“Youwithauncletoo! Why, Iknow’dyouatGargery’swhenyouwassosmallawolfthatIcouldhavetookyourweazenbetwixtthisfingerandthumbandchuckedyouawaydead (asI’dthoughtso’ doing, oddtimes, whenIseeyouloiteringamongstthepollardsonaSunday), andyouhadn’, notyou! ButwhenOldOrlickcomefortohearthatyouruncleProvishadmost-likeworetheleg-ironwotOldOrlickhadpickedup, filedasunder, onthesemesheseversomanyyearago, andwothekepbyhimtillhedroppedyoursisterwithit, likeabullock, ashemeanstodropyou—hey?—whenhecomefortohearthat—hey?”—

Inhissavagetaunting, heflaredthecandlesocloseatme, thatIturnedmyfaceaside, tosaveitfromtheflame.

“Ah!” hecried, laughing, afterdoingitagain, “theburntchilddreadsthefire! OldOrlickknowedyouwasburnt, OldOrlickknowedyouwasasmugglingyouruncleProvisaway, OldOrlick’samatchforyouandknowedyou’dcometo-night! NowI’lltellyousomethingmore, wolf, ’sthemthat’ ’warethem, whenhe’slosthisnevvy! Lethim ’warethemwhennomancan’tfindaragofhisdearrelation’sclothes, noryetaboneofhisbody? There’sthemthatcan’tandthatwon’thaveMagwitch—yes, Iknowthename!—aliveinthesamelandwiththem, andthat’shadsuchsureinformationofhimwhenhewasaliveinanotherland, asthathecouldn’tandshouldn’tleaveitunbeknownandputthemindanger.P’rapsit’sthemthatwritesfiftyhands, andthat’snotlikesneakingyouaswritesbutone.’WareCompeyson, Magwitch, andthegallows!”

Heflaredthecandleatmeagain, smokingmyfaceandhair, andforaninstantblindingme, , andhadbeenwithJoeandBiddyandHerbert, beforeheturnedtowardsmeagain.