oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-第9部分
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cover of the bread…pan。 There’s your tea; take it away to that box
and drink it there; and make haste; for they’ll want you to mind
the shop。 D’ye hear?”
“D’ye hear; Work’us?” said Noah Claypole。
“Lor; Noah!” said Charlotte; “what a rum creature you are!
Why don’t you let the boy alone?”
“Let him alone!” said Noah。 “Why everybody lets him alone
enough; for the matter of that。 Neither his father nor his mother
will ever interfere with him。 All his relations let him have his own
way pretty well。 Eh; Charlotte? He! he! he!”
“Oh; you queer soul!” said Charlotte; bursting into a hearty
laugh; in which she was joined by Noah; after which they both
looked scornfully at poor Oliver Twist; as he was shivering on the
box in the coldest corner of the room; and ate the stale pieces
which had been specially reserved for him。
Noah was a charity…boy; but not a workhouse orphan。 No
chance—child was he; for he could trace his genealogy all the way
back to his parents; who lived hard by; his mother being a
washerwoman; and his father a drunken soldier; discharged with a
wooden leg and a diurnal pension of twopence…halfpenny and an
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unstateable fraction。 The shop boys in the neighbourhood had
long been in the habit of branding Noah; in the public streets; with
the ignominious epithets of “leathers;” “charity;” and the like; and
Noah had borne them without reply。 But; now that fortune has
cast in his way a nameless orphan; at whom even the meanest
could point the finger of scorn; he retorted on him with interest。
This affords charming food for contemplation。 It shows us what a
beautiful thing human nature may be made to be; and how
impartially the same amiable qualities are developed in the finest
lord and the dirtiest charity…boy。
Oliver had been sojourning at the undertaker’s some three
weeks or a month。 Mr。 and Mrs。 Sowerberry—the shop being shut
up—were taking their supper in the little back parlour; when Mr。
Sowerberry; after several deferential glances at his wife; said: “My
dear—” He was going to say more; but; Mrs。 Sowerberry looking
up; with a peculiarly unpropitious aspect; he stopped short。
“Well;” said Mrs。 Sowerberry sharply。
“Nothing; my dear; nothing;” said Mr Sowerberry。
“Ugh; you brute!” said Mrs。 Sowerberry。
“Not at all; my dear;” said Mr。 Sowerberry humbly。 “I thought
you didn’t want to hear; my dear。 I was only going to say—”
“Oh; don’t tell me what you were going to say;” interposed Mrs。
Sowerberry。 “I am nobody; don’t consult me; pray。 I don’t want to
intrude upon your secrets。” As Mrs。 Sowerberry said this; she gave
an hysterical laugh; which threatened violent consequences。
“But; my dear;” said Mr。 Sowerberry; “I want to ask your
advice。’!
“No; no; don’t ask mine;” replied Mrs。 Sowerberry; in an
affecting manner; “ask somebody else’s。” Here; there was another
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hysterical laugh; which frightened Mr。 Sowerberry very much。
This is a very common and much…approved matrimonial course of
treatment; which is often very effective。 It at once reduced Mr。
Sowerberry to begging; as a special favour; to be allowed to say
what Mrs。 Sowerberry was most curious to hear。 After a short
altercation of less than three…quarters of an hour’s duration; the
permission was most graciously conceded。
“It’s only about young Twist; my dear;” said Mr。 Sowerberry。
“A very good…looking boy; that; my dear。”
“He need be; for he eats enough;” observed the lady。
“There’s an expression of melancholy in his face; my dear;”
resumed Mr。 Sowerberry; “which is very interesting。 He would
make a delightful mute; my love。”
Mrs。 Sowerberry looked up with an expression of considerable
wonderment。 Mr。 Sowerberry remarked it; and without allowing
time for any observation on the good lady’s part; proceeded。
“I don’t mean a regular mute to attend grown…up people; my
dear; but only for children’s practice。 It would be very new to have
a mute in proportion; my dear。 You may depend upon it; it would
have a superb effect。”
Mrs。 Sowerberry; who had a good deal of taste in the
undertaking way; was much struck by the novelty of this idea; but;
as it would have been compromising her dignity to have said so;
under existing circumstances; she merely inquired; with much
sharpness; why such an obvious suggestion had not presented
itself to her husband’s mind before? Mr。 Sowerberry rightly
construed this; as an acquiescence in his proposition; it was
speedily determined; therefore; that Oliver should be at once
initiated into the mysteries of the trade; and; with this view; that
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he should accompany his master on the very next occasion of his
services being required。
The occasion was not long in coming。 Half an hour after
breakfast next morning; Mr。 Bumble entered the shop; and
supporting his cane against the counter; drew forth his large
leathern pocket…book: from which he selected a small scrap of
paper; which he handed over to Sowerberry。
“Aha!” said the undertaker; glancing over it with a lively
countenance; “an order for a coffin; eh?”
“For a coffin first; and a porochial funeral afterwards;” replied
Mr。 Bumble; fastening the strap of the leathern pocketbook:
which; like himself; was very corpulent。
“Bayton;” said the undertaker; looking from the scrap of paper
to Mr。 Bumble。 “I never heard the name before。”
Bumble shook his head; as he replied; “Obstinate people; Mr。
Sowerberry; very obstinate。 Proud; too; I’m afraid; sir。”
“Proud; eh?” exclaimed Mr。 Sowerberry; with a sneer。 “Come;
that’s too much。”
“Oh; it’s sickening;” replied the beadle。 “Antimonial; Mr。
Sowerberry!”
“So it is;” acquiesced the undertaker。
“We only heard of the family the night before last;” said the
beadle; “and we shouldn’t have known anything about them; then;
only a woman who lodges in the same house made an application
to the porochial committee for them to send the porochial surgeon
to see a woman as was very bad。 He had gone out to dinner; but
his ’prentice (which is a very clever lad) sent ’em some medicine in
a blacking…bottle; offhand。”
“Ah; there’s promptness;” said the undertaker。
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“Promptness; indeed!” replied the beadle。 “But what’s the
consequence; what’s the ungrateful behaviour of these rebels; sir?
Why; the husband sends back word that the medicine won’t suit
his wife’s complaint; and so she shan’t take it—says she shan’t
take it; sir! Good; strong; wholesome medicine; as was given with
great success to two Irish labourers and a coal…heaver; only a week
before—sent ’em for nothing; with a blackin’…bottle in—and he
sends back word that she shan’t take it; sir!”
As the atrocity presented itself to Mr。 Bumble’s mind in full
force; he struck the counter sharply with his cane; and became
flushed with indignation。
“Well;” said the undertaker; “I ne—ver—did—”
“Never did; sir!” ejaculated the beadle。 “No; nor anybody never
did; but; now she’s dead; we’ve got to bury her; and that’s the
direction; and the sooner it’s done; the better。” Thus saying; Mr。
Bumble put on his cocked hat wrong side first; in a fever of
parochial excitement; and flounced out of the shop。
“Why; he was so angry; Oliver; that he forgot even to ask after
you!” said Mr。 Sowerberry; looking after the beadle as he strode
down the street。
“Yes; sir;” replied Oliver; who had carefully kept himself out of
sight; during the interview; and who was shaking from head to
foot at the mere recollection of the sound of Mr。 Bumble’s voice。
He needn’t have taken the trouble to shrink from Mr。 Bumble’s
glance; however; for that functionary; on whom the prediction of
the gentleman in the white waistcoat had made a very strong
impression; thought that now the undertaker had got Oliver upon
trial; the subject was better avoided; until such time as he should
be firmly bound for seven years; and all danger of his being
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returned upon the hands of the parish should be thus effectually
and legally overcome。
“Well;” said Mr。 Sowerberry; taking up his hat; “the sooner this
job is done; the better。 Noah; look after the shop。 Oliver; put on
your cap; and come with me。”
Oliver obeyed; and followed his master on his professional
mission。
They walked on; for some time; through the most crowded and
densely inhabited part of the town; and then; striking down a
narrow street more dirty and miserable than any they had yet
passed through; paused to look for the house which was the object
of their search。 The houses on either side were high and large; but
very old; and tenanted by people of the poorest class: as their
neglected appearance would have sufficiently denoted; without
the concurrent testimony afforded by the squalid looks of the few
men and women who; with folded arms and bodies half…doubled;
occasionally skulked along。 A great many of the tenements had
shop…fronts; but these were fast closed; and mouldering away; only
the upper rooms being inhabited。 Some houses which had become
insecure from age and decay; were prevented from falling into the
street by huge beams of wood reared against the walls; and firmly
planted in the road; but even these crazy dens seemed to have
been selected as the nightly haunts of some houseless wretches;
for many of the rough boards; which supplied the place of door
and window; were wrenched from their positions; to afford an
aperture wide enough for the passage of a human body。 The
kennel was stagnant and filthy。 The very rats; which here and
there lay putrefying in its rottenness; were hideous with famine。
There was neither knocker nor bell…handle at the open door
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