Chapter 26 (第1/2页)

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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？’

‘Nothingto-night，’saidtheJew，turningaway。

‘AreyougoinguptotheCripples，Fagin？’criedthelittleman，callingafterhim。‘Stop！Idon'tmindifIhaveadroptherewithyou！’

ButastheJew，lookingback，wavedhishandtointimatethathepreferredbeingalone；and，moreover，asthelittlemancouldnotveryeasilydisengagehimselffromthechair；thesignoftheCrippleswas，foratime，bereftoftheadvantageofMr。Lively'spresence。Bythetimehehadgotuponhislegs，theJewhaddisappeared；soMr。Lively，afterineffectuallystandingontiptoe，inthehopeofcatchingsightofhim，againforcedhimselfintothelittlechair，and，exchangingashakeoftheheadwithaladyintheoppositeshop，inwhichdoubtandmistrustwereplainlymingled，resumedhispipewithagravedemeanour。

TheThreeCripples，orrathertheCripples；whichwasthesignbywhichtheestablishmentwasfamiliarlyknowntoitspatrons：wasthepublic-houseinwhichMr。Sikesandhisdoghavealreadyfigured。Merelymakingasigntoamanatthebar，Faginwalkedstraightupstairs，andopeningthedoorofaroom，andsoftlyinsinuatinghimselfintothechamber，lookedanxiouslyabout：shadinghiseyeswithhishand，asifinsearchofsomeparticularperson。

Theroomwasilluminatedbytwogas-lights；theglareofwhichwaspreventedbythebarredshutters，andclosely-drawncurtainsoffadedred，frombeingvisibleoutside。Theceilingwasblackened，topreventitscolourfrombeinginjuredbytheflaringofthelamps；andtheplacewassofullofdensetobaccosmoke，thatatfirstitwasscarcelypossibletodiscernanythingmore。Bydegrees，however，assomeofitclearedawaythroughtheopendoor，anassemblageofheads，asconfusedasthenoisesthatgreetedtheear，mightbemadeout；andastheeyegrewmoreaccustomedtothescene，thespectatorgraduallybecameawareofthepresenceofanumerouscompany，maleandfemale，crowdedroundalongtable：attheupperendofwhich，satachairmanwithahammerofofficeinhishand；whileaprofessionalgentlemanwithabluishnose，andhisfacetiedupforthebenefitofatoothache，presidedatajinglingpianoinaremotecorner。

AsFaginsteppedsoftlyin，theprofessionalgentleman，runningoverthekeysbywayofprelude，occasionedageneralcryoforderforasong；whichhavingsubsided，ayoungladyproceededtoentertainthecompanywithaballadinfourverses，betweeneachofwhichtheaccompanyistplayedthemelodyallthrough，asloudashecould。Whenthiswasover，thechairmangaveasentiment，afterwhich，theprofessionalgentlemanonthechairman'srightandleftvolunteeredaduet，andsangit，withgreatapplause。

Itwascurioustoobservesomefaceswhichstoodoutprominentlyfromamongthegroup。Therewasthechairmanhimself，（thelandlordofthehouse，）acoarse，rough，heavybuiltfellow，who，whilethesongswereproceeding，rolledhiseyeshitherandthither，and，seemingtogivehimselfuptojoviality，hadaneyeforeverythingthatwasdone，andanearforeverythingthatwassaid--andsharpones，too。Nearhimwerethesingers：receiving，withprofessionalindifference，thecomplimentsofthecompany，andapplyingthemselves，inturn，toadozenprofferedglassesofspiritsandwater，tenderedbytheirmoreboisterousadmirers；whosecountenances，expressiveofalmosteveryviceinalmosteverygrade，irresistiblyattractedtheattention，bytheirveryrepulsiveness。Cunning，ferocity，anddrunkenessinallitsstages，werethere，intheirstrongestaspect；andwomen：somewiththelastlingeringtingeoftheirearlyfreshnessalmostfadingasyoulooked：otherswitheverymarkandstampoftheir***utterlybeatenout，andpresentingbutoneloathsomeblankofprofligacyandcrime；somemeregirls，othersbutyoungwomen，andnonepasttheprimeoflife；formedthedarkestandsaddestportionofthisdrearypicture。

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