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oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-第24章

小说: oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪)) 字数: 每页4000字

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Youthful Friends。


The coach rattled away; down Mount Pleasant and up 
Exmouth Street; over nearly the same ground as that 
which Oliver had traversed when he first entered London 
in company with the Dodger; and; turning a different way when it 
reached the Angel at Islington; stopped at length before a neat 
house; in a quiet; shady street near Pentonville。 Here a bed was 
prepared; without loss of time; in which Mr。 Brownlow saw his 
young charge carefully and comfortably deposited; and here he 
was tended with a kindness and solicitude that knew no bounds。 

But; for many days; Oliver remained insensible to all the 
goodness of his new friends。 The sun rose and sank; and rose and 
sank again; and many times after that; and still the boy lay 
stretched on his uneasy bed; dwindling away beneath the dry and 
wasting heat of fever。 The worm does not his work more surely on 
the dead body; than does this slow…creeping fire upon the living 
frame。 

Weak; and thin; and pallid; he awoke at last from what seemed 
to have been a long and troubled dream。 Feebly raising himself in 
the bed; with his head resting on his trembling arm; he looked 
anxiously around。 

“What room is this? Where have I been brought to?” said 

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Oliver。 “This is not the place I went to sleep in。” 

He uttered these words in a feeble voice; being very faint and 
weak; but they were overheard at once; for the curtain at the bed’s 
head was hastily drawn back; and a motherly old lady; very neatly 
and precisely dressed; rose as she undrew it; from an arm…chair 
close by; in which she had been sitting at needlework。 

“Hush; my dear;” said the old lady softly。 “You must be very 
quiet; or you will be ill again; and you have been very bad—as bad 
as bad could be; pretty nigh。 Lie down again; there’s a dear!” With 
those words; the old lady very gently placed Oliver’s head upon 
the pillow; and; smoothing back his hair from his forehead; looked 
so kindly and loving in his face; that he could not help placing his 
little withered hand in hers; and drawing it round his neck。 

“Save us!” said the old lady; with tears in her eyes; “what a 
grateful little dear it is。 Pretty creetur! What would his mother feel 
if she had sat by him as I have; and could see him now!” 

“Perhaps she does see me;” whispered Oliver; folding his hands 
together; “perhaps she has sat by me。 I almost feel as if she had。” 

“That was the fever; my dear;” said the old lady mildly。 

“I suppose it was;” replied Oliver; “because heaven is a long 
way off; and they are too happy there; to come down to the 
bedside of a poor boy。 But if she knew I was ill; she must have 
pitied me; even there; for she was very ill herself before she died。 
She can’t know anything about me though;” added Oliver; after a 
moment’s silence。 “If she had seen me hurt; it would have made 
her sorrowful; and her face has always looked sweet and happy; 
when I have dreamed of her。” 

The old lady made no reply to this; but wiping her eyes first; 
and her spectacles; which lay on the counterpane; afterwards; as if 

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they were part and parcel of those features; brought some cool 
stuff for Oliver to drink; and then; patting him on the cheek; told 
him he must lie very quiet; or he would be ill again。 So; Oliver kept 
very still; partly because he was anxious to obey the kind old lady 
in all things; and partly; to tell the truth; because he was 
completely exhausted with what he had already said。 He soon fell 
in a gentle doze; from which he was awakened by the light of a 
candle; which; being brought near the bed; showed him a 
gentleman with a large and loud…ticking gold watch in his hand; 
who felt his pulse; and said he was a great deal better。 

“You are a great deal better; are you not; my dear?” said the 
gentleman。 

“Yes; thank you; sir;” replied Oliver。 

“Yes; I know you are;” said the gentleman。 “You’re hungry too; 
ain’t you?” 

“No; sir!” answered Oliver。 

“Hem!” said the gentleman。 “No; I know you’re not。 He is not 
hungry; Mrs。 Bedwin;” said the gentleman; looking very wise。 

The old lady made a respectful inclination of the head; which 
seemed to say that she thought the doctor was a very clever man。 
The doctor appeared much of the same opinion himself。 

“You feel sleepy; don’t you; my dear?” said the doctor。 

“No; sir;” said Oliver。 

“No;” said the doctor; with a very shrewd and satisfied look。 
“You’re not sleepy。 Nor thirsty。 Are you?” 

“Yes; sir; rather thirsty;” answered Oliver。 

“Just as I expected; Mrs。 Bedwin;” said the doctor。 “It’s very 
natural that he should be thirsty。 You may give him a little tea; 
ma’am; and some dry toast without any butter。 Don’t keep him too 

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warm; ma’am; but be careful that you don’t let him be too cold; 
will you have the goodness?” 

The old lady dropped a curtsey。 The doctor; after tasting the 
cool stuff; and expressing a qualified approval of it; hurried away; 
his boots creaking in a very important and wealthy manner as he 
went downstairs。 

Oliver dozed off again; soon after this; when he awoke; it was 
nearly twelve o’clock。 The old lady tenderly bade him good…night 
shortly afterwards; and left him in charge of a fat old woman who 
had just come; bringing with her; in a little bundle; a small Prayer…
book and a large night…cap。 Putting the latter on her head and the 
former on the table; the old woman; after telling Oliver that she 
had come to sit up with him; drew her chair close to the fire; and 
went off into a series of short naps; chequered at frequent 
intervals with sundry tumblings forward; and divers moans and 
chokings; which; however; had no worse effect than causing her to 
rub her nose very hard; and then fall asleep again。 

And thus the night crept slowly on。 Oliver lay awake for some 
time; counting the little circles of light which the reflection of the 
rushlight…shade threw upon the ceiling; or tracing with his languid 
eyes the intricate pattern of the paper on the wall。 The darkness 
and the deep stillness of the room were very solemn; as they 
brought into the boy’s mind the thought that death had been 
hovering there; for many days and nights; and might yet fill it with 
the gloom and dread of his awful presence; he turned his face 
upon the pillow; and fervently prayed to Heaven。 

Gradually; he fell into that deep; tranquil sleep which ease from 
recent suffering alone imparts; that calm and peaceful rest which 
it is pain to wake from。 Who; if this were death; would be roused 

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again to all the struggles and turmoils of life; to all its cares for the 
present; its anxieties for the future; more than all; its weary 
recollection of the past! 

It had been bright day; for hours; when Oliver opened his eyes; 
and when he did so; he felt cheerful and happy。 The crisis of the 
disease was safely past。 He belonged to the world again。 

In three days’ time he was able to sit in an easy…chair; well 
propped up with pillows; and; as he was still too weak to walk; 
Mrs。 Bedwin had him carried downstairs into the little 
housekeeper’s room; which belonged to her。 Having him set; here; 
by the fireside; the good old lady sat herself down too; and; being 
in a state of considerable delight at seeing him so much better; 
forthwith began to cry most violently。 

“Never mind me; my dear;” cried the old lady。 “I’m only having 
a regular good cry。 There; it’s all over now; and I’m quite 
comfortable。” 

“You’re very; very kind to me; ma’am;” said Oliver。 

“Well; never you mind that; my dear;” said the old lady; “that’s 
got nothing to do with your broth; and it’s full time you had it; for 
the doctor says Mr。 Brownlow may come in to see you this 
morning; and we must get up our best looks; because the better we 
look; the more he’ll be pleased。” And wit

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