well done — ‘ he mumbled. ‘Oliver, too, ha! ha! ha! Oliver too — quite the gentleman now — quite the — take that boy away to bed!’

The jailer took the disengaged hand of Oliver; and, whispering him not to be alarmed, looked on without speaking.

‘Take him away to bed!’ cried Fagin. ‘Do you hear me, some of you? He has been the — the — somehow the cause of all this. It’s worth the money to bring him up to it — Bolter’s throat, Bill; never mind the girl — Bolter’s throat as deep as you can cut. Saw his head off!’

‘Fagin,’ said the jailer.

‘That’s me!’ cried the Jew, falling instantly, into the attitude of listening he had assumed upon his trial.