"Hullo! my covey, what's the row?"

'The boy looked at him narrowly, and asked him some questions. He took Oliver for a vagrant or worse, but led him into a small tavern, and gave him a feast of ham and bread; and Oliver, falling to at his new freinds bidding, made a long and hearty meal, during the progress of which the strange boy eyed him from time to time with great attention.'

'At this, Master Bates roared again so loud that Fagin himself relaxed, and even Dodger smiled; but as the Artful drew forth a five-pound note at that instant, it is doubtful wether the sally or the discovery awakened his marriment.'


‘I am,’(a thief, I think) replied the Dodger, ‘I’d scorn to be anything else.’ Mr. Dawkins gave his hat a ferocious cock, after delivering this sentiment, and looked at Master Bates, as if to denote that he would feel obliged by his saying anything to the conterary. ‘I am,’ repeated the Dodger, ‘So’s Charley. So’s Fagin. So’s Sikes. So’s Nancy. So’s Bet. So we all are, down to the dog. And he’s the downiest one of the lot!’

‘Well well,’ said the Dodger, recurring to the point from which they had strayed: with the mindfullness of his profession that influenced all his proceddings. ‘This hasen’t got anything to do with young Green here.’

‘Go!’ exclaimed the Dodger, ‘Why wheres your spirit? Don’t you take any pride out of yourself? Would you go and be dependant on your friends?’
‘Oh blow that,’ said master Bates: drawing two or three silk handkercheifs from his pocket and tossing them into the cupboard, ‘That’s too mean; that is.’
‘I couldn’t do it,’ said the Dodger, with an air of haughty disgust.
‘You can leave your friends, though,’ said Oliver with a half smile; ‘And let them be punished for what you did.’

‘If you don’t take pockerhandkercheifs and watches,’ said the Dodger, reducing his conversation to the level of Olivers capacity, ‘some other cove will; so that the coves that lose ‘em will be all the worse, and you’ll be all the worse to, and nobody half a ha’p’orth the better, except the chap wot gets them- and you’ve just as good a right to them as they have!’

‘I can’t help it!’ said Charley, ‘I can’t help it! To see him splitting away at that pace, and cutting around corners, and knocking up against the posts, and starting on again as if he was made of iron the same as them, an me with the wipe in my pocket, singing out arter him- oh, my eye!’ The vived imagination of Master Bates presented the scene before him in too strong colors. As he arrived at this apostrophe, he again rolled apon the doorstep, and laughed louder then before. ‘What’ll Fagin say?’ inquired the Dodger; taking advantage of the next interval of breathlessness on the part of his friend to propond the question.
‘What?’ repeated Charley Bates.
‘Ah, what?’ said the Dodger.
‘Why, what should he say?’ inquired Charley: stopping rather suddenly in his merriment; for the Dodgers manner was impressive. ‘What should he say?’
Mr. Dawkins whistled a couple of mineutes; then taking of his hat, scratched his head, and nodded thrice.
‘Toor rol lol loo, gamman and spinnage, the frog he wouldn’t, and high cockolorum,’ said the Dodger: with a slight sneer on his inteletual countenance.
This was explanatory, but not satisfactory. Master Bates felt it so; and again said, ‘What do you mean?’
The Dodger made no reply; but putting on his hat again, and gathering the skirts of his long tailed coat under his arm, thrust his tounge into his cheek, tapped the bridge of his nose a dozen or so times in a familiar but expressive manner, and turning on his heel, slunk down the court. Master Bates followed, with a thoughtful countenance.

After swallowing to or three glasses of spirits; Mr. Sikes condensceded to take some notice of the young genleman; which gracious act led to a conversation, in which the cause and manner of Olivers capture were circumstantially detailed, with such alterations and improvments on the truth, as to the Dodger thought most advisable under the circumstances.

‘If he hasen’t peached, and is committed, theres no fear til he comes out again,’ sais Mr. Sikes, ‘and then he must be taken care on. You must get hold of him somehow.’
Again the Jew nodded.
The prudence of this line of action, indeed, was obvious; but, unfortuanatly, there was one strong objection to it being adopted. This was, that the Dodger, and Charely Bates, and Fagin, and Mr. William Sikes, happened, one and all, a violant and deeply-rooted antipathy to going near a police office on any ground or pretext whatsoever.

‘He had better!’ said Sikes, clapping a hand apon his pocket, ‘Burn my body, if he isn’t more trouble then a whole family of Dodgers. Drink it, you perwirse imp- drink it!’

‘Well well,’ said Fagin, with a sigh, ‘I’ll send the Artful round presently.’
‘You wont do nothing of the kind,’ rejoined Sikes, ‘The Artfuls a deal to artful, and would forget to come, or lose his way, or get dodged by traps and so be perwented, or anything for an excuse, if you put him up to it. Nancy shall go to the ken and fetch it, to make all sure; and I’ll lie down and have a snooze while she’s gone.’

‘They’ve found the gentleman what owns the box; two or three mores coming to ‘dentify him; and the Artfuls booked for a passage out,’ replied Master Bates, ‘I must have a full suit for mourning, Fagin, and a hatband, to wist him in, afore he sets out on his travels. To think of Jack Dawkins- lummy Jack- the Dodger- the Artful Dodger- going abroad for a common two-penny-halfpenny sneeze box! I never thought he’d a done it under a gold watch, chain, and seals, at the lowest. Oh, why didn’t he rob some rich old gentleman of all his walables, and go out as a gentleman, not like a common prig, without no honor or glory!’

‘So do I,’ cried Charley Bates, ‘Ha! Ha! Ha! So do I. I see it all afore me, apon my soul I do, Fagin. What a game! What a regular game! All the big-wigs trying to look solomen, and Jack Dawkins addressing of ‘em as intimate and comfortable as if he was the judges own son making a speech after dinner- ha ha ha!’ In fact, Mr. Fagin had so well humored his friends eccentric disposition, the Master Bates, who at first had been disposed to consider the imprisoned Dodger rather in the light of a victim, now looked apon him as a chief actor in a scene of most uncommon and eqsuisite humor, and felt quite impatient for the arrival of the time when his old companion should have so favorable an opportunity of displaying his abilities.

Of the Artful Dodger being in court:
‘Has the boy ever been here before?’
‘He ought to have been, many times,’ replied the jailor, ‘He has been pretty well everywhere else. I know him well, your worship.’

‘The two hastened back together, to bear to Mr Fagin the animating news that the Dodger was doing full justice to his upbringing, and establishing for himself a glorious reputation.