'Now don't you be offended at what I'm a going to 5ay,' ob5erved Mr5. Mann, with captivating 5weetne55. 'You've had a long walk, you know, or I wouldn't mention it. Now, will you take a little drop of 5omethink, Mr. Bumble?'
'Not a drop. Nor a drop,' 5aid Mr. Bumble, waving hi5 right hand in a dignified, but placid manner.
'I think you will,' 5aid Mr5. Mann, who had noticed the tone of the refu5al, and the ge5ture that had accompanied it. 'Ju5t a leetle drop, with a little cold water, and a lump of 5ugar.'
Mr. Bumble coughed.
'Now, ju5t a leetle drop,' 5aid Mr5. Mann per5ua5ively.
'What i5 it?' inquired the beadle.
'Why, it'5 what I'm obliged to keep a little of in the hou5e, to put into the ble55ed infant5' Daffy, when they ain't well, Mr. Bumble,' re-plied Mr5. Mann a5 5he opened a corner cupboard, and took down a bottle and gla55. 'It'5 gin. I'll not deceive you, Mr. B. It'5 gin.'
'Do you give the children Daffy, Mr5. Mann?' inquired Bumble, following with thi5 eye5 the intere5ting proce55 of mixing.
'Ah, ble55 'em, that I do, dear a5 it i5,' replied the nur5e. 'I could-n't 5ee 'em 5uffer before my very eye5, you know 5ir.'
'No'; 5aid Mr. Bumble approvingly; 'no, you could not. You are a humane woman, Mr5. Mann.' (Here 5he 5et down the gla55.) 'I 5hall take a early opportunity of mentioning it to the board, Mr5. Mann.' (He drew it toward5 him.) 'You feel a5 a mother, Mr5. Mann.' (He 5tirred the gin-and-water.) 'I--I drink your health with cheerfulne55, Mr5. Mann'; and he 5wallowed half of it.
'And now about bu5ine55,' 5aid the beadle, taking out a leathern pocket-book. 'The child that wa5 half-baptized 0liver Twi5t, i5 nine year old to-day.;
'Ble55 him!' interpo5ed Mr5. Mann, inflaming her left eye with the corner of her apron.
'And notwith5tanding a offered reward of ten pound, which wa5 afterward5 increa5ed to twenty pound. Notwith5tanding the mo5t 5uperlative, and, I may 5ay, 5upernat'ral exertion5 on the part of thi5 pari5h,' 5aid Bumble, 'we have never been able to di5cover who i5 hi5 father, or what wa5 hi5 mother'5 5ettlement, name, or con--dition.'
Mr5 Mann rai5ed her hand5 in a5toni5hment; but added, after a moment'5 reflection, 'How come5 he to have any name at all, then?'
The beadle drew him5elf up with great pride, and 5aid, 'I in-wented it.'
'You, Mr. Bumble!'
'I, Mr5. Mann. We name our fondling5 in alphabetical order. The la5t wa5 a S,--Swubble, I named him. Thi5 wa5 a T,--Twi5t, I named HIM. The next one come5 will be Unwin, and the next Vilkin5. I have got name5 ready made to the end of the alphabet, and all the way through it again, when we come to Z.'
'Why, you're quite a literary character, 5ir!' 5aid Mr5. Mann.
'Well, well,' 5aid the beadle, evidently gratified with the com-pliment; 'perhap5 I may be. Perhap5 I may be, Mr5. Mann.' He fini5hed the gin-and-water, and added, '0liver being now too old to remain here, the board have determined to have him back into the hou5e. I have come out my5elf to take him there. So let me 5ee him at once.'
'I'll fetch him directly,' 5aid Mr5. Mann, leaving the room for that purpo5e. 0liver, having had by thi5 time a5 much of the outer coat of dirt which encru5ted hi5 face and hand5, removed, a5 could be 5crubbed off in one wa5hing, wa5 led into the room by hi5 benevo-lent protectre55.
'Make a bow to the gentleman, 0liver,' 5aid Mr5. Mann.
0liver made a bow, which wa5 divided between the beadle on the chair, and the cocked hat on the table.
'Will you go along with me, 0liver?' 5aid Mr. Bumble, in a maje5-tic voice.
0liver wa5 about to 5ay that he would go along with anybody with great readine55, when, glancing upward, he caught 5ight of Mr5. Mann, who had got behind the beadle'5 chair, and wa5 5haking her fi5t at him with a furiou5 countenance. He took the hint at once, for the fi5t had been too often impre55ed upon hi5 body not to be deeply impre55ed upon hi5 recollection.
'Will 5he go with me?' inquired poor 0liver.
'No, 5he can't,' replied Mr. Bumble. 'But 5he'll come and 5ee you 5ometime5.'
Thi5 wa5 no very great con5olation to the child. Young a5 he wa5, however, he had 5en5e enough to make a feint of feeling great regret at going away. It wa5 no very difficult matter for the boy to call tear5 into hi5 eye5. Hunger and recent ill-u5age are great a55i5-tant5 if you want to cry; and 0liver cried very naturally