06-02-雾都孤儿 [36]
all of you. '
'You're drunk. Fagin suddenly lost his temper. 'The boy's worth a fortune to me-and now a drunken gang has lost him. And if Sikes doesn't return that boy to me, dead or alive, I'll tell the police about him and I'll get Sikes hanged. Just remember that! '
When Fagin left her, Nancy was already back in a drunken sleep, her head lying on the table once more. Fagin went out into the blackness of the night and walked home. He had reached the corner of his street and was searching in his pocket for his key, when a dark figure came out of the shadows and crossed the road towards him.
I've been waiting here for two hours, Fagin. ' said the stranger. 'Where have you been
'
'On your business, my dear, ' said Fagin, glancing at him uneasily.
'We'd better talk inside. '
The door closed behind the m and They crept quietly up to the top floor in order not to wake the sleeping boys downstairs. They sat in a dark room, the only light coming from a candle burning in the passage outside.
The stranger's name was Monks, and he was in an evil mood.
He listened to Fagin for a while, frowning heavily. 'It was badly planned, he said angrily. 'Couldn't you have made the boy into an ordinary thief, and the n got him arrested and sent out of the country for the rest of his life
'
'But he isn't like the other boys here, ' Fagin said. 'I had nothing to frighten him with. Anyway, I've already helped you. After he was caught by the police, stealing from the book shop, I got Nancy to get him back. And the n she felt sorry for him. '
'Kill her! ' Monks said impatiently.
'We can't afford to do that kind of thing, ' said Fagin.
'But I can turn the boy into an ordinary thief now. And the n Nancy will harden her heart against him. I know how women are. But if he's already dead—'
'That's not my fault! ' said Monks quickly. 'I always said to you- do anything you want to him, but don't kill him. I wouldn't have been able to forget it, if you had. '
Suddenly he jumped to his feet, staring at the wall opposite the door. 'What's that
'he whispered, terrified.
'What
Where
' cried Fagin.
'The shadow! I saw the shadow of a woman pass along that wall! '
White－faced, They both ran from the room into the passage. The candle threw long shadows down the stairs, but the re was no one the re. They listened. Only silence filled the house.
'It was your imagination, ' said Fagin, softly.
'I swear I saw it! replied Monks. They searched all the upstairs rooms. They were empty, and as quiet as death. Monks grew calmer, and eventually left the house at one o'clock in the morning.
The chase down at Chertsey the previous night had not lasted long. The re was a lot of noise of men shouting and dogs barking, as the servants from the house pursued the robbers across the fields. But Sikes and Toby wasted no time. They dropped O liver's unconscious body in a field, and disappeared into the fog and the darkness in different directions. The three pursuers lost enthusiasm for the chase and agreed among themselves that it was much too dangerous to continue. They returned to the house, keeping close together and trying to look brave.
Morning came, but O liver still lay in the field as if dead. It began to rain heavily, and after a while O liver opened his eyes. His left arm was covered in blood and hurting badly. He felt so weak he could hardly stand, but he knew that if he stayed where he was, he would die. Gasping with pain, he forced himself to his feet and with slow, shaky steps, began to walk. He had no idea where he was going, and moved forward mechanically, as though in a dream.
After a while his feet found a road, and he looked round and saw a house in the distance. He decided he would rather die near human beings than in a cold field, so he turned his steps towards the house. As he came nearer, he realized that the house was familiar and he felt faint with terror. But where else could he go
With a last
'You're drunk. Fagin suddenly lost his temper. 'The boy's worth a fortune to me-and now a drunken gang has lost him. And if Sikes doesn't return that boy to me, dead or alive, I'll tell the police about him and I'll get Sikes hanged. Just remember that! '
When Fagin left her, Nancy was already back in a drunken sleep, her head lying on the table once more. Fagin went out into the blackness of the night and walked home. He had reached the corner of his street and was searching in his pocket for his key, when a dark figure came out of the shadows and crossed the road towards him.
I've been waiting here for two hours, Fagin. ' said the stranger. 'Where have you been
'
'On your business, my dear, ' said Fagin, glancing at him uneasily.
'We'd better talk inside. '
The door closed behind the m and They crept quietly up to the top floor in order not to wake the sleeping boys downstairs. They sat in a dark room, the only light coming from a candle burning in the passage outside.
The stranger's name was Monks, and he was in an evil mood.
He listened to Fagin for a while, frowning heavily. 'It was badly planned, he said angrily. 'Couldn't you have made the boy into an ordinary thief, and the n got him arrested and sent out of the country for the rest of his life
'
'But he isn't like the other boys here, ' Fagin said. 'I had nothing to frighten him with. Anyway, I've already helped you. After he was caught by the police, stealing from the book shop, I got Nancy to get him back. And the n she felt sorry for him. '
'Kill her! ' Monks said impatiently.
'We can't afford to do that kind of thing, ' said Fagin.
'But I can turn the boy into an ordinary thief now. And the n Nancy will harden her heart against him. I know how women are. But if he's already dead—'
'That's not my fault! ' said Monks quickly. 'I always said to you- do anything you want to him, but don't kill him. I wouldn't have been able to forget it, if you had. '
Suddenly he jumped to his feet, staring at the wall opposite the door. 'What's that
'he whispered, terrified.
'What
Where
' cried Fagin.
'The shadow! I saw the shadow of a woman pass along that wall! '
White－faced, They both ran from the room into the passage. The candle threw long shadows down the stairs, but the re was no one the re. They listened. Only silence filled the house.
'It was your imagination, ' said Fagin, softly.
'I swear I saw it! replied Monks. They searched all the upstairs rooms. They were empty, and as quiet as death. Monks grew calmer, and eventually left the house at one o'clock in the morning.
The chase down at Chertsey the previous night had not lasted long. The re was a lot of noise of men shouting and dogs barking, as the servants from the house pursued the robbers across the fields. But Sikes and Toby wasted no time. They dropped O liver's unconscious body in a field, and disappeared into the fog and the darkness in different directions. The three pursuers lost enthusiasm for the chase and agreed among themselves that it was much too dangerous to continue. They returned to the house, keeping close together and trying to look brave.
Morning came, but O liver still lay in the field as if dead. It began to rain heavily, and after a while O liver opened his eyes. His left arm was covered in blood and hurting badly. He felt so weak he could hardly stand, but he knew that if he stayed where he was, he would die. Gasping with pain, he forced himself to his feet and with slow, shaky steps, began to walk. He had no idea where he was going, and moved forward mechanically, as though in a dream.
After a while his feet found a road, and he looked round and saw a house in the distance. He decided he would rather die near human beings than in a cold field, so he turned his steps towards the house. As he came nearer, he realized that the house was familiar and he felt faint with terror. But where else could he go
With a last