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most to be avoided; he crossed into St。 John’s Road; and was soon
deep in the obscurity of the intricate and dirty ways; which; lying
between Gray’s Inn Lane and Smithfield; render that part of the
town one of the lowest and worst that improvement has left in the
midst of London。
Through these streets; Noah Claypole walked; dragging
Charlotte after him; now stepping into the kennel to embrace at a
glance the whole external character of some small public…house;
and now jogging on again; as some fancied appearance induced
him to believe it too public for his purpose。 At length; he stopped
in front of one; more humble in appearance and more dirty than
any he had yet seen; and; having crossed over and surveyed it
from the opposite pavement; graciously announced his intention
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of putting up there; for the night。
“So give us the bundle;” said Noah; unstrapping it from the
woman’s shoulders; and slinging it over his own; “and don’t yer
speak; except when yer spoke to。 What’s the name of the house—th…r—three what?”
“Cripples;” said Charlotte。
“Three Cripples;” repeated Noah; “and a very good sign too。
Now; then! Keep close at my heels; and come along。” With these
injunctions; he pushed the rattling door with his shoulder; and
entered the house; followed by his companion。
There was nobody in the bar but a young Jew; who; with his
two elbows on the counter; was reading a dirty newspaper。 He
stared very hard at Noah; and Noah stared very hard at him。
If Noah had been attired in his charity…boy’s dress; there might
have been some reason for the Jew opening his eyes so wide; but
as he had discarded the coat and badge; and wore a short smock…
frock over his leathers; there seemed no particular reason for his
appearance exciting so much attention in a public…house。
“Is this the Three Cripples?” asked Noah。
“That is the dabe of this ’ouse;” replied the Jew。
“A gentleman we met on the road; coming up from the country;
recommended us here;” said Noah; nudging Charlotte; perhaps to
call her attention to this most ingenious device for attracting
respect; and perhaps to warn her to betray no surprise。 “We want
to sleep here tonight。”
“I’b dot certaid you cad;” said Barney; who was the attendant
sprite; “but I’ll idquire。”
“Show us the tap; and give us a bit of cold meat and a drop of
beer while yer inquiring; will yer?” said Noah。 Barney complied
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by ushering them into a small back room; and setting the required
viands before them; having done which; he informed the travellers
that they could be lodged that night; and left the amiable couple to
their refreshment。
Now; this back room was immediately behind the bar; and
some steps lower; so that any person connected with the house;
undrawing a small curtain which concealed a single pane of glass
fixed in the wall of the last…named apartment; about five feet from
its flooring; could not only look down upon any guests in the back
room without any great hazard of being observed (the glass being
in a dark angle of the wall; between which and a large upright
beam the observer had to thrust himself); but could; by applying
his ear to the partition; ascertain with tolerable distinctness; their
subject of conversation。 The landlord of the house had not
withdrawn his eye from this place of espial for five minutes; and
Barney had only just returned from making the communication
above related; when Fagin; in the course of his evening’s business;
came into the bar to inquire after some of his young pupils。
“Hush!” said Barney; “stradegers id the next roob。”
“Strangers!” repeated the old man in a whisper。
“Ah! Ad rud uds too;” added Barney。 “Frob the cuttry; but
subthig in your way; or I’b bistaked。”
Fagin appeared to receive this communication with great
interest。 Mounting a stool; he cautiously applied his eye to the
pane of glass; from which secret post he could see Mr。 Claypole
taking cold beef from the dish; and porter from the pot; and
administering homeopathic doses of both to Charlotte; who sat
patiently by; eating and drinking at his pleasure。
“Aha!” he whispered; looking round to Barney; “I like that
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fellow’s looks。 He’d be of use to us; he knows how to train the girl
already。 Don’t make as much noise as a mouse; my dear; and let
me hear ’em talk—let me hear ’em。”
He again applied his eye to the glass; and turning his ear to the
partition; listened attentively; with a subtle and eager look upon
his face; that might have appertained to some old goblin。
“So I mean to be a gentleman;” said Mr。 Claypole; kicking out
his legs; and continuing a conversation; the commencement of
which Fagin had arrived too late to hear。 “No more jolly old
coffins; Charlotte; but a gentleman’s life for me; and; if yer like; yer
shall be a lady。”
“I should like that well enough; dear;” replied Charlotte; “but
tills ain’t to be emptied every day; and people to get clear off after
it。”
“Tills be blowed!” said Mr。 Claypole; “there’s more things
besides tills to be emptied。”
“What do you mean?” asked his companion。
“Pockets; women’s ridicules; houses; mail…coaches; banks!” said
Mr。 Claypole; rising with the porter。
“But you can’t do all that; dear;” said Charlotte。
“I shall look out to get into company with them as can;” replied
Noah。 “They’ll be able to make us useful some way or another。
Why; you yourself are worth fifty women; I never see such a
precious sly and deceitful creetur as yer can be when I let yer。”
“Lor; how nice it is to hear you say so!” exclaimed Charlotte;
imprinting a kiss on his ugly face。
“There; that’ll do; don’t yer be too affectionate; in case I’m cross
with yer;” said Noah; disengaging himself with great gravity。 “I
should like to be the captain of some band; and have the whopping
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of ’em; and follering ’em about; unbeknown to themselves。 That
would suit me; if there was good profit; and if we could only get in
with some gentleman of this sort; I say it would be cheap at that
twenty…pound note you’ve got—especially as we don’t very well
know how to get rid of it ourselves。”
After expressing this opinion; Mr。 Claypole looked into the
porter…pot with an aspect of deep wisdom; and having well shaken
its contents; nodded condescendingly to Charlotte; and took a
draught; wherewith he appeared greatly refreshed。 He was
meditating another; when the sudden opening of the door; and the
appearance of a stranger; interrupted him。
The stranger was Mr。 Fagin。 And very amiable he looked; and
a…very low bow he made; as he advanced; and setting himself
down at the nearest table; ordered something to drink of the
grinning Barney。
“A pleasant night; sir; but cool for the time of year;” said Fagin;
rubbing his hands。 “From the country; I see; sir?”
“How do yer see that?” asked Noah Claypole。
“We have not so much dust as that in London;” replied Fagin;
pointing from Noah’s shoes to that of his companion and from
them to the two bundles。
“Yer a sharp feller;” said Noah。 “Ha! ha! only hear that;
Charlotte!”
“Why; one need be sharp in this town; my dear;” replied the
Jew; sinking his voice to a confidential whisper; “and that’s the
truth。”
Fagin followed up this remark by striking the side of his nose
with his right forefinger—a gesture which Noah attempted to
imitate; though not with complete success; in consequence of his
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own nose not being large enough for the purpose。 However; Mr。
Fagin seemed to interpret the endeavour as expressing a perfect
coincidence with his opinion; and put about the liquor which
Barney reappeared with; in a very friendly manner。
“Good stuff that;” observed Mr。 Claypole; smacking his lips。
“Dear!” said Fagin。 “A man need be always emptying a till; or a
pocket; or a woman’s reticule; or a house; or a mail…coach; or a
bank; if he drinks it regularly。”
Mr。 Claypole no sooner heard this extract from his own
remarks than he fell back in his chair; and looked from the Jew to
Charlotte with a countenance of ashy paleness and excessive
terror。
“Don’t mind me; my dear;” said Fagin; drawing his chair closer。
“Ha! ha! it was lucky it was only me that heard you by chance。 It
was very lucky it was only me。”
“I didn’t take it;” stammered Noah; no longer stretching out his
legs like an independent gentleman; but coiling them up as well as
he could under his chair; “it was all her doing: yer’ve got it now;
Charlotte; yer know yer have。”
“No matter who’s got it; or who did it; my dear!” replied Fagin;
glancing; nevertheless; with a hawk’s eye at the girl and the two
bundles。 “I’m in that way myself; and I li