'How should I know, my dear?' replied the Jew, looking round ashe plied the bellows.  'About his losses, maybe; or the littleretirement in the country that he's just left, eh?  Ha! ha!  Isthat it, my dear?'

　　'Not a bit of it,' replied the Dodger, stopping the subject ofdiscourse as Mr. Chitling was about to reply.  'What do YOU say,Charley?'

　　'_I_ should say,' replied Master Bates, with a grin, 'that he wasuncommon sweet upon Betsy.  See how he's a-blushing!  Oh, my eye!here's a merry-go-rounder!  Tommy Chitling's in love!  Oh, Fagin,Fagin! what a spree!'

　　Thoroughly overpowered with the notion of Mr. Chitling being thevictim of the tender passion, Master Bates threw himself back inhis chair with such violence, that he lost his balance, andpitched over upon the floor; where (the accident abating nothingof his merriment) he lay at full length until his laugh was over,when he resumed his former position, and began another laugh.

　　'Never mind him, my dear,' said the Jew, winking at Mr. Dawkins,and giving Master Bates a reproving tap with the nozzle of thebellows.  'Betsy's a fine girl.  Stick up to her, Tom.  Stick upto her.'

　　'What I mean to say, Fagin,' replied Mr. Chitling, very red inthe face, 'is, that that isn't anything to anybody here.'

　　'No more it is,' replied the Jew; 'Charley will talk.  Don't mindhim, my dear; don't mind him.  Betsy's a fine girl.  Do as shebids you, Tom, and you will make your fortune.'

　　'So I DO do as she bids me,' replied Mr. Chitling; 'I shouldn'thave been milled, if it hadn't been for her advice.  But itturned out a good job for you; didn't it, Fagin!  And what's sixweeks of it?  It must come, some time or another, and why not inthe winter time when you don't want to go out a-walking so much;eh, Fagin?'