"What shall I do to save him?", tailpiece for Chapter XLII of Dickens's Old Curiosity Shop by Thomas Worth in the first Household Edition volume published by Harper & Bros., New York (1872), 124: 3 ½ x 5 3⁄16 inches (9 x 13.7 cm) framed. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
Context of the Illustration: An Overheard Conversation
"I must have the money first," said the old man; "and that I’ll have to-morrow —"
"Why not to-night?" urged Jowl.
"It’s late now, and I should be flushed and flurried," said the old man. "It must be softly done. No, to-morrow night."
"Then to-morrow be it," said Jowl. "A drop of comfort here. Luck to the best man! Fill!"
The gipsy produced three tin cups, and filled them to the brim with brandy. The old man turned aside and muttered to himself before he drank. Her own name struck upon the listener’s ear, coupled with some wish so fervent, that he seemed to breathe it in an agony of supplication.
"God be merciful to us!" cried the child within herself, "and help us in this trying hour! What shall I do to save him!"
The remainder of their conversation was carried on in a lower tone of voice, and was sufficiently concise; relating merely to the execution of the project, and the best precautions for diverting suspicion. The old man then shook hands with his tempters, and withdrew. [Chapter XLII, 133]
Related Material about The Old Curiosity Shop
- Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop (homepage)
- The Old Curiosity Shop Illustrated: A Team Effort by "The Clock Works"
- Illustrated Editions of The Old Curiosity Shop
- Kyd's Characters from Dickens (1889)
Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Bibliography
Dickens, Charles. The Old Curiosity Shop. Illustrated by Thomas Worth. The Household Edition. 16 vols. New York: Harper & Bros., 1872. I.
Created 25 August 2020
Last modified 25 November 2020