Chapter 40 Chapter Thirty-Nine

(A few respectable characters already familiar to the reader reappear, and show how Monks and the old Jew put their valuable heads together.) As mentioned in the previous chapter, the three gentlemen thus made their little deal. When Mr. William Sykes awoke from his nap the next evening, he gave a sleepy growl and asked What time is it at night. The room in which Mr. Sykes posed the question was not one of the houses in which he had lived before his Jets visit, though it was in the same part of London, not far from his former abode.Outwardly, the house was not as desirable as his old residence, but a poor apartment, poorly furnished and limited in size.The light can only come in from a small window in the roof, and the house is next to a narrow and dirty alley.There is no lack of other symptoms of this gentleman's recent bad fortune. The severe lack of furniture, the total lack of comfort, and the absence of such trivial movable property as a change of clothes inside and out, speak of a state of extreme embarrassment. .If these signs were to be determined, the emaciated physical condition of Mr. Sykes himself would provide sufficient evidence.

The robber lay in bed with his white overcoat wrapped around him as pajamas, his sickly gray face, his dirty nightcap, his beard stiff and black from a week's shaved, and all that It shows that his whole face has not changed.The dog crouched beside the bed, glancing at its owner sullenly from time to time, and when some noise in the street or downstairs caught its attention, it would prick up its ears and let out a deep bark.A woman sat by the window, busy mending the robber with an old waistcoat he usually wore. She was pale and thin from care and hard times, and if she hadn't heard the answer Mr. Sykes' questioning voice makes it difficult to recognize that she is Nancy who has appeared in the book.

"Just after seven," said the girl, "how do you feel to-night, Bill?" "As soft as spit," replied Mr. Sikes, cursing at his eyes and hands and feet. "Come on, give us a hand and get me off this damn bed." Mr. Sykes was not in a better temper by illness.The girl picked him up and led him to a chair, and he muttered, called her clumsy, and beat her. "Crying, isn't it?" said Sikes. "Come on. Don't stand there sobbing. If you can't do anything but wipe your nose and tears, you'd better get off. Do you hear?" "Understood," the girl replied, turning her face away, forced a smile, and replied. "Are you thinking nonsense again?"

"Oh. You figure it out, don't you?" Sikes roared again, seeing the tears welling in her eyes. "It's good for you, you figured it out." "Well, Bill, you ain't really trying to be so hard on me tonight, are you?" said the girl, putting her hand on his shoulder. "No?" cried Sikes. "Why not?" "So many nights," said the girl with a touch of feminine tenderness, which made even her voice melodious. "For so many nights, I have been holding back, not being angry with you, looking after you, caring for you as if you were a child, and this is the first time I have seen you like this. If you think about it, you won't Treated me like just now, didn't you? Say, say, say you won't."

"Come, so be it," promised Mr. Sikes. "I won't. Well, damn it, tsk tsk, the girl is crying again." "It's nothing," said the girl, falling back on a chair, "don't worry about me, it will be over soon." "What's going to pass?" asked Mr. Sikes viciously. "What foolish thing are you doing? Get up, and go about your business, and don't bother me with your pussy nonsense." At any given time, the reprimand, along with the tone in which it was delivered, would have had the desired effect.But this time, before Mr. Sikes had time to spice up his threat with some of the tactful insults customary on similar occasions, the girl was frail and exhausted, with her head thrown on the back of her chair. , fainted.Mr. Sykes did not quite know how to deal with such a serious emergency--for Miss Nancy's hysterias, when they flared up, were usually rapid and violent, and the patient could do nothing to help them--he tried I used cursing for a while, but found that this method of handling had no effect at all, so I had to call for help.

"What's the matter here, my dear?" said Fagin, looking around the room. "Help the girl, are you going to finish?" replied Sikes impatiently. "Don't stand there talking and smiling at me." Fagin uttered an exclamation, and rushed forward to help the girl. At this time, Mr. John Dakins (that is, the smart ghost) had also entered with his mentor, and he hastily put a package on his back. On the floor, Master Charlie Bates, who came in on his heels, snatched a bottle, and in a moment had pulled the cork out with his teeth; There was some in my throat. "You blow her a few breaths of fresh air with the bellows, Charlie," ordered Mr. Dakins, "and when Bill undoes his petticoat, Fagin, you clap her hands."

These co-ordinated first aid efforts were carried out in full swing--especially in the department entrusted to Master Bates, who seemed to consider himself an unprecedented pleasure in the operation--and the ideal was produced with little effort. Effect.Gradually the girl regained consciousness, walked unsteadily to a chair beside the bed, buried her face in the pillow, and left Mr. Sykes, who was somewhat surprised, to deal with the three uninvited guests. "Well, what evil wind has brought you here?" he asked Fagin. "It's not a bad wind at all, my dear, and a bad wind doesn't do anyone any good. I've brought something nice that you'll be glad to see. Smarty, dear, unpack and put what we spent this morning Give Bill that little thing you bought with all the money."

According to Mr. Fagin's instructions, the Dodger unwrapped the big parcel made of old tablecloths he had brought, and handed the contents to Charlie Bates one by one, and Charlie put them on the table one by one. On the road, bragging about how rare and wonderful these things are. "What a good rabbit pie, Bill," said the little gentleman, asking him to look at a very large pie. "What a cute little rabbit, what tender legs, Bill, those bones melt in your mouth, you don't have to pick them out. Half a pound of green tea, seven shillings and sixpence a pound, so thick, if you use boiling water Let's brew it, the teapot lid will be blown off the top. The sugar is a pound and a half, a little damp, it must be that the gang of niggers didn't work hard at all, and the color is not good-oh, no! Two pounds of bran bread Two, a pound of the best fresh meat, a double Gloucester cheese, all said, and one of the most expensive wines you'll ever drink."

①A city in southwestern England, famous for its cheese production. Master Bates finished his last hymn, and took out from one of his gigantic pockets a large bottle of wine, which was tightly corked. The patient didn't hesitate, raised his neck and drank it. "Ah!" said the old Jew, rubbing his hands together contentedly, "you can stand it, Bill, you can stand it now." "Take it!" cried Mr. Sikes. "I've been thrown down twenty times and you won't help me. For more than three weeks, you hypocritical bastard, you've left me alone." What do you mean by no matter in this situation?"

"Look what he says, boys," said the old Jew, shrugging his shoulders. "We brought him so much good-st-st-stuff." "It's a good thing," said Mr. Sikes, with a little relief, as he glanced at the table. "Talk to yourself, why do you leave me here? These days I'm in a bad mood, my body is broken, and I have no money to spend. Everything is all set, but you keep leaving me alone. Worse than that dog—get it out of here, Charlie." "I never saw such a playful dog," cried Master Bates, driving the dog away as Mr. Sikes had requested. "It's like an old lady going to the vegetable market. She can always smell something to eat. She will definitely make a fortune on stage, and this dog can also revitalize the theater."

"Don't make noise," growled Sikes, seeing that the dog had retreated under the bed, but was still howling indignantly. "What more can you say, you wizened old homeowner, huh?" "I've been away from London for more than a week, my dear, on business," answered the old Jew. "What about the other half month?" asked Sikes. "You leave me here like a sick mouse lying in a hole. What's the matter with the other half month?" "I can't help it, Bill," replied the old Jew. "I can't explain it in person. But I can't. I'm on my honor." "On your word?" roared Sikes, in a tone of extreme disgust. "Here, you boys, cut me a slice of pie, and go to my mouth. His words can kill me." "Don't lose your temper, Bill," said the old Jew calmly. "I never forgot you, Bill, not once." "No? I don't think you have any," returned Sikes, with a wry smile. "I lie here, shivering and feverish every hour, and you're always thinking up some bad idea, and getting Bill to do it. Let Bill do that, as soon as Bill gets better, let him do everything, it's cheapest, and Bill's poor enough to have to work for you anyway. If it wasn't for this girl, I'd be dead." "Look, Bill," said Fagin, hastily seizing the words as a shield, "if it hadn't been for this girl. Who could have got you such a good girl but poor old Fagin?" "He's telling the truth." Nancy stepped forward and said quickly, "Let him go, let him go." As soon as Nancy stepped forward, the conversation took a different direction.The two teenagers received a sneaky look from the cautious old Jew, and began to toast her vigorously, but she drank very moderately.At this time, Fagin pretended to be excited, which gradually made Mr. Sikes feel better. Fagin pretended to take Mr. Sikes' threats as a gag. Next, Sikes drank more. The wine, too, gave him face, and told a vulgar joke or two, which Fagin laughed and looked very happy about. "It's all very well," said Mr. Sikes, "but you must get me some cash to-night." "I don't have a cent with me," replied the old Jew. "But you've got plenty of money in the house," remarked Sikes, "I must get some from there." "There's plenty of money!" cried the old Jew, throwing up his hands, "I'm not rich enough to—" "I don't know how much you've got, and I dare say you don't know it yourself, and it'll take a lot of time to count," said Sikes. "Anyway, I'm asking for money today, so don't talk nonsense." "All right, all right," said the old Jew with a sigh, "I'll send you the Dodger later." "You wouldn't do such a thing," replied Sikes. "Smartman is too clever. He either forgot to bring it, or he got lost, or the police couldn't come, and it didn't matter anyway." I have an excuse, as long as I have your order. Nancy will go to the nest over there to get it, and everything will be safe. When she goes, I will lie down and take a nap." After much bargaining, Fagin lowered the loan amount requested by the other party from five pounds to three pounds, four shillings and nine pence.He swore and swore that he would then have only eighteenpence left to support the family.Mr. Sykes said gravely, that if he had no more money, he would have to make do with it.Nancy, therefore, was going to accompany Fagin to the house, while the Dodger and Master Bates put the food into the cupboard.The old Jew bid farewell to his close companion, and was accompanied by Nancy and the two boys back home.Meanwhile Mr. Sikes threw himself upon the bed, and slept peacefully till the girl returned. They arrived safely at the Old Jew's house, where Toby Crackett and Mr. Kittling were engaged in a fifteenth inning of cribbage, and it hardly needed to be said that the latter gentleman lost again, Lost his fifteenth and last sixpence.His two little friends were happy to see it.Mr. Crackett was obviously a little embarrassed to be caught making fun of a gentleman whose status and intelligence were far inferior to his own. He yawned, asked about Sikes' situation, and put on his hat to leave. "Nobody's been here, Toby?" asked the old Jew. "Not a ghost," replied Mr. Gladkey, pulling up his collar. "Boring, like leftover beer. You'll have to get me something decent to pay me, Fagin, for the house I've watched so long for you. I'm as damn boring as a juror, if I hadn't Good-natured, and willing to amuse the young man, I've gone to bed, and slept as deeply as I did in Newgate. I'm bored, and if I tell lies, I'll die." Mr. Toby Crackett uttered one or another of the same type of emotion, and at the same time he slid together the money he got and stuffed it into the vest pocket, as if he was such a big man that he never put such a small silver coin in it. in the eyes.The money was put away, and he strode out of the room with such grace and refinement that Mr. Kittling cast admiring glances at his booted legs until they were no longer to be seen.He assured them that it cost him only fifteen sixpenny pieces for the acquaintance of such a distinguished man, which he did not think was expensive at all, and he did not care about the money he had lost at the flick of his little finger. "You are a queer man, Tom," said Master Bates, amused by the statement. "Not at all," replied Mr. Chitling. "Am I, Fagin?" "You're very clever, my dear," said the old Jew, patting him on the shoulder and winking at the other two apprentices. "Mr. Crackett is a gentleman, isn't he, Fagin?" asked Tom. "That's absolutely right, dear." "Besides, it's an honor to make his acquaintance, isn't it, Fagin?" demanded Tom. "Well, really, man. They're just jealous, Tom, because he doesn't give them face." "Ah!" exclaimed Tom, triumphantly, "that's what it is. He's made me lose everything. But I can make more when I'm happy, can't I, Fagin?" "You can do it, and the sooner the better, Tom, you'll make your money back before you delay. Smarty! Charlie! It's time for you to go to work. Hurry up. It's almost ten o'clock, what's the matter?" Didn't do it." Following this cue, the two boys nodded to Nancy, put on their hats, and left the room.The Dodger and his happy-go-lucky companion had a good time along the way, cracked a lot of wisecracks, and took Mr. Kittling for a ride.In all fairness, Mr. Chitling's behavior is nothing special or out of the ordinary. You know, there are a lot of energetic young people in the city. Much taller, and a host of decent men (and it is they who make up this high society) who build their fame on a basis very similar to that of the playboy Toby Crackett. "Listen," said the old Jew, when the two apprentices had left the room, "I'll get you that money, Nancy. Here's the key from the little pantry with some odds and ends the boys got , darling. My money is never locked because I haven't acquired anything that has to be locked, darling. Hahaha! Nothing needs to be locked. It's hard work, Nancy, and it's not nice, I I just like to see young people around me. I have to endure everything, everything. Hush!" He said in a panic, stuffing the key into his pocket. "Who is that? Listen!" The girl was sitting at the table with her arms folded, as if she wasn't interested at all, or didn't care if anyone came in or out, whoever it was, when a man's whispering voice reached her ears.At the sound, with lightning quickness she tore off her bonnet and towel, and threw them under the table.The old Jew turned his head immediately, and she complained in a low voice about the heat again. This indolent tone was in stark contrast to the extremely flustered and quick action just now, but Fagin did not notice at all that he had just been Back to Nancy. "Bah," said the old Jew in a low voice, as if feeling very unfortunate. "The man I was dating earlier, he came down to us. He didn't say a word about money while he was here, Nancy. He won't stay long, ten minutes, my dear." A man's footsteps sounded on the outside stairs.The old Jew touched his bony index finger to his lips, picked up the candle and walked towards the door.Fagin arrived at the door at the same time as the visitor, who, hastily entering the room, was already in front of the girl, without seeing her. The visitor is Moncos. "This is one of my students," said the old Jew, seeing that Monks backed away when he saw a stranger, "Nancy, don't go." The girl leaned against the table, cast a casual glance at Jacobs, then withdrew her gaze, but while the visitor was turning towards Fagin, she stole another glance, this time It was so quick, sharp, and meaningful that if any spectator noticed this change, he would almost certainly not believe that the two gazes were from the same person. "Any news?" asked Fagin. "Big news." "Yes—is it good news?" asked Fagin hesitantly, as if afraid of offending the other party by being too optimistic. "It's not bad," Monks replied with a slight smile, "I've been very quick this trip. Let me tell you a word." The girl leaned closer to the table, and made no offer to leave the room, although she could see that Monks was speaking to her.The old Jew might have concerns. If she was forced to be kicked out, she might talk loudly about the money, so he pointed upstairs and led Monks out of the room. "Don't go to that haunted place we used to be." She could hear the man talking as he went upstairs.The old Jew laughed and answered something, which she didn't hear clearly, and the floor rattled, and it seemed that he had taken his companion to the third floor. The echo of their footsteps in the house had not yet subsided, Nancy had taken off her shoes, pulled up her skirt and draped it over her head, wrapped her shoulders, and stood at the door, listening with bated breath.As soon as the sound stopped, she took unbelievably soft steps, slipped out of the room, climbed the stairs without a sound, and disappeared into the dark upstairs. There was no one in the room for a quarter of an hour or more, and then the girl floated back like a wandering ghost, and then the two men were heard coming down.Monks went straight out into the street, and the old Jew walked up the stairs slowly again because of money matters.When he returned, the girl was arranging her shawl and bonnet, as if preparing to leave. "Hey, Nancy," cried the old Jew, putting down the candle, and stepping back, "you're so pale." "Pale?" answered the girl, putting her hands over her forehead, as if intending to take a closer look at him. "It's terrible, what are you doing alone?" "I didn't do anything, I just sat in this stuffy place, I don't know how long it has been," the girl replied lightly, "Okay. Let me go back, this is good." Fagin handed her the bills in full count, sighing as he counted each bill.They didn't talk any more, just said "good night" to each other and parted. Nancy came out into the empty street, sat down on a step, and for a moment seemed to be in total perplexity, not knowing which way to go.Suddenly, she stood up and hurried away in the opposite direction to the place where Sykes was waiting for her to return. She kept accelerating her pace, and finally gradually turned into a desperate run.She ran until she had exhausted all her strength before stopping to catch her breath.At this time, she seemed to wake up suddenly, and realized that she was doing something she wanted to do but couldn't do. She felt deeply sorry, twisted her hands, and burst into tears. Perhaps the tears relieved her, or the realization that she was utterly helpless, but she turned and galloped in the opposite direction at about the same speed—partly to regain lost time. On the other hand, it was also to keep the same rhythm with her raging thoughts - she soon arrived at the residence where she had left the robber alone. Even if she appeared somewhat uneasy when she appeared, Mr. Sykes did not see it. He just asked if he had got the money, and when he got a positive answer, he let out a strange cry of satisfaction, and put his head on the ground again. To the pillow, to resume the dream interrupted by her return. As luck would have it for her, Mr. Sikes ate and drank as much as he could on the second day of the money, which had such a good effect on placating his irascible temper that he had neither the time nor the inclination for her behavior. His nose was picked horizontally and his eyes were raised vertically.She appeared absent-minded and nervous, as if about to make a bold and dangerous step, one that had been determined only after a fierce struggle.Fagin, with his sharp eyes like a lynx, would probably have been on the alert at once, but Mr. Sikes was different--he was a rough man, and he was always rough with whomever he was, and never for the sake of it. Worrying about more delicate matters, not to mention that he was in a rare good mood as I said before-he couldn't see anything wrong with Nancy's behavior, and indeed he didn't. Nor did she worry about her, and even if her uneasiness appeared far more noticeable than it really was, it was unlikely to arouse his suspicions. As the day wore on, the girl's excitement only increased.She sat aside after dark, waiting for the robber to fall asleep, her cheeks so unnaturally pale, but a fire in her eyes which even Sikes noticed with astonishment. Mr. Sikes, very weak from fever, was lying in bed drinking gin mixed with hot water to lessen the irritation.It was the third or fourth time he had pushed the glass up to Nancy for a refill, and it was the first time these signs had caught his attention. "Well, damn it," he said, propping himself up on his hands, looking at the girl's face. "You look as if the dead came to life. What's the matter?" "What's the matter?" answered the girl, "nothing happened. Why are you staring at me like that?" "What kind of stupidity is this?" asked Sikes, taking her by the shoulders, and shaking her violently. "What's the matter? What do you mean? What are you thinking?" "I've been thinking a lot, Bill," answered the girl, trembling all over, and covering her eyes with her hands. "But, my God! What's the big deal?" She uttered the last word with affected ease, but the tone of her voice seemed to have made a greater impression on Sikes than the flustered and capricious manner in which she had spoken before she spoke. "I'll tell you what it is," said Sikes. "If you haven't got a fever and you're about to have a fit, then there's something wrong and a little dangerous. Don't you—no , fuck it. You don't do that kind of thing." "What are you doing?" the girl asked. "No," murmured Sikes, looking straight at her, "there's no one more determined than this little bitch, or I'd have cut her throat three months ago. She's going to have a fever." Sick, that's all." With this confidence, Sikes rallied, and downed the glass of wine, and then, cursing and barking for his medicine.The girl jumped up very nimbly, turned her back to him and quickly poured the medicine into the cup, brought it to his mouth, and he drank the contents. "Now," said the robber, "come and sit beside me, and show yourself in your usual form, or I'll make you look so different that you won't recognize it if you want to." The girl complied.Sikes clasped her hand tightly, and threw himself on the pillow, his eyes fixed on her face, closing and opening, closing and opening again.He kept changing his posture. In two or three minutes, he almost fell asleep several times, and sat up several times with a frightened expression, looking around as if he was lost.Finally, just when he seemed to be holding himself up, he suddenly fell into a deep sleep.The clasped hands loosened, and the raised arms hung limply beside him.He lay there, unconscious. "The laudanum is at last working," murmured the girl, rising from the bed. "Now, I may not be able to catch up." She hastily put on her bonnet, fastened her shawl, and looked back tremblingly, fearing that the sleeping pills would not work, and that Sikes' big hand might fall on her shoulder at any moment.Then she stooped lightly, kissed the robber on the lips, opened and closed the door noiselessly, and hurried out of the house. She had to go through an alley to get onto the main street. In the dark alley, a watchman yelled that it was half past nine. "It's already past half-past?" asked the girl. "Ten strikes in a quarter of an hour," said the man, holding the lantern before her. "I won't be there in more than an hour," whispered Nancy, and ran past him, and in a second she was in the street. She went straight from Spedfield to the West End, passing side streets after side streets where many shops had begun to close.When the clock struck ten, she became more and more restless.She galloped down the narrow sidewalk, elbowing passers-by, and crossing crowded streets almost under the heads of horses where crowds were waiting anxiously for the carriage to pass. go again. "This woman is crazy." As soon as she rushed over, people turned their heads to look.Once you enter the wealthier areas of the City of London, the streets are less crowded.Her rampage, rushing past the scattered pedestrians, greatly aroused people's curiosity.A few quickened their steps behind, as if wondering where she was going at such an extraordinary speed, and a few ran ahead of her, looked back, and couldn't help but begrudge her unrelenting attitude. She was surprised by her speed, but one by one they all fell behind, and when she approached her destination, she was alone. It was a family hotel in a quiet, pretty street near Hyde Park.A lamp was burning in front of the hotel, and its bright light guided her to the spot.At this time, the clock struck eleven o'clock.She took a few steps slowly, as if she hesitated a little, but made up her mind to go forward.The bell made up her mind, and she went into the hall.The porter's seat was empty.She looked around with embarrassment, then walked towards the stairs. "Hello, miss!" said a richly dressed woman, peering through a door behind her. "Who are you looking for here?" "Find a lady who lives here," answered the girl. "A lady?" The answer was accompanied by a mocking look. "Where is Miss Miss?" "Miss Maylie," said Nancy. The young woman didn't notice Nancy's appearance until this time, she couldn't help but glanced at her contemptuously, and called a male waiter to greet her.Nancy repeated her request. "What should I call it?" asked the waiter. "It doesn't matter what you call it," Nancy replied. "Needless to say what it is?" said the waiter. "Yes, of course," replied the girl, "I must see the lady." "Come on." The waiter said, and pushed her out the door. "No such thing. Get out." "Unless you take me out," said Nancy desperately, "and I'll put you both on the line. Is there anybody," she said, looking around, "who would do it for someone like me?" A message from the poor man?" This entreaty moved a kind-hearted cook, who was watching with several other waiters, and went to the front row to resolve the dispute. "Why don't you pass it on for her, Joey?" said the cook. "What's the use?" replied the waiter. "You don't think the lady would like to see her, do you?" This sentence implied that Nancy's identity was suspicious, and the chaste breasts of the four maids aroused great righteous indignation. Several people were impassioned, declaring that this bitch was an embarrassment to all women, and strongly advocated throwing her into the gutter unceremoniously. . "You can do whatever you want with me," the girl said, turning her head to the men again. "Just agree to my request first, and please, for the sake of Almighty God, send a message." The soft-hearted cook made another mediation, but the waiter who showed up first agreed to inform her. "How should I say it?" he said with one foot on the stairs. "Just say that there is a young woman who sincerely asks to be alone with Miss Maylie," said Nancy. Next, let her be kicked out as a liar." "I said," the man said, "you really have a way." "Go and report," Nancy said decisively, "I want to hear back." The waiter hurried upstairs.Nancy stood where she was, her face was pale, and she was furious. When she heard several chaste maids talking sarcastically and loudly, her lips trembled with anger.The female passers-by were quite capable in this regard, when the male bearer came back and told her to go upstairs, they showed their abilities even more. "In this world, it's really impossible for people to behave themselves," said the first maid. "Battered copper and iron are worth more than gold refined by fire," said the second. The third sighed: "What is a lady of status." The fourth opened a quartet with "disgraceful", and these dignified Dianas used the same sentence as the beginning of the quartet. end. Nancy ignored them, because she had more important things on her mind, and, trembling, followed the male waiter into a small drawing room with a chandelier on the ceiling.The waiter led her here and withdrew.