English
Formanydays,OliverremainedintheJew’sroom,pickingthemarksoutofthepocket-handkerchief,(ofwhichagreatnumberwerebroughthome,)andsometimestakingpartinthegamealreadydescribed:whichthetwoboysandtheJewplayed,regularly,everymorning.
Atlength,hebegantolanguishforfreshair,andtookmanyoccasionsofearnestlyentreatingtheoldgentlemantoallowhimtogoouttoworkwithhistwocompanions.
Oliverwasrenderedthemoreanxioustobeactivelyemployed,bywhathehadseenofthesternmoralityoftheoldgentleman’scharacter.
WhenevertheDodgerorCharleyBatescamehomeatnight,empty-handed,hewouldexpatiatewithgreatvehemenceonthemiseryofidleandlazyhabits;andwouldenforceuponthemthenecessityofanactivelife,bysendingthemsupperlesstobed.
Ononeoccasion,indeed,heevenwentsofarastoknockthembothdownaflightofstairs;butthiswascarryingouthisvirtuouspreceptstoanunusualextent.
Atlength,onemorning,Oliverobtainedthepermissionhehadsoeagerlysought.
Therehadbeennohandkerchiefstoworkupon,fortwoorthreedays,andthedinnershadbeenrathermeagre.
Perhapsthesewerereasonsfortheoldgentleman’sgivinghisassent;but,whethertheywereorno,hetoldOliverhemightgo,andplacedhimunderthejointguardianshipofCharleyBates,andhisfriendtheDodger.
Thethreeboyssalliedout;theDodgerwithhiscoat-sleevestuckedup,andhishatcocked,asusual;MasterBatessaunteringalongwithhishandsinhispockets;andOliverbetweenthem,wonderingwheretheyweregoing,andwhatbranchofmanufacturehewouldbeinstructedin,first.
Thepaceatwhichtheywent,wassuchaverylazy,ill-lookingsaunter,thatOliversoonbegantothinkhiscompanionsweregoingtodeceivetheoldgentleman,bynotgoingtoworkatall.
TheDodgerhadaviciouspropensity,too,ofpullingthecapsfromtheheadsofsmallboysandtossingthemdownareas;whileCharleyBatesexhibitedsomeveryloosenotionsconcerningtherightsofproperty,bypilferingdiversapplesandonionsfromthestallsatthekennelsides,andthrustingthemintopocketswhichweresosurprisinglycapacious,thattheyseemedtounderminehiswholesuitofclothesineverydirection.
Thesethingslookedsobad,thatOliverwasonthepointofdeclaringhisintentionofseekinghiswayback,inthebestwayhecould;whenhisthoughtsweresuddenlydirectedintoanotherchannel,byaverymysteriouschangeofbehaviouronthepartoftheDodger.
TheywerejustemergingfromanarrowcourtnotfarfromtheopensquareinClerkenwell,whichisyetcalled,bysomestrangeperversionofterms,‘TheGreen’:whentheDodgermadeasuddenstop;and,layinghisfingeronhislip,drewhiscompanionsbackagain,withthegreatestcautionandcircumspection.
‘What’sthematter?’demandedOliver.
‘Hush!’repliedtheDodger.‘Doyouseethatoldcoveatthebook-stall?’
‘Theoldgentlemanovertheway?’saidOliver.‘Yes,Iseehim.’
‘He’lldo,’saidtheDoger.
‘Aprimeplant,’observedMasterCharleyBates.
Oliverlookedfromonetotheother,withthegreatestsurprise;buthewasnotpermittedtomakeanyinquiries;forthetwoboyswalkedstealthilyacrosstheroad,andslunkclosebehindtheoldgentlemantowardswhomhisattentionhadbeendirected.
Oliverwalkedafewpacesafterthem;and,notknowingwhethertoadvanceorretire,stoodlookingoninsilentamazement.
Theoldgentlemanwasaveryrespectable-lookingpersonage,withapowderedheadandgoldspectacles.
Hewasdressedinabottle-greencoatwithablackvelvetcollar;worewhitetrousers;andcarriedasmartbamboocaneunderhisarm.
Hehadtakenupabookfromthestall,andtherehestood,readingaway,ashardasifhewereinhiselbow-chair,inhisownstudy.
Itisverypossiblethathefanciedhimselfthere,indeed;foritwasplain,fromhisabstraction,thathesawnotthebook-stall,northestreet,northeboys,nor,inshort,anythingbutthebookitself:whichhewasreadingstraightthrough:turningovertheleafwhenhegottothebottomofapage,beginningatthetoplineofthenextone,andgoingregularlyon,withthegreatestinterestandeagerness.
WhatwasOliver’shorrorandalarmashestoodafewpacesoff,lookingonwithhiseyelidsaswideopenastheywouldpossiblygo,toseetheDodgerplungehishandintotheoldgentleman’spocket,anddrawfromthenceahandkerchief!
ToseehimhandthesametoCharleyBates;andfinallytobeholdthem,bothrunningawayroundthecorneratfullspeed!
Inaninstantthewholemysteryofthehankerchiefs,andthewatches,andthejewels,andtheJew,rushedupontheboy’smind.
Hestood,foramoment,withthebloodsotinglingthroughallhisveinsfromterror,thathefeltasifhewereinaburningfire;then,confusedandfrightened,hetooktohisheels;and,notknowingwhathedid,madeoffasfastashecouldlayhisfeettotheground.
Thiswasalldoneinaminute’sspace.IntheveryinstantwhenOliverbegantorun,theoldgentleman,puttinghishandtohispocket,andmissinghishandkerchief,turnedsharpround.
Seeingtheboyscuddingawayatsucharapidpace,heverynaturallyconcludedhimtobethedepredator;andshouting‘Stopthief!’
withallhismight,madeoffafterhim,bookinhand.
Buttheoldgentlemanwasnottheonlypersonwhoraisedthehue-and-cry.
TheDodgerandMasterBates,unwillingtoattractpublicattentionbyrunningdowntheopenstreet,hadmerelyretiredintotheveryfirstdoorwayroundthecorner.
Theynosoonerheardthecry,andsawOliverrunning,than,guessingexactlyhowthematterstood,theyissuedforthwithgreatpromptitude;and,shouting‘Stopthief!’
too,joinedinthepursuitlikegoodcitizens.
AlthoughOliverhadbeenbroughtupbyphilosophers,hewasnottheoreticallyacquaintedwiththebeautifulaxiomthatself-preservationisthefirstlawofnature.
Ifhehadbeen,perhapshewouldhavebeenpreparedforthis.
Notbeingprepared,however,italarmedhimthemore;soawayhewentlikethewind,withtheoldgentlemanandthetwoboysroaringandshoutingbehindhim.
‘Stopthief!Stopthief!’Thereisamagicinthesound.
Thetradesmanleaveshiscounter,andthecar-manhiswaggon;thebutcherthrowsdownhistray;thebakerhisbasket;themilkmanhispail;theerrand-boyhisparcels;theschool-boyhismarbles;thepaviourhispickaxe;thechildhisbattledore.
Awaytheyrun,pell-mell,helter-skelter,slap-dash:tearing,yelling,screaming,knockingdownthepassengersastheyturnthecorners,rousingupthedogs,andastonishingthefowls:andstreets,squares,andcourts,re-echowiththesound.
‘Stopthief!Stopthief!’
Thecryistakenupbyahundredvoices,andthecrowdaccumulateateveryturning.
Awaytheyfly,splashingthroughthemud,andrattlingalongthepavements:upgothewindows,outrunthepeople,onwardbearthemob,awholeaudiencedesertPunchintheverythickestoftheplot,and,joiningtherushingthrong,swelltheshout,andlendfreshvigourtothecry,‘Stopthief!Stopthief!’
‘Stopthief!Stopthief!’
ThereisapassionFORhuntingsomethingdeeplyimplantedinthehumanbreast.
Onewretchedbreathlesschild,pantingwithexhaustion;terrorinhislooks;agonyinhiseyes;largedropsofperspirationstreamingdownhisface;strainseverynervetomakeheaduponhispursuers;andastheyfollowonhistrack,andgainuponhimeveryinstant,theyhailhisdecreasingstrengthwithjoy.‘Stopthief!’
Ay,stophimforGod’ssake,wereitonlyinmercy!
Stoppedatlast!Acleverblow.
Heisdownuponthepavement;andthecrowdeagerlygatherroundhim:eachnewcomer,jostlingandstrugglingwiththeotherstocatchaglimpse.‘Standaside!’‘Givehimalittleair!’‘Nonsense!hedon’tdeserveit.’‘Where’sthegentleman?’‘Herehisis,comingdownthestreet.’‘Makeroomthereforthegentleman!’‘Isthistheboy,sir!’‘Yes.’
Oliverlay,coveredwithmudanddust,andbleedingfromthemouth,lookingwildlyroundupontheheapoffacesthatsurroundedhim,whentheoldgentlemanwasofficiouslydraggedandpushedintothecirclebytheforemostofthepursuers.
‘Yes,’saidthegentleman,‘Iamafraiditistheboy.’
‘Afraid!’murmuredthecrowd.‘That’sagood‘un!’
‘Poorfellow!’saidthegentleman,‘hehashurthimself.’
‘Ididthat,sir,’saidagreatlubberlyfellow,steppingforward;‘andpreciouslyIcutmyknuckleagin’hismouth.Istoppedhim,sir.’
Thefollowtouchedhishatwithagrin,expectingsomethingforhispains;but,theoldgentleman,eyeinghimwithanexpressionofdislike,lookanxiouslyround,asifhecontemplatedrunningawayhimself:whichitisverypossiblehemighthaveattemptedtodo,andthushaveaffordedanotherchase,hadnotapoliceofficer(whoisgenerallythelastpersontoarriveinsuchcases)atthatmomentmadehiswaythroughthecrowd,andseizedOliverbythecollar.
‘Come,getup,’saidtheman,roughly.
‘Itwasn’tmeindeed,sir.Indeed,indeed,itwastwootherboys,’saidOliver,claspinghishandspassionately,andlookinground.‘Theyareheresomewhere.’
‘Ohno,theyain’t,’saidtheofficer.Hemeantthistobeironical,butitwastruebesides;fortheDodgerandCharleyBateshadfiledoffdownthefirstconvenientcourttheycameto.
‘Come,getup!’
‘Don’thurthim,’saidtheoldgentleman,compassionately.
‘Ohno,Iwon’thurthim,’repliedtheofficer,tearinghisjackethalfoffhisback,inproofthereof.‘Come,Iknowyou;itwon’tdo.Willyoustanduponyourlegs,youyoungdevil?’
Oliver,whocouldhardlystand,madeashifttoraisehimselfonhisfeet,andwasatonceluggedalongthestreetsbythejacket-collar,atarapidpace.
Thegentlemanwalkedonwiththembytheofficer’sside;andasmanyofthecrowdascouldachievethefeat,gotalittleahead,andstaredbackatOliverfromtimetotime.
Theboysshoutedintriumph;andontheywent.
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