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g in an affecting manner: “ask somebody else’s.”
OLIVER TWIST. , 11
“‘ Ugh, you brute!” said Mrs. Sowerberry.
“Not at all, my dear,” said Mr. Sowerberry humbly.
“ I thought you didn’t want to hear, my dear. I was only
going to say-” .
“Oh, don't tell me what you were going to say, in-
terposed Mrs. Sowerberry. “ I am nobody : don’t consult
me, prays I don’t want to intrude upon your secrets.”
As Mrs. Sowerlierry said this, she. gave an hysterical
laugh, which threatened violent consequences.
“But, inydear,” said Sowerberry, “I want to ask
your advice.” V
“No, no, don’t ask mine,” replied Mrs. Sowerblgrry,
ere,
there was another hysterical laugh, which frightened
Mr. Sowerberry very much. - This is a very common and
inuch-approved matrimonial course of treatment, which
IS often very effective. It at once reduced Mr. Sewer-
berry to begging, as a special favour, to be allowed to
say ‘i?‘llIJ.t'.ll.l1'S. Sowerberry was most curious to hear.
After a short altercation of ess than three quarters of
an hour's duration, the permission was most graciously
conceded. ' ' M .
n
. ‘fIt’s only-about young Twist, my dear,” said Mr.
Sowerberry. ‘' A very good-looking boy, that, my dear.”
“ He need be, for he eats enough," observed the lady.
“ There’s an expression of inelanclioly in his face, my
dear,” resumed Mr. Sowerberry, “which is very inter-
esting. He would make a delightful niute, my love.”
‘ Mrs. Sowerborry looked up with an expression of con-
siderable wonderment. Mr. Sowerberry remarked it;
and - without allowing time for any observation on the
good lady’s part, proceeded.
. “ I don't mean a regular mute to attend grown-up peo-
ple, my dear, but only for children's practice. It would
be very new to have a mute in proportion, my dear. You
may depend upon it, it would have a superb effect.”
‘ Mrs. bowerbcrry, who had a good deal of taste in the
undertaking way,.was inucli struck by the novelty of
this idea ; but, as it would have been compromising her
dignity to have said so, under existing circumstances,
she ‘merely inquired, with much sharpness, why such an
obvious suggestion had not presented itself to her lins-
band s mind before? Mr. Sowerberry rightly construed
this, as an.acquiescence,in his proposition ; it was speed-
ily determined, therefore, that Oliver should be at once
initiated into the mysteries of the trade ; and, with this
View, that he should accompany his master on the very
next occasion of his services being required.
"1 he occasion was not long in coming Half an hour
'after breakfast next morning, Mr. Bumble entered the
Shop ; and supporting his cane against the counter, drew
forth his large eathern pocket-book : from which he se-
lected a small scrap of paper, which he handed over to
Sowerberry.
.t “Aha I” said the undertaker, glancing over it with a
lively countenance : “an order for a coffin, eh? ”
“ For a coffin first, and a porochial funeral after-
wards,” replied Mr. Bumble, fastening the strap of the
leathern pocket-book: which, like himself, was very
corpulent. - ,- . 4 i
r “ Bayton,” said the undertaker, looking from the
Semi’ Of paper to Mr. Bumble. “ I never heard the name
before.” , . .
‘ Bumble shook his head, as he replied, “ Obstinate peo-
ple, Mr. Sowerberry; very obstinate. Proud, too, I'm
afraid, sir.” -
,‘ - “ Proud, eh ‘I ” exclaimed Mr. Sowerberry with asnecr.
‘ Come, that’s too much.” ,
," 011. it’s sickening,” replied the beadle. “Antimo-
11131. Mr. Sowerberry l ”
" So it is,” acquiesced tho undertaker.
f‘VVe only heard of the family the night before last,”
said the beadlc; “and we shouldn‘t have known any-
thing about them, then, only a woman who lodges in
the same house made an application to the porochial
committee for them to send the porochial surgeon to see
9- Woiiian as was very bad. He had gone out'to dinner ;
but his ‘prentice (which is avery clever lad) sent ’em
Sgme medicine in a blocking-bottle, off-hand."
“ Ah, there’s promptness,” said the undertaker.
> “Promptness, indeed l” replied the beadle. “But
what’s the consequence; what’s the ungrateful behav-
iour of these rebels, sir? VVhy, the husband sends back
word that the medicine won't suit his wife’s complaint,
and so she shan’t take it-says she slian’t take it, sir!
Good, strong, wholesome medicine, as was given with
great success to two Irish labourers and a. coallieaver, only
a week before-sent ‘em for nothing, with a hlackin-
btottle Iin,-and he sends back word that she shan’t take
1 , sir ”
As the atrocity presented itself to Mr. Bumble’s mind
in full force, he struck the counter sharply with his
cane, and became flushed with indignation.
“ VVell,” said the undertaker, “ I ne-ver-did
“Never did, sir!” ejaculated the beadle. “ No, nor
nobody never did; but, now she’s dead, we've got to
bury her; and that's the direction; and the sooner it’s
done, the better.”
Thus saying, Mr. Bumble put on his cocked hat wrong
side first, in a fever of parochial excitement ; and
flounced out of the shop.
“ VVhy, he was so angry, Oliver, that he forgot even
to ask after 'ou l” said Mr. Sowerberry, looking after
tho beadle as e strode down the street.
“ Yes, sir,” replied Oliver, who had carefully kept him-
self out of sight, during the interview ; and who was
shaking from head to foot at the more recollection of the
sound of Mr. Bumb1e's voice. He needn't have taken
the trouble to shrink from Mr. I3uinble’s glance, how-
ever; for that functionary, on whom the prediction of
the gentleman in the. white waistcoat had made a very
strong impression, thought that now the undertaker had
got Oliver upon trial the subject was better avoided,
until such time as he should be firmly bound for seven
'ears ; and all danger of his being returned upon the
hands of the parish should be thus effectually and legally
overcome.
“ XVell,” said Mr. Sowerbcrry, taking up his hat, “ the
sooner this job is done, the better. Noah, look after the
shop. Oliver, put on your cap, and come with me.”
Oliver obeyed, and followed his master on his profes-
sional mission. .
They walked on, for some time, through the most
crowded and densely inhabited part of the town; and
then, striking down a narrow street more dirty and mis-
erable than any tlioy had yet passed through, paused to
look for the house which was the object of their search.
The houses on either side were high and large, but very
old, and tenanted by people of the poorest class ; as their
neglected appearance would have sufliciently denoted,
without. the concurrent testimony afforded by the squalid
looks of the few men and women who, with folded arms
and bodies half doubled, occasionally skulked along. A
great many of the tenements had shop fronts ; but these
were fast closed, and mouldering away : only the upper
rooms being inhabited. Some houses which had become
insecure from age and decay, were prevented from fall-
ing into the street, by huge beams of wood reared against
the walls, and firmly planted in the road ; hut, eveii these
crazy dens seemed to have been selected as the nightly
haunts of some hoiiselcss wrefches, for many of the
rough boards, which supplied the place of door and win-
dow, were wrenched from their positions, to afford an
aperture wide enough for the passage of a human body.
The kennel was stagnant and filthy. The very rats,
which here and there lay putrefying in its rottenness.
were hideous with famine.
There was neither kiiocker nor bell-handle at the open
door where Oliver and his master stopped; so, groping
his way cautiously through the dark passage, and bid-
ding Oliver keep close to him and not be afraid, the un-
dertaker mounted to the top of the first flight of stairs.
Stumbling against a door on the landing, he rapped at it
with his knuckles. . ,
It was opened by a young girl of thirteen or fourteen.
The undertaker at once saw enough of what the room
contained, to know it was the apartment to which he had
been directed. He step ed in ; Oliver followed him.
There was no fire in t c room ; but a man was crouch-
ing, nieclianically, over the empty stove. An old W0-
man, too, had drawn a low stool to the cold hearth. 111311
was sitting beside him. There were some ragged. chil-
dren in uiiotlier corner; and in a small reccssgqpposite
ii
the door, there lay upon the ground, something covered