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 45 Noah Claypole is employed by Fagin on a secret mission.
The old man was up at times next morning and waited impatiently for the appearance of his new associate,
Who,
After a delay that seemed interminable,
Had length presented himself and commenced a voracious assault on the breakfast.
Bolter,
Said Fagin,
Drawing up a chair.
Here I am,
Replied Noah.
What's the matter?
Don't you ask me to do anything I haven't done till I've stopped eating.
That's a great fault in this place,
You never get enough time over your meals.
You can talk as much as you eat,
Can't you,
Said Fagin.
Oh yes,
I can talk.
I get on better when I talk,
Said Noah.
Where's Charlotte?
Out,
Said Fagin.
I sent her out this morning with the other young woman because I wanted us to be alone.
Oh,
Said Noah.
I wish you'd ordered her to make some buttered toast first.
Well,
Talk away,
You won't interrupt me.
You did well yesterday,
My dear,
Said Fagin.
Beautiful,
In fact.
Now,
I want you to do a piece of work for me,
My dear,
That needs great care and caution.
Now say,
Rejoined Bolter,
Don't you go shoving me into danger or sending me any more over your police officers.
That don't suit me at all,
And so I tell you.
That's not the smallest danger,
Is it?
Not the very smallest,
Said the Jew.
It's only to dodge a woman.
An old woman?
A young one.
Hmm,
I can do that pretty well,
I know.
I was a regular cunning sneak when I was at school,
Said Bolter.
What am I to dodge her for?
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's a street,
Or the house,
If it's a house,
And to bring me back all the information you can.
What will you give me?
Said Noah,
Setting down his cup.
If you do it well,
A pound,
My dear,
One pound.
Well,
Who is she then?
Inquired Noah.
She's one of us.
You're doubtful of her,
Are you?
She has found some new friends,
My dear,
And I must know who they are.
I see,
Said Noah.
Just to have the pleasure of knowing them,
If they're respectable enough,
Eh?
I'm your man.
I knew you would be,
Cried Fagin,
Elated by the success of his proposal.
Now where is she?
Replied Noah.
Where am I to wait for her?
All that,
My dear,
Usually for me in time,
At the proper time,
Said Fagin.
You keep ready now,
And leave the rest to me.
That night,
And the next,
And the next again,
The spy sat booted and equipped in his carter's dress,
Ready to turn out at a word from Fagin.
Six nights passed,
Six long,
Weary nights,
And on each,
Fagin came home with a disappointed face.
On the seventh,
He returned earlier,
With an exultation he could not convey.
She goes abroad tonight,
Said Fagin,
And on the right errand,
I'm sure,
For she's been alone all day.
The man she's afraid of will not be back much before daybreak.
Now come with me,
Quick.
Noah started up without saying a word,
For the Jew was in a state of such intense excitement that it infected him.
They left the house stealthily,
And hurrying through a labyrinth of streets,
Arrived at length before a public house,
Which Noah recognised as the same in which he had slept on the night of his arrival in London.
It was past seven o'clock,
And the door was closed.
It opened softly on its hinges as Fagin gave a low whistle.
They entered without noise,
And the door was closed behind him.
Scarcely venturing to whisper,
But substituted dumb show for words,
Fagin and the young Jew pointed out the pane of glass to Noah and signed him to climb up and observe the person in the adjoining room.
Is that the woman?
He asked.
Fagin nodded yes.
I can't see her face well,
Whispered Noah.
She's looking down,
And the candle's behind her.
Stay there,
Whispered Fagin.
Then he signed to Barney,
Who withdrew.
In an instant,
The lad entered the room adjoining,
And under pretence of snuffing the candle,
Moved it in the required position,
And speaking to the girl caused her to raise her face.
I see her now,
Cried the spy.
Plainly,
I should know her among a thousand.
He hastily descended as the room door closed,
And the girl came out.
Fagin drew him behind a small partition which was curtained off,
And they held their breaths as she passed within a few feet of their place of concealment,
And emerged by the door at which they had entered.
Yes,
Cried the lad who held the door now.
Noah exchanged a look with Fagin and darted out.
To the left,
Whispered the lad.
Take the left hand and keep on the other side.
He did so,
And by the light of the lamp,
Saw the girl retreat already at some distance before him.
He advanced as near as he considered prudent,
And kept on the opposite side of the street,
All the better to observe her motions.
She looked nervously around twice or thrice,
And once stopped to let two men who were following close behind her pass on.
She seemed to gather courage as she advanced,
And to walk with a steadier and firmer step.
The spy preserved the same relative distance between them and followed,
With his eye upon her.
Chapter 46 The Appointment Kept The church clocks chimed three quarters past eleven as two figures emerged on London Bridge.
One which advanced with a swift and rapid step was that of a woman who looked eagerly about as though in quest of some expected object.
The other figure was that of a man who slunk along in the deepest shadows he could find.
They crossed the bridge from the middle sects to the Surrey shore,
Where the woman,
Apparently disappointed in her anxious scrutiny of the foot passengers,
Turned back.
The movement was sudden,
But he who watched her was not thrown off guard by it.
When she was about the same distance in advance as she had been before,
He slipped quietly down and followed her again.
At nearly the centre of the bridge she stopped,
And the man stopped too.
It was a very dark night.
The day had been untraverable,
And at that hour and place,
There were few people stirring.
Such as there were hurried quickly past,
Very possibly without seeing,
But certainly without noticing either the woman or the man who kept her in view.
A mist hung over the river,
Deepening the red glare of the fires that burnt upon the small craft moored off the different wharfs.
The old smoke-stained storehouses on either side rose heavy and dull from the dense mass of roofs and gables.
The tower of old St Saviour's Church and the spire of St Magnus,
So long the giant waters of the ancient bridge,
Were visible in the gloom.
But the forest of shipping below bridge,
And the thickly scattered spires of churches above,
Were nearly all hidden from sight.
The girl had taken a few restless turns,
To and fro,
Heavily watched by her hidden observer.
Then the heavy bell of St Paul's tolled for the death of another day.
Midnight had come upon the crowded city.
The palace,
The night cellar,
The jail,
The madhouse,
The chambers of birth and death,
Of sleep and sickness,
The rigid face of the corpse and the calm sleep of the child,
Midnight was upon them all.
The hour had not struck two minutes when a young lady,
Accompanied by a red-haired gentleman,
Alighted from a hackney carriage within a short distance of the bridge.
They had scarcely set foot upon its pavement when the girl started and immediately walked towards them.
They walked onwards,
Looking about them with the air of persons who entertained some very slight expectation,
Which had little chance of being realised,
When they were suddenly joined by this new associate.
They halted with an exclamation of surprise,
But suppressed it immediately,
For a man in the garments of a countryman came close up.
Not here,
Said Nancy hurriedly.
I'm afraid to speak to you here.
Come away out of the public road and down the steps yonder.
This is far enough,
Said a voice,
Which was evidently that of the gentleman.
I will not suffer this young lady to go any further.
Many people would have distrusted you too much to have come even so far,
But you see I am willing to humour you.
To humour me?
Cried the voice of the girl.
You're considerate indeed,
Sir,
To humour me.
Well,
Well,
It's no matter.
Why,
For what,
Said the gentleman in a kinder tone,
For what purpose can you have brought us to this strange place?
Why not have let me speak to you above there,
In the light?
I told you before,
Replied Nancy,
I was afraid to speak to you there,
I don't know why it is.
I have such a fear and dread upon me tonight,
I can hardly stand.
A fear of what,
Said the gentleman.
I hardly know for,
Replied the girl,
I wish I did.
Horrible thoughts of death and shrouds with blood upon them,
And a fear that's made me burn as if I was on fire.
Imagination,
Said the gentleman,
Soothing her.
You are not suspected of holding any communication with anybody on the subject which has brought us here tonight,
I hope,
Asked the old gentleman.
No,
Replied Nancy,
Shaking her head.
It's not very easy for me to leave.
I couldn't give him a drink of laudanum before I came away.
Did he awake before you returned,
Inquired the gentleman.
No,
Neither he nor any of them suspect me.
Good,
Said the gentleman,
Now listen to me.
I'm ready,
Replied the girl.
This young lady,
The gentleman began,
Has communicated to me and some other friends who can be safely trusted what you told her nearly a fortnight since.
I had my doubts at first whether you were to be implicitly relied upon,
But now I believe you are.
I am,
Said Nancy earnestly.
I firmly believe it.
Fagin,
Cried the girl,
Recalling.
Yes,
You must deliver up the Jew.
I'll not do it.
I'll never do it,
Replied the girl.
Devil that he is,
And worse than the devil that he's been to me.
I'll never do that.
You will not,
Said the gentleman,
Who seemed fully prepared for this answer.
Then put monks into my hands and leave him to me to deal with.
But what if he turns against the others?
I promise you in that case,
If the truth is false from him,
The matter will rest.
There must be circumstances in Oliver's little history which it would be painful to drag before the public eye.
And if the truth is once elicited,
They shall go scot-free.
And if it's not?
Then this Fagin shall not be brought to justice without your consent.
Have I the lady's promise for that?
You have.
Rose will give you her true and faithful pledge.
Monks will never learn how you knew what you knew.
Never,
Replied the gentleman.
The intelligence should be brought to bear upon him that he could never even guess.
Nancy sighed.
I've been a liar and among liars from a little child.
But I will take your words.
I want to do what's right by Oliver.
