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第67章

oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-第67章

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

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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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Oliver Twist 326 

“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 
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