oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-第13部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
he felt that pride swelling in his heart which would have kept
down a shriek to the last; though they had roasted him alive。 But
now; when there were none to see or hear him; he fell upon his
knees on the floor; and; hiding his face in his hands; wept such
tears as—God send for the credit of our nature—few so young may
ever have cause to pour out before Him!
For a long time; Oliver remained motionless in this attitude。
The candle was burning low in the socket when he rose to his feet。
Having gazed curiously round him and listened intently; he gently
undid the fastenings of the door; and looked abroad。
It was a cold; dark night。 The stars seemed; to the boy’s eyes;
farther from the earth than he had ever seen them before; there
was no wind; and the sombre shadows thrown by the trees upon
the ground; looked sepulchral and death…like; from being so still。
He softly reclosed the door。 Having availed himself of the expiring
light of the candle to tie up in a handkerchief the few articles of
wearing apparel he had; sat himself down upon a bench; to wait
for morning。
With the first ray of light that struggled through the crevices in
the shutters; Oliver arose; and again unbarred the door。 One timid
look around—one moment’s pause of hesitation—he had closed it
behind him; and was in the open street。
He looked to the right and to the left; uncertain whither to fly。
He remembered to have seen the wagons; as they went out; toiling
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
Oliver Twist
up the hill。 He took the same route; and; arriving at a footpath
across the fields; which he knew; after some distance; led out again
into the road; struck into it; and walked quickly on。
Along the same footpath; Oliver well remembered he had
trotted beside Mr。 Bumble; when he first carried him to the
workhouse from the farm。 His way lay directly in front of the
cottage。 His heart beat quickly when he bethought himself of this;
and he half…resolved to turn back。 He had come a long way though;
and should lose a great deal of time by doing so。 Besides; it was so
early that there was very little fear of his being seen; so he walked
on。
He reached the house。 There was no appearance of its inmates
stirring at that early hour。 Oliver stopped; and peeped into the
garden。 A child was weeding one of the little beds; as he stopped;
he raised his pale face and disclosed the features of one of his
former companions。 Oliver felt glad to see him; before he went;
for; though younger than himself; he had been his little friend and
playmate。 They had been beaten; and starved; and shut up
together; many and many a time。
“Hush; Dick!” said Oliver; as the boy ran to the gate; and thrust
his thin arm between the rails to greet him。 “Is any one up?”
“Nobody but me;” replied the child。
“You mustn’t say you saw me; Dick;” said Oliver。 “I am running
away。 They beat and ill…use me; Dick; and I am going to seek my
fortune; some long way off。 I don’t know where。 How pale you
are!”
“I heard the doctor tell them I was dying;” replied the child;
with a faint smile。 “I am very glad to see you; dear; but don’t stop;
don’t stop!”
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
Oliver Twist
“Yes; yes; I will; to say good…bye to you;” replied Oliver。 “I shall
see you again; Dick。 I know I shall! You will be well and happy!”
“I hope so;” replied the child。 “After I am dead; but not before。 I
know the doctor must be right; Oliver; because I dream so much of
heaven; and angels; and kind faces that I never see when I am
awake。 Kiss me;” said the child; climbing up the low gate; and
flinging his little arms round Oliver’s neck。 “Good…bye; dear! God
bless you!”
The blessing was from a young child’s lips; but it was the first
that Oliver had ever heard invoked upon his head; and through
the struggles and sufferings; and troubles and changes; of his after
life; he never once forgot it。
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
Oliver Twist
Chapter 8
Oliver Walks To London—He Encounters On The
Road A Strange Sort Of Young Gentleman。
O liver reached the stile; at which the by…path terminated;
and once more gained the high…road。 It was eight o’clock
now。 Though he was nearly five miles away from the
town; he ran; and hid behind the hedges; by turns; till noon;
fearing that he might be pursued and overtaken。 Then he sat
down to rest by the side of the milestone; and began to think; for
the first time; where he had better go and try to live。
The stone by which he was seated; bore; in large characters; an
intimation that it was just seventy miles from that spot to London。
The name awakened a new train of ideas in the boy’s mind。
London!—that great large place!—nobody—not even Mr。
Bumble—could ever find him there! He had often heard the old
men in the workhouse; too; say that no lad of spirit need want in
London; and that there were ways of living in that vast city; which
those who had been bred up in country parts had no idea of。 It was
the very place for a homeless boy; who must die in the streets
unless some one helped him。 As these things passed through his
thoughts; he jumped upon his feet; and again walked forward。
He had diminished the distance between himself and London
by full four miles more; before he recollected how much he must
undergo ere he could hope to reach his place of destination。 As
this consideration forced itself upon him; he slackened his pace a
little; and meditated upon his means of getting there。 He had a
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
Oliver Twist
crust of bread; a coarse shirt; and two pairs of stockings; in his
bundle。 He had a penny too—a gift of Sowerberry’s after some
funeral in which he had acquitted himself more than ordinarily
well—in his pocket。 “A clean shirt;” thought Oliver; “is a very
comfortable thing; very; and so are two pairs of darned stockings;
and so is a penny; but they are small helps to a sixty…five miles’
walk in wintertime。” But Oliver’s thoughts; like those of most
other people; although they were extremely ready and active to
point out his difficulties; were wholly at a loss to suggest any
feasible mode of surmounting them; so; after a good deal of
thinking to no particular purpose; he changed his little bundle
over to the other shoulder; and trudged on。
Oliver walked twenty miles that day; and all that time tasted
nothing but the crust of dry bread; and a few draughts of water;
which he begged at the cottage doors by the roadside。 When the
night came; he turned into a meadow; and; creeping close under a
hay…rick; determined to lie there; till morning。 He felt frightened at
first; for the wind moaned dismally over the empty fields; and he
was cold and hungry; and more alone than he had ever felt before。
Being very tired with his walk; however; he soon fell asleep and
forgot his troubles。
He felt cold and stiff; when he got up next morning; and so
hungry that he was obliged to exchange the penny for a small loaf;
in the very first village through which he passed。 He had walked
no more than twelve miles; when night closed in again。 His feet
were sore; and his legs so weak that they trembled beneath him。
Another night passed in the bleak; damp air; made him worse;
when he set forward on his journey next morning; he could hardly
crawl along。
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
Oliver Twist
He waited at the bottom of a steep hill till a stage…coach came
up; and then begged of the outside passengers; but there were
very few who took any notice of him; and even those told him to
wait till they got to the top of the hill and then let them see how far
he could run for a halfpenny。 Poor Oliver tried to keep up with the
coach a little way; but was unable to do it; by reason of his fatigue
and sore feet。 When the outsiders saw this; they put their
halfpence back into their pockets again; declaring that he was an
idle young dog; and didn’t deserve anything; and the coach rattled
away and left only a cloud of dust behind。
In some villages; large painted boards were fixed up warning all
persons who begged within the district; that they would be sent to
jail。 This frightened Oliver very much; and made him glad to get
out of those villages with all possible expedition。 In others; he
would stand about the inn…yards; and look mournfully at every one
who passed; a proceeding which generally terminated in the
landlady’s ordering one of the post…boys who were lounging about;
to drive that strange boy out of the place; for she was sure he had
come to steal something。 If he begged at a farmer’s house; ten to
one but they threatened to set the dog on him; and when he
showed his nose in a shop; they talked about the beadle—which
brought Oliver’s heart into his mouth—very often the only thing
he had there; for many hours together。
In fact; if it had not been for a good…hearted turnpike…man and a
benevolent old lady; Oliver’s troubles would have been shortened
by the very same process which had put an end to his mother’s; in
other words; he would most assuredly have fallen dead upon the
king’s pathway。 But the turnpike…man gave him a meal of bread
and cheese; and the ‘old lady; who had a shipwrecked grandson
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
Oliver Twist
wandering barefoot in some distant part of the earth; took pity
upon the poor orphan and gave him what little she could afford—
and more—with such kind and gentle words; and such tears of
sympathy and compassion; that they sank deeper into Oliver’s
soul; than all the sufferings he had ever undergone。
Early on the seventh morning; after he had left his native place;
Oliver limped slowly into the little town of Barnet。 The window
shutters were closed; the street was empty; not a soul had
awakened to the business of the day。 The sun was rising in all its
splendid beauty; but the light only served to show the boy his own
lonesomeness and desolation; as he sat with bleeding feet and
c