and earnestly. At length he put it it up, in mere sport. "Did you see any of these pretty things, my dear?" said the Jew, laying his hand upon it after a short pause. "Yes, sir," replied Oliver. 66 "Ah!" said the Jew, turning rather They-they're mine, Oliver; my little property. All I have to live upon, in my old age. The folks call me a miser, my dear-only a miser; that's all." As the Jew uttered these words, his bright dark eyes, which had been staring vacantly before him, fell on | pale. Oliver's face; the boy's eyes were fixed on his in mute curiosity; and, although the recognition was only for an instant for the briefest space of time that can possibly be conceived- Oliver thought the old gentleman it was enough to show the old man must be a decided miser to live in that he had been observed. He such a dirty place, with so many closed the lid of the box with a loud | watches; but, thinking that perhaps crash; and, laying his hand on a bread knife which was on the table, started furiously up. He trembled very much though; for, even in his terror, Oliver could see that the knife quivered in the air. "What's that?" said the Jew. “ What do you watch me for? Why are you awake? seen? his fondness for the Dodger and the other boys, cost him a good deal of money, he only cast a deferential look at the Jew, and asked if he might get up. 66 Certainly, my dear-certainly," replied the old gentleman. "Stay. There's a pitcher of water in the What have you | corner by the door. Bring it here ; Speak out, boy! Quick- and I'll give you a basin to wash in, quick! for your life!" my dear." 66 I wasn't able to sleep any longer, sir," replied Oliver, meekly. “I am very sorry if I have disturbed you, sir." | "You were not awake an hour ago?" said the Jew, scowling fiercely on the boy. "No-no, indeed," replied Oliver. "Are you sure?" cried the Jew: with a still fiercer look than before: and a threatening attitude. "Upon my word I was not, sir," replied Oliver, earnestly. “ I was not, indeed, sir." "Tush, tush, my dear!" said the Jew, abruptly resuming his old manner, and playing with the knife a little, before he laid it down: as if to induce the belief that he had caught Oliver got up; walked across the room; and stooped for an instant to raise the pitcher. When he turned his head, the box was gone. He had scarcely washed himself, and made everything tidy, by emptying the basin out of the window, agreeably to the Jew's directions, when the Dodger returned: accompanied by a very sprightly young friend, whom Oliver had seen smoking on the previous night, and who was now formally introduced to him as Charley Bates. The four sat down, to breakfast on the coffee, and some hot rolls and ham, which the Dodger had brought home in the crown of his hat. "Well," said the Jew, glancing slyly at Oliver, and addressing himself to the Dodger, "I hope you've been at work this morning, my dears?" 66 wrong channel, very nearly terminated in his premature suffocation. "He is so jolly green!" said Charley when he recovered: as an apology to the company for his unpolite behaviour. Hard," replied the Dodger. "As Nails," added Charley Bates. "Good boys, good boys!" said the Jew. "What have you got, Dodger?" "A couple of pocket-books," replied that young gentleman. "Lined?" inquired the Jew, with man, observing Oliver's colour mounteagerness. "Pretty well,” replied the Dodger, producing two pocket-books: one green, and the other red. "Not so heavy as they might be," said the Jew, after looking at the insides carefully; "but very neat and nicely made. Ingenious workman, ain't he, Oliver?" Very, indeed, sir," said Oliver. At which Mr. Charles Bates laughed uproariously; ; very much to the amazement 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," replied Master Bates; at the same time producing four pockethandkerchiefs. "Well," said the Jew, inspecting them closely; they 're very good ones-very. You haven't marked them well, though, Charley; so the marks shall be picked 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. The Dodger said nothing, but he smoothed Oliver's hair over his eyes, and said he'd know better, by-andbye; upon which the old gentle ing, changed the subject by asking whether there had been much of a crowd at the execution that morning. This made him wonder more and more; for it was plain from the replies of the two boys that they had both been there; and Oliver naturally wondered how they could possibly have found time to be so very industrious. When the breakfast was cleared away, the merry old gentleman and the two boys played at a very curious and uncommon game, which was performed in this way. The merry old gentleman placing a snuff-box in one pocket of his trousers, a note-case in the other, and a watch in his waistcoat pocket with a guard-chain round his neck and sticking a mock diamond pin in his shirt: buttoned his coat tight round him, and putting his spectacle-case and handkerchief in his pockets, trotted up and down the room with a stick, in imitation of the manner in which old gentlemen walk about the streets any hour in the day. Sometimes he stopped at the fireplace, and sometimes at the door, making belief that he was staring with all his might into shop-windows. At such times, he would look constantly round him, for fear of thieves, and keep slapping all his pockets in turn, to see that he hadn't lost anything, in such a very funny and natural manner, that Oliver laughed till the tears ran down his face. All this time, the two boys followed him "Have they done work, sir?" inquired Oliver. "Yes," said the Jew; "that is, unless they should unexpectedly come across any, when they are out; and they won't neglect it, if they do, my dear: depend upon it." closely about getting out of his sight, so nimbly, every time he turned round, that it was impossible to follow their motions. At last, the Dodger trod upon his toes, or ran upon his boot accidentally, while Charley Bates stumbled up against him behind; and in that one moment they took from "Make 'em your models, my dear. him, with the most extraordinary Make 'em your models," said the rapidity, snuff-box, note-case, watch- Jew, tapping the fire-shovel on the guard, chain, shirt-pin, pocket-hand-hearth to add force to his words; kerchief-even the spectacle-case. If "do everything they bid you, and the old gentleman felt a hand in any one of his pockets, he cried out where it was; and then the game began all over again. take their advice 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 handkerchief hanging out of my pocket, my dear?" said the When this game had been played a great many times, a couple of young ladies called to see the young gentle-Jew, stopping short. men; one of whom was named Bet, and the other Nancy. They wore a good deal of hair, not very neatly turned up behind, and were rather untidy about the shoes and stockings. They were not exactly pretty, perhaps; but they had a great deal of colour in their faces, and looked quite stout and hearty. Being remarkably free and agreeable in their manners, Oliver thought them very nice girls indeed. As there is no doubt they were. "Yes, sir," said Oliver. "See if you can take it out, without my feeling it: as you saw them do, when we were at play this morning." These visitors stopped a long time. Spirits were produced, in consequence of one of the young ladies complaining of a coldness in her inside; and the conversation took a very convivial and improving turn. At length, Charley Bates expressed his opinion that it was time to pad the hoof. This, it occurred to Oliver, must be French for going out; for, directly afterwards, the Dodger, and Charley, and the two young ladies, went away together, having been kindly furnished by the amiable old Jew with money to spend. "There, my dear," said Fagin. "That's a pleasant life, isn't it? They have gone out for the day." Oliver held up the bottom of the pocket with one hand, as he had seen the Dodger hold it, and drew the handkerchief lightly out of it with the other. "Is it gone?" cried the Jew. "Here it is, sir," said Oliver, showing it in his hand. You're a clever boy, my dear," said the playful old gentleman, patting Oliver on the head approvingly. "I never saw a sharper lad. Here's a shilling for you. If you go on, in this way, you'll be the greatest man of the time. And now come here, and I'll show you how to take the marks out of the handkerchiefs." Oliver wondered what picking the old gentleman's pocket in play, had to do with his chances of being a great man. But, thinking that the Jew, being so much his senior, must know best, he followed him quietly to the table, and was soon deeply involved in his new study. CHAPTER X. OLIVER BECOMES BETTER ACQUAINTED WITH THE CHARACTERS OF HIS NEW ASSOCIATES; AND PURCHASES EXPERIENCE AT A HIGH PRICE. BEING A SHORT, BUT VERY IMPORTANT CHAPTER, IN THIS HISTORY. FOR many days, Oliver remained in up, and his hat cocked, as usual; the Jew's room, picking the marks Master Bates sauntering along with out of the pocket-handkerchiefs, (of his hands in his pockets; and Oliver which a great number were brought between them, wondering where they home,) and sometimes taking part in were going, and what branch of mathe game already described: which nufacture he would be instructed in, the two boys and the Jew played, re-first. gularly, every morning. At length, he began to languish for fresh air; and took many occasions of earnestly entreating the old gentleman to allow him to go out to work, with his two companions. The pace at which they went, was such a very lazy, ill-looking saunter, that Oliver soon began to think his companions were going to deceive the old gentleman, by not going to work at all. The Dodger had a vicious propensity, too, of pulling the caps from the heads of small boys and tossing them down areas; while Charley Bates exhibited some very loose notions concerning the rights of property, by pilfering divers apples and onions from the stalls at the kennel sides, and thrusting them into pockets which were so surprisingly capacious, that they seemed to undermine his whole suit of clothes in every direction. These things looked so bad, that Oliver was on the point of declaring his intention of seeking his way back, in the best way he could; when his thoughts were suddenly di Oliver was rendered the more anxious to be actively employed, by what he had seen of the stern morality of the old gentleman's character. Whenever the Dodger or Charley Bates came home at night, emptyhanded, he would expatiate with great vehemence on the misery of idle and lazy habits; and would enforce upon them the necessity of an active life, by sending them supperless to bed. On one occasion, indeed, he even went so far as to knock them both down a flight of stairs; but this was carrying out his virtuous precepts to an unusual extent. At length, one morning, Oliver ob-rected into another channel, by a very tained the permission he had so eagerly mysterious change of behaviour on the sought. There had been no hand- part of the Dodger. kerchiefs to work upon, for two or three days, and the dinners had been rather meagre. Perhaps these were reasons for the old gentleman's giving his assent; but, whether they were or no, he told Oliver he might go; and placed him under the joint guardianship of Charley Bates, and his friend the Dodger. The three boys sallied out; the Dodger with his coat-sleeves tucked They were just emerging from a narrow court not far from the open square in Clerkenwell, which is yet called, by some strange perversion of terms, "The Green :" when the Dodger made a sudden stop; and, laying his finger on his lip, drew his companions back again, with the greatest caution and circumspection. "What's the matter?" demanded Oliver. "Hush!" replied the Dodger. "Do you see that old cove at the book-stall?" "The old gentleman over the way?" said Oliver. "Yes, I see him." "He'll do," said the Dodger. "A prime plant," observed Master Charley Bates. Oliver looked from one to the other, with the greatest surprise; but he was not permitted to make any inquiries; for the two boys walked stealthily across the road, and slunk close behind the old gentleman towards whom his attention had been directed. Oliver walked a few paces after them; and, not knowing whether to advance or retire, stood looking on in silent amazement. In an instant the whole mystery of the handkerchiefs, and the watches, and the jewels, and the Jew, rushed upon the boy's mind. He stood, for a moment, with the blood so tingling through all his veins from terror, that he felt as if he were in a burning fire; then, confused and frightened, he took to his heels; and, not knowing what he did, made off as fast as he could lay his feet to the ground. This was all done in a minute's space. In the very instant when But the old gentleman was not the only person who raised the hue-andcry. The Dodger and Master Bates, unwilling to attract public attention by running down the open street, had merely retired into the very first doorway round the corner. They no sooner heard the cry, and saw Oliver running, than, guessing exactly how the matter stood, they issued forth with great The old gentleman was a very respectable-looking personage, with a powdered head and gold spectacles. He was dressed in a bottle-green coat with a black velvet collar; wore white trousers; and carried a smart bamboo cane under his arm. He had taken up a book from the stall; and there he stood: reading away, as hard as if he were in his elbow-chair, in his own study. It is very possible that he fancied himself there, indeed; for it was plain, from his utter abstraction, that he saw not the book-stall, nor the street, nor the boys, nor, in short, any-promptitude; and, shouting "Stop thing but the book itself: which he was reading straight through: turning over the leaf when he got to the bottom of a page, beginning at the top line of the next one, and going regularly on, with the greatest interest and eagerness. thief!" too, joined in the pursuit like good citizens. Although Oliver had been brought up by philosophers, he was not theoretically acquainted with the beautiful axiom that self-preservation is the first law of nature. If he had been, perhaps he would have been prepared for this. Not being prepared, however, it alarmed him the more; so away he went like the wind, with the What was Oliver's horror and alarm as he stood a few paces off, looking on with his eyelids as wide open as they would possibly go, to see the Dodger plunge his hand into the old gentle-old gentleman and the two boys roarman's pocket, and draw from thence ing and shouting behind him. a handkerchief! To see him hand the same to Charley Bates; and finally to behold them, both, running away round the corner at full speed! is 66 Stop thief! Stop thief!" There a magic in the sound. The tradesman leaves his counter, and the carman his waggon; the butcher throws |