relates how oliver twists was very near getting a place which would not have been a sinecure for a week after the commission of the impious and profane offence of asking for more oliver remained a close prisoner in the dark and solitary room to which he had been consigned by the wisdom and mercy of the board it appears at first sight not unreasonable to suppose that if he had entertained a becoming feeling of respect for the prediction of the gentleman in the white waistcoat he would have established that sage individual s prophetic character once and for ever by tying one end of his pocket handkerchief to a hook in the wall and attaching himself to the other to the performance of this feat however there was one obstacle namely that pocket handkerchiefs being decided articles of luxury had been for all future times and ages removed from the noses of paupers by the express order of the board in council assembled solemnly given and pronounced under their hands and seals there was a still greater obstacle in oliver s youth and childishness he only cried bitterly all day and when the long dismal night came on spread his little hands before his eyes to shut out the darkness and crouching in the corner tried to sleep ever and anon waking with a start and tremble and drawing himself closer and closer to the wall as if to feel even its cold hard surface were a protection in the gloom and loneliness which surrounded him let it not be supposed by the enemies of the system that during the period of his solitary incarceration oliver was denied the benefit of exercise the pleasure of society or the advantages of religious consolation as for exercise it was nice cold weather and he was allowed to perform his ablutions every morning under the pump in a stone yard in the presence of mr bumble who prevented his catching cold and caused a tingling sensation to pervade his frame by repeated applications of the cane as for society he was carried every other day into the hall where the boys dined and there sociably flogged as a public warning and example and so far from being denied the advantages of religious consolation he was kicked into the same apartment every evening at prayer time and there permitted to listen to and console his mind with a general supplication of the boys containing a special clause therein inserted by authority of the board in which they entreated to be made good virtuous contented and obedient and to be guarded from the sins and vices of oliver twist whom the supplication distinctly set forth to be under the exclusive patronage and protection of the powers of wickedness and an article direct from the manufactory of the very devil himself it chanced one morning while oliver s affairs were in this auspicious and comfortable state that mr gamfield chimney sweep went his way down the high street deeply cogitating in his mind his ways and means of paying certain arrears of rent for which his landlord had become rather pressing mr gamfield s most sanguine estimate of his finances could not raise them within full five pounds of the desired amount and in a species of arithmetical desperation he was alternately cudgelling his brains and his donkey when passing the workhouse his eyes encountered the bill on the gate woo said mr gamfield to the donkey the donkey was in a state of profound abstraction wondering probably whether he was destined to be regaled with a cabbage stalk or two when he had disposed of the two sacks of soot with which the little cart was laden so without noticing the word of command he jogged onward mr gamfield growled a fierce imprecation on the donkey generally but more particularly on his eyes and running after him bestowed a blow on his head which would inevitably have beaten in any skull but a donkey s then catching hold of the bridle he gave his jaw a sharp wrench by way of gentle reminder that he was not his own master and by these means turned him round he then gave him another blow on the head just to stun him till he came back again having completed these arrangements he walked up to the gate to read the bill the gentleman with the white waistcoat was standing at the gate with his hands behind him after having delivered himself of some profound sentiments in the board room having witnessed the little dispute between mr gamfield and the donkey he smiled joyously when that person came up to read the bill for he saw at once that mr gamfield was exactly the sort of master oliver twist wanted mr gamfield smiled too as he perused the document for five pounds was just the sum he had been wishing for and as to the boy with which it was encumbered mr gamfield knowing what the dietary of the workhouse was well knew he would be a nice small pattern just the very thing for register stoves so he spelt the bill through again from beginning to end and then touching his fur cap in token of humility accosted the gentleman in the white waistcoat this here boy sir wot the parish wants to prentis said mr gamfield ay my man said the gentleman in the white waistcoat with a condescending smile what of him if the parish vould like him to learn a right pleasant trade in a good spectable chimbley sweepin bisness said mr gamfield i wants a prentis and i am ready to take him walk in said the gentleman in the white waistcoat mr gamfield having lingered behind to give the donkey another blow on the head and another wrench of the jaw as a caution not to run away in his absence followed the gentleman with the white waistcoat into the room where oliver had first seen him it s a nasty trade said mr limbkins when gamfield had again stated his wish young boys have been smothered in chimneys before now said another gentleman that s acause they damped the straw afore they lit it in the chimbley to make em come down again said gamfield that s all smoke and no blaze vereas smoke ain t o no use at all in making a boy come down for it only sinds him to sleep and that s wot he likes boys is wery obstinit and wery lazy gen l men and there s nothink like a good hot blaze to make em come down vith a run it s humane too gen l men acause even if they ve stuck in the chimbley roasting their feet makes em struggle to hextricate theirselves the gentleman in the white waistcoat appeared very much amused by this explanation but his mirth was speedily checked by a look from mr limbkins the board then proceeded to converse among themselves for a few minutes but in so low a tone that the words saving of expenditure looked well in the accounts have a printed report published were alone audible these only chanced to be heard indeed or account of their being very frequently repeated with great emphasis at length the whispering ceased and the members of the board having resumed their seats and their solemnity mr limbkins said we have considered your proposition and we don t approve of it not at all said the gentleman in the white waistcoat decidedly not added the other members as mr gamfield did happen to labour under the slight imputation of having bruised three or four boys to death already it occurred to him that the board had perhaps in some unaccountable freak taken it into their heads that this extraneous circumstance ought to influence their proceedings it was very unlike their general mode of doing business if they had but still as he had no particular wish to revive the rumour he twisted his cap in his hands and walked slowly from the table so you won t let me have him gen l men said mr gamfield pausing near the door no replied mr limbkins at least as it s a nasty business we think you ought to take something less than the premium we offered mr gamfield s countenance brightened as with a quick step he returned to the table and said what ll you give gen l men come don t be too hard on a poor man what ll you give i should say three pound ten was plenty said mr limbkins ten shillings too much said the gentleman in the white waistcoat come said gamfield say four pound gen l men say four pound and you ve got rid of him for good and all there three pound ten repeated mr limbkins firmly come i ll split the diff erence gen l men urged gamfield three pound fifteen not a farthing more was the firm reply of mr limbkins you re desperate hard upon me gen l men said gamfield wavering pooh pooh nonsense said the gentleman in the white waistcoat he d be cheap with nothing at all as a premium take him you silly fellow he s just the boy for you he wants the stick now and then it ll do him good and his board needn t come very expensive for he hasn t been overfed since he was born ha ha ha mr gamfield gave an arch look at the faces round the table and observing a smile on all of them gradually broke into a smile himself the bargain was made mr bumble was at once instructed that oliver twist and his indentures were to be conveyed before the magistrate for signature and approval that very afternoon in pursuance of this determination little oliver to his excessive astonishment was released from bondage and ordered to put himself into a clean shirt he had hardly achieved this very unusual gymnastic performance when mr bumble brought him with his own hands a basin of gruel and the holiday allowance of two ounces and a quarter of bread at this tremendous sight oliver began to cry very piteously thinking not unnaturally that the board must have determined to kill him for some useful purpose or they never would have begun to fatten him up in that way don t make your eyes red oliver but eat your food and be thankful said mr bumble in a tone of impressive pomposity you re a going to be made a prentice of oliver a prentice sir said the child trembling yes oliver said mr bumble the kind and blessed gentleman which is so many parents to you oliver when you have none of your own are a going to prentice you and to set you up in life and make a man of you although the expense to the parish is three pound ten three pound ten oliver seventy shillinsone hundred and forty sixpences and all for a naughty orphan which nobody can t love as mr bumble paused to take breath after delivering this address in an awful voice the tears rolled down the poor child s face and he sobbed bitterly come said mr bumble somewhat less pompously for it was gratifying to his feelings to observe the effect his eloquence had produced come oliver wipe your eyes with the cuffs of your jacket and don t cry into your gruel that s a very foolish action oliver it certainly was for there was quite enough water in it already on their way to the magistrate mr bumble instructed oliver that all he would have to do would be to look very happy and say when the gentleman asked him if he wanted to be apprenticed that he should like it very much indeed both of which injunctions oliver promised to obey the rather as mr bumble threw in a gentle hint that if he failed in either particular there was no telling what would be done to him when they arrived at the office he was shut up in a little room by himself and admonished by mr bumble to stay there until he came back to fetch him there the boy remained with a palpitating heart for half an hour at the expiration of which time mr bumble thrust in his head unadorned with the cocked hat and said aloud now oliver my dear come to the gentleman as mr bumble said this he put on a grim and threatening look and added in a low voice mind what i told you you young rascal oliver stared innocently in mr bumble s face at this somewhat contradictory style of address but that gentleman prevented his offering any remark thereupon by leading him at once into an adjoining room the door of which was open it was a large room with a great window behind a desk sat two old gentleman with powdered heads one of whom was reading the newspaper while the other was perusing with the aid of a pair of tortoise shell spectacles a small piece of parchment which lay before him mr limbkins was standing in front of the desk on one side and mr gamfield with a partially washed face on the other while two or three bluff looking men in top boots were lounging about the old gentleman with the spectacles gradually dozed off over the little bit of parchment and there was a short pause after oliver had been stationed by mr bumble in front of the desk this is the boy your worship said mr bumble the old gentleman who was reading the newspaper raised his head for a moment and pulled the other old gentleman by the sleeve whereupon the last mentioned old gentleman woke up oh is this the boy said the old gentleman this is him sir replied mr bumble bow to the magistrate my dear oliver roused himself and made his best obeisance he had been wondering with his eyes fixed on the magistrates powder whether all boards were born with that white stuff on their heads and were boards from thenceforth on that account well said the old gentleman i suppose he s fond of chimney sweeping he doats on it your worship replied bumble giving oliver a sly pinch to intimate that he had better not say he didn t and he will be a sweep will he inquired the old gentleman if we was to bind him to any other trade to morrow he d run away simultaneous your worship replied bumble and this man that s to be his masteryou siryou ll treat him well and feed him and do all that sort of thing will you said the old gentleman when i says i will i means i will replied mr gamfield doggedly you re a rough speaker my friend but you look an honest open hearted man said the old gentleman turning his spectacles in the direction of the candidate for oliver s premium whose villainous countenance was a regular stamped receipt for cruelty but the magistrate was half blind and half childish so he couldn t reasonably be expected to discern what other people did i hope i am sir said mr gamfield with an ugly leer i have no doubt you are my friend replied the old gentleman fixing his spectacles more firmly on his nose and looking about him for the inkstand it was the critical moment of oliver s fate if the inkstand had been where the old gentleman thought it was he would have dipped his pen into it and signed the indentures and oliver would have been straightway hurried off but as it chanced to be immediately under his nose it followed as a matter of course that he looked all over his desk for it without finding it and happening in the course of his search to look straight before him his gaze encountered the pale and terrified face of oliver twist who despite all the admonitory looks and pinches of bumble was regarding the repulsive countenance of his future master with a mingled expression of horror and fear too palpable to be mistaken even by a half blind magistrate the old gentleman stopped laid down his pen and looked from oliver to mr limbkins who attempted to take snuff with a cheerful and unconcerned aspect my boy said the old gentleman you look pale and alarmed what is the matter stand a little away from him beadle said the other magistrate laying aside the paper and leaning forward with an expression of interest now boy tell us what s the matter don t be afraid oliver fell on his knees and clasping his hands together prayed that they would order him back to the dark roomthat they would starve himbeat himkill him if they pleasedrather than send him away with that dreadful man well said mr bumble raising his hands and eyes with most impressive solemnity well of all the artful and designing orphans that ever i see oliver you are one of the most bare facedest hold your tongue beadle said the second old gentleman when mr bumble had given vent to this compound adjective i beg your worship s pardon said mr bumble incredulous of having heard aright did your worship speak to me yes hold your tongue mr bumble was stupefied with astonishment a beadle ordered to hold his tongue a moral revolution the old gentleman in the tortoise shell spectacles looked at his companion he nodded significantly we refuse to sanction these indentures said the old gentleman tossing aside the piece of parchment as he spoke i hope stammered mr limbkins i hope the magistrates will not form the opinion that the authorities have been guilty of any improper conduct on the unsupported testimony of a child the magistrates are not called upon to pronounce any opinion on the matter said the second old gentleman sharply take the boy back to the workhouse and treat him kindly he seems to want it that same evening the gentleman in the white waistcoat most positively and decidedly affirmed not only that oliver would be hung but that he would be drawn and quartered into the bargain mr bumble shook his head with gloomy mystery and said he wished he might come to good whereunto mr gamfield replied that he wished he might come to him which although he agreed with the beadle in most matters would seem to be a wish of a totally opposite description the next morning the public were once informed that oliver twist was again to let and that five pounds would be paid to anybody who would take possession of him 