Page:Oliver Twist (1838) vol. 1.djvu/247

Rh "This is young Oliver Twist, whom we were speaking about," said Mr. Brownlow. Oliver bowed. "You don't mean to say that's the boy that had the fever, I hope?" said Mr. Grimwig, recoiling a little further. "Wait a minute, don't speak: stop—" continued Mr. Grimwig abruptly, losing all dread of the fever in his triumph at the discovery; "that's the boy that had the orange! If that's not the boy, sir, that had the orange, and threw this bit of peel upon the staircase, I'll eat my head and his too." "No, no, he has not had one," said Mr. Brownlow, laughing. "Come, put down your hat, and speak to my young friend." "I feel strongly on this subject, sir," said the irritable old gentleman, drawing off his gloves. "There's always more or less orange-peel on the pavement in our street, and I know it's put there by the surgeon's boy at the corner. A young woman stumbled over a bit last night, and fell against my garden-railings; directly she got up I saw her look towards his infernal