Stranica 210 [210]
154
men (composing the good society afore¬
Crackit.
s Now," said the Jew, when they had
left the room, “I’ll-go and get you that
cash, Nancy. ‘This is only the key of a
little cupboard where I keep a few odd
things the boys get, my dear. I never
lock up my money, for I "ve got none to
lock up, my dear—ha! ha! ha!—none to
lock. It’s a poor trade, Nancy, and no
thanks; but I’m fond of seeing the young
people about me, and I bear it all; I bear
it all. Hush!” he said, hastily conceal¬
ing the key in his breast; “ who’s that?
Listen !”
The girl, who was sitting at the table
with her arms folded, appeared in no way
interested in the arrival, or to care whe¬
ther the person, whoever he was, came or
went, until the murmur of a man’s voice
reached her ears. The instant she caught
the sound she tore off her bonnet and
shawl with the rapidity of lightning, and
thrust them under the table. The Jew
turning round immediately afterwards,
she muttered a complaint of the heat in a
tone of languor that contrasted very re¬
markably with the extreme haste and vio¬
lence of this action, which, however, had
been unobserved by Fagin, who had his
back towards her at the time.
6 Bah!” whispered the Jew, as though
nettled by the interruption; “it’s the
man I expected before; he’s coming down
stairs. Not a word about the money while
he’s here, Nance. He won’t stop long—
not ten minutes, my dear.”
Laying his skinny fore-finger upon his
lip, the Jew carried a candle to the door
as a man’s step was heard upon the stairs
without, and reached it at the same mo¬
ment as the visiter, who coming hastily
into the room, was close upon the girl be¬
fore he observed her.
It was Monks.
“Only one of my young people,” said
the Jew, observing that Monks drew back
on beholding a stranger. ‘ Don’t move,
Nancy.”
The girl drew closer to the table, and
elancing at Monks with an air of careless
levity, withdrew her eyes; but as he
turned his towards the Jew, she stole an¬
other look, so keen and searching, and
full of purpose, that if there had been any
bystander to observe the change he could
hardly have believed the two looks to have
proceeded from the same person.
§ Any news?” inquired the Jew.
“ Great.”
“ And—and—good?” asked the Jew
hesitatingly, as though he feared to vex
the other man by being too sanguine.
“Not bad any way,” replied Monks
with a smile. “I have been prompt
enough this time. Let me have a word
with you.”
The girl drew closer to the table, and
made no offer to leave the room, although
she could see that Monks was pointing to
her. The Jew—perhaps fearing that she
might say something aloud about the mo¬
ney, if he endeavoured to get rid of her—
pointed upwards, and took Monks out of
the room.
“ Not that infernal hole we were in be¬
fore,” she could hear the man say as they
went up-stairs. The Jew laughed, and
making some reply which did not reach
her, seemed by the creaking of the boards
to lead his companion to the second story.
Before the sound of their footsteps had
had slipped off her shoes, and drawing her
gown loosely over her head, and mufiling
her arms in it, stood at the door listening
with breathless interest. The moment
ascended the stairs with incredible soft¬
ness and silence, and was lost in the gloom
above.
The room remained deserted for a quar¬
ter of an hour or more; the girl glided
back with the same unearthly tread, and
immediately afterwards the two men were
heard descending. Monks went at once
into the street, and the Jew crawled up
stairs again for the money. When he re¬
turned, the girl was adjusting her shawl
and bonnet, as if preparing to be gone.
“Why, Nance,” exclaimed the Jew, .
starting back as he put down the candle,
“Pale!” echoed the girl, shading her
eyes with her hand as if to look steadily
at him.
‘Quite horrible,” said the Jew. “ What
have you been doing to yourself?”
“ Nothing that I know of, except sitting
in this close place for I don’t know how
long and all,” replied the girl carelessly.
“Come, let me get back; that’s a dear.”
With a sigh for every piece of money,
Fagin told the amount into her hand, and
they parted without more conversation
than interchanging a " good-night.”
When the girl got into the open street
she sat down on a door-step, and seemed
for a few moments wholly bewildered and
unable to pursue her way. Suddenly she
arose, and hurrying on in a direction quite