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

thavegotintotroubleifwehadn’tmadeourluckythatwasthemove,wasn’tit,Charley?” MasterBatesnoddedassent,andwouldhavespoken,buttherecollectionofOliver’sflightcamesosuddenlyuponhim,thatthesmokehewasinhalinggotentangledwithalaugh,andwentupintohishead,anddownintohisthroat:andbroughtonafitofcoughingandstamping,aboutfiveminuteslong. “Lookhere!”saidtheDodger,drawingforthahandfulofshillingsandhalfpence.“Here’sajollylife!What’stheoddswhereitcomesfrom?Here,catchholdthere’splentymorewheretheyweretookfrom.Youwon’t,won’tyou?Oh,youpreciousflat!” “It’snaughty,ain’tit,Oliver?”inquiredCharleyBates.“He’llcometobescragged,won’the?” “Idon’tknowwhatthatmeans,”repliedOliver. “Somethinginthisway,oldfeller,”saidCharly.Ashesaidit,MasterBatescaughtupanendofhisneckerchiefand,holdingiterectintheair,droppedhisheadonhisshoulder,andjerkedacurioussoundthroughhisteeththerebyindicating,byalivelypantomimicrepresentation,thatscraggingandhangingwereoneandthesamething. “That’swhatitmeans,”saidCharley.“Lookhowhestares,Jack! Ineverdidseesuchprimecompanyasthat’ereboyhe’llbethedeathofme,Iknowhewill.”MasterCharleyBates,havinglaughedheartilyagain,resumedhispipewithtearsinhiseyes. “You’vebeenbroughtupbad,”saidtheDodger,surveyinghisbootswithmuchsatisfactionwhenOliverhadpolishedthem.“Faginwillmakesomethingofyou,though,oryou’llbethefirstheeverhadthatturnedoutunprofitable.You’dbetterbeginatonceforyou’llcometothetradelongbeforeyouthinkofitandyou’reonlylosingtime,Oliver.” MasterBatesbackedthisadvicewithsundrymoraladmonitionsofhisown:which,beingexhausted,heandhisfriendMr.Dawkinslaunchedintoaglowingdescriptionofthenumerouspleasuresincidentaltothelifetheyled,interspersedwithavarietyofhintstoOliverthatthebestthinghecoulddo,wouldbetosecureFagin’sfavourwithoutmoredelay,bythemeanswhichtheythemselveshademployedtogainit. “Andalwaysputthisinyourpipe,Nolly,”saidtheDodger,astheJewwasheardunlockingthedoorabove,“ifyoudon’ttakefogelsandtickers—” “What’sthegoodoftalkinginthatway?”interposedMasterBates“hedon’tknowwhatyoumean.” “Ifyoudon’ttakepocket-handkechersandwatches,”saidtheDodger,reducinghisconversationtothelevelofOliver’scapacity,“someothercovewillsothatthecovesthatlose’emwillbealltheworse,andyou’llbealltheworse,too,andnobodyhalfaha’p’orththebetter,exceptthechapswotgetsthem—andyou’vejustasgoodarighttothemastheyhave.” “Tobesure,tobesure!”saidtheJew,whohadenteredunseenbyOliver.“Itallliesinanutshellmydearinanutshell,taketheDodger’swordforit.Ha!ha!ha!Heunderstandsthecatechismofhistrade.” Theoldmanrubbedhishandsgleefullytogether,ashecorroboratedtheDodger’sreasoninginthesetermsandchuckledwithdelightathispupil’sproficiency. Theconversationproceedednofartheratthistime,fortheJewhadreturnedhomeaccompaniedbyMissBetsy,andagentlemanwhomOliverhadneverseenbefore,butwhowasaccostedbytheDodgerasTomChitlingandwho,havinglinge