'This is not much for your intelligence; but I would gladly have given you treble the money, if it had been favourable to the boy.' It is not improbable that if Mr.Bumble had been possessed of this information at an earlier period of the interview, he might have imparted a very different colouring to his little history.

It was too late to do it now, however; so he shook his head gravely, and, pocketing the five guineas, withdrew.
Mr.Brownlow paced the room to and fro for some minutes; evidently so much disturbed by the beadle's tale, that even Mr.Grimwig forbore to vex him further.
At length he stopped, and rang the bell violently.
'Mrs.Bedwin,' said Mr.Brownlow, when the housekeeper appeared; 'that boy, Oliver, is an imposter.' 'It can't be, sir.

It cannot be,' said the old lady energetically.
'I tell you he is,' retorted the old gentleman.

'What do you mean by can't be?
We have just heard a full account of him from his birth; and he has been a thorough-paced little villain, all his life.' 'I never will believe it, sir,' replied the old lady, firmly.

'Never!' 'You old women never believe anything but quack-doctors, and lying story-books,' growled Mr.Grimwig.