Hello.
Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,
Your go-to romantic podcast that guarantees you a calm and entertaining transition into a great night's sleep.
Come with me as we immerse ourselves in a romantic journey to a time long since forgotten.
But before we begin,
Let's take a moment to focus on where we are now.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.
Now close your eyes and feel yourself sink deeper into the support beneath you.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.
Happy listening.
Chapter 26 continued.
The Jew was no sooner alone than the countenance resumed its former expression of anxiety and thought.
After a brief reflection,
He called a hat cabriolet and bade the man drive towards Bethnal Green to Mr Sykes' residence.
Now,
Muttered the Jew as he knocked at the door,
If there's any deep play here,
I shall have it out to you,
My girl,
Cunning as though you are.
Nancy was in her room and Fagin crept softly upstairs and entered it without any previous ceremony.
She was alone,
Lying with her head upon the table and her hair straggling over it.
She's been drinking,
Thought the Jew,
Or perhaps she's only miserable.
He turned to close the door as he made this reflection.
The noise roused the girl.
She eyed his crafty face narrowly as she inquired to his recital of Toby Crackett's story.
When it was concluded,
She sank into her former attitude,
But spoke not a word.
She pushed the candle impatiently away and once or twice she feverishly changed her position,
Shuffling her feet upon the ground.
During the silence,
The Jew looked restlessly about the room as if to assure himself there were no appearances of Sykes having covertly returned.
And where should you think Bill now was,
My dear,
He said.
The girl moaned,
Some half-intelligible reply.
She couldn't tell,
She said,
And from the smothered noise that escaped her,
He could see she was crying.
And the boy too,
Said the Jew,
Poor little child left in a ditch,
Nance,
Only think.
The child,
Said the girl,
Suddenly looking up,
Is better where he is than among us and if no harm comes to Bill from it,
I hope he lies dead in the ditch and that his young bones may rot there.
What,
Cried Feagin in amazement.
Ay,
I do,
Returned the girl,
I shall be glad to have him away from my eyes and to know the worst is over.
I can't bear to have him about me.
The sight of him turns me against myself and all of you.
Tuh,
Said the Jew scornfully,
You're drunk.
Am I,
Cried the girl bitterly,
It's no fault of yours if I'm not.
You'd never have me anything else if you had your will.
This humour don't suit you,
Does it?
No,
Said Feagin furiously,
It does not.
Change it then,
Responded the girl with a laugh.
No,
I will change it.
Listen to me,
You drab,
Listen to me.
If Sykes comes back and leaves the boy behind him,
If he gets off free and dead or alive,
Fails to report him to me,
Murder him yourself if you have him escape Jack Ketch,
Then I'll do it the moment he sets foot in this room.
What's all this,
Cried the girl.
That boy is worth thousands to me.
Am I to lose what chance threw me in the way of getting safely through the whims of a drunken gang,
Then I could whistle away the lives of,
And be bound too to a born devil that only wants the will when has the power.
The old man stammered for a word,
And in that instant he checked the torrent of his wrath and changed his whole demeanour.
A moment before his clenched hands had grasped the air,
His eyes had dilated and his face groaned livid with passion,
But now he shrunk back into a chair and cowering together he trembled with the apprehension of having himself disclosed some hidden villainy.
After a short silence he ventured to look up.
Nancy dear,
Did you mind me dear?
Don't worry me now Fagin,
Replied the girl raising her hand.
If Bill's not done it this time he will another.
He's done many a good job for you and he'll do many more where he can,
But when he can't so no more about that.
Regarding this boy my dear,
Said the Jew rubbing the palms of his hands nervously together.
The boy must take his chance with the rest,
Interrupted Nancy.
I'll say again I hope he's dead and out of harm's way and yours,
That is if Bill comes to no harm and if Toby got clear off Bill's pretty sure to be safe for Bill's worth two of Toby any time.
What about what I was saying my dear,
Observed the Jew keeping his glistening eye upon her.
You must say it all over again if it's anything you want me to do,
Rejoined Nancy and if it is you better wait till tomorrow.
At this Mr Fagin turned his face homeward leaving this young friend asleep with her head upon the table.
It was now within an hour of midnight.
The weather being dark and piercing cold Fagin had no great temptation to loiter.
He reached the corner of his own street and was already fumbling in his pocket for the door key when a dark figure emerged from a projecting entrance which lay in deep shadow.
Fagin,
A voice whispered close to his ear.
Is that?
Yes.
Where the devil have you been?
On your business my dear,
Plied the Jew.
On your business all night?
Of course.
They entered with the knowledge now that Toby Crackett was asleep in the back room and the boys were in the front one.
Beckoning the man to follow him Fagin led the way upstairs.
We can say the few words we gotta say in here my dear,
He said.
I'll tell you again it was badly planned,
Said monks when they had settled.
This was the name the Jew had designated the strange man several times.
Hear him,
Exclaimed the Jew.
Why do you mean to say you couldn't have done it if you'd chosen?
Demanded monks sternly.
Haven't you done such a job with other boys,
Scores of times?
The boy's hand was not hidden,
Said the Jew.
I had nothing to frighten him with which we all must have in the beginning or we labour in vain.
What could I do?
Send him out with Dodger and Charlie.
We had enough of that at first my dear.
I trembled for us all.
This was a job he was bound to do.
Anyhow I got the boy back by means of the girl.
Now she begins to favour him.
Throttle the girl,
Said monks impatiently.
Why we can't afford to do that just now my dear,
Replied the Jew.
Besides that sort of thing's not in our way or one of these days I might have been glad to have it done.
And I know what these girls are monks.
Once the boy grows and begins to harden she'll care no more for him than for a block of wood.
You want him made a thief.
If he's alive I can make him one from this time and if he is not likely mine but if the worst comes to the worst he's dead.
It's no fault of mine if he is,
Interposed monks with a look of terror.
Mind that Fagin,
I had no hand in it.
Anything but his death I told you from the first.
I won't shed blood.
It's always found out and oughts a man besides.
If they shot him dead I was not the cause.
Do you hear me?
Fire this infernal den.
What's that?
What?
Cried the Jew grasping the coward round the body with both arms.
Yonder,
Replied the man.
It's a shadow.
I saw the shadow of a woman in a cloak and bonnet pass along the wainscot like a breath.
It's your fancy,
Said the Jew,
Taking up the light and turning to his companion.
I swear I saw it,
Replied monk,
Trembling.
It was bending forward and then when I spoke it darted away.
