Chapter 7 Chapter Six

(narrates that Oliver was enraged by his brother Noah's insult, and defended himself, and Noah was shocked.) At the end of the one-month trial period, Oliver officially became an apprentice.These are favorable times for epidemics, and in business jargon, coffins are bullish.In the course of a few weeks Oliver had learned a great deal, and Mr. Sowerbury's original ideas had produced immediate results, even beyond his wildest estimates.The oldest local residents can't remember a time when measles was so prevalent and posed such a serious threat to children's lives.Little Oliver led the funeral procession many times, and he was matched with a hatband that reached to his knees, which made all the mothers in the city have an indescribable touch and admiration.Oliver also accompanied his boss on most expeditions to funerals for grown-ups, in order to practice the gravitas and coping skills required of an able undertaker, and he observed on numerous occasions that some determined Man shows enviable obedience and fortitude when he endures the test of life and death.

Sowerbury, for example, had received an order for the funeral of some rich old lady or gentleman, surrounded by a great circle of nephews and nieces, who had been filled with grief during his illness, and even They couldn't control it in public, but they couldn't be more happy behind their backs—all of them were full of ambition, chatting and laughing happily, and making jokes freely, as if nothing happened to upset them.The men restrained the pain of losing their wives with the calmness of peerless heroes. The wives put on mourning clothes for their husbands on the surface, but it was by no means a kidney injury. Be as glamorous as possible.It can be seen that some ladies and gentlemen who were in pain during the funeral recovered as soon as they got home, and they were at peace before the tea was over.All these are quite pleasing and instructive when viewed in detail. Oliver admires all these in his eyes.

Although I am the biographer of Oliver Twist, I cannot say with any certainty that he was made resigned by the example of these virtuous men, but of one thing I can be unequivocally certain that for many months , Facing the bullying and abuse of Noah Claypole, he has been swallowing his anger.Noah treated him much better than before.Seeing the new kid stepping up through the ranks, with his black cane and bonnet belt, and his seniority, but still wearing a muffin hat and lederhosen, he couldn't help feeling jealous.Charlotte, for Noah's sake, was also very bad to him.Mrs. Sowerberry sees that her husband wants to connect with Oliver, and becomes his bitter enemy.So between these three on the one hand and the thriving funeral business on the other, Oliver was not at all as comfortable as a hungry pig who had been wrongly shut up in a brewery barn.

I am now coming to a very important passage in Oliver's history, which may seem insignificant on the surface, but which indirectly changed the situation and course of his whole future so greatly, that it must be recorded. One day, Oliver and Noah went downstairs together at the usual dinner time, and went to the kitchen to share a morsel of mutton—a fat neck of a pound and a half, which Charlotte Tee was called out, and there was a short interval during which hungry and bad-behaved Noah Claypole, who could not think of any more worthwhile trick, teased little Ollie. Fah. Noah, determined to make such an innocuous joke, put his feet up on the table-cloth, seized Oliver by the hair, twisted his ear, and, having expounded his opinion, declared that he was a "Scumbag", and declares that he will see him hanged in the future, which is an event to be expected sooner or later.Noah brought up all kinds of cat-and-dog topics, everything a foul-mouthed, psychopathic charity school student could think of.But none of these insults had the desired effect--made Oliver cry.Noah also wanted to be more comical.Today, many people are a little smarter and much more famous than Noah, and they often do it whenever they want to be funny.Noah became more aggressive.

"The workhouse," said Noah, "how is your mother?" "She's dead," replied Oliver; "you don't talk to me about her." Oliver blushed at these words, and breathed rapidly, with a strange movement of lips and nose, which Mr. Claypole took to be the harbinger of an impending howl.His offensive became more aggressive. "The workhouse, how did she die?" Noah said. "One of our old nurses told me she had a broken heart," said Oliver, as if speaking not to Noah's question, but to himself. "I know what a broken heart is."

"Toddroll, the poorhouse, you are so stupid," said Noah, seeing a tear roll down Oliver's cheek. "Who made you cry like that?" "Not you," replied Oliver, hastily wiping away his tears, "at least not you." "Oh, it's not me, huh?" Noah sneered. "No, not you," answered Oliver sharply. "That's enough. You don't mention her to me, and you'd better not." "Better not to mention it?" cried Noah. "All right. Don't mention it. Workhouse, don't be ashamed. So is your mother. She's a beauty, that's all right. Oh, dear," said At this point, Noah nodded expressively, and at the same time wrinkled the little red nose with all his strength.

"You know, the poorhouse," said Noah Oliver, silently, and with more vigour, in a tone of mocking mingled with feigned pity, the most intolerable tone, "you know, there is no It worked out, of course you couldn't help it then, and I'm sorry for that, and I'm sure we all are, very, very sympathetic. But you know, poorhouse, your mother is a rotten inside and out Practicing goods." "What did you say?" Oliver looked up abruptly. "A rotten bitch inside and out, the workhouse," Noah replied coldly, "she died at the right time, otherwise she would be doing hard work at Bradwell, or going to exile, Or hanged, which is more likely than the other two, don't you think?"

The anger made Oliver's face turn crimson. He jumped up suddenly, overturned the table and chairs, grabbed Noah's neck, and pushed desperately. Under the fury, he gritted his teeth. With a bang, he rushed towards Noah with all his strength and knocked him to the ground. The child, who a minute earlier had seemed a quiet, gentle little fellow, languid with abuse, had finally had it all, and Noah's vicious slurs about his dead mother made his blood boil.He stood there straight, his chest heaved and heaved, his eyes were piercing, and his whole image changed.He glanced at the coward lying at his feet, who had made him suffer so much, and challenged him with an unprecedented strength.

"He'll kill me!" cried Noah. "Charlotte, ma'am. The new chap is going to kill me! Help! Somebody! Oliver's gone mad! Charlotte - Lottie !" Noah's call-sign was answered by a high-pitched scream from Charlotte, and a still louder one by Mrs. Sowerbury, who burst into the kitchen by the side door, and who stopped on the stairs, She didn't go down until she felt that continuing down was not contradictory to saving her life. "Oh, you little wretch!" shrieked Charlotte, and seized Oliver with all her strength, almost as strong as a man of considerable physique and special training. "Oh, you ungrateful murderer, villain!" Every time Charlotte paused, she punched Oliver hard and let out a cry. Screaming, everyone present enjoyed it.

Charlotte's fists were by no means flimsy, but Mrs. Sowerbury, fearing that they would not be effective enough in assuaging Oliver, rushed into the kitchen, put one arm round Oliver's, and the other Hands scratched his face.Taking advantage of such a great situation, Noah got up from the ground and punched Oliver hard. This kind of violent exercise cannot last too long. After a while, the three of them became tired and could no longer grasp or beat. They kept struggling and shouting, but they were not subdued at all Oliver pushed into the refuse cellar and locked it up.As soon as this was done, Mrs. Sowerberry sank down in her chair, and burst into tears.

"By God, she's sick again," said Charlotte. "Noah, my dear, fetch a glass of water, and hurry." "Oh! Charlotte," said Mrs. Sowerberry, forcibly.Noah had already poured some water on his wife's head and shoulders at this time. The wife just felt that the air was not enough and the cold water was too much. "Oh! Charlotte, what luck we didn't all get killed in our beds." "Ah! what luck, ma'am," Charlotte sympathized. "I only hope the master learns his lesson and stops recruiting these scoundrels, who are born murderers. Robbers and all. Poor Noah, ma'am, He was almost killed when I came in." "Poor boy," said Mrs. Sowerberry, looking pityingly at the charity school student. The first button on Noah's waistcoat, which must have been as high as the top of Oliver's hat, even wiped his eyes with the inside of his wrist at this sympathetic word, and wept sympathetically, his nose Li still kept humming. "How nice is that?" cried Mrs. Sowerbury. "Your master is not at home, and there is no man in the house, and he will kick the door down in ten minutes." Oliver said to the man. The kicking and banging of a plank greatly increased the odds. "Dear, dear! Madame, I don't know," said Charlotte, "unless someone sends for the police." "Or a soldier." Mr. Claypole had an idea. "No, no," said Mrs. Sowerberry, remembering Oliver's old friend, "Noah, run to Mr. Bumble, and tell him to come straight up here, and don't lose a minute. Don't look for you." Hats off. Be quick. As you run, stick a knife to that bruised eye to take the swelling away." Noah said no more, and immediately set off at the fastest speed.People on the road would be terrified when they saw the scene below. A charity school student ran away from the street without a hat on his head and covered one eye with a jackknife.