Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Chapter 44 Page 14

‘Light him down,’ said Sikes, who was filling his pipe. ‘It’s a pity he should break his neck himself, and disappoint the sight-seers. Show him a light.’

Nancy followed the old man downstairs, with a candle. When they reached the passage, he laid his finger on his lip, and drawing close to the girl, said, in a whisper.

‘What is it, Nancy, dear?’

‘What do you mean?’ replied the girl, in the same tone.

‘The reason of all this,’ replied Fagin. ‘If he’ — he pointed with his skinny fore-finger up the stairs — ‘is so hard with you (he’s a brute, Nance, a brute-beast), why don’t you — ‘