Page:Oliver Twist (1838) vol. 1.djvu/240

218 saw Oliver, he pushed the book away from him, and told him to come near the table and sit down. Oliver complied, marvelling where the people could be found to read such a great number of books as seemed to be written to make the world wiser,—which is still a marvel to more experienced people than Oliver Twist every day of their lives. "There are a good many books, are there not, my boy?" said Mr. Brownlow, observing the curiosity with which Oliver surveyed the shelves that reached from the floor to the ceiling. "A great number, sir," replied Oliver; "I never saw so many." "You shall read them if you behave well," said the old gentleman kindly; "and you will like that, better than looking at the outsides,—that is, in some cases, because there are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts." "I suppose they are those heavy ones, sir," said Oliver, pointing to some large quartos with a good deal of gilding about the binding. "Not always those," said the old gentleman,