These things passed through the mind of Fagin, during
the short time he sat alone, in the housebreaker’s
room; and with them uppermost in his thoughts, he
had taken the opportunity afterwards afforded him,
of sounding the girl in the broken hints he threw
out at parting. There was no expression of surprise,
no assumption of an inability to understand his meaning.
The girl clearly comprehended it. Her glance
at parting showed that.
But perhaps she would recoil from a plot to take the
life of Sikes, and that was one of the chief ends
to be attained. ‘How,’ thought Fagin,
as he crept homeward, ’can I increase my influence
with her? What new power can I acquire?’
Such brains are fertile in expedients. If, without
extracting a confession from herself, he laid a watch,
discovered the object of her altered regard, and threatened
to reveal the whole history to Sikes (of whom she
stood in no common fear) unless she entered into his
designs, could he not secure her compliance?
‘I can,’ said Fagin, almost aloud.
’She durst not refuse me then. Not for
her life, not for her life! I have it all.
The means are ready, and shall be set to work.
I shall have you yet!’
He cast back a dark look, and a threatening motion
of the hand, towards the spot where he had left the
bolder villain; and went on his way: busying
his bony hands in the folds of his tattered garment,
which he wrenched tightly in his grasp, as though there
were a hated enemy crushed with every motion of his
fingers.
NOAH CLAYPOLE IS EMPLOYED BY FAGIN ON A SECRET MISSION
The old man was up, betimes, next morning, and waited
impatiently for the appearance of his new associate,
who after a delay that seemed interminable, at length
presented himself, and commenced a voracious assault
on the breakfast.
‘Bolter,’ said Fagin, drawing up a chair
and seating himself opposite Morris Bolter.
‘Well, here I am,’ returned Noah.
’What’s the matter? Don’t
yer ask me to do anything till I have done eating.
That’s a great fault in this place. Yer
never get time enough over yer meals.’
‘You can talk as you eat, can’t you?’
said Fagin, cursing his dear young friend’s
greediness from the very bottom of his heart.
‘Oh yes, I can talk. I get on better when
I talk,’ said Noah, cutting a monstrous slice
of bread. ‘Where’s Charlotte?’
‘Out,’ said Fagin. ’I sent
her out this morning with the other young woman, because
I wanted us to be alone.’
‘Oh!’ said Noah. ’I wish yer’d
ordered her to make some buttered toast first.
Well. Talk away. Yer won’t interrupt
me.’
There seemed, indeed, no great fear of anything interrupting
him, as he had evidently sat down with a determination
to do a great deal of business.
‘You did well yesterday, my dear,’ said
Fagin. ’Beautiful! Six shillings
and ninepence halfpenny on the very first day!
The kinchin lay will be a fortune to you.’
