CHAPTER XXXIX

INTRODUCES SOME RESPECTABLE CHARACTERS WITH WHOM THE READER IS

ALREADY ACQUAINTED, AND SHOWS HOW MONKS AND THE JEW LAID THEIR

WORTHY HEADS TOGETHER

On the evening following that upon which the three worthies

mentioned in the last chapter, disposed of their little matter of

business as therein narrated, Mr. William Sikes, awakening from a

nap, drowsily growled forth an inquiry what time of night it was.

The room in which Mr. Sikes propounded this question, was not one

of those he had tenanted, previous to the Chertsey expedition,

although it was in the same quarter of the town, and was situated

at no great distance from his former lodgings. It was not, in

appearance, so desirable a habitation as his old quarters: being

a mean and badly-furnished apartment, of very limited size;

lighted only by one small window in the shelving roof, and

abutting on a close and dirty lane. Nor were there wanting other

indications of the good gentleman's having gone down in the world

of late: for a great scarcity of furniture, and total absence of

comfort, together with the disappearance of all such small

moveables as spare clothes and linen, bespoke a state of extreme

poverty; while the meagre and attenuated condition of Mr. Sikes

himself would have fully confirmed these symptoms, if they had

stood in any need of corroboration.

The housebreaker was lying on the bed, wrapped in his white

great-coat, by way of dressing-gown, and displaying a set of

features in no degree improved by the cadaverous hue of illness,

and the addition of a soiled nightcap, and a stiff, black beard

of a week's growth. The dog sat at the bedside: now eyeing his

master with a wistful look, and now pricking his ears, and

uttering a low growl as some noise in the street, or in the lower

part of the house, attracted his attention. Seated by the

window, busily engaged in patching an old waistcoat which formed

a portion of the robber's ordinary dress, was a female: so pale

and reduced with watching and privation, that there would have

been considerable difficulty in recognising her as the same Nancy

who has already figured in this tale, but for the voice in which

she replied to Mr. Sikes's question.

'Not long gone seven,' said the girl. 'How do you feel to-night,

Bill?'

'As weak as water,' replied Mr. Sikes, with an imprecation on his

eyes and limbs. 'Here; lend us a hand, and let me get off this

thundering bed anyhow.'

Illness had not improved Mr. Sikes's temper; for, as the girl

raised him up and led him to a chair, he muttered various curses

on her awkwardnewss, and struck her.

'Whining are you?' said Sikes. 'Come! Don't stand snivelling

there. If you can't do anything better than that, cut off

altogether. D'ye hear me?'

'I hear you,' replied the girl, turning her face aside, and

forcing a laugh. 'What fancy have you got in your head now?'

'Oh! you've thought better of it, have you?' growled Sikes,

marking the tear which trembled in her eye. 'All the better for

you, you have.'

'Why, you don't mean to say, you'd be hard upon me to-night,

Bill,' said the girl, laying her hand upon his shoulder.

'No!' cried Mr. Sikes. 'Why not?'

'Such a number of nights,' said the girl, with a touch of woman's

tenderness, which communicated something like sweetness of tone,

even to her voice: 'such a number of nights as I've been patient

with you, nursing and caring for you, as if you had been a child:

and this the first that I've seen you like yourself; you wouldn't

have served me as you did just now, if you'd thought of that,

would you? Come, come; say you wouldn't.'

'Well, then,' rejoined Mr. Sikes, 'I wouldn't. Why, damme, now,

the girls's whining again!'

'It's nothing,' said the girl, throwing herself into a chair.

'Don't you seem to mind me. It'll soon be over.'

'What'll be over?' demanded Mr. Sikes in a savage voice. 'What

foolery are you up to, now, again? Get up and bustle about, and

don't come over me with your woman's nonsense.'

At any other time, this remonstrance, and the tone in which it

was delivered, would have had the desired effect; but the girl

being really weak and exhausted, dropped her head over the back

of the chair, and fainted, before Mr. Sikes could get out a few

of the appropriate oaths with which, on similar occasions, he was

accustomed to garnish his threats. Not knowing, very well, what

to do, in this uncommonemergency; for Miss Nancy's hysterics

were usually of that violent kind which the patient fights and

struggles out of, without much assistance; Mr. Sikes tried a

little blasphemy: and finding that mode of treatment wholly

ineffectual, called for assistance.

'What's the matter here, my dear?' said Fagin, looking in.

'Lend a hand to the girl, can't you?' replied Sikes impatiently.

'Don't stand chattering and grinning at me!'

With an exclamation of surprise, Fagin hastened to the girl's

assistance, while Mr. John Dawkins (otherwise the Artful Dodger),

who had followed his venerable friend into the room, hastily

deposited on the floor a bundle with which he was laden; and

snatching a bottle from the grasp of Master Charles Bates who

came close at his heels, uncorked it in a twinkling with his

teeth, and poured a portion of its contents down the patient's

throat: previouslytaking a taste, himself, to prevent mistakes.

'Give her a whiff of fresh air with the bellows, Charley,' said

Mr. Dawkins; 'and you slap her hands, Fagin, while Bill undoes

the petticuts.'

These united restoratives, administered with great energy:

especially that department consigned to Master Bates, who

appeared to consider his share in the proceedings, a piece of

unexampled pleasantry: were not long in producing the desired

effect. The girl gradually recovered her senses; and, staggering

to a chair by the bedside, hid her face upon the pillow: leaving

Mr. Sikes to confront the new comers, in some astonishment at

their unlooked-for appearance.

'Why, what evil wind has blowed you here?' he asked Fagin.

'No evil wind at all, my dear, for evil winds blow nobody any

good; and I've brought something good with me, that you'll be

glad to see. Dodger, my dear, open the bundle; and give Bill the

little trifles that we spent all our money on, this morning.'

In compliance with Mr. Fagin's request, the Artful untied this

bundle, which was of large size, and formed of an old

table-cloth; and handed the articles it contained, one by one, to

Charley Bates: who placed them on the table, with various

encomiums on their rarity and excellence.

'Sitch a rabbit pie, Bill,' exclaimed that young gentleman,

disclosing to view a huge pasty; 'sitch delicate creeturs, with

sitch tender limbs, Bill, that the wery bones melt in your mouth,

and there's no occasion to pick 'em; half a pound of seven and

six-penny green, so precious strong that if you mix it with

biling water, it'll go nigh to blow the lid of the tea-pot off; a

pound and a half of moist sugar that the niggers didn't work at

all at, afore they got it up to sitch a pitch of goodness,--oh

no! Two half-quartern brans; pound of best fresh; piece of

double Glo'ster; and, to wind up all, some of the richest sort

you ever lushed!'

Uttering this last panegyrie, Master Bates produced, from one of

his extensive pockets, a full-sized wine-bottle, carefully

corked; while Mr. Dawkins, at the same instant, poured out a

wine-glassful of raw spirits from the bottle he carried: which

the invalid tossed down his throat without a moment's hesitation.

'Ah!' said Fagin, rubbing his hands with great satisfaction.

'You'll do, Bill; you'll do now.'

'Do!' exclaimed Mr. Sikes; 'I might have been done for, twenty

times over, afore you'd have done anything to help me. What do

you mean by leaving a man in this state, three weeks and more,

you false-hearted wagabond?'

'Only hear him, boys!' said Fagin, shrugging his shoulders. 'And

us come to bring him all these beau-ti-ful things.'

'The things is well enough in their way,' observed Mr. Sikes: a

little soothed as he glanced over the table; 'but what have you

got to say for yourself, why you should leave me here, down in

the mouth, health, blunt, and everything else; and take no more

notice of me, all this mortal time, than if I was that 'ere

dog.--Drive him down, Charley!'

'I never see such a jolly dog as that,' cried Master Bates, doing

as he was desired. 'Smelling the grub like a old lady a going to

market! He'd make his fortun' on the stage that dog would, and

rewive the drayma besides.'

'Hold your din,' cried Sikes, as the dog retreated under the bed:

still growling angrily. 'What have you got to say for yourself,

you withered old fence, eh?'

'I was away from London, a week and more, my dear, on a plant,'

replied the Jew.

'And what about the other fortnight?' demanded Sikes. 'What

about the other fortnight that you've left me lying here, like a

sick rat in his hole?'

'I couldn't help it, Bill. I can't go into a long explanation

before company; but I couldn't help it, upon my honour.'

'Upon your what?' growled Sikes, with excessive disgust. 'Here!

Cut me off a piece of that pie, one of you boys, to take the

taste of that out of my mouth, or it'll choke me dead.'

'Don't be out of temper, my dear,' urged Fagin, submissively. 'I

have never forgot you, Bill; never once.'

'No! I'll pound it that you han't,' replied Sikes, with a bitter

grin. 'You've been scheming and plotting away, every hour that I

have laid shivering and burning here; and Bill was to do this;

and Bill was to do that; and Bill was to do it all, dirt cheap,

as soon as he got well: and was quite poor enough for your work.

If it hadn't been for the girl, I might have died.'

'There now, Bill,' remonstrated Fagin, eagerly catching at the

word. 'If it hadn't been for the girl! Who but poor ould Fagin

was the means of your having such a handy girl about you?'

'He says true enough there!' said Nancy, coming hastily forward.

'Let him be; let him be.'

Nancy's appearance gave a new turn to the conversation; for the

boys, receiving a sly wink from the wary old Jew, began to ply

her with liquor: of which, however, she took very sparingly;

while Fagin, assuming an unusual flow of spirits, gradually

brought Mr. Sikes into a better temper, by affecting to regard

his threats as a little pleasant banter; and, moreover, by

laughing very heartily at one or two rough jokes, which, after

repeated applications to the spirit-bottle, he condescended to

make.

'It's all very well,' said Mr. Sikes; 'but I must have some blunt

from you to-night.'

'I haven't a piece of coin about me,' replied the Jew.

'Then you've got lots at home,' retorted Sikes; 'and I must have

some from there.'

'Lots!' cried Fagin, holding up is hands. 'I haven't so much as

would--'

'I don't know how much you've got, and I dare say you hardly know

yourself, as it would take a pretty long time to count it,' said

Sikes; 'but I must have some to-night; and that's flat.'

'Well, well,' said Fagin, with a sigh, 'I'll send the Artful

round presently.'

'You won't do nothing of the kind,' rejoined Mr. Sikes. 'The

Artful's a deal too artful, and would forget to come, or lose his

way, or get dodged by traps and so be perwented, or anything for

an excuse, if you put him up to it. Nancy shall go to the ken

and fetch it, to make all sure; and I'll lie down and have a

snooze while she's gone.'

After a great deal of haggling and squabbling, Fagin beat down

the amount of the required advance from five pounds to three

pounds four and sixpence: protesting with many solemn

asseverations that that would only leave him eighteen-pence to

keep house with; Mr. Sikes sullenly remarking that if he couldn't

get any more he must accompany him home; with the Dodger and

Master Bates put the eatables in the cupboard. The Jew then,

taking leave of his affectionate friend, returned homeward,

attended by Nancy and the boys: Mr. Sikes, meanwhile, flinging

himself on the bed, and composing himself to sleep away the time

until the young lady's return.

In due course, they arrived at Fagin's abode, where they found

Toby Crackit and Mr. Chitling intent upon their fifteenth game at

cribbage, which it is scarcely necessary to say the latter

gentleman lost, and with it, his fifteenth and last sixpence:

much to the amusement of his young friends. Mr. Crackit,

apparently somewhat ashamed at being found relaxing himself with

a gentleman so much his inferior in station and mental

endowments, yawned, and inquiring after Sikes, took up his hat to

go.

'Has nobody been, Toby?' asked Fagin.

'Not a living leg,' answered Mr. Crackit, pulling up his collar;

'it's been as dull as swipes. You ought to stand something

handsome, Fagin, to recompense me for keeping house so long.

Damme, I'm as flat as a juryman; and should have gone to sleep,

as fast as Newgate, if I hadn't had the good natur' to amuse this

youngster. Horrid dull, I'm blessed if I an't!'

With these and other ejaculations of the same kind, Mr. Toby

Crackit swept up his winnings, and crammed them into his

waistcoat pocket with a haughty air, as though such small pieces

of silver were wholly beneath the consideration of a man of his

figure; this done, he swaggered out of the room, with so much

elegance and gentility, that Mr. Chitling, bestowing numerous

admiring glances on his legs and boots till they were out of

sight, assured the company that he considered his acquaintance

cheap at fifteen sixpences an interview, and that he didn't value

his losses the snap of his little finger.

'Wot a rum chap you are, Tom!' said Master Bates, highly amused

by this declaration.

'Not a bit of it,' replied Mr. Chitling. 'Am I, Fagin?'

'A very clever fellow, my dear,' said Fagin, patting him on the

shoulder, and winking to his other pupils.

'And Mr. Crackit is a heavy swell; an't he, Fagin?' asked Tom.

'No doubt at all of that, my dear.'

'And it is a creditable thing to have his acquaintance; an't it,

Fagin?' pursued Tom.

'Very much so, indeed, my dear. They're only jealous, Tom,

because he won't give it to them.'

'Ah!' cried Tom, triumphantly, 'that's where it is! He has

cleaned me out. But I can go and earn some more, when I like;

can't I, Fagin?'

'To be sure you can, and the sooner you go the better, Tom; so

make up your loss at once, and don't lose any more time. Dodger!

Charley! It's time you were on the lay. Come! It's near ten,

and nothing done yet.'

In obedience to this hint, the boys, nodding to Nancy, took up

their hats, and left the room; the Dodger and his vivacious

friend indulging, as they went, in many witticisms at the expense

of Mr. Chitling; in whose conduct, it is but justice to say,

there was nothing very conspicuous or peculiar: inasmuch as

there are a great number of spirited young bloods upon town, who

pay a much higher price than Mr. Chitling for being seen in good

society: and a great number of fine gentlemen (composing the

good society aforesaid) who established their reputation upon

very much the same footing as flash Toby Crackit.

'Now,' said Fagin, when they had left the room, 'I'll go and get

you that cash, Nancy. This is only the key of a little cupboard

where I keep a few odd things the boys get, my dear. I never

lock up my money, for I've got none to lock up, my dear--ha! ha!

ha!--none to lock up. It's a poor trade, Nancy, and no thanks;

but I'm fond of seeing the young people about me; and I bear it

all, I bear it all. Hush!' he said, hastily concealing the key

in his breast; 'who's that? Listen!'

The girl, who was sitting at the table with her arms folded,

appeared in no way interested in the arrival: or to care whether

the person, whoever he was, came or went: until the murmur of a

man's voice reached her ears. The instant she caught the sound,

she tore off her bonnet and shawl, with the rapidity of

lightning, and thrust them under the table. The Jew, turning