Chapter XLV

by Charles Dickens

　　Noah Claypole is Employed by Fagin On a Secret MissionThe old man was up, betimes, next morning, and waited impatientlyfor the appearance of his new associate, who after a delay thatseemed interminable, at length presented himself, and commenced avoracious assault on the breakfast.'Bolter,' said Fagin, drawing up a chair and seating himselfopposite Morris Bolter.'Well, here I am,' returned Noah. 'What's the matter? Don't yerask me to do anything till I have done eating. That's a greatfault in this place. Yer never get time enough over yer meals.''You can talk as you eat, can't you?' said Fagin, cursing hisdear young friend's greediness from the very bottom of his heart.'Oh yes, I can talk. I get on better when I talk,' said Noah,cutting a monstrous slice of bread. 'Where's Charlotte?''Out,' said Fagin. 'I sent her out this morning with the otheryoung woman, because I wanted us to be alone.''Oh!' said Noah. 'I wish yer'd ordered her to make some butteredtoast first. Well. Talk away. Yer won't interrupt me.'There seemed, indeed, no great fear of anything interrupting him,as he had evidently sat down with a determination to do a greatdeal of business.'You did well yesterday, my dear,' said Fagin. 'Beautiful! Sixshillings and ninepence halfpenny on the very first day! Thekinchin lay will be a fortune to you.''Don't you forget to add three pint-pots and a milk-can,' saidMr. Bolter.'No, no, my dear. The pint-pots were great strokes of genius:but the milk-can was a perfect masterpiece.''Pretty well, I think, for a beginner,' remarked Mr. Boltercomplacently. 'The pots I took off airy railings, and themilk-can was standing by itself outside a public-house. Ithought it might get rusty with the rain, or catch cold, yerknow. Eh? Ha! ha! ha!'Fagin affected to laugh very heartily; and Mr. Bolter having hadhis laugh out, took a series of large bites, which finished hisfirst hunk of bread and butter, and assisted himself to a second.'I want you, Bolter,' said Fagin, leaning over the table, 'to doa piece of work for me, my dear, that needs great care andcaution.''I say,' rejoined Bolter, 'don't yer go shoving me into danger,or sending me any more o' yer police-offices. That don't suit me,that don't; and so I tell yer.''That's not the smallest danger in it--not the very smallest,'said the Jew; 'it's only to dodge a woman.''An old woman?' demanded Mr. Bolter.'A young one,' replied Fagin.'I can do that pretty well, I know,' said Bolter. 'I was aregular cunning sneak when I was at school. What am I to dodgeher for? Not to--''Not to do anything, but to tell me where she goes, who she sees,and, if possible, what she says; to remember the street, if it isa street, or the house, if it is a house; and to bring me backall the information you can.''What'll yer give me?' asked Noah, setting down his cup, andlooking his employer, eagerly, in the face.'If you do it well, a pound, my dear. One pound,' said Fagin,wishing to interest him in the scent as much as possible. 'Andthat's what I never gave yet, for any job of work where therewasn't valuable consideration to be gained.''Who is she?' inquired Noah.'One of us.''Oh Lor!' cried Noah, curling up his nose. 'Yer doubtful of her,are yer?''She had found out some new friends, my dear, and I must know whothey are,' replied Fagin.'I see,' said Noah. 'Just to have the pleasure of knowing them,if they're respectable people, eh? Ha! ha! ha! I'm your man.''I knew you would be,' cried Fagin, eleated by the success of hisproposal.'Of course, of course,' replied Noah. 'Where is she? Where am Ito wait for her? Where am I to go?''All that, my dear, you shall hear from me. I'll point her outat the proper time,' said Fagin. 'You keep ready, and leave therest to me.'That night, and the next, and the next again, the spy sat bootedand equipped in his carter's dress: ready to turn out at a wordfrom Fagin. Six nights passed--six long weary nights--and oneach, Fagin came home with a disappointed face, and brieflyintimated that it was not yet time. On the seventh, he returnedearlier, and with an exultation he could not conceal. It wasSunday.'She goes abroad to-night,' said Fagin, 'and on the right errand,I'm sure; for she has been alone all day, and the man she isafraid of will not be back much before daybreak. Come with me.Quick!'Noah started up without saying a word; for the Jew was in a stateof such intense excitement that it infected him. They left thehouse stealthily, and hurrying through a labyrinth of streets,arrived at length before a public-house, which Noah recognised asthe same in which he had slept, on the night of his arrival inLondon.It was past eleven o'clock, and the door was closed. It openedsoftly on its hinges as Fagin gave a low whistle. They entered,without noise; and the door was closed behind them.Scarcely venturing to whisper, but substituting dumb show forwords, Fagin, and the young Jew who had admitted them, pointedout the pane of glass to Noah, and signed to him to climb up andobserve the person in the adjoining room.'Is that the woman?' he asked, scarcely above his breath.Fagin nodded yes.'I can't see her face well,' whispered Noah. 'She is lookingdown, and the candle is behind her.'Stay there,' whispered Fagin. He signed to Barney, whowithdrew. In an instant, the lad entered the room adjoining,and, under pretence of snuffing the candle, moved it in therequired position, and, speaking to the girl, caused her to raiseher face.'I see her now,' cried the spy.'Plainly?''I should know her among a thousand.'He hastily descended, as the room-door opened, and the girl cameout. Fagin drew him behind a small partition which was curtainedoff, and they held their breaths as she passed within a few feetof their place of concealment, and emerged by the door at whichthey had entered.'Hist!' cried the lad who held the door. 'Dow.'Noah exchanged a look with Fagin, and darted out.'To the left,' whispered the lad; 'take the left had, and keep odthe other side.'He did so; and, by the light of the lamps, saw the girl'sretreating figure, already at some distance before him. Headvanced as near as he considered prudent, and kept on theopposite side of the street, the better to observe her motions.She looked nervously round, twice or thrice, and once stopped tolet two men who were following close behind her, pass on. Sheseemed to gather courage as she advanced, and to walk with asteadier and firmer step. The spy preserved the same relativedistance between them, and followed: with his eye upon her.