Weakwithrecentillness；stupifiedbytheblowsandthesuddennessoftheattack；terrifiedbythefiercegrowlingofthedog，andthebrutalityoftheman；overpoweredbytheconvictionofthebystandersthathereallywasthehardenedlittlewretchhewasdescribedtobe；whatcouldonepoorchilddo！Darknesshadsetin；itwasalowneighborhood；nohelpwasnear；
resistancewasuseless。Inanothermomenthewasdraggedintoalabyrinthofdarknarrowcourts，andwasforcedalongthematapacewhichrenderedthefewcrieshedaredtogiveutteranceto，unintelligible。Itwasoflittlemoment，indeed，whethertheywereintelligibleorno；fortherewasnobodytocareforthem，hadtheybeeneversoplain。
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Thegas-lampswerelighted；Mrs。Bedwinwaswaitinganxiouslyattheopendoor；theservanthadrunupthestreettwentytimestoseeiftherewereanytracesofOliver；andstillthetwooldgentlemensat，perseveringly，inthedarkparlour，withthewatchbetweenthem。
CHAPTERXVI