"I should think not!" replied the young lady, drawing her chair up to the table, and putting her elbows upon it.
"No, no, my dear,—I know you're not," said the Jew; "but" and again the old man paused.
"But wot?" inquired Sikes.
"I didn't know whether she mightn't p'r'aps be out of sorts, you know, my dear, as she was the other night," replied the Jew.
At this confession Miss Nancy burst into a loud laugh, and, swallowing a glass of brandy, shook her head with an air of defiance, and burst into sundry exclamations of "Keep the game a-going!" "Never say die!" and the like, which seemed at once to have the effect of re-assuring both gentlemen, for the Jew nodded his head with a satisfied air, and resumed his seat, as did Mr. Sikes likewise.
"Now, Fagin," said Nancy with a laugh, "tell Bill at once about Oliver!"
"Ah! you're a clever one, my dear; the
