Chapter 43

           ‘Andsoitwasyouthatwasyourownfriend,wasit?’askedMr.Claypole,otherwiseBolter,when,byvirtueofthecompactenteredintobetweenthem,hehadremovednextdaytoFagin’shouse.‘‘Cod,Ithoughtasmuchlastnight!’

           ‘Everyman’shisownfriend,mydear,’repliedFagin,withhismostinsinuatinggrin.‘Hehasn’tasgoodaoneashimselfanywhere.’

           ‘Exceptsometimes,’repliedMorrisBolter,assumingtheairofamanoftheworld.‘Somepeoplearenobody’senemiesbuttheirown,yerknow.’

           ‘Don’tbelievethat,’saidFagin.‘Whenaman’shisownenemy,it’sonlybecausehe’stoomuchhisownfriend;notbecausehe’scarefulforeverybodybuthimself.Pooh!pooh!Thereain’tsuchathinginnature.’

           ‘Thereoughn’ttobe,ifthereis,’repliedMr.Bolter.

           ‘Thatstandstoreason.Someconjurerssaythatnumberthreeisthemagicnumber,andsomesaynumberseven.It’sneither,myfriend,neither.It’snumberone.

           ‘Ha!ha!’criedMr.Bolter.‘Numberoneforever.’

           ‘Inalittlecommunitylikeours,mydear,’saidFagin,whofeltitnecessarytoqualifythisposition,‘wehaveageneralnumberone,withoutconsideringmetooasthesame,andalltheotheryoungpeople.’

           ‘Oh,thedevil!’exclaimedMr.Bolter.

           ‘Yousee,’pursuedFagin,affectingtodisregardthisinterruption,‘wearesomixeduptogether,andidentifiedinourinterests,thatitmustbeso.Forinstance,it’syourobjecttotakecareofnumberone—meaningyourself.’

           ‘Certainly,’repliedMr.Bolter.

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