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chair forward； and speaking in a very low voice。
“Yes。 Wot about it？” inquired Sikes。
“Ah！ you know what I mean； my dear；” said the Jew。 “He knows
what I mean； Nancy； don’t he？”
“No； he don’t；” sneered Mr。 Sikes。 “Or he won’t； and that’s the
same thing。 Speak out； and call things by their right names； don’t
sit there； winking and blinking； and talking to me in hints； as if you
warn’t the very first that thought about the robbery。 Wot d’ye
mean？”
“Hush； Bill； hush！” said the Jew； who had in vain attempted to
stop this burst of indignation； “somebody will hear us； my dear。
Somebody will hear us。”
“Let ’em hear！” said Sikes； “I don’t care。” But as Mr。 Sikes did
care； on reflection； he dropped his voice as he said the words； and
grew calmer。
“There； there；” said the Jew coaxingly。 “It was only my caution；
nothing more。 Now； my dear； about that crib at Chertsey； when is
it to be done； Bill； eh？ When is it to be done？ Such plate； my dear；
such plate！” said the Jew； rubbing his hands； and elevating his
eyebrows in a rapture of anticipation。
“Not at all；” replied Sikes coldly。
“Not to be done at all！” echoed the Jew； leaning back in his
chair。
“No； not at all；” rejoined Sikes。 “At least it can’t be a put…up job；
as we expected。”
“Then it hasn’t been properly gone about；” said the Jew；
turning pale with anger。 “Don’t tell me！”
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“But I will tell you；” retorted Sikes。 “Who are you that’s not to
be told？ I tell you that Toby Crackit has been hanging about the
place for a fortnight； and he can’t get one of the servants into a
line。”
“Do you mean to tell me； Bill；” said the Jew； softening as the
other grew heated； “that neither of the two men in the house can
be got over？”
“Yes； I do mean to tell you so；” replied Sikes。 “The old lady has
had ’em these twenty year； and； if you were to give ’em five
hundred pound； they wouldn’t be in it。”
“But do you mean to say； my dear；” remonstrated the Jew；
“that the women can’t be got over？”
“Not a bit of it；” replied Sikes。
“Not by flash Toby Crackit？” said the Jew incredulously。
“Think what women are； Bill。”
“No； not even by flash Toby Crackit；” replied Sikes。 “He says
he’s worn sham whiskers； and a canary waistcoat； the whole
blessed time he’s been loitering down there； and it’s all of no use。”
“He should have tried moustachios and a pair of military
trousers； my dear；” said the Jew。
“So he did；” rejoined Sikes； “and they warn’t of no more use
than the other plant。”
The Jew looked blank at this information。 After ruminating for
some minutes with his chin sunk on his breast； he raised his head；
and said； with a deep sigh； that if flash Toby Crackit reported
aright； he feared the game was up。
“And yet；” said the old man； dropping his hands on his knees；
ait’s a sad thing； my dear； to lose so much when we had set our
hearts upon it。”
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“So it is；” said Mr。 Sikes。 “Worse luck！”
A long silence ensued； during which the Jew was plunged in
deep thought with his face wrinkled into an expression of villainy
perfectly demoniacal。 Sikes eyed him furtively from time to time。
Nancy； apparently fearful of irritating the housebreaker； sat with
her eyes fixed upon the fire； as if she had been deaf to all that
passed。
“Fagin；” said Sikes； abruptly breaking the stillness that
prevailed； “is it worth fifty shiners extra； if it’s safely done from the
outside？”
“Yes；” said the Jew； as suddenly rousing himself。
“Is it a bargain？” inquired Sikes。
“Yes； my dear； yes；” rejoined the Jew； his eyes glistening； and
every muscle in his face working； with the excitement that the
inquiry had awakened。
“Then；” said Sikes； thrusting aside the Jew’s hand； with some
disdain； “let it come off as soon as you like。 Toby and I were over
the garden wall the night afore last； sounding the panels of the
door and shutters。 The crib’s barred up at night like a jail； but
there’s one part we can crack； safe and softly。”
“Which is that； Bill？” asked the Jew eagerly。
“Why；” whispered Sikes；” as you cross the lawn—”
“Yes； yes；” said the Jew； bending his head forward with his eyes
almost staring out of it。
“Umph！” cried Sikes； stopping short； as the girl； scarcely
moving her head； looked suddenly round； and pointed for an
instant to the Jew’s face。 “Never mind what part it is。 You can’t do
it without me； I know； but it’s best to be on the safe side when one
deals with you。”
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“As you like； my dear； as you like；” replied the Jew。 “Is there no
help wanted； but yours and Toby’s？”
“None；” said Sikes。 “’Cept a centre…bit and a boy。 The first
we’ve both got； the second you must find us。”
“A boy！” exclaimed the Jew。 “Oh！ then it’s a panel； eh？”
“Never mind wot it is！” replied Sikes。 “I want a boy； and he
mustn’t be a big ’un。 Lord！” said Sikes reflectively； “if I’d only got
that young boy of Ned； the chimbley…sweeper’s！ He kept him small
on purpose； and let him out by the job。 But the father gets lagged；
and then the Juvenile Delinquent Society comes； and takes the
boy away from a trade where he was earning money； teaches him
to read and write； and in times makes ’prentice of him。 And so
they go on；” said Mr。 Sikes； his wrath rising with the recollection
of his wrongs； “so they go on； and； if they’d got money enough
（which it’s a Providence they haven’t）； we shouldn’t have half a
dozen boys left in the whole trade； in a year or two。”
“No more we should；” acquiesced the Jew； who had been
considering during this speech； and had only caught the last
sentence。 “Bill！”
“What now？” inquired Sikes。
The Jew nodded his head towards Nancy； who was still gazing
at the fire； and intimated； by a sign； that he would have her told to
leave the room。 Sikes shrugged his shoulders impatiently； as if he
thought the precaution unnecessary； but complied； nevertheless；
by requesting Miss Nancy to fetch him a jug of beer。
“You don’t want any beer；” said Nancy； folding her arms； and
retaining her seat very composedly。
“I tell you I do！” replied Sikes。
“Nonsense；” rejoined the girl coolly。 “Go on； Fagin。 I know
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what he is going to say； Bill； he needn’t mind me。”
The Jew still hesitated。 Sikes looked from one to the other in
some surprise。
“Why； you don’t mind the old girl； do you； Fagin？” he asked at
length。 “You’ve known her long enough to trust her； or the devil’s
in it。 She ain’t one to blab。 Are you； Nancy？”
“I should think not！” replied the young lady； drawing her chair
up to the table； and putting her elbows upon it。
“No； no； my dear； I know you’re not；” said the Jew； “but—” and
again the old man paused。
“But wot？” inquired Sikes。
“I didn’t know whether she mightn’t p’r’aps be out of sorts； you
know； my dear； as she was the other night；” replied the Jew。
At this confession； Miss Nancy burst into a loud laugh； and；
swallowing a glass of brandy； shook her head with an air of
defiance； and burst into sundry exclamations of “Keep the game a…
going！”
“Never say die！” and the like。 These seemed to have the effect
of reassuring both gentlemen； for the Jew nodded his head with a
satisfied air； and resumed his seat； as did Mr。 Sikes likewise。
“Now； Fagin；” said Nancy； with a laugh； “tell Bill at once； about
Oliver！”
“Ha！ you’re a clever one； my dear； the sharpest girl I ever saw！”
said the Jew； patting her on the neck。 “It was about Oliver I was
going to speak； sure enough。 Ha！ ha！ ha！”
“What about him？” demanded Sikes。
“He’s the boy for you； my dear；” replied the Jew； in a hoarse
whisper； laying his finger on the side of his nose； and grinning
frightfully。
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“He！” exclaimed Sikes。
“Have him； Bill！” said Nancy。 “I would； if I was in your place。
He mayn’t be so much up； as any of the others； but that’s not what
you ；want； if he’s only to open a door for you。 Depend upon it； he’s
a safe one； Bill。”
“I know he is；” rejoined Fagin。 “He’s been in good training
these last few weeks； and it’s time he began to work for his bread。
Besides； the others are all too big。”
“Well； he is just the size I want；” said Mr。 Sikes； ruminating。
“And will do everything you want； Bill； my dear；” interposed
the Jew； “he can’t help himself。 That is； if you frighten him
enough。”
“Frighten him！” echoed Sikes。 “It’ll be no sham frightening；
mind you。 If there’s anything queer about him when we once get
into the work； in for a penny； in for a pound。 You won’t see him
alive again； Fagin。 Think of that； before you send him。 Mark my
words！” said the robber；