"These few words had been said apart, so as to be inaudible to Oliver. The man touched his hat, and glancing at him with some curiosity, opened another gate opposite to that at which they had entered, and led them on through dark and winding ways, towards the cells. This,' said the man, stopping in a gloomy passage where a couple of workmen were making some preparations in profound silence, this is the place he passes through. If you step this way, you can see the door he goes out at.' "He led them into a stone kitchen, fitted with coppers for dressing the prison food, and pointed to a door. There was an open grating above it, through which came the sound of men's voices, mingled with the noise of hammering and the throwing down of boards. They were putting up the scaffold. "From this place they passed through several strong gates, opened by other turnkeys from the inner side, and having entered an open yard, ascended a flight of narrow steps, and came into a passage with a row of strong doors on the left hand. Motioning them to remain were they were, the turnkey knocked at one of these with his bunch of keys. The two attendants ofter a little whispering came out into the passage, stretching themselves as if glad of the temporary relief, and motioned the visitors to follow the jailer into the cell. They did so. "The condemned criminal was seated on his bed, rocking himself from side to side, with a countenance more like that of a snared beast than the face of a man. His mind was evidently wandering to his old life, for he continued to mutter, without seeming conscious of their presence otherwise than as a part of his vision. "Good boy, Charley-well done-' he mumbled. Oliver, too, ha! ha! ha! Oliver, too-quite the gentleman now quite the take that boy away to bed.' "The jailer took the disengaged hand of Oliver, and whispering him not to be alarmed, looked on without speaking. Take him away to bed-' cried the Jew. Do you hear me, some of you? He has been the-the-somehow the cause of all this. It's worth the money to bring him up to it-Bolter's throat, Bill; never mind the girl-Bolter's throat as deep as you can cut. Saw his head off.' "Fagin," said the jailer. "That's me!" cried the Jew, falling instantly into precisely the same attitude of listening that he had assumed upon his trial. "An old man, my Lord; a very old, old man. 66 Here," said the turnkey, laying his hand upon his breast to keep him down. Here's somebody wants to see you, to ask you some questions, I suppose. Fagin, Fagin. Are you a man?" "I shan't be one long," replied the Jew, looking up with a face retaining no human expression but rage and terror. "Strike them all dead! what right have they to butcher me?" As he spoke he caught sight of Oliver and Mr. Brownlow, and shrinking to the furthest corner of the seat, demanded to know what they wanted there. "Steady," said the turnkey, still holding him down. "Now, sir, tell him what you want-quick, if you please, for he grows worse as the time gets on. "You have some papers," said Mr. Brownlow advancing, "which were placed in your hands for better security, by a man called Monks." "It's all a lie together," replied the Jew. "I haven't one-not one.' "For the love of God," said Mr. Brownlow solemnly, "do not say that now, upon the very verge of death; but tell me where they are. You know that Sikes is dead; that Monks has confessed; that there is no hope of any further gain. Where are these papers?" "Oliver," cried the Jew, beckoning to him. "Here, here. Let me whisper to you." "I am not afraid," said Oliver in a low voice, as he relinquished Mr. Brownlow's hand. "The papers," said the Jew, drawing him towards him, "are in a canvass bag, in a hole a little way up the chimney in the top front room. I want to talk to you, my dear-I want to talk to you." "Yes, yes," returned Oliver. "Let me say a prayer. Do. Let me say one prayer; say only one upon your knees with me, and we will talk till morning." "Outside, outside," replied the Jew, pushing the boy before him towards the door, and looking vacantly over his head. "Say I've gone to sleep-they'll believe you. You can get me out if you take me Now then, now then." "Oh! God forgive this wretched man!" cried the boy with a burst of tears. So. "Press on, press on," cried the Jew. 66 Softly, but not so slow. Faster, faster!" The men laid hands upon him, and disengaging Oliver from his grasp, held him back. He writhed and struggled with the power of desperation, and sent up shriek upon shriek that penetrated even those massive walls, and rang in their ears until they reached the open yard. It was some time before they left the prison; for Oliver nearly swooned after this frightful scene, and was so weak that for an hour or more he had not the strength to walk. Day was dawning when they again emerged. A great multitude had already assembled; the windows were filled with people smoking and playing cards to beguile the time; the crowd were pushing, quarrelling, and joking. Every thing told of life and animation, but one dark cluster of objects in the very centre of all -the black stage, the cross beam, the rope, and all the hideous apparatus of death. INDEX TO VOL. XII. mann, 169, Anthologia Germanica No. XII. The Egyptian Magic, 568 less translatable poems of Schiller, 46 ; Ellis', Sir W. C. Treatise on Insanity, Enigmas, from Schiller, 56. Epigrams, from Schiller, 59. Falconer's Bride, a Tale, from the Ger. Family-picture, an original, from the Ffraser, Jobn, poems by, Jephtha's Vow, an Irish Story, 487. Hamilton, Miss E. M.-Poems, review Happiness, by Miss Hamilton, 241. Schenkendorf, 177. Hostage, the, from Schiller, 47. XIX. The Assize Town 97; Chap. Night, 696; Despair, 696; To my my Son, 698. Keg of Potteen, a Tale, 39. Killarney, an incident at, 659. Knowledge, by Miss Hamilton, 240. Laudanum and Rum; a vision of Negro- direct gift of Divine Providence,” a Leprauchan, the Captured, a Tale, 66. Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Ire- land, review of, 226. increasing and strengthening,|248. Lights and shadows of Irish Life, by Mrs. S. C. Hall, review of, 218. Lindsay, Lord, Letters on Egypt, Edom Lines on seeing a Mountain Daisy in Literæ Orientales, Turkish Poetry, third Lorrequer, Harry, Confessions of, 97, Weisze, 179. My heart, from the German of Hölty, Newel's History of the Revolution in New Geneva, account of, 402. Love and Wine, from the German of Novels of Fashionable Life, review of, 3. . Magistracy, the, 135, 256. Magrath, Lieutenant Richard N. Histo- Oliver Twist, by Boz, review of, 699. Man in the Cloak, a very German Story, Orphan's soliloquy, 456. Memoirs of Joseph Holt, general of the Merck's correspondence, 393. Paraguay, letters on, by Robertson, re- Parliament, the last Session of, 259. Pathetic Hypothetics, from the German Pearl Necklace, a tale of facts, 233. POETRY-The Rubi, a Tale of the Sea, Canto V. 75; Canto VI. 139; A Popery, Irish, 367. Proposal for increasing and strengthening Reform Bill, and the Irish election laws, Religious liberty in France, 64. |