which, he informed the travellers that they could be lodged that night, and left the amiable couple to their refresh ment. Now, this back-room was immediately behind the bar, and some steps lower, so that any person connected with the house, undrawing a small curtain which concealed a single pane of glass fixed in the wall of the last-named apartment, about five feet from its flooring, could not only look down upon any guests in the backroom without any great hazard of being observed, (the glass being in a dark angle of the wall, between which and a large upright beam the observer had to thrust himself,) but could, by applying his ear to the partition, ascertain with tolerable distinctness their subject of conversation. The landlord of the house had not withdrawn his eye from this place of espial for five minutes, and Barney had only just returned from making the communication above related, when Fagin, in the course of his evening's business, came into the bar to inquire after some of his young pupils. "Hush!" said Barney: "stradegers id the next roob." "Strangers!" repeated the old man in a whisper. "Ah! ad rub uds too," added Barney. Frob the cuttry, but subthig in your way, or I'b bistaked." Fagin appeared to receive this communication with great interest, and, mounting on a stool, cautiously applied his eye to the pane of glass, from which secret post he could see Mr. Claypole taking cold beef from the dish and porter from the pot, and administering homœopathic doses of both to Charlotte, who sat patiently by, eating and drinking at his pleasure. "Aha!" whispered the Jew, looking round to Barney. "I like the fellow's Looks. He'd be of use to us; he knows how to train the girl already. Don't make As much noise as a mouse, my dear, and et me hear 'em talk-let me hear 'em." The Jew again applied his eye to the glass, and turning his ear to the partition, istened attentively, with a subtle and earer look upon his face that might have ippertained to some old goblin. "So I mean to be a gentleman," said Mr. Claypole, kicking out his legs, and Continuing a conversation, the commencenent of which Fagin had arrived too late o hear. "No more jolly old coffins, Charlotte, but a gentleman's life for me; und if yer like, yer shall be a lady." "I should like that well enough, dear," replied Charlotte; "but tills an't to be emptied every day, and people to get clear off after it." "Tills be blowed!" said Mr. Claypole; "there's more things besides tills to be emptied." "What do you mean?" asked his companion. "Pockets, women's ridicules, houses, mail-coaches, banks," said Mr. Claypole, rising with the porter. "But you can't do all that, dear," said Charlotte. "I shall look out to get into company with them as can," replied Noah. "They'll be able to make us useful some way or another. Why, you yourself are worth fifty women. I never see such a precious sly and deceitful creetur as yer can be when I let yer." so,' "Lor, how nice it is to hear you say ,"exclaimed Charlotte, imprinting a kiss upon his ugly face. "There, that'll do; don't yer be too affectionate, in case I'm cross with yer," said Noah, disengaging himself with great gravity. "I should like to be the captain of some band, and have the whopping of 'em, and follering 'em about, unbeknown to themselves. That would suit me, if there was good profit; and if we could only get in with some gentle. men of this sort, I say it would be cheap at that twenty pound note you've got,espicially as we don't very well know how to get rid of it ourselves." After expressing this opinion, Mr. Claypole looked into the porter-pot with an aspect of deep wisdom, and having well shaken its contents, nodded condescendingly to Charlotte, and took a draught, wherewith he appeared greatly refreshed. He was meditating another, when the sudden opening of the door and appearance of a stranger interrupted him. The stranger was Mr. Fagin, and very amiable he looked, and a very low bow he made as he advanced, and, sitting himself down at the nearest table, ordered something to drink of the grinning Barney. "A pleasant night, sir, but cool for the time of year," said Fagin, rubbing his hands. "From the country, I see, sir?" "How do you see that?" asked Noah Claypole. "We have not so much dust as that in London," replied the Jew, pointing from Noah's shoes to those of his companion, and from them to the two bundles. "Ye'r a sharp feller," said Noah. "Ha! ha! only hear that, Charlotte." Why, one need be sharp in this town, my dear," replied the Jew, sinking his voice to a confidential whisper, "and that's the truth." The Jew followed up this remark by striking the side of his nose with his right forefinger, a gesture which Noah attempted to imitate, though not with complete success, in consequence of his nose not being large enough for the purpose. However, Mr. Fagin seemed to interpret the endeavour as expressing a perfect coincidence with his opinion, and put about the liquor which Barney re-appeared with, in a very friendly manner. "Good stuff that," observed Mr. Claypole, smacking his lips. 66 Dear," said Fagin, 66 a man need be always emptying a till, or a pocket, or a woman's reticule, or a house, or a mailcoach, or a bank, if he drinks it regularly." Mr. Claypole no sooner heard this extract from his own remarks than he fell back in his chair, and looked from the Jew to Charlotte with a countenance of ashy paleness and excessive terror. "Don't mind me, my dear," said Fagin, drawing his chair closer. "Ha ha! it was lucky it was only me that heard you by chance. It was very lucky it was only me." "I didn't take it," stammered Noah, no longer stretching out his legs like an independent gentleman, but coiling them up as well as he could under his chair; "it was all her doing; yer've got it now, Charlotte, yer know yer have." "No matter who's got, or who did it, my dear!" replied Fagin, glancing, nevertheless, with a hawk's eye at the girl and the two bundles. I'm in that way myself, and I like you for it." "In what way?" asked Mr. Claypole, a little recovering. "In that way of business," rejoined Fagin, "and so are the people of the house. You've hit the right nail upon the head, and are as safe here as you could be. There is not a safer place in all this town than is the Cripples; that is, when I like to make it so, and I've taken a fancy to you and the young woman; so I've said the word, and you may make your minds easy." Noah Claypole's mind might have been at ease after this assurance, but his body certainly was not, for he shuffled and writhed about into various uncouth positions, eyeing his new friend meanwhile with mingled fear and suspicion. "I'll tell you more," said the Jew, after he had re-assured the girl, by dint of friendly nods and muttered encouragements. "I have got a friend that I think can gratify your darling wish and put you in the right way, where you can take whatever department of the business you think will suit you best at first, and be taught all the others." "Yer speak as if yer were in earnest,” replied Noah. "What advantage would it be to me to be anything else?" inquired the Jew, shrugging his shoulders. "Here. Let me have a word with you outside." "There's no occasion to trouble ourselves to move," said Noah, getting his legs by gradual degrees abroad again. "She'll take the luggage up-stairs the while. Char-lotte, see to them bundles." This mandate, which had been delivered with great majesty, was obeyed without the slightest demur, and Charlotte made the best of her way off with the packages, while Noah held the door open, and watched her out. "She's kept tolerably well under, ain't she, sir!" he asked as he resumed his seat, in the tone of a keeper who has tamed some wild animal. "Quite perfect," rejoined Fagin, clapping him on the shoulder. "You're a genius, my dear." 66 Why, I suppose if I wasn't I shouldn't be here," replied Noah. "But, I say, she'll be back if yer lose time." "Now, what do you think?" said the Jew. "If you was to like my friend, could you do better than join him?" "Is he in a good way of business, that's where it is?" responded Noah, winking one of his little eyes. "The top of the tree," said the Jew; "employs a power of hands; and has the very best society in the profession." 66 Regular town-maders ?" asked Mr. Claypole. "Not a countryman among 'em; and I don't think he'd take you even on my recommendation, if he didn't run rather short of assistants just now," replied the Jew. "Should I have to hand over ?" said Noah, slapping his breeches' pocket. "It couldn't possibly be done without," replied Fagin, in a most decided manner. "Twenty pounds, though,—it's a lot of money." 66 "Not when it's in a note you can't get rid of," retorted Fagin. "Number and date taken, I suppose; payment stopped at the bank? Ah! its not worth much to him; it'll have to go abroad, and he "Where?" "Here." "Um!" said Noah. "What's the wages?" "Live like a gentleman,-board and odging, pipes and spirits free,-half of all you earn, and half of all the young woman earns," replied Mr. Fagin. Whether Noah Claypole, whose rapacity was none of the least comprehensive, would have acceded even to these glowing terms had he been a perfectly free agent, is very doubtful; but as he recollected that, in the event of his refusal, it was in the power of his new acquaintance to give him up to justice immediately, (and more unlikely things had come to pass,) he gradually relented, and said he thought that would suit him. as "But, yer see," observed Noah, ". she will be able to do a good deal, I should like to take something very light." "A little fancy-work?" suggested Fagin. "Ah! something of that sort," replied Noah. "What do you think would suit me now? Something not too trying for the strength, and not very dangerous, you know; that's the sort of thing!" I heard you talk of something in the spy way upon the others, my dear,” said the Jew. 66 My friend wants somebody who would do that well very much." 66 Why, I did mention that, and I shouldn't mind turning my hand to it sometimes," rejoined Mr. Claypole slowly; "but it wouldn't pay by itself, you know." "That's true!" observed the Jew, ruminating, or pretending to ruminate. "No, it might not." "What do you think, then?" asked Noah, anxiously regarding him. "Something in the sneaking way, where it was pretty sure work, and not much more risk than being at home." "What do you think of the old ladies?" asked the Jew. "There's a good deal of money made in snatching their bags and parcels, and running round the cor ner. "Stop," said the Jew, laying his hand on Noah's knee. "The kinchin lay." "What's that?" demanded Mr. Claypole. "The kinchins, my dear," said the Jew," is the young children that's sent on errands by their mothers, with sixpences and shillings, and the lay is just to take their money away-they've always got it ready in their hands,-and then knock 'em into the kennel, and walk off very slow, as if there was nothing else the matter but a child fallen down and hurt itself. Ha! ha! ha!" "Ha ha!" roared Mr. Claypole, kicking up his legs in an ecstasy. 66 Lor, that's the very thing!" "To be sure it is," replied Fagin; "and you can have a few good beats chalked out in Camden-Town, and BattleBridge and neighbourhoods like that, where they 're always going errands, and upset as many kinchins as you want any hour in the day. Ha! ha! ha!" With this Fagin poked Mr. Claypole in the side, and they joined in a burst of laughter both long and loud. 66 Well, that's all right!" said Noah when he had recovered himself, and Charlotte had returned. "What time tomorrow shall we say?" "Will ten do?" asked the Jew, adding, as Mr. Claypole nodded assent, "What name shall I tell my good friend?" "Mr. Bolter," replied Noah, who had prepared himself for such an emergency. "Mr. Morris Bolter. This is Mrs. Bolter." "Mrs. Bolter's humble servant," said Fagin, bowing with grotesque politeness. "I hope I shall know her better very shortly." "Do you hear the gentleman, Charlotte?" thundered Mr. Člaypole. "Yes, Noah, dear!" replied Mrs. Bolter, extending her hand. "She calls me Noah, as a sort of fond way of talking," said Mr. Morris Bolter, late Claypole, turning to the Jew. "You understand?" "Oh, yes, I understand,-perfectly," replied Fagin, telling the truth for once. "Good night! good night!" With many adieus and good wishes, Mr. Fagin went his way; and Noah Claypole, bespeaking his good lady's attention, proceeded to enlighten her relative to the arrangement he had made, with all that "Don't they holler out a good deal, and haughtiness and air of superiority becomscratch sometimes ?" asked Noah, shak-ing not only a member of the sterner sex, ing his head. "I don't think that would but a gentleman who appreciates the dig answer my purpose. Ain't there any other nity of a special appointment on the kin line open ?" chin lay in London and its vicinity. 66 |