Chapter 18【1 / 3】

HOWOLIVERPASSEDHISTIMEINTHEIMPROVINGSOCIETYOFHISREPUTABLEFRIENDS

Aboutnoonnextday，whentheDodgerandMasterBateshadgoneouttopursuetheircustomaryavocations，Mr。FagintooktheopportunityofreadingOliveralonglectureonthecryingsinofingratitude；ofwhichheclearlydemonstratedhehadbeenguilty，tonoordinaryextent，inwilfullyabsentinghimselffromthesocietyofhisanxiousfriends；and，stillmore，inendeavouringtoescapefromthemaftersomuchtroubleandexpensehadbeenincurredinhisrecovery。Mr。FaginlaidgreatstressonthefactofhishavingtakenOliverin，andcherishedhim，when，withouthistimelyaid，hemighthaveperishedwithhunger；andherelatedthedismalandaffectinghistoryofayoungladwhom，inhisphilanthropy，hehadsuccouredunderparallelcircumstances，butwho，provingunworthyofhisconfidenceandevincingadesiretocommunicatewiththepolice，hadunfortunatelycometobehangedattheOldBaileyonemorning。Mr。Fagindidnotseektoconcealhisshareinthecatastrophe，butlamentedwithtearsinhiseyesthatthewrong-headedandtreacherousbehaviouroftheyoungpersoninquestion，hadrendereditnecessarythatheshouldbecomethevictimofcertainevidenceforthecrown：which，ifitwerenotpreciselytrue，wasindispensablynecessaryforthesafetyofhim（Mr。Fagin）andafewselectfriends。Mr。Faginconcludedbydrawingaratherdisagreeablepictureofthediscomfortsofhanging；and，withgreatfriendlinessandpolitenessofmanner，expressedhisanxioushopesthathemightneverbeobligedtosubmitOliverTwisttothatunpleasantoperation。

LittleOliver'sbloodrancold，ashelistenedtotheJew'swords，andimperfectlycomprehendedthedarkthreatsconveyedinthem。Thatitwaspossibleevenforjusticeitselftoconfoundtheinnocentwiththeguiltywhentheywereinaccidentalcompanionship，heknewalready；andthatdeeply-laidplansforthedestructionofinconvenientlyknowingorover-communicativepersons，hadbeenreallydevisedandcarriedoutbytheJewonmoreoccasionsthanone，hethoughtbynomeansunlikely，whenherecollectedthegeneralnatureofthealtercationsbetweenthatgentlemanandMr。Sikes：whichseemedtobearreferencetosomeforegoneconspiracyofthekind。Asheglancedtimidlyup，andmettheJew'ssearchinglook，hefeltthathispalefaceandtremblinglimbswereneitherunnoticednorunrelishedbythatwaryoldgentleman。

TheJew，smilinghideously，pattedOliveronthehead，andsaid，thatifhekepthimselfquiet，andappliedhimselftobusiness，hesawtheywouldbeverygoodfriendsyet。Then，takinghishat，andcoveringhimselfwithanoldpatchedgreat-coat，hewentout，andlockedtheroom-doorbehindhim。

AndsoOliverremainedallthatday，andforthegreaterpartofmanysubsequentdays，seeingnobody，betweenearlymorningandmidnight，andleftduringthelonghourstocommunewithhisownthoughts。Which，neverfailingtoreverttohiskindfriends，andtheopiniontheymustlongagohaveformedofhim，weresadindeed。

Afterthelapseofaweekorso，theJewlefttheroom-doorunlocked；andhewasatlibertytowanderaboutthehouse。

Itwasaverydirtyplace。Theroomsupstairshadgreathighwoodenchimney-piecesandlargedoors，withpanelledwallsandcornicestotheceiling；which，althoughtheywereblackwithneglectanddust，wereornamentedinvariousways。FromallofthesetokensOliverconcludedthatalongtimeago，beforetheoldJewwasborn，ithadbelongedtobetterpeople，andhadperhapsbeenquitegayandhandsome：dismalanddrearyasitlookednow。

Spidershadbuilttheirwebsintheanglesofthewallsandceilings；andsometimes，whenOliverwalkedsoftlyintoaroom，themicewouldscamperacrossthefloor，andrunbackterrifiedtotheirholes。Withtheseexceptions，therewasneithersightnorsoundofanylivingthing；andoften，whenitgrewdark，andhewastiredofwanderingfromroomtoroom，hewouldcrouchinthecornerofthepassagebythestreet-door，tobeasnearlivingpeopleashecould；andwouldremainthere，listeningandcountingthehours，untiltheJewortheboysreturned。

Inalltherooms，themoulderingshutterswerefastclosed：thebarswhichheldthemwerescrewedtightintothewood；theonlylightwhichwasadmitted，stealingitswaythroughroundholesatthetop：whichmadetheroomsmoregloomy，andfilledthemwithstrangeshadows。Therewasaback-garretwindowwithrustybarsoutside，whichhadnoshutter；andoutofthis，Oliveroftengazedwithamelancholyfaceforhourstogether；butnothingwastobedescriedfromitbutaconfusedandcrowdedmassofhousetops，blackenedchimneys，andgable-ends。Sometimes，indeed，agrizzlyheadmightbeseen，peeringovertheparapet-wallofadistanthouse；butitwasquicklywithdrawnagain；andasthewindowofOliver'sobservatorywasnaileddown，anddimmedwiththerainandsmokeofyears，itwasasmuchashecoulddotomakeouttheformsofthedifferentobjectsbeyond，withoutmakinganyattempttobeseenorheard，--whichhehadasmuchchanceofbeing，asifhehadlivedinsidetheballofSt。Paul'sCathedral。

Oneafternoon，theDodgerandMasterBatesbeingengagedoutthatevening，thefirst-namedyounggentlemantookitintohisheadtoevincesomeanxietyregardingthedecorationofhisperson（todohimjustice，thiswasbynomeansanhabitualweaknesswithhim）；and，withthisendandaim，hecondescendinglycommandedOlivertoassisthiminhistoilet，straightway。

Oliverwasbuttoogladtomakehimselfuseful；toohappytohavesomefaces，howeverbad，tolookupon；toodesiroustoconciliatethoseabouthimwhenhecouldhonestlydoso；tothrowanyobjectioninthewayofthisproposal。Soheatonceexpressedhisreadiness；and，kneelingonthefloor，whiletheDodgersatuponthetablesothathecouldtakehisfootinhislaps，heappliedhimselftoaprocesswhichMr。Dawkinsdesignatedas‘japanninghistrotter-cases。’Thephrase，renderedintoplainEnglish，signifieth，cleaninghisboots。

Whetheritwasthesenseoffreedomandindependencewhicharationalanimalmaybesupposedtofeelwhenhesitsonatableinaneasyattitudesmokingapipe，swingingonelegcarelesslytoandfro，andhavinghisbootscleanedallthetime，withouteventhepasttroubleofhavingtakenthemoff，ortheprospectivemiseryofputtingthemon，todisturbhisreflections；orwhetheritwasthegoodnessofthetobaccothatsoothedthefeelingsoftheDodger，orthemildnessofthebeerthatmollifiedhisthoughts；hewasevidentlytinctured，forthenonce，withaspiceofromanceandenthusiasm，foreigntohisgeneralnature。HelookeddownonOliver，withathoughtfulcountenance，forabriefspace；andthen，raisinghishead，andheavingagentlesign，said，halfinabstraction，andhalftoMasterBates：

‘Whatapityitisheisn'taprig！’

‘Ah！’saidMasterCharlesBates；‘hedon'tknowwhat'sgoodforhim。’

TheDodgersighedagain，andresumedhispipe：asdidCharleyBates。Theybothsmoked，forsomeseconds，insilence。

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