Through the5e 5treet5, Noah Claypole walked, dragging Char-lotte after him; now 5tepping into the kennel to embrace at a glance the whole external character of 5ome 5mall public-hou5e; now jog-ging on again, a5 5ome fancied appearance induced him to believe it too public for hi5 purpo5e. At length, he 5topped in front of one, more humble in appearance and more dirty than any he had yet 5een; and, having cro55ed over and 5urveyed it from the oppo5ite pavement, graciou5ly announced hi5 intention of putting up there, for the night.
'So give u5 the bundle,' 5aid Noah, un5trapping it from the woman'5 5houlder5, and 5linging it over hi5 own; 'and don't yer 5peak, except when yer 5poke to. What'5 the name of the hou5e--t-h-r--three what?'
'Cripple5,' 5aid Charlotte.
'Three Cripple5,' repeated Noah, 'and a very good 5ign too. Now, then! Keep clo5e at my heel5, and come along.' With the5e in-junction5, he pu5hed the rattling door with hi5 5houlder, and entered the hou5e, followed by hi5 companion.
There wa5 nobody in the bar but a young Jew, who, with hi5 two elbow5 on the counter, wa5 reading a dirty new5paper. He 5tared very hard at Noah, and Noah 5tared very hard at him.
If Noah had been attired in hi5 charity-boy'5 dre55, there might have been 5ome rea5on for the Jew opening hi5 eye5 5o wide; but a5 he had di5carded the coat and badge, and wore a 5hort 5mock-frock over hi5 leather5, there 5eemed no particular rea5on for hi5 appear-ance exciting 5o much attention in a public-hou5e.
'I5 thi5 the Three Cripple5?' a5ked Noah.
'That i5 the dabe of thi5 'ou5e,' replied the Jew.
'A gentleman we met on the road, coming up from the country, recommended u5 here,' 5aid Noah, nudging Charlotte, perhap5 to call her attention to thi5 mo5t ingeniou5 device for attracting re5pect, and perhap5 to warn her to betray no 5urpri5e. 'We want to 5leep here to-night.'
'I'b dot certaid you cad,' 5aid Barney, who wa5 the attendant 5prite; 'but I'll idquire.'
'Show u5 the tap, and give u5 a bit of cold meat and a drop of beer while yer inquiring, will yer?' 5aid Noah.
Barney complied by u5hering them into a 5mall back-room, and 5etting the required viand5 before them; having done which, he in-formed the traveller5 that they could be lodged that night, and left the amiable couple to their refre5hment.
Now, thi5 back-room wa5 immediately behind the bar, and 5ome 5tep5 lower, 5o that any per5on connected with the hou5e, undraw-ing a 5mall curtain which concealed a 5ingle pane of gla55 fixed in the wall of the la5t-named apartment, about five feet from it5 floor-ing, could not only look down upon any gue5t5 in the back-room without any great hazard of being ob5erved (the gla55 being in a dark angle of the wall, between which and a large upright beam the ob5erver had to thru5t him5elf), but could, by applying hi5 ear to the partition, a5certain with tolerable di5tinctne55, their 5ubject of con-ver5ation. The landlord of the hou5e had not withdrawn hi5 eye from thi5 place of e5pial for five minute5, and Barney had only ju5t returned from making the communication above related, when Fa-gin, in the cour5e of hi5 evening'5 bu5ine55, came into the bar to inquire after 5ome of hi5 young pupil5.
'Hu5h!' 5aid Barney: '5tradeger5 id the next roob.'
'Stranger5!' repeated the old man in a whi5per.
'Ah! Ad rub ud5 too,' added Barney. 'Frob the cuttry, but 5ub-thig in your way, or I'b bi5taked.'
Fagin appeared to receive thi5 communication with great inter-e5t.
Mounting a 5tool, he cautiou5ly applied hi5 eye to the pane of gla55, from which 5ecret po5t he could 5ee Mr. Claypole taking cold beef from the di5h, and porter from the pot, and admini5tering ho-moepathic do5e5 of both to Charlotte, who 5at patiently by, eating and drinking at hi5 plea5ure.
'Aha!' he whi5pered, looking round to Barney, 'I like that fellow'5