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 14 continued.
With a clean white apron tied over her gown and her curl papers tucked up under straw bonnet,
Both articles of dress being provided from the Jew's inexhaustible stock,
Miss Nancy prepared to issue forth on her errand.
Stop a minute,
My dear,
Said the Jew,
Producing a little covered basket.
Carry that in one hand,
It looks more respectable,
My dear.
Give her a door key to carry in another one,
Fagin,
Said Sykes.
It looks real and genuine like.
Yes,
Yes,
My dear,
So it does,
Said the Jew,
Hanging a large street door key on the forefinger of the young lady's right hand.
There,
Very good,
Very good indeed,
My dear,
Said the Jew,
Rubbing his hands.
Oh,
My brother,
My poor,
Dear,
Sweet,
Innocent little brother,
Exclaimed Nancy,
Bursting into tears and wringing the little basket and the street door key in an agony of distress,
She said.
What has become of him?
What have they taken him to?
Oh,
Do have pity and tell me what's been done with the little boy,
Gentlemen.
Oh,
Gentlemen,
If you please,
Gentlemen.
Having uttered those words in a most lamentable and heartbroken tone to the immeasurable delight of her hearers,
Miss Nancy paused,
Winked to the company,
Stood smilingly round and disappeared.
Ah,
She's a clever girl,
My dears,
Said the Jew,
Turning round to his young friends and shaking his head gravely as if in mute admonition to them to follow the bright example they'd just beheld.
She's an honour to us six,
Said Mr.
Sykes,
Filling his glass and smiting the table with his enormous fist.
He's a health and wishy,
They was all like her.
While these and many other encomiums were being passed on the accomplished Nancy,
That young lady made the best of her way to the police office,
Wither notwithstanding a little natural timidity consequence upon walking through the streets alone and unprotected.
She arrived in perfect safety shortly afterwards.
Entering by the back way,
She tapped softly with a key at once.
There was no sound within,
So she coughed and listened again.
Still there was no reply,
So she spoke.
Nolly,
Dear?
Murmured Nancy in a gentle voice.
Nolly?
There was nobody inside but a miserable shoeless criminal who had been taken up for playing the flute and who,
The offence against society having been clearly proved,
Had been very properly committed by Mr.
Fang to the House of Correction for one month,
With the appropriate and amusing remark that since he had so much breath to spare,
It would be more wholesomely expended on the treadmill than in a musical instrument.
He made no answer.
Being occupied mentally bewailing the loss of the flute,
Which had been confiscated for the use of the county,
So Nancy passed on to the next cell and knocked there.
Well?
Cried a faint and feeble voice.
Is there a little boy here?
Inquired Nancy with a preliminary sob.
No,
Replied the voice,
God forbid.
This was a vagrant of sixty-five who was going to prison for not playing the flute,
Or in other words,
For begging in the streets and doing nothing for his livelihood.
In the next cell was another man who was going to the same prison for hawking tin saucepans without a licence,
Thereby doing something for his living in defiance of the stamp office.
But as neither of these criminals answered to the name of Oliver or knew anything about him,
Nancy made straight up to the bluff officer in the striped waistcoat,
And with the most piteous wailings and lamentations,
Rendered more piteous by a prompt and efficient use of street door key and the little basket,
Demanded her own dear brother.
I haven't got him,
My dear,
Said the old man.
Where is he?
Screamed Nancy in a distracted manner.
Why,
The gentleman's got him,
Replied the officer.
What gentleman?
Oh gracious heavens,
What gentleman?
Exclaimed Nancy.
In reply to this incoherent questioning,
The old man informed the deeply affected sister that Oliver had been taken ill in the office,
And discharged in consequence of a witness having proved the robbery to have been committed by another boy not in custody,
And that the prosecutor had carried him away in an insensible condition to his own residence,
And of concerning which all the informant knew was that it was somewhere in Pentonville,
He having heard that word mentioned in the directions to the coachman.
In a dreadful state of doubt and uncertainty,
The agonized young woman staggered to the gate,
And then,
Exchanging her faltering walk for a swift run,
Returned by the most devious and complicated route she could think of,
To the domicile of the Jew.
Mr.
Bill Sykes no sooner heard the account of the expedition delivered than he very hastily called up the white doll,
And putting on his hat,
Expediously departed,
Without devoting any time to the formality of wishing the company good morning.
We must know where he is,
My dears,
He must be found,
Said the Jew,
Greatly excited.
Charlie,
Do nothing but skulk about till you bring home some news of him.
Nancy,
My dear,
I must have him found.
I trust to you,
My dear,
To you and the artful for everything,
Stay,
Stay,
Added the Jew,
Unlocking a drawer with a shaking hand.
There's money,
My dears,
I shall shut up this shop tonight,
You'll know where to find me.
Don't stop here a minute,
Not an instant,
My dears,
Not an instant.
And with these words he pushed them from the room,
Then carefully double-locking and barring the door behind them,
He drew from its place of concealment the box which he had unintentionally disclosed to Oliver.
Then he hastily proceeded to dispose the watches and jewellery beneath his clothing.
A rap at the door startled him in his occupation.
Who's there?
He cried in a shrill voice.
May,
Replied the voice of the Dodger through the keyhole.
What now?
Cried the Jew impatiently.
Is he to be kidnapped to the other ken,
Nancy says,
Inquired the Dodger.
Yes,
Replied the Jew,
Wherever she lays her hands on him.
Find him,
Find him out,
That's all.
I shall know what to do next,
Never fear.
The boy murmured a reply of intelligence and hurried downstairs after his companions.
He's not peached so far,
Said the Jew,
As he pursued his occupation.
If he means to blab amongst his new friends,
We may just stop his mouth yet.
