Oldal 86 [86]
OCR
94 Company every quarter. Wot’s it all about, Fagin. D—me if my neckankecher an’t lined with beer. Come in, you sneaking warmint; wot are you stopping outside for, as if you was ashamed of your master. Come in!” The man who growled out these words was a stoutly-built fellow of about fiveand-forty, in a black velveteen coat, very soiled drab breeches, lace-up half-boots, and grey cotton stockings, which enclosed a very bulky pair of legs, with large swelling calves,—the kind of legs which in such costume always look in an unfinished and incomplete state without a set of fetters to garnish them. He had a brown hat on his head, and a dirty ‘belcher handkerchief round his neck, with the long frayed ends of which, he smeared the beer from his face as he ‘spoke; disclosing when he had done so a broad heavy countenance with a beard of three days’ growth, and two scowling eyes, one of which displayed various parti-coloured symptoms of having been recently damaged by a blow. “Come in, d’ye hear?” growled this engaging-looking rufiian. A white shaggy dog, with his face scratched and torn in twenty different places, skulked into the room. c Why didn’t you come in afore?” said the man. “ You’re getting too proud to own me afore company, are you? Lie down!” This command was accompanied with a kick which sent the animal to the other end of the room. He appeared well used to it, however; for he coiled himself up in a corner very quietly without uttering a sound, and, winking his very ill-lookmg “appeared to occupy himself in taking a survey of the apartment. “What are you up to? I)l-treating the boys, you covetous, avaricious, 1n-sati-a-ble old fence?” said the man, seating himself deliberately. “I wonder they don’t murder you; J would if I was them. If I’d been your ’prentice I’d have done it long ago; and—no, I couldn’t have sold "you arterwards, though; for you’re fit for nothing but keeping as a curiosity of ugliness in a glass bottle, and I suppose they don’t blow them large enough.” ‘ Hush! hush! Mr. Sikes,” said the Jew, trembling; “don’t speak so loud.” “ None of your mistering,” replied the ruffian ; “you always mean mischief when you come that. You know my name: out with it. I shan’t disgrace it when the time comes.” | i “ Well, well, then, Bill Sikes,” said the Jew with abject humility. “ You seem out of humour, Bill.” “ Perhaps I am,” replied Sikes. "1 should think you were rather out of sorts too, unless you mean as little harm when you throw pewter pots about, as you do when you blab and E “Are you mad?" said the Jew, catching the man by the sleeve, and pointing towards the boys. Mr. Sikes contented himself with tying an imaginary knot under his left ear, and jerking his head over on the right shoulder; a piece of dumb show which the Jew appeared to understand perfectly. He then in cant terms, with which his whole conversation was plentifully besprinkled, but which would be quite unintelligible if they were recorded here, demanded a glass of liquor. “And mind you don’t poison it,” said Mr. Sikes, laying his hat upon the table. This was said in jest; but if the speaker could have seen the evil leer with which the Jew bit his pale lip as he turned round to the cupboard, he might have thought the caution not wholly unnecessary, or the wish, at all events, to improve upon the distiller’s ingenuity not very far from the old gentleman’s merry heart. After swallowing two or three glassfuls of spirits, Mr. Sikes condescended to take some notice of the young gentlemen; which gracious act led to a conversation in which the cause and manner of Oliver’s capture were circumstantially detailed, with such alterations and improvements on the truth as to the Dodger appeared most advisable under the circumstances, ‘‘T’m afraid,” said the Jew, “that he may say something which will get us into trouble.” “'That’s very likely,” returned Sikes with a malicious grin. * You’re blowed upon, Fagin.” 6 And I’m afraid, you see,” added the Jew, speaking as if he had not noticed the interruption, and regarding the other closely as he did so,—“*1I’m afraid that, if the game was up with us, it might be up with a good many more; and that it would come out rather worse for you than it would for me, my dear.” The man started, and turned fiercely round upon the Jew; but the old gentleman’s shoulders were shrugged up to his ears, and his eyes were vacantly staring on the opposite wall. There was a long pause. Every member of the respectable coterie appeared
