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第74章

oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-第74章

小说: oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪)) 字数: 每页3500字

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precise moment。 

“Not here;” said Nancy hurriedly; “I am afraid to speak to you 
here。 Come away—out of the public road—down the steps 
yonder!” 

As she uttered these words; and indicated; with her hand; the 
direction in which she wished them to proceed; the countryman 
looked round; and roughly asking what they took up the whole 
pavement for; passed on。 

The steps to which the girl had pointed; were those which; on 
the Surrey bank; and on the same side of the bridge as St。 
Saviour’s Church; form a landing…stairs from the river。 To this 
spot; the man bearing the appearance of a countryman; hastened 
unobserved; and; after a moment’s survey of the place; he began to 
descend。 

These stairs are a part of the bridge; they consist of three 
flights。 Just below the end of the second; going down; the stone 
wall on the left terminates in an ornamental pilaster facing 
towards the Thames。 At this point the lower steps widen; so that a 
person turning that angle of the wall; is necessarily unseen by any 
others on the stairs who chance to be above him; if only a step。 
The countryman looked hastily round; when he reached this point; 
and; as there seemed no better place of concealment; and the tide 
being out; there was plenty of room; he slipped aside; with his 

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back to the pilaster; and there waited; pretty certain that they 
would come no lower; and that even if he could not hear what was 
said; he could follow them again; with safety。 

So tardily stole the time in this lonely place; and so eager was 
the spy to penetrate the motives of an interview so different from 
what he had been led to expect; that he more than once gave the 
matter up for lost; and persuaded himself; either that they had 
stopped far above; or had resorted to some entirely different spot 
to hold their mysterious conversation。 He was on the point of 
emerging from his hiding…place; and regaining the road above; 
when he heard the sound of footsteps; and directly afterwards of 
voices almost close to his ear。 

He drew himself straight upright against the wall; and; scarcely 
breathing; listened attentively。 

“This is far enough;” said a voice; which was evidently that of a 
gentleman。 “I will not suffer the young lady to go any further。 
Many people would have distrusted you too much to have come 
even so far; but you see I am willing to humour you。” 

“To humour me!” cried the voice of the girl whom he had 
followed。 “You’re considerate; indeed; sir。 To humour me! Well; 
well; it’s no matter。” 

“Why; for what;” said the gentleman in a kinder tone; “for what 
purpose can you have brought us to this strange place? Why not 
have let me speak to you; above there; where it is light; and there 
is something stirring; instead of bringing us to this dark and 
dismal hole?” 

“I told you before;” replied Nancy; “that I was afraid to speak to 
you there。 I don’t know why it is;” said the girl; shuddering; “but I 
have such a fear and dread upon me tonight that I can hardly 

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stand。” 

“A fear of what?” asked the gentleman; who seemed to pity her。 

“I scarcely know what;” replied the girl。 “I wish I did。 Horrible 
thoughts of death; and shrouds with blood upon them; and a fear 
that has made me burn as if I was on fire; have been upon me all 
day。 I was reading a book tonight; to wile the time away; and the 
same things came into the print。” 

“Imagination;” said the gentleman; soothing her。 

“No imagination;” replied the girl; in a hoarse voice。 “I’ll swear 
I saw ‘coffin’ written in every page of the book in large black 
letters—aye; and they carried one close to me; in the streets 
tonight。” 

“There is nothing unusual in that;” said the gentleman。 “They 
have passed me often。” 

“Real ones;” rejoined the girl。 “This was not。” 

There was something so uncommon in her manner; that the 
flesh of the concealed listener crept as he heard the girl utter these 
words; and the blood chilled within him。 He had never 
experienced a greater relief than in hearing the sweet voice of the 
young lady as she begged her to be calm; and not allow herself to 
become the prey of such fearful fancies。 

“Speak to her kindly;” said the young lady to her companion。 
“Poor creature! She seems to need it。” 

“Your haughty religious people would have held their heads up 
to see me as I am tonight; and preached of flames and vengeance;” 
cried the girl。 “Oh; dear lady; why ar’n’t those who claim to be 
God’s own folks as gentle and as kind to us poor wretches as you; 
who; having youth; and beauty; and all that they have lost; might 
be a little proud instead of so much humbler。” 

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“Ah!” said the gentleman。 “A Turk turns his face; after washing 
it well; to the east; when he says his prayers; these good people; 
after giving their faces such a rub against the world as to take the 
smiles off; turn with no less regularity to the darkest side of 
heaven。 Between the Mussulman and the Pharisee; commend me 
to the first。” 

These words appeared to be addressed to the young lady; and 
were perhaps uttered with the view of affording Nancy time to 
recover herself。 The gentleman; shortly afterwards; addressed 
himself to her。 

“You were not here last Sunday night;” he said。 

“I couldn’t come;” replied Nancy; “I was kept by force。” 

“By whom?” 

“Him that I told the young lady of before。” 

“You were not suspected of holding any communication with 
anybody on the subject which has brought us here tonight; I 
hope?” asked the old gentleman。 

“No;” replied the girl; shaking her head。 “It’s not very easy for 
me to leave him unless he knows why; I couldn’t have seen the 
lady when I did; but that I gave him a drink of laudanum before I 
came away。” 

“Did he awake before you returned?” inquired the gentleman。 

“No; and neither he nor any of them suspect me。” 

“Good;” said the gentleman。 “Now listen to me。” 

“I am ready;” replied the girl; as he paused for a moment。 

“This young lady;” the gentleman began; “has communicated to 
me; and to some other friends who can be safely trusted; what you 
told her nearly a fortnight since。 I confess to you that I had doubts; 
at first; whether you were to be implicitly relied upon; but now I 

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firmly believe you are。” 

“I am;” replied the girl earnestly。 

“I repeat that I firmly believe it。 To prove to you that I am 
disposed to trust you; I tell you without reserve; that we propose to 
extort the secret; whatever it may be; from the fears of this man 
Monks。 But if—if—” said the gentleman; “he cannot be secured; 
or; if secured; cannot be acted upon as we wish; you must deliver 
up the Jew。” 

“Fagin;” cried the girl; recoiling。 

“That man must be delivered up by you;” said the gentleman。 

“I will not do it! I will never do it!” replied the girl。 “Devil that 
he is; and worse than devil as he has been to me; I will never do 
that。” 

“You will not?” said the gentleman; who seemed fully prepared 
for this answer。 

“Never!” returned the girl。 

“Tell me why?” 

“For one reason;” rejoined the girl firmly—“for one reason; that 
the lady knows and will stand by me in; I know she will; for I have 
her promise; and for this other reason; besides; that; bad life as he 
has led; I have led a bad life too; there are many of us who have 
kept the same courses together; and I’ll not turn upon them; who 
might—any of them—have turned upon me but didn’t; bad as they 
are。” 

“Then;” said the gentleman quickly; as if this had been the 
point that he had been aiming to attain; “put Monks into my 
hands; and leave him to me to deal with。” 

“What if he turned against the others?” 

“I promise you that in that case; if the truth is forced from him; 

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there the matter will rest; there must be circumstances in Oliver’s 
little history which it would be painful to drag before the public 
eye; and if the truth is once elicited; they shall go scot…free。” 

“And if it is not?” suggested the girl。 

“Then;” pursued the gentleman; “this Fagin shall not be 
brought to justice without your consent。 In such a case I could 
show you reasons; I think; which would induce you to yield it。” 

“Have I the lady’s promise for that?” asked the girl。 

“You have;” replied Rose。 “My true and faithful pledge。” 

“Monks would never learn how you know what you do?” said 
the girl; after a short pause。 

“Never;” replied the gentleman。 “The intelligence should be so 
brought to bear upon him; that he could never even guess。” 

“I have been a liar; and among liars from a little child;” said the 
girl; after another interval of silence; “but I will take your words。” 

After receiving an assurance from both; that she might safely do 
so; she proceeded in a voice so low that it was often difficult for the 
listener to discover even the import of what she said; to describe; 
by name and situation; the public…house whence she had been 
followed that night。 From the manner in which she occasionally 
paused; it appeared as if the gentleman were making some hasty 
notes of the information she communicated。 When she had 
thoroughly explained the localities of the place; the best position 
from which to watch it without exciting observation; and the night 
and hour on which Monks was most in the habit of frequenting it; 
she seemed to consider for a few moments; for the purpose of 
recalling his features and appearance more forcibly to her 
recollection。 

“He is tall;” said the girl; “and a strongly…made man; but not 

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stout; he has a lurking walk; and as he walks; constantly looks over 
his shoulder; first on one side; and then on the other。 Don’t forget 
that; for his eyes are sunk in his head so much deeper than any 
other man’s; that you might almost tell him by that alone。 His face 
is dark; like his hair and eyes; and; although he can’t be more than 
six or eight…and…twenty; withered and haggard。 His lips are often 
discoloured and disfigured with the marks of teeth; for he has 
desperate fits; and sometimes even bites his hands and covers 
them with wounds。—Why did you start?” said the girl; stopping 
suddenly。 

The gentleman replied; in a hurried manner; that he was not 
conscious of having done so; and begged her to proceed。 

“Part of this;” said the girl; “I’ve drawn out from other people at 
the house I tell you of; for I have only seen him twice; and both 
times he was covered up in a large cloak。 I think that’s all I can 
give you to know him by。 Stay; though;” she added。 “Upon his 
throat; so high that you can see a part of it below his neckerchief 
when he turns his face; there is—” 

“A broad red mark; l

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