Oliver Twist

Fagin calms himself in the streets of London after a carriage almost hits him. He travels through a series of alleyways before he finally emerges in another neighborhood and asks a tradesman if any mutual acquaintances they know are at the “Cripples” (288). Fagin wonders if Sikes is there but the tradesman is not sure. The Three Cripples is the public house, a bar, that Fagin and Sikes often frequent. The bar is full of people of Fagin’s caliber, all seemingly similarly interested in shady business ventures.

Fagin speaks with the landlord and asks if Barney, Sikes, or Monks is present. The landlord says that he has not seen Barney or Sikes but that Monks will likely be arriving at the bar soon. Fagin tells the landlord to ask Monks to visit him tomorrow. The two men laugh about how drunken Phil Barker is and how they might rat him out to the police. Fagin thinks that Phil may be valuable yet. Fagin arrives at Sikes’s house to try and get some answers out of Nancy. He finds Nancy with her head on the table and he thinks that she’s drunk.