oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-第67章

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on　goes　Chickweed；　round　turns　the　people；　everybody　roars　out；　
‘Thieves！’　and　Chickweed　himself　keeps　on　shouting；　all　the　time；　
like　mad。　Spyers　loses　sight　of　him　a　minute　as　he　turns　a　corner；　
shoots　round；　sees　a　little　crowd；　dives　in；　‘Which　is　the　man？’　‘D—　
me！’　says　Chickweed；　‘I’ve　lost　him　again！’　It　was　a　remarkable　

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occurrence；　but　he　warn’t　to　be　seen　nowhere；　so　they　went　back　
to　the　public…house。　Next　morning　Spyers　took　his　old　place；　and　
looked　out；　from　behind　the　curtain；　for　a　tall　man　with　a　black　
patch　over　his　eyes；　till　his　own　two　eyes　ached　again。　At　last；　he　
couldn’t　help　shutting　’em；　to　ease　’em　a　minute；　and　the　very　
moment　he　did　so；　he　heard　Chickweed　a…roaring　out；　‘Here　he　is！’　
Off　he　starts　once　more；　with　Chickweed　half…way　down　the　street　
ahead　of　him；　and　after　twice　as　long　a　run　as　the　yesterday’s　one；　
the　man’s　lost　again！　This　was　done；　once　or　twice　more；　till　one…
half　the　neighbours　gave　out　that　Mr。　Chickweed　had　been　robbed　
by　the　devil；　who　was　playing　tricks　with　him　arterwards；　and　the　
other　half；　that　poor　Mr。　Chickweed　had　gone　mad　with　grief。”　

“What　did　Jem　Spyers　say？”　inquired　the　doctor；　who　had　
returned　to　the　room　shortly　after　the　commencement　of　the　story。　

“Jem　Spyers；”　resumed　the　officer；　“for　a　long　time　said　
nothing　at　all；　and　listened　to　everything　without　seeming　to；　
which　showed　he　understood　his　business。　But　one　morning；　he　
walked　into　the　bar；　and　taking　out　his　snuff…box；　says；　
‘Chickweed；　I’ve　found　out　who　done　this　here　robbery。’　‘Have　
you？’　said　Chickweed。　‘Oh；　my　dear　Spyers；　only　let　me　have　
wengeance；　and　I　shall　die　contented！　Oh；　my　dear　Spyers；　where　
is　the　villain？’　‘Come！’　said　Spyers；　offering　him　a　pinch　of　snuff；　
‘none　of　that　gammon！　You　did　it　yourself。’　So　he　had；　and　a　good　
bit　of　money　he　had　made　by　it；　too；　and　nobody　would　never　have　
found　it　out；　if　he　hadn’t　been　so　precious　anxious　to　keep　up　
appearances；　that’s　more！”　said　Mr。　Blathers；　putting　down　his　
wine…glass；　and　clinking　the　handcuffs　together。　

“Very　curious；　indeed；”　observed　the　doctor。　“Now；　if　you　
please；　you　can　walk　upstairs。”　

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“If　you　please；　sir；”　returned　Blathers。　Closely　following　Mr。　
Losberne；　the　two　officers　ascended　to　Oliver’s　bedroom；　Mr。　Giles　
preceding　the　party；　with　a　lighted　candle。　

Oliver　had　been　dozing；　but　looked　worse；　and　was　more　
feverish　than　he　had　appeared　yet。　Being　assisted　by　the　doctor；　
he　managed　to　sit　up　in　bed　for　a　minute　or　so；　and　looked　at　the　
strangers　without　at　all　understanding　what　was　going　forward—　
in　fact；　without　seeming　to　recollect　where　he　was；　or　what　had　
been　passing。　

“This；”　said　Mr。　Losberne；　speaking　softly；　but　with　great　
vehemence　notwithstanding；　“this　is　the　lad；　who；　being　
accidentally　wounded　by　a　spring…gun　in　some　boyish　trespass　on　
Mr。　What…d’ye…call…him’s　grounds；　at　the　back　here；　comes　to　the　
house　for　assistance　this　morning；　and　is　immediately　laid　hold　of　
and　maltreated；　by　that　ingenious　gentleman　with　the　candle　in　
his　hand；　who　had　placed　his　life　in　considerable　danger；　as　I　can　
professionally　certify。”　

Messrs。　Blathers　and　Duff　looked　at　Mr。　Giles；　as　he　was　thus　
recommended　to　their　notice。　The　bewildered　butler　gazed　from　
them　towards　Oliver；　and　from　Oliver　towards　Mr。　Losberne；　with　
a　most　ludicrous　mixture　of　fear　and　perplexity。　

“You　don’t　mean　to　deny　that；　I　suppose？”　said　the　doctor；　
laying　Oliver　gently　down　again。　

“I　was　all　done　for　the—for　the　best；　sir；”　answered　Giles。　“I　am　
sure　I　thought　it　was　the　boy；　or　I　wouldn’t　have　meddled　with　
him。　I　am　not　of　an　inhuman　disposition；　sir。”　

“Thought　it　was　what　boy？”　inquired　the　senior　officer。　

“The　housebreaker’s　boy；　sir！”　replied　Giles。　“They—they　
certainly　had　a　boy。”　

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“Well？　Do　you　think　so　now？”　inquired　Blathers。　

“Think　what　now？”　replied　Giles；　looking　vacantly　at　his　
questioner。　

“Think　it’s　the　same　boy；　stupid…head？”　rejoined　Blathers　
impatiently。　

“I　don’t　know；　I　really　don’t　know；”　said　Giles；　with　a　rueful　
countenance。　“I　couldn’t　swear　to　him。”　

“What　do　you　think？”　asked　Mr。　Blathers。　

“I　don’t　know　what　to　think；”　replied　poor　Giles。　“I　don’t　think　
it　is　the　boy；　indeed；　I’m　almost　certain　that　it　isn’t。　You　know　it　
can’t　be。”　

“Has　this　man　been　a…drinking；　sir？”　inquired　Blathers；　turning　
to　the　doctor。　

“What　a　precious　muddle…headed　chap　you　are！”　said　Duff；　
addressing　Mr。　Giles；　with　supreme　contempt。　

Mr。　Losberne　had　been　feeling　the　patient’s　pulse　during　this　
short　dialogue；　but　he　now　rose　from　the　chair　by　the　bedside；　and　
remarked；　that　if　the　officers　had　any　doubts　upon　the　subject；　
they　would　perhaps　like　to　step　into　the　next　room；　and　have　
Brittles　before　them。　

Acting　upon　this　suggestion；　they　adjourned　to　a　neighbouring　
apartment；　where　Mr。　Brittles；　being　called　in；　involved　himself　
and　his　respected　superior　in　such　a　wonderful　maze　of　fresh　
contradictions　and　impossibilities；　as　tended　to　throw　no　
particular　light　on　anything；　but　the　fact　of　his　own　strong　
mystification；　except；　indeed；　his　declarations　that　he　shouldn’t　
know　the　real　boy；　if　he　were　put　before　him　that　instant；　that　he　
had　only　taken　Oliver　to　be　he；　because　Mr。　Giles　had　said　he　was；　
and　that　Mr。　Giles　had；　five　minutes　previously；　admitted　in　the　

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kitchen；　that　he　began　to　be　very　much　afraid　he　had　been　a　little　
too　hasty。　

Among　other　ingenious　surmises；　the　question　was　then　raised；　
whether　Mr。　Giles　had　really　hit　anybody；　and　upon　examination　
of　the　fellow…pistol　to　that　which　he　had　fired；　it　turned　out　to　have　
no　more　destructive　loading　than　gunpowder　and　brown　paper—a　
discovery　which　made　a　considerable　impression　on　everybody　
but　the　doctor；　who　had　drawn　the　ball　about　ten　minutes　before。　
Upon　no　one；　however；　did　it　make　a　greater　impression　than　on　
Mr。　Giles　himself；　who；　after　labouring；　for　some　hours；　under　the　
fear　of　having　mortally　wounded　a　fellow…creature；　eagerly　caught　
at　this　new　idea；　and　favoured　it　to　the　utmost。　Finally；　the　
officers；　without　troubling　themselves　very　much　about　Oliver；　left　
the　Chertsey　constable　in　the　house；　and　took　up　their　rest　for　that　
night　in　the　town；　promising　to　return　next　morning。　

With　the　next　morning　there　came　a　rumour；　that　two　men　and　
a　boy　were　in　the　cage　at　Kingston；　who　had　been　apprehended　
overnight　under　suspicious　circumstances；　and　to　Kingston　
Messrs。　Blathers　and　Duff　journeyed　accordingly。　The　suspicious　
circumstances；　however；　resolving　themselves；　on　investigation；　
into　the　one　fact；　that　they　had　been　discovered　sleeping　under　a　
haystack；　which；　although　a　great　crime；　is　only　punishable　by　
imprisonment；　and　is；　in　the　merciful　eye　of　the　English　law；　and　
its　comprehensive　love　of　all　the　king’s　subjects；　held　to　be　no　
satisfactory　proof；　in　the　absence　of　all　other　evidence；　that　the　
sleeper；　or　sleepers；　have　committed　burglary　accompanied　with　
violence；　and　have　therefore　rendered　themselves　liable　to　the　
punishment　of　death；　Messrs。　Blathers　and　Duff　came　back　again；　
as　wise　as　they　went。　

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In　short；　after　some　more　examination；　and　a　great　deal　more　
conversation；　a　neighbouring　magistrate　was　readily　induced　to　
take　the　joint　bail　of　Mrs。　Maylie　and　Mr。　Losberne　for　Oliver’s　
appearance　if　he　should　ever　be　called　upon；　and　Blathers　and　
Duff；　being　rewarded　with　a　couple　of　guineas；　returned　to　town　
with　divided　opinions　on　the　subject　of　their　expedition；　the　latter　
gentleman　on　a　mature　consideration　of　all　the　circumstances；　
inclining　to　the　belief　that　the　burglarious　attempt　had　originated　
with　the　Family　Pet；　and　the　former　being　equally　disposed　to　
c