Chapter 16 Chapter fifteen

(Exhibit how the merry old Jew and Miss Nancy doted on Oliver Twist.) In the filthiest part of Xiaohonghua Mountain, there is a low-class tavern. The shop of the tavern is very dark. A flickering gas lamp is lit here from morning to night in winter. Even in summer, there is not a ray of sunlight shining into this gloomy darkness. lair.In this tavern sat a man who was drinking alone.He wore a velveteen coat, ecru breeches, and half-high boots. He was holding a small pewter jug ​​and a small glass in front of him, and he smelled strongly of alcohol.In spite of the dim light, an experienced detective would have no hesitation in recognizing Mr. William Sykes.A white-haired red-eyed dog lay at his feet, sometimes raising its head, blinking at its owner with both eyes at the same time, and sometimes licking a new big gash on the corner of its mouth, which was obviously the result of a recent conflict.

"Be quiet, you dog! Be quiet!" Mr. Sikes broke the silence suddenly.Whether it was the dog's gaze distracting him from such concentrated thought, or the need to kick an innocent brute in order to calm his nerves, was driven by emotion, is open to debate.Whatever the cause, the result was a kick and a curse at the same time. Dogs generally do not retaliate easily for beating and scolding by their masters, but Mr. Sykes' dog is as irritable by nature as his master. For something, he took a bite of a half-boot, shook it vigorously, and shrieked back under a bench, just avoiding the pewter jug ​​thrown at him by Mr. Sykes.

"You still dare to bite me, you still dare to bite me?" Sikes said, picking up the poker with one hand, and with the other hand, he took out a jackknife from his pocket, and opened it calmly. "Come here, you born devil. Come this way. Are you deaf?" The dog no doubt heard it, for Mr. Sikes spoke in the harshest of the most piercing keys, but he evidently had an inexpressible distaste for a knife in the neck, and so remained in his original position. Fang, barking more fiercely than before, baring his teeth at the same time, took hold of the end of the poker, and gnawed and gnawed like an untamed beast.

This resistance only aggravated Mr. Sikes, and he dropped to his knees, and began to attack the beast with the utmost ferocity.The dog jumped from right to left and left to right again, bouncing up and down, growling and barking.The man poked and prodded, swearing and swearing.At a moment when the contest was of utmost urgency to both parties, the door was thrown open, and the dog immediately left Bill Sikes, who was armed with pokers and pocket-knife, and made his way out. As the saying goes, a slap doesn't sound like a slap, but both parties will win in a quarrel.Disappointed at the refusal of the dog to accompany him, Mr. Sykes at once gave the dog's part in the dispute to the newcomer.

"Old ghost, what are you doing with me and my dog?" said Sikes threateningly. "I don't know, my dear, I don't know at all," Fagin replied humbly—it was the old Jew who came. "I don't know, I'm guilty of being a thief!" Sikes roared, "Didn't you hear the yelling?" "No sound, Bill, and I'm not dead," replied the Jew. "Oh, yes. You didn't hear anything, you didn't hear anything," Sikes responded with a sneering sneer, "running around furtively and no one would know how you got in and out. Fee Jin, half a minute ago, if only you were that dog."

"Why?" Fei Jinqiang asked with a smile on his face. "Because the government says it cares about the life of a man like you, and you're half as brave as a stray dog, but it doesn't care what it pleases to kill a dog," replied Sikes, agreeing meaningfully. Jackknife. "That's all." Fagin shook hands, sat down at the table, and smiled a feigned gaiety at his friend's jokes.However, he was clearly troubled. "Laughing," said Sikes, replacing the poker, and casting a glance at him with open contempt. "Laughing. It's not your turn to laugh at me, except after a night of drinking. I've got a head over your head, Fagin, and I'll always be like that. Listen, when I'm done, you're too, so watch out for me." point."

"Well, well, my dear," said the Jew, "I know all about it, and we—we—are good for each other, Bill—for each other." "Well," Sikes seemed to feel that the old Jew had benefited far more than himself, "come on, what do you have to say?" "It's safe, it's all been boiled in a cauldron." Fagin replied, "I brought your share, which is much more than you deserve, my dear, but I know that next time you will not treat me badly." , besides—” "Stop that," the robber interrupted impatiently. "Where is it? Bring it."

"All right, all right, Bill, don't worry, don't worry," Fagin replied, coaxing a child. "Here it is. There's a lot of money." So saying, he took out an old cotton handkerchief from his pocket, and untied it. Open a large knot in the corner and take out a small brown paper packet.Sikes snatched the paper bag, hastily opened it, and counted the gold pounds inside. "That's all, is it?" asked Sikes. "It's all here," replied Fagin. "You didn't open this bag along the way, and snatched one or two?" asked Sikes suspiciously. "Don't pretend to be wronged. You've done this many times. Ring the bell."

To put it plainly, these words gave the order to ring the bell.The bell called to another Jew, younger than Fagin, but equally hideous. Bill Sikes pointed to the empty flagon, and the Jew immediately took the cue, and withdrew again to fill the wine, exchanging a strange look with Fagin, who raised his eyes, As if waiting for the other party's wink, he shook his head and answered, the movement range was so small that even a third party who watched carefully could hardly notice it.Sikes was not aware of it, as he was stooping to fasten the bootlaces which the dog had torn open.If he had noticed, he might have taken the brief cipher between the two of them as a bad omen.

"Is anyone here, Barney?" asked Fagin, still not lifting his eyes from the ground, as Sikes had. "Not a single one," Barney replied, his words coming out of his nose whether they came from his heart or not. "No one?" Fagin said surprise in his voice, perhaps intending to suggest to Barney that he might as well tell the truth. "No one but Miss Ducky," replied Barney. "Nancy!" cried Sikes, "where is it?I really admire her, this girl is a genius, if I tell lies, make me blind. " "She ordered a plate of boiled beef on the counter," Barney replied.

"Here she is," said Sikes, pouring out a glass, "call her." Barney glanced at Fagin timidly, as if asking for his permission. Seeing that the old Jew was sitting silently without raising his eyes, he withdrew and led Nancy back in after a while. The girl also wore a bonnet and an apron, and carried a basket and a gate key, and was equally well equipped. "You've got a clue, haven't you, Nancy?" asked Sikes, passing his glass. "Yes, I found it, Bill," answered Nancy, draining her glass. "I'm so tired. The little boy's sick and can't get out of bed—" "Oh, Nancy, dear," said Fagin, looking up. It did not matter whether Fagin's red eyebrows were furrowed strangely, and his deep-set eyes were half-closed, whether he was warning Miss Nancy, who could not keep her words.What we need to notice is the fact that she broke off suddenly, flung a few charming smiles at Mr. Sikes, and changed the subject to something else.At the end of about ten minutes Mr. Fagin coughed violently, and Nancy, seeing him in this state, threw her scarf about her shoulders, and said she must go.Mr. Sykes remembered that he had traveled with her for a while, and expressed his intention to accompany her. They walked away together, and followed the dog not far away. Sikes left the tavern, and Fagin, poking his head out of the door, watched him go up the dark road, shook his fists twice, muttered a curse, and then let out a blood-curdling laugh. , sat down at the table again, and was deeply attracted by the interesting layout of a "Wanted Warrant" in a short while. Meanwhile, Oliver Twist was on his way to the bookstall, and he had never dreamed that he was so close to the merry old gentleman.On entering the Clerkenwell neighbourhood, he strayed a little, accidentally turned into a back street, and realized he was wrong when he walked halfway. , so he still hurried forward with the stack of books under his arm. He wondered, as he walked, how happy and contented he would be to see poor little Dick, whatever it cost him, who might at this very moment be beating and starving. Weeping sadly.Just then, a young woman screamed loudly, startling him. "Oh, my dear brother!" Before he had time to look up to see what was going on, two arms stretched out and wrapped around his neck tightly, forcing him to stop. "Why," cried Oliver, struggling, "let go of me. Who is it? Why do you stop me?" The young woman who had her arms around him, carrying a little basket and a port key in her hand, answered with a series of high-pitched cries. "Oh, my God!" cried the young woman, "I've found him! Oh! Oliver! Oliver! You naughty boy! How much I have suffered for your sake. Go home." .Honey, let's go. Oh, I found him, thank you good and kind God, I found him!" The young woman complained so nonchalantly, and then burst into tears again, hysterical attack was frightening Yes, two of the women who came near at this moment couldn't help asking a butcher's boy with his hair polished with suet if he shouldn't go out and fetch the doctor.The butcher's boy--who had been watching in an idle, if not lazy, way--answered that he did not think it necessary. "Oh, no, no, never mind," said the young woman, clasping Oliver's hand. "I'm much better now. Go home, you heartless boy! Go!" "What's the matter, ma'am?" a woman asked. "Oh, madam," answered the young woman, "about a month ago he ran away from his parents, who were hardworking and respectable people. It almost broke." "Little villain!" said a woman. "Go home, go, you little beast," said another. "I don't," replied Oliver, terrified, "I don't know her. I have no sister, nor mother and father. I am an orphan, and I live in Bentonville." "Listen, he's still stubborn!" the young woman yelled. "Ah, Nancy!" cried Oliver, who, seeing her face clearly for the first time, drew back in amazement. "Look, he recognizes me!" Nancy called out to the people around her. "He can't fool himself, good man, please take him home, or he will really want to kill me." His parents are furious, and my heart will be crushed by him." "What the hell is going on?" A man ran out of a beer store, followed by a white dog. "Little Oliver! Go back to your poor mother, little pup! Go straight home." "I don't belong to them. I don't know them. Help! Help!" cried Oliver, struggling desperately in the man's strong arms. "Help!" said the man, too. "Yes, I'll save you, you little rascal. What kind of books are these? You stole them, didn't you? Bring them here." , he snatched the book from Oliver's hand, and struck him hard on the head. "Good fight!" cried a spectator from a garret window. "It's got to be that way to show him how good it is." "That's right!" exclaimed a sleepy carpenter, throwing an approving look back at the attic window. "It's good for him!" said the two women in unison. "And he asked for it!" echoed the man, giving Oliver another blow, and taking him by the collar. "Come on, you little wretch! Hey, bullseye, come here! See you, boy, see you!" A poor child, recovering from a serious illness and weak, this series of sudden blows made him dizzy, the barking dog was so terrifying, the man was so ferocious, and the onlookers had already decided that he was indeed what everyone described Such a little villain, what can he do!Night has fallen, and this is not a reasonable place, and it is futile to resist.Then he was dragged into a labyrinth of innumerable dark, narrow alleys, and was compelled to follow them with such speed that the few cries he had ventured to utter were completely inaudible.Indeed, it doesn't matter whether you can hear clearly or not. Even if you understand clearly, no one will take it to heart. The gas street lamps were already on.Mrs. Bedwin waited anxiously at the open door, and twenty times the servants had run up the street to look for Oliver.There was no light in the living room, and the two old gentlemen were still sitting upright, facing the pocket watch between them.