Oliver Twist

Found her outside, Doctor.

She was well along then. Sally pulled the baby out of her.

The usual. Never learn, these girls.

They give it all up for a bit of sweet talk and a few pretty clothes

off some fancy man.

Wouldn't catch me falling for none of that.

What about the child?

Probably best if it's carried off with the same fever as her.

It's hungry.

They always are.

Greedy mouths

wanting to be fed and who has to shoulder the burden?

It's a cross we must bear, Mrs. Corney.

You're cold, Doctor,

get you a nip of gin to warm you.

Once it's done, fetch Sowerberry for the box.

- And get that badged and ticketed. - Yes, Mrs. Corney.

Fumigate that good dress of her, get the mud off and I'll take it.

- Yes, Mrs. Corney. - I'll have that petticoat and all.

She won't need that linen and lace where she's going.

The baby...

The baby?

A boy.

I want to see him.

Let me see...

He's strong.

I'm going to die, aren't I?

We're all gonna die.

In my purse.

There's a letter.

Send it for me, please? For the baby, please?

Ain't really my place, Miss.

You must send it. You must.

He'll come for the child.

Can you tell him,

despite everything,

Agnes never forgot his kindness and love.

Please, send the letter. Please.

My son.

My little boy.

All right then, I've scrubbed you in, now get on with it.

No sneezing, Twist!

Don't do it. Don't eat it.

I'm hungry!

We all are.

Don't do it.

They'll beat ya.

There! There, Mr. Bumble, sir! In his mouth!

I seed him, sir!

- Thief! - I said, didn't I! I said!

Stealing! Caught red-handed!

Punish him, Mr. Bumble!

For the good of us all! Punish him, sir!

I will, Mrs. Corney! I will.

For what we are about to receive,

may the Lord make us truly thankful.

Amen!

Oh, Mr. Bumble, you are such a joker.

You, boy! You! Back to your place!

What do you want?

Please, sir. I want some more.

What?!

What did you say?!

I said,

please, sir...

I want some more.

Oliver Twist, sirs.

I thought it best to bring him to you, sirs to decide what to do with him, sirs.

I wonder, Bumble, if you are not failing as a disciplinarian.

Me, sir?

Only today, under your guard, a boy stole oakum to eat.

I, I, I thrashed the boy soundly, sir.

Blisters, sir, blisters! Fresh ones!

There will be no more filching on my watch.

- They must be kept in check! - Spare the rod and spoil the child!

He didn't need to be beaten.

It's not fair.

He's only small.

You dare to speak to the gentlemen?!

If we had more food, then, we wouldn't need to eat oakum.

He's beyond control!

Do you know what you are, Twist?

You are an ingrate.

Here you stand,

bloated with the sins of pride, of gluttony, of covetousness

when you should be on your knees,

praying to be forgiven!

- God seest thou, Twist. - Amen.

Then, he sees you too.

We are the people who saved you, Twist.

When your own feckless mother abandoned you at birth

by the simple expedient of dying,

we fed you and clothed you,

taught you your letters, that you might reap the benefits of your Bible.

Gave you a roof over your head, and... and this is how you repay us?

She must have been a bad lot.

Not a shred of decency to her.

There's bad blood here, sir. And blood will out.

Apologise to us, immediately.

Beg us for forgiveness for...

- all that you are. - No!

I won't apologize.

I ain't done nothing wrong.

Get rid of him, Bumble. He offends my sight!

You'll hang, Twist!

You were born for it.

Your neck was made for the noose. Do you hear me, boy?

You will dance in front of a baying crowd...

... and then, maybe, you'll be sorry.

Pass the Stilton.

BOY FOR SALE - 5 Guineas Apply MR. BUMBLE

2 guineas.

- 2? - He's little.

Then he won't take up much room, will he?

- 5 is the price. - 2.

4.

And that's final. Take it or leave it.

Oliver!

- 3. - 2!

Taking the bread out of my mouth.

Follow.

He has a most melancholic countenance,

don't you think?

We can all be melancholic, Mr. Sowerberry, with

husbands urging thrift upon their households

then spending good money on workhouse strays.

If you want melancholy, Mr. Sowerberry, look to your poor wife.

He was a bargain, madam.

He'll be very good for business with a face like that.

Your poor wife who, because of thrift,

must attend church with a shameful excuse for an'at!

Whispers and looks, Mr. Sowerberry, I hear them, I see them,

and they sting like a lash, sir!

I dream of mere melancholy, Mr. Sowerberry. I dream of it.

Melancholy would be a merciful escape

from the deep rut of humiliation and despair your loyal wife finds herself in

from being required by thrift to dress as a pauper!

You have many hats...

40 at the last count.

You can only wear one at a time.

I endure it all, sir.

The petty counting of hats, the... The buying of paupers...

I endure it all out of marital duty, sir.

I'm worn to a shadow of my former self.

My nerves are shattered, are they not, Charlotte?

- Yes, missus! - Oh, what does he care?

He cares for nothing but coffins and bargains!

Never marry, Charlotte, never!

Your heart will be broken and ground into tiny pieces

by cruel husbands who don't give 2 hoots for a lady's sensibilities.

If it would restore Mrs. Sowerberry's wellbeing,

I will lift the embargo on hats.

For one week only.

Well,...

you sleep here...

... under the counter.

- Charlotte? - Yes, missus?

No doubt he's crawling with fleas.

- Scrub him. - Yes, missus.

Fetch him the scraps left down for Tinker.

Yes, missus.

Oy, Work'us.

I'm talking to you, Work'us. You deaf?

You want to be careful, Work'us,

when you're sleeping in with all them coffins.

You want to be careful of them what's dead, Work'us,

cos they come back to life when it's dark.

Worms dripping out of they eye-holes.

Noah!

What d'you think to that then, Work'us?

My name's not Work'us.

My name's Oliver.

Work'us!

Did you think it was the dead coming for you?

Yeah, you did.

Near crying, you was.

But it's just me.

- Noah? - Coming!

You're under me. I'm above you.

Understand?

- You scared? - No.

You should be. Boo!

- What's he doing down there? - I don't know, missus.

- Having a rest, maybe. - Lovely hat, missus.

Get up. Stop lazing around.

- Come along, Charlotte. Come along. - Yes, missus.

What's the matter?

- Can't you take a joke? - I haven't done anything to you.

Why can't you just leave me alone?

But I don't want to leave you alone!

Poor little orphan.

No mother or father.

Only orphan ain't strictly true,

is it, Work'us?

Cos there must be a father somewhere.

It's just your mother what's dead, ain't it?

- You don't know anything. - Don't I?

Heard the mister telling the missus.

He got it all off Bumble.

Mother with no wedding ring.