Oliver Twist
WHEREIN OLIVER IS DELIVERED OVER TO MR. WILLIAM SIKES
When Oliver in the morning, he was a good to that a new pair of shoes, with thick soles, had been at his bedside; and that his old shoes had been removed. At first, he was pleased with the discovery: that it might be the of his release; but such were dispelled, on his to along with the Jew, who told him, in a and manner which his alarm, that he was to be taken to the of Bill Sikes that night.
“To—to—stop there, sir?” asked Oliver, anxiously.
“No, no, my dear. Not to stop there,” the Jew. “We shouldn’t like to you. Don’t be afraid, Oliver, you shall come to us again. Ha! ha! ha! We won’t be so as to send you away, my dear. Oh no, no!”
The old man, who was over the fire a piece of bread, looked as he Oliver thus; and as if to that he he would still be very to away if he could.
“I suppose,” said the Jew, his on Oliver, “you want to know what you’re going to Bill’s for—-eh, my dear?”
Oliver coloured, involuntarily, to that the old had been reading his thoughts; but said, Yes, he did want to know.
“Why, do you think?” Fagin, the question.
“Indeed I don’t know, sir,” Oliver.
“Bah!” said the Jew, away with a from a close of the boy’s face. “Wait till Bill tells you, then.”
The Jew much by Oliver’s not any on the subject; but the truth is, that, although Oliver very anxious, he was too much by the of Fagin’s looks, and his own speculations, to make any just then. He had no other opportunity: for the Jew very and till night: when he prepared to go abroad.
“You may a candle,” said the Jew, one upon the table. “And here’s a book for you to read, till they come to you. Good-night!”
“Good-night!” Oliver, softly.
The Jew walked to the door: looking over his at the boy as he went. Suddenly stopping, he called him by his name.
Oliver looked up; the Jew, pointing to the candle, him to light it. He did so; and, as he the upon the table, saw that the Jew was at him, with and brows, from the dark end of the room.
“Take heed, Oliver! take heed!” said the old man, his right hand him in a manner. “He’s a man, and thinks nothing of blood when his own is up. Whatever out, say nothing; and do what he you. Mind!” Placing a on the last word, he his to themselves into a grin, and, his head, left the room.
Oliver his upon his hand when the old man disappeared, and pondered, with a heart, on the he had just heard. The more he of the Jew’s admonition, the more he was at a to its purpose and meaning.
He think of no object to be by sending him to Sikes, which would not be well answered by his with Fagin; and after for a long time, that he had been to perform some ordinary offices for the housebreaker, until another boy, for his purpose be engaged. He was too well to suffering, and had too much where he was, to the of very severely. He in for some minutes; and then, with a sigh, the candle, and, taking up the book which the Jew had left with him, to read.
He over the leaves. Carelessly at first; but, on a passage which his attention, he soon upon the volume. It was a history of the and of great criminals; and the pages were and with use. Here, he read of that the blood cold; of that had been by the wayside; of from the of man in and wells: which would not keep them down, as they were, but had them up at last, after many years, and so the with the sight, that in their they had their guilt, and for the to end their agony. Here, too, he read of men who, in their at of night, had been (so they said) and on, by their own thoughts, to such as it the creep, and the quail, to think of. The terrible were so and vivid, that the pages to turn red with gore; and the upon them, to be in his ears, as if they were whispered, in murmurs, by the of the dead.
In a of fear, the boy closed the book, and it from him. Then, upon his knees, he prayed Heaven to him from such deeds; and to will that he should die at once, than be for crimes, so and appalling. By degrees, he more calm, and besought, in a low and voice, that he might be from his present dangers; and that if any were to be up for a boy who had the love of friends or kindred, it might come to him now, when, and deserted, he alone in the of and guilt.
He had his prayer, but still with his in his hands, when a noise him.
“What’s that!” he cried, starting up, and of a by the door. “Who’s there?”
“Me. Only me,” a voice.
Oliver the above his head: and looked the door. It was Nancy.
“Put the light,” said the girl, away her head. “It my eyes.”
Oliver saw that she was very pale, and if she were ill. The girl herself into a chair, with her him: and her hands; but no reply.
“God me!” she after a while, “I of this.”
“Has anything happened?” asked Oliver. “Can I help you? I will if I can. I will, indeed.”
She herself to and fro; her throat; and, a sound, for breath.
“Nancy!” Oliver, “What is it?”
The girl her hands upon her knees, and her upon the ground; and, stopping, her close her: and with cold.
Oliver the fire. Drawing her chair close to it, she sat there, for a little time, without speaking; but at length she her head, and looked round.
“I don’t know what comes over me sometimes,” said she, to herself in her dress; “it’s this dirty room, I think. Now, Nolly, dear, are you ready?”
“Am I to go with you?” asked Oliver.
“Yes. I have come from Bill,” the girl. “You are to go with me.”
“What for?” asked Oliver, recoiling.
“What for?” the girl, her eyes, and them again, the moment they the boy’s face. “Oh! For no harm.”
“I don’t it,” said Oliver: who had her closely.
“Have it your own way,” the girl, to laugh. “For no good, then.”
Oliver see that he had some power over the girl’s feelings, and, for an instant, of to her for his state. But, then, the across his mind that it was eleven o’clock; and that many people were still in the streets: of surely some might be to give to his tale. As the to him, he forward: and said, hastily, that he was ready.
Neither his consideration, its purport, was on his companion. She him narrowly, while he spoke; and upon him a look of which that she what had been in his thoughts.
“Hush!” said the girl, over him, and pointing to the door as she looked round. “You can’t help yourself. I have hard for you, but all to no purpose. You are and round. If you are to from here, this is not the time.”
Struck by the energy of her manner, Oliver looked up in her with great surprise. She to speak the truth; her was white and agitated; and she with very earnestness.
“I have saved you from being ill-used once, and I will again, and I do now,” the girl aloud; “for those who would have you, if I had not, would have been more than me. I have promised for your being and silent; if you are not, you will only do to and me too, and be my death. See here! I have all this for you already, as true as God sees me it.”
She pointed, hastily, to some on her and arms; and continued, with great rapidity:
“Remember this! And don’t let me more for you, just now. If I help you, I would; but I have not the power. They don’t to you; they make you do, is no fault of yours. Hush! Every word from you is a for me. Give me your hand. Make haste! Your hand!”
She the hand which Oliver in hers, and, out the light, him after her up the stairs. The door was opened, quickly, by some one in the darkness, and was as closed, when they had passed out. A hackney-cabriolet was in waiting; with the same which she had in Oliver, the girl him in with her, and the close. The driver wanted no directions, but his into full speed, without the of an instant.
The girl still Oliver fast by the hand, and to into his ear, the and she had already imparted. All was so quick and hurried, that he had time to where he was, or how he came there, when the stopped at the house to which the Jew’s steps had been on the previous evening.
For one moment, Oliver a along the empty street, and a for help upon his lips. But the girl’s voice was in his ear, him in such of to her, that he had not the to it. While he hesitated, the opportunity was gone; he was already in the house, and the door was shut.
“This way,” said the girl, her for the time. “Bill!”
“Hallo!” Sikes: appearing at the of the stairs, with a candle. “Oh! That’s the time of day. Come on!”
This was a very of approbation, an welcome, from a person of Mr. Sikes’ temperament. Nancy, appearing much thereby, him cordially.
“Bull’s-eye’s gone home with Tom,” Sikes, as he them up. “He’d have been in the way.”
“That’s right,” Nancy.
“So you’ve got the kid,” said Sikes when they had all the room: the door as he spoke.
“Yes, here he is,” Nancy.
“Did he come quiet?” Sikes.
“Like a lamb,” Nancy.
“I’m to it,” said Sikes, looking at Oliver; “for the of his carcase: as would have for it. Come here, ’un; and let me read you a lectur’, which is as well got over at once.”
Thus his new pupil, Mr. Sikes off Oliver’s cap and it into a corner; and then, taking him by the shoulder, sat himself by the table, and the boy in of him.
“Now, first: do you know this is?” Sikes, taking up a pocket-pistol which on the table.
Oliver in the affirmative.
“Well, then, look here,” Sikes. “This is powder; that ’ere’s a bullet; and this is a little of a old for waddin’.”
Oliver his of the different to; and Mr. Sikes to the pistol, with great and deliberation.
“Now it’s loaded,” said Mr. Sikes, when he had finished.
“Yes, I see it is, sir,” Oliver.
“Well,” said the robber, Oliver’s wrist, and the so close to his temple that they touched; at which moment the boy not a start; “if you speak a word when you’re out o’doors with me, when I speak to you, that will be in your without notice. So, if you do make up your mind to speak without leave, say your prayers first.”
Having a upon the object of this warning, to its effect, Mr. Sikes continued.
“As near as I know, there isn’t as would be asking very you, if you was of; so I needn’t take this devil-and-all of trouble to to you, if it warn’t for your own good. D’ye me?”
“The and the long of what you mean,” said Nancy: speaking very emphatically, and at Oliver as if to his attention to her words: “is, that if you’re by him in this job you have on hand, you’ll prevent his telling afterwards, by him through the head, and will take your of for it, as you do for a great many other in the way of business, every month of your life.”
“That’s it!” Mr. Sikes, approvingly; “women can always put in words.—Except when it’s up; and then they it out. And now that he’s up to it, let’s have some supper, and a starting.”
In of this request, Nancy the cloth; for a minutes, she presently returned with a pot of and a dish of sheep’s heads: which gave occasion to on the part of Mr. Sikes, upon the of “jemmies” being a can name, common to them, and also to an much used in his profession. Indeed, the gentleman, by the of being on active service, was in great and good humour; in proof whereof, it may be here remarked, that he all the at a draught, and did not utter, on a calculation, more than four-score the whole progress of the meal.
Supper being ended—it may be easily that Oliver had no great for it—Mr. Sikes of a of of and water, and himself on the bed; ordering Nancy, with many in case of failure, to call him at five precisely. Oliver himself in his clothes, by of the same authority, on a upon the floor; and the girl, the fire, sat it, in to them at the time.
For a long time Oliver awake, it not that Nancy might that opportunity of some advice; but the girl sat over the fire, without moving, save now and then to the light. Weary with and anxiety, he at length asleep.
When he awoke, the table was with tea-things, and Sikes was articles into the pockets of his great-coat, which over the of a chair. Nancy was in preparing breakfast. It was not yet daylight; for the was still burning, and it was dark outside. A rain, too, was against the window-panes; and the sky looked black and cloudy.
“Now, then!” Sikes, as Oliver started up; “half-past five! Look sharp, or you’ll no breakfast; for it’s late as it is.”
Oliver was not long in making his toilet; having taken some breakfast, he to a from Sikes, by saying that he was ready.
Nancy, looking at the boy, him a to tie his throat; Sikes gave him a large to over his shoulders. Thus attired, he gave his hand to the robber, who, to him with a that he had that same pistol in a side-pocket of his great-coat, it in his, and, a with Nancy, him away.
Oliver turned, for an instant, when they the door, in the of meeting a look from the girl. But she had her old seat in of the fire, and sat, perfectly it.
