ous in this reply, that he
burst into a laugh; which laugh, meeting the coffee he was drinking, and
carrying it down some wrong channel, very nearly terminated in his
suffocation.

"He is so jolly green!" said Charley, when he recovered, as an apology to
the company for his unpolite behaviour.

When the breakfast was cleared away, the merry old gentleman and the two
boys played at a very curious and uncommon game, which was performed in
this way. Fagin, placing a snuff-box in one pocket of his trousers, a
notecase in the other, and a watch in his waistcoat pocket, with a
guard-chain round his neck, and sticking a mock diamond pin in his shirt,
buttoned his coat tight round him, and putting his spectacle-case and
handkerchief in his pockets, trotted up and down with a stick, in
imitation of the manner in which old gentlemen walk about the streets.
Sometimes he stopped at the fire-place, and sometimes at the door, making
believe that he was staring with all his might into shop windows. At such
times he would look constantly round him, for fear of thieves, and would
keep slapping all his pockets in turn, to see that he hadn't lost
anything, in such a very funny and natural manner, that Oliver laughed
till the tears ran down his face.

All this time, the two boys followed him closely about; getting out of his
sight so nimbly, that it was impossible to follow their motions. At last,
the Dodger trod upon his toes accidentally, while Charley Bates stumbled
up against him behind; and in that one moment they took from him, with the
most extraordinary rapidity, snuff-box, note-case, watch-guard, chain,
shirt-pin, pocket-handkerchief--even the spectacle-case. If the old
gentleman felt a hand in one of his pockets, he cried out where it was;
and then the game began all over again.

When this game had been played a great many times, a couple of young women
came in; one of whom was named Bet, and the other Nancy, and afterwards
Oliver discovered that they also were pupils of Fagin's as well as the
boys.

Later the young people went out, leaving Oliver alone with the Jew, who
was pacing up and down the room.

"Is my handkerchief hanging out of my pocket, my dear?" said the Jew,
stopping short, in front of Oliver.

"Yes sir," said Oliver.

"See if you can take it out, without my feeling it: as you saw them do
when we were at play."

Oliver held up the bottom of the pocket with one hand, as he had seen the
Dodger hold it, an