06-02-雾都孤儿 [29]
He had told him that he would have died of hunger without Fagin's kindness. He went on to tell O liver the story of another young boy, who had gone to the police to tell the m about the gang, but who had finally been hanged one morning for being a thief. Fagin described the hanging in terrifying detail, and said that he hoped he would never have to tell the police about O liver—and see O liver with a rope around his neck. O liver felt his blood turn cold.
He remained locked in a room for many days, seeing nobody between early morning and midnight. He spent his time thinking sadly about his friends in Pentonville. After a week he was free to wander round the house during the day. It was a dirty place, full of rats and insects but no other living thing. All the windows were closed, and covered with wood and metal bars that kept out the light.
One afternoon the Dodger and Charley Bates were at home and They started telling O liver about their lives as thieves.
'Why don't you become one
'Charley asked him. 'We all are here—both of us, and Fagin, Sikes, Nancy…all of us.
'I don't want to be, 'replied O liver. 'I wish They'd let me go.
'But it's a good life, 'the Dodger said, taking some coins from his pocket and throwing the m up in the air. 'What does it matter where the money comes from
'he said, laughing.
'If you don't steal it, someone else will. You can be sure of that! '
Fagin entered at this point, with two young men, and joined in the conversation. One of The young men had just come out of prison, and the re were many cheerful jokes about his very short hair-cut. Everybody sat around the fire, talking and laughing for hours Fagin told O liver how good the Dodger was at his job, and what a friendly boy Charley was. It was, without doubt, an interesting evening for O liver, after so many days locked up alone.
After that evening he was rarely on his own again. He spent a lot of time with the Dodger and Charley, and often played the hand kerchief game with the m. At other times Fagin would tell the m all about robberies he had committed in his younger days, telling the stories so well and putting in so many funny details that O liver could not stop laughing, even though he knew it was wrong.
Fagin knew what he was doing. He had made sure that O liver was so lonely and miserable that he would be desperate for any friends, however criminal. Slowly and deliberately, Fagin was trying to poison The young boy's mind.
One damp, cold, windy night a few weeks later, Fagin put on his heavy coat and, with the collar pulled up high to hide his face, left his home. He walked fast through the streets, never losing his way even in the darkest places. Finally, he reached an evil, narrow street lit only by a single lamp. He knocked on a door, said something quietly to the person who opened it, the n walked upstairs.
Bill Sikes was sitting by his fire with his dog when Fagin entered. The room was a small, dark place with almost no furniture. Nancy was the re, too, and Fagin glanced at her uneasily. He had not seen her since she had attacked him to stop him hitting O liver. However, she seemed to have forgotten all about it, because she told him to pull up a chair and warm himself by the fire.
'I'm ready for business, 'Bill Sikes said, looking at Fagin suspiciously. 'Say what you have to say, Fagin. '
'It's about the robbery at Chertsey, Bill, 'answered Fagin. 'Some lovely silver in that house down the re! '
'I know, I know, 'Sikes said. 'I was down the re two nights ago to have a look at the house. But it's locked like a prison at night, all except one part. '
'Where's that
'asked Fagin, bending his head forwards, his eyes staring excitedly at Sikes.
'Do you think I'm stupid
I'm not telling you! Anyway, what we need is a boy. '
'So the re's a small place where only a boy can enter the house
'asked Fagin.
'Maybe. But we need a boy. '
The re was silence for a time, while Fagin thought. The n he
He remained locked in a room for many days, seeing nobody between early morning and midnight. He spent his time thinking sadly about his friends in Pentonville. After a week he was free to wander round the house during the day. It was a dirty place, full of rats and insects but no other living thing. All the windows were closed, and covered with wood and metal bars that kept out the light.
One afternoon the Dodger and Charley Bates were at home and They started telling O liver about their lives as thieves.
'Why don't you become one
'Charley asked him. 'We all are here—both of us, and Fagin, Sikes, Nancy…all of us.
'I don't want to be, 'replied O liver. 'I wish They'd let me go.
'But it's a good life, 'the Dodger said, taking some coins from his pocket and throwing the m up in the air. 'What does it matter where the money comes from
'he said, laughing.
'If you don't steal it, someone else will. You can be sure of that! '
Fagin entered at this point, with two young men, and joined in the conversation. One of The young men had just come out of prison, and the re were many cheerful jokes about his very short hair-cut. Everybody sat around the fire, talking and laughing for hours Fagin told O liver how good the Dodger was at his job, and what a friendly boy Charley was. It was, without doubt, an interesting evening for O liver, after so many days locked up alone.
After that evening he was rarely on his own again. He spent a lot of time with the Dodger and Charley, and often played the hand kerchief game with the m. At other times Fagin would tell the m all about robberies he had committed in his younger days, telling the stories so well and putting in so many funny details that O liver could not stop laughing, even though he knew it was wrong.
Fagin knew what he was doing. He had made sure that O liver was so lonely and miserable that he would be desperate for any friends, however criminal. Slowly and deliberately, Fagin was trying to poison The young boy's mind.
One damp, cold, windy night a few weeks later, Fagin put on his heavy coat and, with the collar pulled up high to hide his face, left his home. He walked fast through the streets, never losing his way even in the darkest places. Finally, he reached an evil, narrow street lit only by a single lamp. He knocked on a door, said something quietly to the person who opened it, the n walked upstairs.
Bill Sikes was sitting by his fire with his dog when Fagin entered. The room was a small, dark place with almost no furniture. Nancy was the re, too, and Fagin glanced at her uneasily. He had not seen her since she had attacked him to stop him hitting O liver. However, she seemed to have forgotten all about it, because she told him to pull up a chair and warm himself by the fire.
'I'm ready for business, 'Bill Sikes said, looking at Fagin suspiciously. 'Say what you have to say, Fagin. '
'It's about the robbery at Chertsey, Bill, 'answered Fagin. 'Some lovely silver in that house down the re! '
'I know, I know, 'Sikes said. 'I was down the re two nights ago to have a look at the house. But it's locked like a prison at night, all except one part. '
'Where's that
'asked Fagin, bending his head forwards, his eyes staring excitedly at Sikes.
'Do you think I'm stupid
I'm not telling you! Anyway, what we need is a boy. '
'So the re's a small place where only a boy can enter the house
'asked Fagin.
'Maybe. But we need a boy. '
The re was silence for a time, while Fagin thought. The n he