“Why, you don’t mind the old girl, do you, Fagin?” he asked at length. “You’ve known her long enough to trust her, or the Devil’s in it. She ain’t one to blab. Are you, Nancy?”

“ 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.