What more?”
placed his feet upon the hob. | They fired and hit the boy. We cut
“See there, Fagey,” he said, pointing | over the fields at the back with him be¬
disconsolately to his top-boots ; “ not a drop | tween us—straight as the crow flies—
of Day and Martin since you know when; | through hedge and ditch. They gave
not a bubble of blacking, by ! but | chase. D— me! the whole country was
don’t look at me in that way, man. All | awake, and the dogs upon us !”
in good time; I can’t talk about business “The boy!” gasped the Jew.
till I’ve eat and drank; so produce the c Bill had him on his back, and scudded
sustainance, and let "s have a quiet fill-out | like the wind. We stopped to take him
for the first time these three days!" again between us; his head hung down,
The Jew motioned to the Dodger to | and he was cold. They were close upon
place what eatables there were, upon the | our heels; every man for himself, and
table; and, seating himself opposite the | each from the gallows! . We parted com¬
housebreaker, waited his leisure. pany, and left the youngster lying in a
To judge from appearances, Toby was | ditch. Alive or dead, that’s all 1 know
by no means in a hurry to open the con- | of him.”
versation. At first the Jew contented | The Jew stopped to hear no more; but
himself with patiently watching his coun- | uttering a loud yell, and twining his hands
tenance, as if to gain from its expression | in his hair, rushed from the room and from
some clue to the intelligence he brought; | the house.
but in vain. He looked tired and worn,
99
but there was the same complacent re¬
pose upon his features that they always
wore, and through dirt, and beard, and
whisker, there still shone unimpaired the
self-satisfied smirk of flash Toby Crackit.
‘Then the Jew in an agony of impatience
watched every morsel he put into his
mouth, pacing up and down the room
meanwhile with irrepressible excitement.
It was all of no use. Toby continued to
eat with the utmost outward indifference
until he could eat no more; and then, or¬
dering the Dodger out, closed the door,
mixed a glass of spirits and water, and
composed himself for talking.
“ First and foremost, Fagey,” said To¬
CHAPTER THE FOURTH.
In which a mysterious character appears upon the
scene, and many things inseparable from this
history are done and performed.
THE old man had gained the street cor¬
ner before he began to recover the effect
of Toby Crackit’s intelligence. He had
relaxed nothing of his unusual speed, but
was still pressing onward in the same
wild and disordered manner, when the
sudden dashing past of a carriage, and a
by. boisterous cry from the foot-passengers
“Yes, yes!” interposed the Jew, draw- | who saw his danger, drove him back upon
ing up his chaiz the pavement. Lbbiing hastily round, as
Mr. Crackit stopped to take a draught | if uncertain whither he had been hurry¬
of spirits and water, and to declare that | ing, he paused for a few moments, and
the gin was excellent; and then placing | turned away in quite an opposite direction
his foot against the low mantelpiece, so | to that in which he had before proceeded.
as to bring his boots to about the level of | Avoiding as much as possible all the main
Jus eye, quietly resumed. | streets, and skulking only through tha by¬