CHAPTER XVIII. HOW OLIVER PASSED HIS TIME IN THE IMPROVING SOCIETY OF HIS REPUTABLE FRIENDS

iousways.FromallofthesetokensOliverconcludedthatalongtimeago,beforetheoldJewwasborn,ithadbelongedtobetterpeople,andhadperhapsbeenquitegayandhandsome:dismalanddrearyasitlookednow. Spidershadbuilttheirwebsintheanglesofthewallsandceilingsandsometimes,whenOliverwalkedsoftlyintoaroom,themicewouldscamperacrossthefloor,andrunbackterrifiedtotheirholes.Withtheseexceptions,therewasneithersightnorsoundofanylivingthingandoften,whenitgrewdark,andhewastiredofwanderingfromroomtoroom,hewouldcrouchinthecornerofthepassagebythestreet-door,tobeasnearlivingpeopleashecouldandwouldremainthere,listeningandcountingthehours,untiltheJewortheboysreturned. Inalltherooms,themoulderingshutterswerefastclosed:thebarswhichheldthemwerescrewedtightintothewoodtheonlylightwhichwasadmitted,stealingitswaythroughroundholesatthetop:whichmadetheroomsmoregloomy,andfilledthemwithstrangeshadows.Therewasaback-garretwindowwithrustybarsoutside,whichhadnoshutterandoutofthis,Oliveroftengazedwithamelancholyfaceforhourstogetherbutnothingwastobedescriedfromitbutaconfusedandcrowdedmassofhousetops,blackenedchimneys,andgable-ends.Sometimes,indeed,agrizzlyheadmightbeseen,peeringovertheparapet-wallofadistanthousebutitwasquicklywithdrawnagainandasthewindowofOliver’sobservatorywasnaileddown,anddimmedwiththerainandsmokeofyears,itwasasmuchashecoulddotomakeouttheformsofthedifferentobjectsbeyond,withoutmakinganyattempttobeseenorheard,—whichhehadasmuchchanceofbeing,asifhehadlivedinsidetheballofSt.Paul’sCathedral. Oneafternoon,theDodgerandMasterBatesbeingengagedoutthatevening,thefirst-namedyounggentlemantookitintohisheadtoevincesomeanxietyregardingthedecorationofhisperson(todohimjustice,thiswasbynomeansanhabitualweaknesswithhim)and,withthisendandaim,hecondescendinglycommandedOlivertoassisthiminhistoilet,straightway. Oliverwasbuttoogladtomakehimselfusefultoohappytohavesomefaces,howeverbad,tolookupontoodesiroustoconciliatethoseabouthimwhenhecouldhonestlydosotothrowanyobjectioninthewayofthisproposal.Soheatonceexpressedhisreadinessand,kneelingonthefloor,whiletheDodgersatuponthetablesothathecouldtakehisfootinhislaps,heappliedhimselftoaprocesswhichMr.Dawkinsdesignatedas“japanninghistrotter-cases.”Thephrase,renderedintoplainEnglish,signifieth,cleaninghisboots. Whetheritwasthesenseoffreedomandindependencewhicharationalanimalmaybesupposedtofeelwhenhesitsonatableinaneasyattitudesmokingapipe,swingingonelegcarelesslytoandfro,andhavinghisbootscleanedallthetime,withouteventhepasttroubleofhavingtakenthemoff,ortheprospectivemiseryofputtingthemon,todisturbhisreflectionsorwhetheritwasthegoodnessofthetobaccothatsoothedthefeelingsoftheDodger,orthemildnessofthebeerthatmollifiedhisthoughtshewasevidentlytinctured,forthenonce,withaspiceofromanceandenthusiasm,foreigntohisgeneralnature.HelookeddownonOliver,withathoughtfulcountenance,forabriefspaceandthen,raisin