nearly eleven o'clock
This led to a more friendly and confidential dialogue ; from which Oliver discovered that his friend 's name was Jack Dawkins , and that he was a peculiar pet and protege of the elderly gentleman before mentioned . Mr. Dawkin 's appearance did not say a vast deal in favour of the comforts which his patron 's interest obtained for those whom he took under his protection ; but , as he had a rather flightly and dissolute mode of conversing , and furthermore avowed that among his intimate friends he was better known by the sobriquet of ` The Artful Dodger , ' Oliver concluded that , being of a dissipated and careless turn , the moral precepts of his benefactor had hitherto been thrown away upon him . Under this impression , he secretly resolved to cultivate the good opinion of the old gentleman as quickly as possible ; and , if he found the Dodger incorrigible , as he more than half suspected he should , to decline the honour of his farther acquaintance . As John Dawkins objected to their entering London before nightfall , it was nearly eleven o'clock when they reached the turnpike at Islington . They crossed from the Angel into St. John 's Road ; struck down the small street which terminates at Sadler 's Wells Theatre ; through Exmouth Street and Coppice Row ; down the little court by the side of the workhouse ; across the classic ground which once bore the name of Hockley-in-the-Hole ; thence into Little Saffron Hill ; and so into Saffron Hill the Great : along which the Dodger scudded at a rapid pace , directing Oliver to follow close at his heels . Although Oliver had enough to occupy his attention in keeping sight of his leader , he could not help bestowing a few hasty glances on either side of the way , as he passed along . A dirtier or more wretched place he had never seen .