Chapter 21 Chapter Twenty

(Recount how Oliver was entrusted to Mr. William Sykes.) When Oliver woke up in the morning, he was startled to find that his old shoes had disappeared, and a new pair of thick-soled shoes lay beside the bed.At first he was very happy, thinking it was a harbinger of his imminent freedom.These thoughts vanished as soon as he sat down to breakfast with Fagin, and the old man's tone and countenance added to his alarm, and he told Oliver that he would be sent to Bill Said that night. Max there. "And--just--stay there, sir?" asked Oliver eagerly. "No, no, my dear, it's not for you to stay there," answered the old Jew, "we don't want you. Don't be afraid, Oliver, you'll come back to us. Ha ha ha! We won't be so hard-hearted." , to send you away, dear. Oh no, no."

At this time, the old man was bending over the fire and baking bread. While teasing Oliver in this way, he looked back and giggled, as if he knew what he knew, and Oliver would be happy if there was a way. Get away. "I wonder," said the old Jew, keeping his eyes on Oliver as he spoke, "that you would like to know what you were doing at Bill's—oh, dear?" Oliver blushed to see that the old thief knew his thoughts as well as he knew them, but ventured to say that, yes, he really wanted to know. "Think about it, what are you going to do?" Fagin asked him in turn.

"I really don't know, sir," replied Oliver. "Bah." Fagin spat, examined the boy's face closely, and turned away with a despondent air. "Well, wait for Bill to tell you." It could be seen that Oliver had not shown any greater curiosity on this subject, and the old Jew was evidently annoyed.But in fact, even though Oliver was very anxious, he was distracted by the unconcealable treachery in Fagin's brows and his various speculations, and he couldn't care less about asking questions.There was no other chance for him, and the old Jew was always getting ready to go out until dark, always sullen and silent.

"You can light the candles now," said the old man, and put a candle on the table. "Here's a book. Take a look and wait until they come for you. Good night." "Good night," replied Oliver softly. The old Jew walked towards the door, looking over his shoulder at the boy as he went.He stopped suddenly, and called Oliver's name. Oliver looked up, and saw Fagin pointing to the candle as a sign that he should light it.Oliver did so.He put the candlestick on the table, and found that Fagin was still standing in the dark on the opposite side of the room, frowning, looking at himself intently.

"Be careful, Oliver. Be careful." The old man waved his right hand as if to warn him. "He's a reckless guy. He's going to lose his life when he gets angry. No matter what happens, don't say a word. Just do what he asks you to do. Be careful." Fei Jin uttered the last sentence heavily, with a tense voice. The facial expression gradually turned into a grin, nodded, and left the room. The old man went away, and Oliver, resting his head on his hands, pondered over with a throbbing heart what he had just heard.The more he considered the old Jew's admonition, the more he could not guess the real purpose and meaning of it, and he could not think of any sinister purpose in sending himself to Sikes, and this purpose was to stay with Fagin. unattainable.After pondering for a while, he decided that he was chosen to do odd jobs for the robber, and he would wait until he found another more suitable child.Little Oliver was so used to being submissive, and had suffered so much here, that he could not cry if he wanted to, in the face of the ever-changing prospect.Feeling lost, he thought for a while, sighed heavily, picked off the candle, picked up the book that the old Jew left him, and started to read.

He turned a few pages, and at first he was careless. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and a section of them attracted him. After a while, he was immersed in the book.The pages of this book, which records the lives and trials of a gang of famous criminals, are filthy and covered with finger prints.He read of crimes horrific enough to chill one's extremities, of mysterious murders committed on lonely roadsides, of dead bodies buried in pits or thrown into wells without anyone noticing them, though The pit and well were deep, but they still couldn’t hide it. After many years, the murders were finally revealed. Seeing this, the murderers became crazy one by one. Frightened, they had to resort to the truth and loudly demanded to be hanged to end their pain.And here, too, he read of men who, in bed in the middle of the night, could not help being tempted by their own evil thoughts (so they called them) to commit bloody murders that made one's heart shudder and limbs go limp just thinking about it.These frightening descriptions are so true and true to life, as if the pages of yellowed paper were stained red with blood, and the words in the book echoed in his ears, as if the souls of the dead were whispering. like.

With a sudden terror, Oliver closed the book, threw it aside, and knelt on his knees, begging Heaven not to let him do what he did, and not to let him live, even if he were to fall down dead at once. For these heinous crimes.Gradually he calmed down, and in a low, broken voice, he begged God to deliver him from the perils before him, a wretched orphan who had never known the love of friend or kinship, and was now alone, helpless, in wickedness and sin Surrounded by siege, if any aid was initiated for such children, it was due to come. He finished praying, but still covered his face with his hands, when a rustling sound startled him.

"What!" he yelled and jumped up, seeing a figure standing by the door. "Who's there?" "I, I." A trembling voice replied. Oliver lifted the candle over his head, and looked towards the door.It was Nancy. "Put down the candle," said Miss Nancy, turning her head aside, "I'm blinded." When Oliver saw her turn blue, he asked softly if she was ill, and the girl, with her back to Oliver, collapsed on a chair, and wrung her hands violently, without answering. "Lord, forgive me," she exclaimed after a pause. "I never thought it would happen."

"What's the matter?" asked Oliver. "Can I help you? As long as I have a way, I will help you. Sure, really." Nancy rocked back and forth in her chair, her throat catching and rattling, and she gasped for breath. "Nancy!" cried Oliver, "what's the matter with you?" The girl slapped her knees with her hands and stamped her feet on the ground.She stopped suddenly again, wrapped her scarf tightly, and shivered. Oliver turned up the fire a little more.She drew her chair to the fire, sat down, and said nothing for a while.Finally, she raised her head and looked behind her.

"I don't know what it is sometimes," she said, pretending to be busy with her clothes. "Probably this damp and dirty room. Say, Nolly, honey, are you ready?" "Shall I go with you?" asked Oliver. "Yes, I just came from Bill, and we're going together." "To what?" said Oliver, drawing back. "What are you going to do?" Nancy responded, rolling her eyes upward, and turning away as soon as they met the child's. "Oh. Not to do bad things." "I don't believe it," said Oliver, looking closely at her.

"Whatever you think," the girl replied with a forced smile. "Of course, it's not a good thing either." Oliver saw that he could win the girl's favor more or less, and it occurred to him to try to win her sympathy by his mournful situation.Immediately afterwards, another thought flashed through his mind: it was just eleven o'clock, and there were still many pedestrians on the street, and there would always be someone who believed what he said.Thinking of this, he stepped forward and said with a little panic that he was ready. No matter it was a flash in his mind, or his hidden meaning, he couldn't hide it from his companion.Nancy, whose eyes had been fixed on him all the time he spoke, gave him another look, expressing plainly that she had guessed what was passing through his mind. "Hush!" The girl bent down, looked around warily, and pointed to the door. "You can't do anything on your own. For you, I've tried my best, but it's useless. They keep you in check. If you really want to escape, now is not the time." Oliver raised his head and fixed his eyes on her. He was shocked by the eager expression on Nancy's brow. It seemed that she was telling the truth: her face was pale and excited, and she was trembling all over. It turns out she wasn't joking. "I've already saved you once and saved you from beating me up. I'll do it again, and that's how it is now," the girl said loudly. It's much worse. I promised that you would go there without making a fuss, without making a sound. If you can't, you will only kill yourself, and me, and maybe my life. .Look here. I've suffered so much for you, and it's all true.” She hurriedly pointed to the scars on her neck and arms, and said one sentence after another: "Remember this. Don't ask me to suffer for you now. As long as I can, I will help you Yes, but I don't have the power now. They didn't mean to do anything to you, and it's not your fault for anything they made you do. Listen, every word that comes out of your mouth is like hitting me. Give me your hand, quick. Your hand." She grabbed Oliver's hand which was stretched out instinctively, blew out the candle, and led him upstairs. A figure hidden in the darkness quickly opened the door, and when they went out, the door was quickly closed again.A hansom was waiting outside, and the girl, dragging Oliver into it, and drawing the curtains behind her, showed her eagerness in conversation with him.Without waiting for orders, the coachman whipped his whip without delay, and the carriage drove away at full speed. The girl held Oliver's hand firmly all the way, and continued to send into his ear the warnings and assurances already mentioned.All this happened so quickly that before he had time to recall where he was, or how he had come, the carriage had already stopped in front of the house where the old Jew had been the night before. For a brief moment Oliver cast a hasty glance across the empty street, and the cry for help was on his lips.Nancy's voice, however, rang in his ears, begging himself not to forget her words, in such anguish that Oliver had not the courage to cry out.While hesitating, the opportunity was missed. At this time, he had already entered the room and the door was closed. "This way," Nancy said, letting go for the first time. "Bill." "Hello." Sikes appeared at the top of the stairs, holding a candle. "Oh. Just in time. Come up." It was a very strong compliment, a very warm welcome, in Mr. Sikes's temperament.Nancy was obviously very satisfied, and she greeted him excitedly. "Bull's-eye has gone back with Tom," said Sikes, lighting them up the stairs by the light of a candle. "He'll get in the way here." "Yes." Nancy replied. "You've got the boy at last," said Sikes, when they had entered the room and shut the door. "Yes, here it is," Nancy replied. "No sound on the road?" "Like a little lamb." "That's what I like to hear," said Sikes, looking darkly at Oliver. "I'm looking at his fine skin and tender underwear, otherwise he would feel better. Little guy, come here, I'll teach you a lesson, it's better to do it now." Mr. Sykes having thus greeted the new pupil, tore off Oliver's hat, and flung it into a corner; then, taking Oliver by the shoulders, he sat himself down at the table, and let the The child stood before him. "Here, first, do you know what it is?" said Sikes, taking up a small pistol which lay on the table. Oliver answered in the affirmative. "Well, here, then," went on Sikes, "here's the powder, and there's a bullet. Here's a bit of a battered felt hat for the plug." Oliver muttered that he knew what such a thing was for, and Mr. Sikes proceeded to load the pistol with great deliberation and deliberation. "That's it," said Sikes, loading the cartridge. "Yes, sir, I see it," replied Oliver. "Oh," said the robber, grabbing Oliver by the wrist, putting the muzzle of his gun to his temple, and thrusting it--the boy jumped up in fright at the moment--"if you go out with me, as long as Say a word; unless I tell you to, a bullet will go in your head, and you won't even say hello. So, if you really make up your mind to speak casually, say your prayers first." Mr. Sikes glared at the warned party for effect, and went on: "As far as I know, if you really pay for it, no one will ask you about it, so if it's not for your own good, I don't need to bother to talk to you, Did you hear that?" "Just say so," said Nancy heavily, and at the same time she frowned slightly at Oliver, as if to make him pay more attention to what she said. "That is to say, you have a job at hand, and if he messes it up, you'll shoot him through the head so that he won't be able to talk nonsense anymore, so you're going to have a taste of it." It doesn’t matter if you have a taste of swinging, anyway, you’ve been doing this business all your life, and you have many business matters every month, so you still have to take this risk.” "That's right," said Mr. Sikes approvingly. "Women always explain things in a few words, except when they're in a trance, and they can't stop talking. Now he's got it all, and we'll have supper and take a nap before we start." In accordance with these orders, Nancy promptly laid the table-cloth, and went out, presently bringing a pitcher of stout and a plate of mutton's head.Mr. Sikes, taking his opportunity to make several pleasant quips, discovered that the word "mutton's head" happened to be one of the appellations of his gang, and one of those which he could not do without. Ingenious tool.It is true that this noble gentleman was in high spirits, perhaps due to the thought that he would soon be able to show his talents. He was full of enthusiasm, chatting and laughing, and it should be recorded as evidence: he drank all the beer in one gulp. Going down, it is roughly estimated that during the whole meal, he uttered no more than eighty expletives. After supper--Oliver's appetite for this meal was quite conceivable--Mr Sikes settled two more glasses of spirits and water, threw himself on the bed, and ordered Nancy five o'clock. Zhong woke him up on time, and used a lot of curse words in order to prevent Nancy from calling him when the time came.Obeying the orders of the same authority, Oliver lay down on a mattress which had been spread on the floor, without taking off his clothes.Miss Nancy put a few coals into the fire, sat down before it, and made ready to wake them up at the appointed time. Oliver lay on the cushion, not daring to fall asleep for a long time, thinking that it was impossible for Nancy not to seize this opportunity and whisper to himself what to do next.However, the girl remained motionless, sitting in front of the fire and meditating, cutting off a piece of candle from time to time.Oliver, worn out with anticipation and anxiety, fell asleep after all. When he awoke, the table was covered with tea-things, Mr. Sykes was stuffing various things into the pockets of a coat which hung from the back of his chair, and Nancy was busily preparing breakfast.It was still dark, and candles were still burning in the house.It was pitch black outside, a shower of rain was beating on the windows, and the sky was so dark it seemed to be covered with dark clouds. "Hello, hello," growled Sikes, as Oliver sprang to his feet, "it's five-thirty. Come on, or you won't have breakfast, and it's a little late." Oliver was soon finished washing, and eating a little carelessly, and when Sikes asked him with a serious face, he replied that he was all ready. Trying not to look Oliver in the eye, Nancy threw a handkerchief to him to tie about his neck.Sikes gave him a coarse cloak, to throw it over his shoulders and button it.After he finished his attire, he stretched out his hand. The robber paused, and then signaled with a murderous look on his face. The pistol was in the side pocket of his coat.Holding Oliver's hand firmly, he exchanged good-byes with Nancy, and led him off. At the door Oliver turned his head sharply, expecting to catch the girl's glance, but she had returned to her usual place before the fire, and sat quite still.