WHEREINTHISHISTORYREVERTSTOMR。FAGINANDCOMPANY
Whilethesethingswerepassinginthecountryworkhouse，Mr。Faginsatintheoldden--thesamefromwhichOliverhadbeenremovedbythegirl--broodingoveradull，smokyfire。Heheldapairofbellowsuponhisknee，withwhichhehadapparentlybeenendeavouringtorouseitintomorecheerfulaction；buthehadfallenintodeepthought；andwithhisarmsfoldedonthem，andhischinrestingonhisthumbs，fixedhiseyes，abstractedly，ontherustybars。
AtatablebehindhimsattheArtfulDodger，MasterCharlesBates，andMr。Chitling：allintentuponagameofwhist；theArtfultakingdummyagainstMasterBatesandMr。Chitling。Thecountenanceofthefirst-namedgentleman，peculiarlyintelligentatalltimes，acquiredgreatadditionalinterestfromhiscloseobservanceofthegame，andhisattentiveperusalofMr。Chitling'shand；uponwhich，fromtimetotime，asoccasionserved，hebestowedavarietyofearnestglances：wiselyregulatinghisownplaybytheresultofhisobservationsuponhisneighbour'scards。Itbeingacoldnight，theDodgerworehishat，as，indeed，wasoftenhiscustomwithindoors。Healsosustainedaclaypipebetweenhisteeth，whichheonlyremovedforabriefspacewhenhedeemeditnecessarytoapplyforrefreshmenttoaquartpotuponthetable，whichstoodreadyfilledwithgin-and-waterfortheaccommodationofthecompany。
MasterBateswasalsoattentivetotheplay；butbeingofamoreexcitablenaturethanhisaccomplishedfriend，itwasobservablethathemorefrequentlyappliedhimselftothegin-and-water，andmoreoverindulgedinmanyjestsandirrelevantremarks，allhighlyunbecomingascientificrubber。Indeed，theArtful，presumingupontheircloseattachment，morethanoncetookoccasiontoreasongravelywithhiscompanionupontheseimproprieties；allofwhichremonstrances，MasterBatesreceivedinextremelygoodpart；merelyrequestinghisfriendtobe‘blowed，’ortoinserthisheadinasack，orreplyingwithsomeotherneatly-turnedwitticismofasimilarkind，thehappyapplicationofwhich，excitedconsiderableadmirationinthemindofMr。Chitling。Itwasremarkablethatthelattergentlemanandhispartnerinvariablylost；andthatthecircumstance，sofarfromangeringMasterBates，appearedtoaffordhimthehighestamusement，inasmuchashelaughedmostuproariouslyattheendofeverydeal，andprotestedthathehadneverseensuchajollygameinallhisborndays。
‘That'stwodoublesandtherub，’saidMr。Chitling，withaverylongface，ashedrewhalf-a-crownfromhiswaistcoat-pocket。‘Ineverseesuchafellerasyou，Jack；youwineverything。Evenwhenwe'vegoodcards，CharleyandIcan'tmakenothingof’em。‘
Eitherthemasterorthemannerofthisremark，whichwasmadeveryruefully，delightedCharleyBatessomuch，thathisconsequentshoutoflaughterrousedtheJewfromhisreverie，andinducedhimtoinquirewhatwasthematter。
‘Matter，Fagin！’criedCharley。‘Iwishyouhadwatchedtheplay。TommyChitlinghasn'twonapoint；andIwentpartnerswithhimagainsttheArtfullanddumb。’
‘Ay，ay！’saidtheJew，withagrin，whichsufficientlydemonstratedthathewasatnolosstounderstandthereason。‘Try’emagain，Tom；try‘emagain。’
‘Nomoreofitforme，thank’ee，Fagin，‘repliedMr。Chitling；’I'vehadenough。That‘ereDodgerhassucharunofluckthatthere'snostandingagain’him。‘
‘Ha！ha！mydear，’repliedtheJew，‘youmustgetupveryearlyinthemorning，towinagainsttheDodger。’
‘Morning！’saidCharleyBates；‘youmustputyourbootsonover-night，andhaveatelescopeateacheye，andaopera-glassbetweenyourshoulders，ifyouwanttocomeoverhim。’
Mr。Dawkinsreceivedthesehandsomecomplimentswithmuchphilosophy，andofferedtocutanygentlemanincompany，forthefirstpicture-card，atashillingatatime。Nobodyacceptingthechallenge，andhispipebeingbythistimesmokedout，heproceededtoamusehimselfbysketchingaground-planofNewgateonthetablewiththepieceofchalkwhichhadservedhiminlieuofcounters；whistling，meantime，withpeculiarshrillness。
‘Howpreciousdullyouare，Tommy！’saidtheDodger，stoppingshortwhentherehadbeenalongsilence；andaddressingMr。Chitling。‘Whatdoyouthinkhe'sthinkingof，Fagin？’
‘HowshouldIknow，mydear？’repliedtheJew，lookingroundashepliedthebellows。‘Abouthislosses，maybe；orthelittleretirementinthecountrythathe'sjustleft，eh？Ha！ha！Isthatit，mydear？’
‘Notabitofit，’repliedtheDodger，stoppingthesubjectofdiscourseasMr。Chitlingwasabouttoreply。‘Whatdo_you_say，Charley？’
‘_I_shouldsay，’repliedMasterBates，withagrin，‘thathewasuncommonsweetuponBetsy。Seehowhe'sa-blushing！Oh，myeye！here'samerry-go-rounder！TommyChitling'sinlove！Oh，Fagin，Fagin！whataspree！’
ThoroughlyoverpoweredwiththenotionofMr。Chitlingbeingthevictimofthetenderpassion，MasterBatesthrewhimselfbackinhischairwithsuchviolence，thathelosthisbalance，andpitchedoveruponthefloor；where（theaccidentabatingnothingofhismerriment）helayatfulllengthuntilhislaughwasover，whenheresumedhisformerposition，andbegananotherlaugh。
‘Nevermindhim，mydear，’saidtheJew，winkingatMr。Dawkins，andgivingMasterBatesareprovingtapwiththenozzleofthebellows。‘Betsy'safinegirl。Stickuptoher，Tom。Stickuptoher。’
‘WhatImeantosay，Fagin，’repliedMr。Chitling，veryredintheface，‘is，thatthatisn'tanythingtoanybodyhere。’
‘Nomoreitis，’repliedtheJew；‘Charleywilltalk。Don'tmindhim，mydear；don'tmindhim。Betsy'safinegirl。Doasshebidsyou，Tom，andyouwillmakeyourfortune。’
‘SoI_do_doasshebidsme，’repliedMr。Chitling；‘Ishouldn'thavebeenmilled，ifithadn'tbeenforheradvice。Butitturnedoutagoodjobforyou；didn'tit，Fagin！Andwhat'ssixweeksofit？Itmustcome，sometimeoranother，andwhynotinthewintertimewhenyoudon'twanttogoouta-walkingsomuch；eh，Fagin？’
‘Ah，tobesure，mydear，’repliedtheJew。
‘Youwouldn'tminditagain，Tom，wouldyou，’askedtheDodger，winkinguponCharleyandtheJew，‘ifBetwasallright？’
‘ImeantosaythatIshouldn't，’repliedTom，angrily。‘There，now。Ah！Who'llsayasmuchasthat，Ishouldliketoknow；eh，Fagin？’
‘Nobody，mydear，’repliedtheJew；‘notasoul，Tom。Idon'tknowoneof’emthatwoulddoitbesidesyou；notoneof‘em，mydear。’
‘Imighthavegotclearoff，ifI'dsplituponher；mightn'tI，Fagin？’angrilypursuedthepoorhalf-witteddupe。‘Awordfrommewouldhavedoneit；wouldn'tit，Fagin？’
‘Tobesureitwould，mydear，’repliedtheJew。
‘ButIdidn'tblabit；didI，Fagin？’demandedTom，pouringquestionuponquestionwithgreatvolubility。
‘No，no，tobesure，’repliedtheJew；‘youweretoostout-heartedforthat。Adealtoostout，mydear！’
‘PerhapsIwas，’rejoinedTom，lookinground；‘andifIwas，what'stolaughat，inthat；eh，Fagin？’
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