雾都孤儿-第3章

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ything　that　he　had　seen　and　heard。



　

3　　O　liver　goes　to　London

　　

O　liver　was　now　officially　an　undertaker’s　assistant．It　was　a　good，sickly　time　of　year，and　coffins　were　selling　well。　O　liver　gained　a　lot　of　experience　in　a　short　time，and　was　interested　to　see　how　brave　some　people　were　after　a　death　in　the　family。　During　funerals　for　some　rich　people，　for　example，he　saw　that　the　people　who　had　cried　the　loudest　in　church　usually　recovered　the　fastest　afterwards．He　noticed　how　in　other　wealthy　families　the　wife　or　the　husband　often　seemed　quite　cheerful　and　calm　despite　the　recent　death…just　as　if　nothing　had　happened．O　liver　was　very　surprised　to　see　all　this，　and　greatly　admired　the　m　for　controlling　their　sadness　so　well。

He　was　treated　badly　by　most　of　the　people　around　him．Noah　was　jealous　because　O　liver　went　out　to　burials　while　he　was　left　back　in　the　shop，so　he　treated　him　even　worse　than　before．Charlotte　treated　him　badly　because　Noah　did。　And　Mrs　Sowerberry　was　his　enemy　because　Mr　Sowerberry　was　supposed　to　be　his　friend。　

One　day　something　happened　which　might　seem　unimportant，but　which　had　a　great　effect　on　O　liver’s　future。　Noah　was　in　a　particularly　bad　mood　one　dinner…time，and　so　he　tried　to　make　O　liver　cry　by　hitting　him，pulling　his　hair，and　calling　him　horrible　names。　This　was　all　unsuccessful，　so　he　tried　personal　insults．

　‘Workhouse，　how’s　your　mother？’　he　asked．

　‘She’s　dead，’replied　O　liver，his　face　going　red　with　emotion．

Noah　hoped　that　O　liver　was　going　to　cry，　so　he　continued．

　‘What　　did　　she　　die　　of，　Workhouse？’

　‘Of　a　broken　heart，　I　was　told．’And　a　tear　rolled　down　O　liver’s　　cheek。　

　‘Why　　are　　you　　crying，Workhouse？’

O　liver　remained　silent，and　Noah　grew　braver．　‘You　know，I　feel　very　sorry　for　you，Workhouse，but　the　truth　is　your　mother　　was　　a　　wicked　　woman．’

O　liver　seemed　suddenly　to　wake　up。　‘What　did　you　say？’

　‘She　was　so　bad　it　was　lucky　she　died，　or　she　would　have　ended　up　in　prison，or　hung。’

His　face　bright　red　with　anger，O　liver　jumped　up，　seized　Noah’s　throat，　and　shook　the　older　boy　so　violently　that　his　teeth　nearly　fell　out。　The　n　he　hit　him　with　all　his　strength　and　knocked　him　to　the　ground．

　‘He’ll　murder　me！’screamed　Noah．　‘Charlotte！　Help！O　liver’s　gone　mad—’

Charlotte　and　Mrs　Sowerberry　ran　in　and　screamed　in　horror．They　took　hold　of　O　liver　and　began　to　heat　him．　The　n　Noah　got　up　and　started　to　kick　him　from　behind．When　They　were　all　tired，　They　forced　O　liver，　who　was　still　fighting　and　shouting，　into　　the　　cellar　　and　　locked　　it．

Mrs　Sowerberry　sat　down，　breathing　heavily．　‘He’s　like　a　wild　animal！’she　said．　‘We　could　all　have　been　murdered　in　our　beds！’

　‘I　hope　Mr　Sowerberry　doesn’t　take　any　more　of　the　se　dreadful　creatures　from　the　workhouse，’said　Charlotte．　‘Poor　Noah　was　nearly　killed！’Mrs　Sowerberry　looked　at　Noah　sympathetically。

Noah，　who　was　twice　O　liver’s　size，　pretended　to　rub　tears　from　his　eyes．

　‘What　shall　we　do？’　cried　Mrs　Sowerberry．　‘He’ll　kick　that　door　down　in　ten　minutes。’　They　could　hear　O　liver　banging　and　kicking　at　the　cellar　door．　‘Noah…run　and　get　Mr　Bumble．’

So　Noah　ran　through　the　streets　as　quickly　as　he　could　to　fetch　the　beadle．　When　he　reached　the　workhouse，　he　waited　for　a　minute　to　make　sure　his　face　was　suitably　tearful　and　frightened。

As　soon　as　Mr　Bumble　came　out，Noah　cried，　‘Mr　Bumble！Mr　Bumble！　It’s　O　liver　Twist，sir．He’s　become　violent．He　tried　to　murder　me，　sir！　And　Charlotte，　and　Mrs　Sowerberry　as　well。’

Mr　Bumble　was　shocked　and　angry．　‘Did　he？I’ll　come　up　the　re　immediately　and　beat　him　with　my　stick．’

When　he　arrived　at　the　shop，O　liver　was　still　kicking　wildly　at　the　cellar　door。

　‘Let　me　out！’he　shouted　from　the　cellar，when　he　heard　Mr　Bumble’s　voice．　‘I’m　not　afraid　of　you！’

Mr　Bumble　stopped　for　a　moment，amazed　and　even　rather　frightened　by　this　change　in　O　liver．　The　n　he　said　to　Mrs　Sowerberry，　‘It’s　the　meat　that’s　caused　this，　you　know。’

　‘What？’

　‘Meat，　madam。　You’ve　fed　him　too　well　here。　Back　in　the　workhouse　this　would　never　have　happened。’

　‘I　knew　I　was　too　generous　to　him，’said　Mrs　Sowerberry，raising　her　eyes　to　the　ceiling．

At　that　moment　Mr　Sowerberry　returned　and，hearing　what　had　happened（according　to　the　ladies），　he　beat　O　liver　so　hard　that　even　Mr　Bumble　and　Mrs　Sowerberry　were　satisfied．　Mr　Sowerberry　was　not　a　cruel　man，but　he　had　no　choice。　He　knew　that　if　he　didn’t　punish　O　liver，　his　wife　would　never　forgive　him．

That　night，　alone　in　the　room　with　the　coffins，O　liver　cried　bitter，　lonely　tears．　He　did　not　sleep，　and　very　early　in　the　morning，　before　anyone　was　awake，　he　quietly　unlocked　the　shop　door　and　left　the　house．　He　ran　up　the　street　and　through　the　town　as　far　as　the　main　road，where　he　saw　a　sign　that　told　him　it　was　just　seventy　miles　from　the　re　to　London。　The　name　London　gave　the　boy　an　idea．That　huge　place！　Nobody，　　not　even　Mr　Bumble，　could　ever　find　him　the　re！He　had　heard　old　men　in　the　workhouse　say　it　was　a　good　place　for　brave　boys，and　　that　　the　re　　was　always　work　　the　re　　for　　those　　that　　wanted　　it．It　would　be　the　best　place　for　him．He　jumped　to　his　feet　and　walked　forward　again．

But　after　only　four　miles　he　began　to　realize　just　how　far　he　would　have　to　walk．　He　stopped　to　think　about　it．　He　had　a　piece　of　bread，　a　rough　shirt，　two　pairs　of　socks　and　a　penny。　But　he　could　not　see　how　the　se　would　help　him　get　to　London　any　faster，　so　he　continued　walking．

He　walked　twenty　miles　that　day．　The　only　thing　he　had　to　eat　was　his　piece　of　bread　and　some　water　which　he　begged　from　houses　near　the　road。　He　slept　the　first　night　in　a　field，feeling　lonely，　tired，　cold　and　hungry。　He　was　even　hungrier　the　next　morning　when　he　woke　up，　and　he　had　to　buy　some　more　bread　with　his　penny．That　day　he　walked　only　twelve　miles．　His　legs　were　so　weak　that　They　shook　beneath　him．

The　next　day　he　tried　to　beg　for　money，　but　large　signs　in　some　villages　warned　him　that　anyone　caught　begging　would　be　sent　to　prison。　Travellers　on　the　road　refused　to　give　him　money；　They　said　he　was　a　lazy　young　dog　and　didn’t　deserve　anything。　Farmers　threatened　to　send　their　dogs　after　him．When　he　waited　outside　pubs，the　pub－owners　chased　him　away　because　They　thought　he　had　come　to　steal　something．Only　　two　　people　　were　　kind　　enough　　to　　feed　　him：　an　old　　woman　and　a　gate－keeper　on　the　road。　If　They　had　not　given　him　some　food，　he　surely　would　have　died　like　his　mother。

Early　on　the　seventh　morning　of　his　journey，　O　liver　finally　reached　the　little　town　of　Barnet，just　outside　London。　Exhausted，he　sat　down　at　the　side　of　the　road。　His　feet　were　bleeding　and　he　was　covered　in　dust．　He　was　too　tired　even　to　beg．The　n　he　noticed　that　a　boy，　who　had　passed　him　a　few　minutes　before，had　returned，　and　was　now　looking　at　him　carefully　from　the　opposite　side　of　the　road．　After　a　long　time　the　boy　crossed　the　road　and　said　to　O　liver，

　‘Hello！　What’s　the　　matter　the　n？’

The　boy　was　about　O　liver’s　age，　but　was　one　of　the　strangest…looking　people　he　had　ever　seen。　He　had　a　dirty，ordinary　boy’s　face，　but　he　behaved　as　if　he　were　an　adult．　He　was　short　for　his　age　and　had　little，　sharp，ugly　eyes。　His　hat　was　stuck　on　top　of　his　head　but　it　looked　as　though　it　would　blow　off　at　any　minute．　He　wore　a　man’s　coat　which　reached　almost　down　to　his　feet，　with　sleeves　so　long　that　his　hands　were　completely　covered。

　‘I’m　very　tired　and　hungry，’answered　O　liver，　almost　crying．　‘I’ve　been　walking　for　a　week．’

　‘A　week！　The　magistrate’s　order，　was　it？’

　‘The　magistrate？What’s　that？’

　‘A　magistrate’s　a　kind　of　judge，’explained　the　surprised　young　gentleman。　He　realized　O　liver　did　not　have　much　experience　of　the　world．　‘Never　mind　that．You　want　some　food，’　he　went　on。　‘I　haven’t　got　much　money　but　don’t　worry－I’ll　pay．’

The　boy　helped　O　liver　to　his　feet，　and　took　him　to　a　pub。　Meat，　bread，　and　beer　　were　placed　before　O　li