oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-第49部分
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bent his faltering steps towards it。 As he drew nearer to this house;
a feeling came over him that he had seen it before。 He
remembered nothing of its details; but the shape and aspect of the
building seemed familiar to him。
That garden wall! On the grass inside; he had fallen on his
knees last night; and prayed the two men’s mercy。 It was the very
house they had attempted to rob。
Oliver felt such fear come over him when he recognised the
place; that; for the instant; he forgot the agony of his wound; and
thought only of flight。 Flight! He could scarcely stand; and if he
were in full possession of all the best powers of his slight and
youthful frame; whither could he fly? He pushed against the
garden gate; it was unlocked; and swung open on its hinges。 He
tottered across the lawn; climbed the steps; knocked faintly at the
door; and; his whole strength failing him; sank down against one
of the pillars of the little portico。
It happened that about this time; Mr。 Giles; Brittles; and the
tinker were recruiting themselves; after the fatigues and terrors of
the night; with tea and sundries; in the kitchen。 Not that it was Mr。
Giles’s habit to admit to too great familiarity the humbler servants;
towards whom it was rather his wont to deport himself with a lofty
affability; which; while it gratified; could not fail to remind them of
his superior position in society。 But death; fires; and burglary;
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make all men equals; so Mr。 Giles sat with his legs stretched out
before the kitchen fender; leaning his left arm on the table; while;
with his right; he illustrated a circumstantial and minute account
of the robbery; to which his hearers (but especially the cook and
housemaid; who were of the party) listened with breathless
interest。
“It was about half…past two;” said Mr。 Giles; “or I wouldn’t
swear that it mightn’t have been a little nearer three; when I woke
up; and; turning round in my bed; as it might be so (here Mr。 Giles
turned round in his chair; and pulled the corner of the table…cloth
over him to imitate bed…clothes); I fancied I heerd a noise。”
At this point of the narrative the cook turned pale; and asked
the housemaid to shut the door; who asked Brittles; who asked the
tinker; who pretended not to hear。
“—Heerd a noise;” continued Mr。 Giles。 “I says; at first; ‘This is
illusion’; and was composing myself off to sleep; when I heerd the
noise again; distinct。”
“What sort of a noise?” asked the cook。
“A kind of a busting noise;” replied Mr。 Giles; looking round
him。
“More like the noise of powdering a iron bar on a nutmeg…
grater;” suggested Brittles。
“It was; when you heerd it; sir;” rejoined Mr。 Giles; “but; at this
time; it had a busting sound。 I turned down the clothes;”
continued Giles; rolling back the tablecloth; “sat up in bed; and
listened。”
The cook and housemaid simultaneously ejaculated; “Lor!” and
drew their chairs closer together。
“I heerd it now; quite apparent;” resumed Mr。 Giles。
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“‘Somebody;’ I says; ‘is forcing of a door; or window; what’s to be
done? I’ll call up that poor lad; Brittles; and save him from being
murdered in his bed; or his throat;’ I says; ‘may be cut; from his
right ear to his left; without his ever knowing it’。”
Here; all eyes were turned upon Brittles; who fixed his upon the
speaker; and stared at him; with his mouth wide open; and his face
expressive of the most unmitigated horror。
“I tossed off the clothes;” said Giles; throwing away the tablecloth; and looking very hard at the cook and housemaid; “got softly
out of bed; drew on a pair of—”
“Ladies present; Mr。 Giles;” murmured the tinker。
“Of shoes; sir;” said Giles; turning upon him; and laying great
emphasis on the word; “seized the loaded pistol that always goes
upstairs with the plate…basket; and walked on tiptoes to his room。
‘Brittles;’ I says; when I had woke him; ‘don’t be frightened!’”
“So you did;” observed Brittles; in a low voice。
“‘We’re dead men; I think; Brittles;’ I says;” continued Giles;
“‘but don’t be frightened。’”
“Was he frightened?” asked the cook。
“Not a bit of it;” replied Mr。 Giles。 “He was as firm—ah! pretty
near as firm as I was。”
“I should have died at once; I’m sure; if it had been me;”
observed the housemaid。
“You’re a woman;” retorted Brittles; plucking up a little。
“Brittles is right;” said Mr。 Giles; nodding his head approvingly;
“from a woman; nothing else was to be expected。 We; being men;
took a dark lantern that was standing on Brittles’s hob; and
groped our way downstairs in the pitch dark—as it might be so。”
Mr。 Giles had risen from his seat; and taken two steps with his
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eyes shut; to accompany his description with appropriate action;
when he started violently; in common with the rest of the
company; and hurried back to his chair。 The cook and housemaid
screamed。
“It was a knock;” said Mr。 Giles; assuming perfect serenity。
“Open the door; somebody。”
Nobody moved。
“It seems a strange sort of a thing; a knock coming at such a
time in the morning;” said Mr。 Giles; surveying the pale faces
which surrounded him; and looking very blank himself; “but the
door must be opened。 Do you hear; somebody?”
Mr。 Giles; as he spoke; looked at Brittles; but that young man;
being naturally modest; probably considered himself nobody; and
so held that the inquiry could not have any application to him; at
all events; he tendered no reply。 Mr。 Giles directed an appealing
glance at the tinker; but he had suddenly fallen asleep。 The
women were out of the question。
“If Brittles would rather open the door; in the presence of
witnesses;” said Mr。 Giles; after a short silence; “I am ready to
make one。”
“So am I;” said the tinker; waking up; as suddenly as he had
fallen asleep。
Brittles capitulated on these terms; and the party being
somewhat reassured by the discovery (made on throwing open the
shutters) that it was now broad day; took their way upstairs; with
the dogs in front; and the two women; who were afraid to stay
below; bringing up the rear。 By the advice of Mr。 Giles; they all
talked very loud; to warn any evil…disposed person outside; that
they were strong in numbers; and by a master…stroke of policy;
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originating in the brain of the same ingenious gentleman; the
dogs’ tails were well pinched; in the hall; to make them bark
savagely。
These precautions having been taken; Mr。 Giles held on fast by
the tinker’s arm (to prevent his running away; as he pleasantly
said); and gave the word of command to open the door。 Brittles
obeyed; the group; peeping timorously over each other’s
shoulders; beheld no more formidable object than poor little
Oliver Twist; speechless and exhausted; who raised his heavy eyes;
and mutely solicited their compassion。
“A boy!” exclaimed Mr。 Giles; valiantly pushing the tinker into
the background。 “What’s the matter with the Eh?—Why—
Brittles—look here—don’t you know?”
Brittles; who had got behind the door to open it; no sooner saw
Oliver; than he uttered a loud cry。 Mr。 Giles; seizing the boy by one
leg and one arm (fortunately not the broken limb) lugged him
straight into the hall; and deposited him at full length on the floor
thereof。
“Here he is!” bawled Giles; calling; in a state of great
excitement; up the staircase; “here’s one of the thieves; ma’am!
Here’s a thief; miss! Wounded; miss! I shot him; miss; and Brittles
held the light。”
“In a lantern; miss;” cried Brittles; applying one hand to the
side of his mouth; so that his voice might travel the better。
The two women…servants ran upstairs to carry the intelligence
that Mr。 Giles had captured a robber; and the tinker busied
himself in endeavouring to restore Oliver; lest he should die before
he could be hanged。 In the midst of all this noise and commotion
there was heard a sweet female voice; which quelled it in an
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instant。
“Giles!” whispered the voice from the stair…head。
“I’m here; miss;” replied Mr。 Giles。 “Don’t be frightened; miss; I
ain’t much injured。 He didn’t make a very desperate resistance;
miss! I was soon too many for him。”
“Hush!” replied the young lady; “you frighten my aunt as much
as the thieves did。 Is the poor creature much hurt?”
“Wounded desperate; miss;” replied Giles; with indescribable
complacency。
“He looks as if he was a…going; miss;” bawled Brittles; in the
same manner as before。 “Wouldn’t you like to come and look at
him; miss; in case he should ?”
“Hush; pray; there’s a good man!” rejoined the lady。 “Wait
quietly only one instant; while I speak to aunt。”
With a footstep as soft and gentle as the voice; the speaker
tripped away。 She soon returned; with the direction that the
wounded person was to be carried; carefully; upstairs to Mr。
Giles’s room; and that Brittles was to saddle the pony and betake
himself instantly to Chertsey; from which place; he was to
despatch; with all speed; a constable and doctor。
“But won’t you take one look at him first; miss?” asked Mr。
Giles; with as much pride as if Oliver were some bird of rare
plumage; that he had skilfully brought down。 “Not one little peep;
miss?”
“Not now; for the world;” replied the young lady。 “Poor fellow!
Oh! treat him kindly; Giles; for my sake!”
The old servant looked up at the speaker; as she turned away;
with a glance as proud and admiring as if she had been his own
child。 Then; bending over Oliver; he helped to carry him upstairs;
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with the care and solicitude of a woman。
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