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181 6 Real ones," rejoined the girl, § This was not," There was something so uncommon in her manner that the flesh of the concealed listener crept as he heard the girl utter these words, and the blood chilled within him. He had never experienced a greater relief than hearing the sweet voice of the young lady, as she begged her to be calm and not allow herself to become the prey of such fearful fancies. ‘Speak to her kindly,” said the young lady to her companion. “ Poor creature! she seems to need it.” “ Your haughty religious people would have held their heads up to see me as I am to-night, and preached of flames and vengeance,’ cried the girl. "Oh dear lady, why ain’t those who claim to be God’s own folks as gentle and as kind to us poor wretches as you, who, having outh and beauty and all that they have ost, might be a little proud instead of so much humbler ?”’ 6 Ah!" said the gentleman. “A Turk turns his face, after washing it well, to . the East when he says his prayers; these good people, after giving their faces such a rub with the world as takes the smiles off, turn with no less regularity to the darkest side of heaven. Between the Mussulman and the Pharisee, commend me to the former.”’ These words appeared to be addressed to the younger lady, and were perhaps uttered with the view of affording Nancy time to recover herself. ‘The gentleman shortly afterwards addressed himself to her. « You were not here last Sunday night, " he said. s [ couldn’t come," replied Nancy, “I was kept by force." 6 By whom ?”’ “ Bill him that I told the young lady of before.” ** You were not suspected of bolding any communication with anybody on the subject which has brought us here tonight, I hope?” asked the old gentleman anxiously. “No,” replied the girl shaking her head. “It’s not very easy for me to leave him unless he knows why; I could n’t have seen the lady when I did, but that I gave him a drink of laudanum before I came away.” s Did he awake before you returned ?”’ rejoined the gentleman. “ No, and neither he nor any of them suspect me." 16 s Good,” said the gentleman: “ now listen to me.”’ “T am ready,”’ replied the girl, as he paused for a moment. “ This young lady," the gentleman began, " has communicated to me and some. other friends, who can be safely trusted, what you told her nearly a fortnight since, I confess to you that I had doubts at first, whether you were to be implicitly relied upon, but now I firmly believe you are." 6 [ am,” said the girl earnestly. “T repeat, that I firmly believe it. To prove to you that I am disposed to trust " you, I tell you without reserve, that we purpose to extort the secret, whatever it may be, from the fears of this man Monks. But if—if—” said the gentleman, "he cannot be secured, or, if secured, he cannot be acted upon as we wish, you must deliver up the Jew.” “Fagin !" cried the girl, recoiling. “That man must be delivered up by you,” said the gentleman. “T will not do it—I will never do it?— replied the girl. “ Devil that he is, and . worse than devil as he has been to me, I will never do that." “You will not?” said the gentleman, who seemed fully prepared for this answer. “ Never,” returned the girl. «Tell me why." “For one reason,” rejoined the girl firmly,—‘ for one reason that the lady knows and will stand by me in—I know she will, for I have her promise; and for. this other reason besides, that bad life as he has led, I have led a bad life too: there are many of us who have kept the same courses together, and [711 not turn upon them, who might, any of them, have turned upon me, but didn’t, bad as they are." “ Then," said the gentleman quickly, as if this had been the point he had been aiming to attain, “put Monks into my hands, and leave me to deal with him.” “ What if he turns against the others?” ‘“‘T promise you in that case, if the truth is forced from him, there the matter will rest. ‘There must be circumstances in Oliver’s little history which it would be painful to drag before the public eye, and if the truth is once elicited, they will go Scot free.” 6 And if it is not?” suggested the girl, "Then," pursued the gentleman, “ this Jew shall not be brought to justice without your consent. In such a case I could show you reasons, I think, which would induce you to yield it.”
