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oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-第53部分

小说: oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪)) 字数: 每页4000字

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moment when he is going to alarm the inmates; and so do the very 
thing that would set him all to rights; there rushes into the way; a 
blundering dog of a half…bred butler; and shoots him! As if on 
purpose to prevent his doing any good for himself! Don’t you see 
all this?” 

“I see it; of course;” replied Rose; smiling at the doctor’s 
impetuosity; “but still I do not see anything in it; to criminate the 
poor child。” 

“No;” replied the doctor; “of course not! Bless the bright eyes of 
your sex! They never see; whether for good or bad; more than one 
side of any question; and that is; always; the one which first 
presents itself to them。” 

Having given vent to this result of experience; the doctor put 
his hands into his pockets; and walked up and down the room with 
even greater rapidity than before。 

“The more I think of it;” said the doctor; “the more I see that it 
will occasion endless trouble and difficulty if we put these men in 
possession of the boy’s real story。 I am certain it will not be 

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believed; and even if they can do nothing to him in the end; still 
the dragging it forward; and giving publicity to all the doubts that 
will be cast upon it; must interfere; materially; with your 
benevolent plan of rescuing him from misery。” 

“Oh! what is to be done?” cried Rose。 “Dear; dear! why did they 
send for these people?” 

“Why; indeed!” exclaimed Mrs。 Maylie。 “I would not have had 
them here; for the world。” 

“All I know is;” said Mr。 Losberne; at last; sitting down with a 
kind of desperate calmness; “that we must try and carry it off with 
a bold face。 The object is a good one; and that must be our excuse。 
The boy has strong symptoms of fever upon him; and is in no 
condition to be talked to any more; that’s one comfort。 We must 
make the best of it; and if bad be the best; it is no fault of ours。 
Come in!” 

“Well; master;” said Blathers; entering the room; followed by 
his colleague; and making the door fast; before he said any more。 
“This warn’t a put…up thing。” 

“And what the devil’s a put…up thing?” demanded the doctor 
impatiently。 

“We call it a put…up robbery; ladies;” said Blathers; turning to 
them; as if he pitied their ignorance; but had a contempt for the 
doctor’s; “when the servants is in it。” 

“Nobody suspected them; in this case;” said Mrs。 Maylie。 

“Wery likely not; ma’am;” replied Blathers; “but they might 
have been in it; for all that。” 

“More likely on that wery account;” said Duff。 

“We find it was a town hand;” said Blathers; continuing his 
report; “for the style of work is first…rate。” 

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“Wery pretty indeed; it is;” remarked Duff; in an undertone。 

“There was two of ’em in it;” continued Blathers; “and they had 
a boy with ’em; that’s plain from the size of the window。 That’s all 
to be said at present。 We’ll see this lad that you’ve got upstairs at 
once; if you please。” 

“Perhaps they will take something to drink first; Mrs。 Maylie?” 
said the doctor; his face brightening; as if some new thought had 
occurred to him。 

“Oh! to be sure!” exclaimed Rose eagerly。 “You shall have it 
immediately; if you will。” 

“Why; thank you; miss!” said Blathers; drawing his coat…sleeve 
across his mouth; “it’s dry work; this sort of duty。 Anythink that’s 
handy; miss; don’t put yourself out of the way; on our accounts。” 

“What shall it be?” asked the doctor; following the young lady 
to the sideboard。 

“A little drop of spirits; master; if it’s all the same;” replied 
Blathers。 “It’s a cold ride from London; ma’am; and I always find 
that spirits comes home warmer to the feelings。” 

This interesting communication was addressed to Mrs。 Maylie; 
who received it very graciously。 While it was being conveyed to 
her; the doctor slipped out of the room。 

“Ah!” said Mr。 Blathers; not holding his wineglass by the stem; 
but grasping the bottom between the thumb and forefinger of his 
left hand; and placing it in front of his chest; “I have seen a good 
many pieces of business like this; in my time; ladies。” 

“That crack down in the back lane at Edmonton; Blathers;” 
said Mr。 Duff; assisting his colleague’s memory。 

“That was something in this way; warn’t it?” rejoined Mr。 
Blathers; “that was done by Conkey Chickweed; that was。” 

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“You always gave that to him;” replied Duff。 “It was the Family 
Pet; I tell you。 Conkey hadn’t any more to do with it than I had。” 

“Get out!” retorted Mr。 Blathers; “I know better。 Do you mind 
that time when Conkey was robbed of his money; though? What a 
start that was! Better than any novel…book I ever see!” 

“What was that?” inquired Rose; anxious to encourage any 
symptoms of good…humour in the unwelcome visitors。 

“It was a robbery; miss; that hardly anybody would have been 
down upon;” said Blathers。 “This here Conkey Chickweed—” 

“Conkey means Nosey; ma’am;” interposed Duff。 

“Of course the lady knows that; don’t she?” demanded Mr。 
Blathers。 “Always interrupting; you are; partner! This here 
Conkey Chickweed; miss; kept a public…house over Battlebridge 
way; and he had a cellar; where a good many young lords went to 
see cock…fighting; and badger…drawing; and that; and a wery 
intellectual manner the sports was conducted in; for I’ve seen ’em 
often。 He warn’t one of the family at that time; and one night he 
was robbed of three hundred and twenty…seven guineas in a 
canvas bag; that was stole out of his bedroom in the dead of night; 
by a tall man with a black patch over his eye; who had concealed 
himself under the bed; and after committing the robbery; jumped 
slap out of window; which was only a storey high。 He was wery 
quick about it。 But Conkey was quick; too; for he was woke by the 
noise; and darting out of bed; he fired a blunderbuss arter him; 
and roused the neighbourhood。 They set up a hue…and…cry; 
directly; and when they came to look about ’em; found that 
Conkey had hit the robber; for there was traces of blood; all the 
way to some palings a good distance off; and there they lost ’em。 
However; he had made off with the blunt; and; consequently; the 

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name of Mr。 Chickweed; licensed witler; appeared in the Gazette 
among the other bankrupts; and all manner of benefits and 
subscriptions; and I don’t know what all; was got up for the poor 
man; who was in a wery low state of mind about his loss; and went 
up and down the streets; for three or four days; a…pulling his hair 
off in such a desperate manner that many people was afraid he 
might be going to make away with himself。 One day he come up to 
the office; all in a hurry and had a private interview with the 
magistrate; who; after a deal of talk; rings the bell; and orders Jem 
Spyers in (Jem was a active officer); and tells him to go and assist 
Mr。 Chickweed in apprehending the man as robbed his house。 ‘I 
see him; Spyers;’ said Chickweed; ‘pass my house yesterday 
morning。’ ‘Why didn’t you up and collar him!’ says Spyers。 ‘I was 
so struck all of a heap; that you might have fractured my skull with 
a toothpick;’ says the poor man; ‘but we’re sure to have him; for 
between ten and eleven o’clock at night he passed again。’ Spyers 
no sooner heard this; than he put some clean linen and a comb; in 
his pocket; in case he should have to stop a day or two; and away 
he goes; and sets himself down; at one of the public…house 
windows behind the little red curtain with his hat on; all ready to 
bolt out; at a moment’s notice。 He was smoking his pipe here; late 
at night; when all of a sudden Chickweed roars out; ‘Here he is! 
Stop thief! Murder!’ Jem Spyers dashes out; and there he sees 
Chickweed; a…tearing down the street full cry。 Away goes Spyers; 
on goes Chickweed; round turns the people; everybody roars out; 
‘Thieves!’ and Chickweed himself keeps on shouting; all the time; 
like mad。 Spyers loses sight of him a minute as he turns a corner; 
shoots round; sees a little crowd; dives in; ‘Which is the man?’ ‘D— 
me!’ says Chickweed; ‘I’ve lost him again!’ It was a remarkable 

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occurrence; but he warn’t to be seen nowhere; so they went back 
to the public…house。 Next morning Spyers took his old place; and 
looked out; from behind the curtain; for a tall man with a black 
patch over his eyes; till his own two eyes ached again。 At last; he 
couldn’t help shutting ’em; to ease ’em a minute; and the very 
moment he did so; he heard Chickweed a…roaring out; ‘Here he is!’ 
Off he starts once more; with Chickweed half…way down the street 
ahead of him; and after twice as long a run as the yesterday’s one; 
the man’s lost again! This was done; once or twice more; till one…
half the neighbours gave out that Mr。 Chickweed had been robbed 
by the devil; who was playing tricks with him arterwards; and the 
other half; that poor Mr。 Chickweed had gone mad with grief。” 

“What did Jem Spyers say?” inquired the doctor; who had 
returned to the room shortly after the commencement of the story。 

“Jem Spyers;” resumed the officer; “for a long time said 
nothing at all; and listened to everything without seeming to; 
which showed he understood his business。 But one morning; he 
walked into the bar; and taking out his snuff…box; says; 
‘Chickweed; I’ve found out who done this here robbery。’ ‘Have 
you?’ said Chickweed。 ‘Oh; my dear Spyers; only let me have 
wengeance; and I shall die contented! Oh; my dear Spyers; where 
is the villain?’ ‘Come!’ said Spyers; offering him a pinch of snuff; 
‘none of that gammon! You did it yourself。’ So he had; and a good 
bit of money he had made by it; too; and nobody would never have 
found it out; if he hadn’t been so precious anxious to keep up 
appearances; that’s more!” said Mr。 Blathers; putting

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