pper the scraps
she had put for the dog. But this was so much better than he got at the
workhouse, he would not complain about the food; and he hoped, by
faithful work, to win kind treatment.

They made him sleep by himself in the shop among the coffins, and he was
very much frightened; but he would rather sleep there than with the
terrible boy, Noah. The first night he dreamed of his beautiful mother,
and thought again he could see her sitting among those black, fearful
coffins, with the same sweet smile upon her face. He was awakened the
next morning by Noah, who told him he had to obey him, and he'd better
lookout or he'd wear the life out of him. Noah kicked and cuffed Oliver
several times, but the poor boy was too much used to that to resent it,
and determined to do his work well.

Mr. Sowerberry found Oliver so good, sensible, and polite that he made
him his assistant and took him to all the funerals, and occasionally
gave him a penny. Oliver went into fine houses and saw people and sights
he had never dreamed of before. Mr. Sowerberry had told him he might
some day be an undertaker himself; and Oliver worked hard to please his
master, though Noah and Mrs. Sowerberry and Charlotte grew more unkind
to him all the time, because "he was put forward," they said, "and Noah
was kept back." This, of course, made Noah meaner than ever to
Oliver--determined to endure it all rather than complain, and try to
win them over after while by being kind. He could have borne any insult
to himself, but Noah tried the little fellow too far when he attacked
the name of Oliver's mother, and it brought serious trouble, as we shall
see.

One day, Oliver and Noah had descended into the kitchen at the usual
dinner-hour, when, Charlotte being called out of the way, there came a
few minutes of time, which Noah Claypole, being hungry and vicious,
considered he could not possibly devote to a worthier purpose than
aggravating and tantalizing young Oliver Twist.

Intent upon this innocent amusement, Noah put his feet on the
tablecloth; and pulled Oliver's hair; and twitched his ears; and
expressed his opinion that he was a "sneak;" and furthermore announced
his intention of coming to see him hanged, whenever that desirable event
should take place; and entered upon various other topics of petty
annoyance, like a malicious and ill-conditioned charity-boy as he was.
But, none of these taunts producing the desired effect of making Oliver
cry, N