CHAPTER XV. SHOWING HOW VERY FOND OF OLIVER TWIST, THE MERRY OLD JEW AND MISS NANCY WERE

dalmostbrokehismother’sheart.” “Youngwretch!”saidonewoman. “Gohome,do,youlittlebrute,”saidtheother. “Iamnot,”repliedOliver,greatlyalarmed.“Idon’tknowher.Ihaven’tanysister,orfatherandmothereither.I’manorphanIliveatPentonville.” “Onlyhearhim,howhebravesitout!”criedtheyoungwoman. “Why,it’sNancy!”exclaimedOliverwhonowsawherfaceforthefirsttimeandstartedback,inirrepressibleastonishment. “Youseeheknowsme!”criedNancy,appealingtothebystanders.“Hecan’thelphimself.Makehimcomehome,there’sgoodpeople,orhe’llkillhisdearmotherandfather,andbreakmyheart!” “Whatthedevil’sthis?”saidaman,burstingoutofabeer-shop,withawhitedogathisheels“youngOliver!Comehometoyourpoormother,youyoungdog!Comehomedirectly.” “Idon’tbelongtothem.Idon’tknowthem.Help!help!”criedOliver,strugglingintheman’spowerfulgrasp. “Help!”repeatedtheman.“YesI’llhelpyou,youyoungrascal!Whatbooksarethese?You’vebeenastealing’em,haveyou?Give’emhere.”Withthesewords,themantorethevolumesfromhisgrasp,andstruckhimonthehead. “That’sright!”criedalooker-on,fromagarret-window.“That’stheonlywayofbringinghimtohissenses!” “Tobesure!”criedasleepy-facedcarpenter,castinganapprovinglookatthegarret-window. “It’lldohimgood!”saidthetwowomen. “Andheshallhaveit,too!”rejoinedtheman,administeringanotherblow,andseizingOliverbythecollar.“Comeon,youyoungvillain!Here,Bull’s-eye,mindhim,boy!Mindhim!” Weakwithrecentillnessstupifiedbytheblowsandthesuddennessoftheattackterrifiedbythefiercegrowlingofthedog,andthebrutalityofthemanoverpoweredbytheconvictionofthebystandersthathereallywasthehardenedlittlewretchhewasdescribedtobewhatcouldonepoorchilddo!Darknesshadsetinitwasalowneighborhoodnohelpwasnearresistancewasuseless.Inanothermomenthewasdraggedintoalabyrinthofdarknarrowcourts,andwasforcedalongthematapacewhichrenderedthefewcrieshedaredtogiveutteranceto,unintelligible.Itwasoflittlemoment,indeed,whethertheywereintelligibleornofortherewasnobodytocareforthem,hadtheybeeneversoplain. Thegas-lampswerelightedMrs.BedwinwaswaitinganxiouslyattheopendoortheservanthadrunupthestreettwentytimestoseeiftherewereanytracesofOliverandstillthetwooldgentlemensat,perseveringly,inthedarkparlour,withthewatchbetweenthem.