Chapter 26【1 / 3】

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INWHICHAMYSTERIOUSCHARACTERAPPEARSUPONTHESCENE;ANDMANYTHINGS,INSEPARABLEFROMTHISHISTORY,AREDONEANDPERFORMED

Theoldmanhadgainedthestreetcorner,beforehebegantorecovertheeffectofTobyCrackit'sintelligence。Hehadrelaxednothingofhisunusualspeed;butwasstillpressingonward,inthesamewildanddisorderedmanner,whenthesuddendashingpastofacarriage:andaboisterouscryfromthefootpassengers,whosawhisdanger:drovehimbackuponthepavement。Avoiding,asmuchaswaspossible,allthemainstreets,andskulkingonlythroughtheby-waysandalleys,heatlengthemergedonSnowHill。Herehewalkedevenfasterthanbefore;nordidhelingeruntilhehadagainturnedintoacourt;when,asifconsciousthathewasnowinhisproperelement,hefellintohisusualshufflingpace,andseemedtobreathemorefreely。

NeartothespotonwhichSnowHillandHolbornHillmeet,opens,upontherighthandasyoucomeoutoftheCity,anarrowanddismalalley,leadingtoSaffronHill。Initsfilthyshopsareexposedforsalehugebunchesofsecond-handsilkhandkerchiefs,ofallsizesandpatterns;forhereresidethetraderswhopurchasethemfrompick-pockets。Hundredsofthesehandkerchiefshangdanglingfrompegsoutsidethewindowsorflauntingfromthedoor-posts;andtheshelves,within,arepiledwiththem。ConfinedasthelimitsofFieldLaneare,ithasitsbarber,itscoffee-shop,itsbeer-shop,anditsfried-fishwarehouse。Itisacommercialcolonyofitself:theemporiumofpettylarceny:visitedatearlymorning,andsetting-inofdusk,bysilentmerchants,whotrafficindarkback-parlours,andwhogoasstrangelyastheycome。Here,theclothesman,theshoe-vamper,andtherag-merchant,displaytheirgoods,assign-boardstothepettythief;here,storesofoldironandbones,andheapsofmildewyfragmentsofwoollen-stuffandlinen,rustandrotinthegrimycellars。

ItwasintothisplacethattheJewturned。Hewaswellknowntothesallowdenizensofthelane;forsuchofthemaswereonthelook-outtobuyorsell,nodded,familiarly,ashepassedalong。Herepliedtotheirsalutationsinthesameway;butbestowednocloserrecognitionuntilhereachedthefurtherendofthealley;whenhestopped,toaddressasalesmanofsmallstature,whohadsqueezedasmuchofhispersonintoachild'schairasthechairwouldhold,andwassmokingapipeathiswarehousedoor。

‘Why,thesightofyou,Mr。Fagin,wouldcurethehoptalmy!’saidthisrespectabletrader,inacknowledgmentoftheJew'sinquiryafterhishealth。

‘Theneighbourhoodwasalittletoohot,Lively,’saidFagin,elevatinghiseyebrows,andcrossinghishandsuponhisshoulders。

‘Well,I'veheerdthatcomplaintofit,onceortwicebefore,’repliedthetrader;‘butitsooncoolsdownagain;don'tyoufinditso?’

Faginnoddedintheaffirmative。PointinginthedirectionofSaffronHill,heinquiredwhetheranyonewasupyonderto-night。

‘AttheCripples?’inquiredtheman。

TheJewnodded。

‘Letmesee,’pursuedthemerchant,reflecting。

‘Yes,there'ssomehalf-dozenof’emgonein,thatIknows。Idon'tthinkyourfriend'sthere。‘

‘Sikesisnot,Isuppose?’inquiredtheJew,withadisappointedcountenance。

‘_Nonistwentus_,asthelawyerssay,’repliedthelittleman,shakinghishead,andlookingamazinglysly。‘Haveyougotanythinginmylineto-night?’

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