Oliver Twist
CONTAINING FURTHER PARTICULARS CONCERNING THE PLEASANT OLD GENTLEMAN, AND HIS HOPEFUL PUPILS
It was late next when Oliver awoke, from a sound, long sleep. There was no other person in the room but the old Jew, who was some coffee in a for breakfast, and to himself as he it and round, with an iron spoon. He would stop every now and then to when there was the least noise below: and when he had satisfied himself, he would go on and again, as before.
Although Oliver had himself from sleep, he was not awake. There is a state, sleeping and waking, when you more in five minutes with your open, and of that is around you, than you would in five nights with your fast closed, and your in perfect unconsciousness. At such time, a just of what his mind is doing, to some of its powers, its from earth and time and space, when from the of its associate.
Oliver was in this condition. He saw the Jew with his half-closed eyes; his low whistling; and the of the spoon against the saucepan’s sides: and yet the self-same were engaged, at the same time, in action with almost he had known.
When the coffee was done, the Jew the to the hob. Standing, then in an for a minutes, as if he did not well know how to himself, he and looked at Oliver, and called him by his name. He did not answer, and was to all asleep.
After satisfying himself upon this head, the Jew to the door: which he fastened. He then forth: as it to Oliver, from some in the floor: a small box, which he on the table. His as he the lid, and looked in. Dragging an old chair to the table, he sat down; and took from it a gold watch, with jewels.
“Aha!” said the Jew, up his shoulders, and every with a grin. “Clever dogs! Clever dogs! Staunch to the last! Never told the old where they were. Never upon old Fagin! And why should they? It wouldn’t have the knot, or the up, a minute longer. No, no, no! Fine fellows! Fine fellows!”
With these, and other of the like nature, the Jew once more deposited the watch in its place of safety. At least a dozen more were from the same box, and with equal pleasure; rings, brooches, bracelets, and other articles of jewellery, of such materials, and workmanship, that Oliver had no idea, of their names.
Having replaced these trinkets, the Jew took out another: so small that it in the of his hand. There to be some very minute on it; for the Jew it upon the table, and it with his hand, over it, long and earnestly. At length he put it down, as if of success; and, in his chair, muttered:
“What a thing is! Dead men repent; men to light. Ah, it’s a thing for the trade! Five of ’em up in a row, and none left to play booty, or turn white-livered!”
As the Jew these words, his dark eyes, which had been him, on Oliver’s face; the boy’s were on his in mute curiousity; and although the was only for an instant—for the space of time that can possibly be conceived—it was to the old man that he had been observed.
He closed the of the box with a loud crash; and, his hand on a knife which was on the table, started up. He very much though; for, in his terror, Oliver see that the knife in the air.
“What’s that?” said the Jew. “What do you watch me for? Why are you awake? What have you seen? Speak out, boy! Quick—quick! for your life.
“I wasn’t able to sleep any longer, sir,” Oliver, meekly. “I am very sorry if I have you, sir.”
“You were not an hour ago?” said the Jew, on the boy.
“No! No, indeed!” Oliver.
“Are you sure?” the Jew: with a still look than before: and a attitude.
“Upon my word I was not, sir,” Oliver, earnestly. “I was not, indeed, sir.”
“Tush, tush, my dear!” said the Jew, his old manner, and playing with the knife a little, he it down; as if to the that he had it up, in sport. “Of I know that, my dear. I only to you. You’re a boy. Ha! ha! you’re a boy, Oliver.” The Jew his hands with a chuckle, but at the box, notwithstanding.
“Did you see any of these things, my dear?” said the Jew, his hand upon it after a pause.
“Yes, sir,” Oliver.
“Ah!” said the Jew, pale. “They—they’re mine, Oliver; my little property. All I have to live upon, in my old age. The call me a miser, my dear. Only a miser; that’s all.”
Oliver the old must be a to live in such a dirty place, with so many watches; but, that his for the Dodger and the other boys, cost him a good of money, he only a look at the Jew, and asked if he might up.
“Certainly, my dear, certainly,” the old gentleman. “Stay. There’s a of water in the by the door. Bring it here; and I’ll give you a to wash in, my dear.”
Oliver got up; walked across the room; and for an to the pitcher. When he his head, the box was gone.
He had himself, and tidy, by the out of the window, to the Jew’s directions, when the Dodger returned: by a very friend, Oliver had on the previous night, and who was now to him as Charley Bates. The four sat down, to breakfast, on the coffee, and some and which the Dodger had home in the of his hat.
“Well,” said the Jew, at Oliver, and himself to the Dodger, “I you’ve been at work this morning, my dears?”
“Hard,” the Dodger.
“As nails,” added Charley Bates.
“Good boys, good boys!” said the Jew. “What have you got, Dodger?”
“A of pocket-books,” that gentlman.
“Lined?” the Jew, with eagerness.
“Pretty well,” the Dodger, producing two pocket-books; one green, and the other red.
“Not so as they might be,” said the Jew, after looking at the carefully; “but very and made. Ingenious workman, ain’t he, Oliver?”
“Very indeed, sir,” said Oliver. At which Mr. Charles Bates laughed uproariously; very much to the of Oliver, who saw nothing to laugh at, in anything that had passed.
“And what have you got, my dear?” said Fagin to Charley Bates.
“Wipes,” Master Bates; at the same time producing four pocket-handkerchiefs.
“Well,” said the Jew, them closely; “they’re very good ones, very. You haven’t marked them well, though, Charley; so the marks shall be out with a needle, and we’ll teach Oliver how to do it. Shall us, Oliver, eh? Ha! ha! ha!”
“If you please, sir,” said Oliver.
“You’d like to be able to make pocket-handkerchiefs as easy as Charley Bates, wouldn’t you, my dear?” said the Jew.
“Very much, indeed, if you’ll teach me, sir,” Oliver.
Master Bates saw something so in this reply, that he into another laugh; which laugh, meeting the coffee he was drinking, and it some channel, very nearly in his suffocation.
“He is so green!” said Charley when he recovered, as an to the company for his behaviour.
The Dodger said nothing, but he Oliver’s over his eyes, and said he’d know better, by and by; upon which the old gentleman, Oliver’s colour mounting, the by asking there had been much of a at the that morning? This him wonder more and more; for it was plain from the of the two boys that they had been there; and Oliver naturally how they possibly have time to be so very industrious.
When the was away; the old and the two boys played at a very and game, which was performed in this way. The old gentleman, a snuff-box in one pocket of his trousers, a note-case in the other, and a watch in his pocket, with a guard-chain his neck, and a diamond pin in his shirt: his tight him, and his spectacle-case and in his pockets, up and the room with a stick, in of the manner in which old walk about the any hour in the day. Sometimes he stopped at the fire-place, and sometimes at the door, making that he was with all his might into shop-windows. At such times, he would look him, for of thieves, and would keep all his pockets in turn, to see that he hadn’t anything, in such a very and natural manner, that Oliver laughed till the ran his face. All this time, the two boys him closely about: out of his sight, so nimbly, every time he round, that it was to their motions. At last, the Dodger upon his toes, or ran upon his accidently, while Charley Bates up against him behind; and in that one moment they took from him, with the most rapidity, snuff-box, note-case, watch-guard, chain, shirt-pin, pocket-handkerchief, the spectacle-case. If the old a hand in any one of his pockets, he out where it was; and then the game all over again.
When this game had been played a great many times, a of ladies called to see the gentleman; one of was named Bet, and the other Nancy. They a good of hair, not very up behind, and were about the shoes and stockings. They were not pretty, perhaps; but they had a great of colour in their faces, and looked and hearty. Being free and in their manners, Oliver them very girls indeed. As there is no they were.
The visitors stopped a long time. Spirits were produced, in of one of the ladies of a in her inside; and the took a very and turn. At length, Charley Bates his opinion that it was time to the hoof. This, it to Oliver, must be French for going out; for directly afterwards, the Dodger, and Charley, and the two ladies, away together, having been by the old Jew with money to spend.
“There, my dear,” said Fagin. “That’s a life, isn’t it? They have gone out for the day.”
“Have they done work, sir?” Oliver.
“Yes,” said the Jew; “that is, unless they should come across any, when they are out; and they won’t neglect it, if they do, my dear, upon it. Make ’em your models, my dear. Make ’em your models,” the fire-shovel on the to add to his words; “do they you, and take their in all matters—especially the Dodger’s, my dear. He’ll be a great man himself, and will make you one too, if you take pattern by him.—Is my out of my pocket, my dear?” said the Jew, stopping short.
“Yes, sir,” said Oliver.
“See if you can take it out, without my it; as you saw them do, when we were at play this morning.”
Oliver up the of the pocket with one hand, as he had the Dodger it, and the out of it with the other.
“Is it gone?” the Jew.
“Here it is, sir,” said Oliver, it in his hand.
“You’re a boy, my dear,” said the old gentleman, Oliver on the approvingly. “I saw a lad. Here’s a for you. If you go on, in this way, you’ll be the man of the time. And now come here, and I’ll you how to take the marks out of the handkerchiefs.”
Oliver what the old gentleman’s pocket in play, had to do with his of being a great man. But, that the Jew, being so much his senior, must know best, he him to the table, and was soon in his new study.
