Chapter 13（1 / 2）

天才一秒记住【阅读阁】地址：yueduge.cc

SOMENEWACQUAINTANCESAREINTRODUCEDTOTHEINTELLIGENTREADER，CONNECTEDWITHWHOMVARIOUSPLEASANTMATTERSARERELATED，APPERTAININGTOTHISHISTORY

‘Where'sOliver？’saidtheJew，risingwithamenacinglook。‘Where'stheboy？’

Theyoungthieveseyedtheirpreceptorasiftheywerealarmedathisviolence；andlookeduneasilyateachother。Buttheymadenoreply。

‘What'sbecomeoftheboy？’saidtheJew，seizingtheDodgertightlybythecollar，andthreateninghimwithhorridimprecations。‘Speakout，orI'llthrottleyou！’

Mr。Faginlookedsoverymuchinearnest，thatCharleyBates，whodeemeditprudentinallcasestobeonthesafeside，andwhoconceiveditbynomeansimprobablethatitmightbehisturntobethrottledsecond，droppeduponhisknees，andraisedaloud，well-sustained，andcontinuousroar--somethingbetweenamadbullandaspeakingtrumpet。

‘Willyouspeak？’thunderedtheJew：shakingtheDodgersomuchthathiskeepinginthebigcoatatall，seemedperfectlymiraculous。

‘Why，thetrapshavegothim，andthat'sallaboutit，’saidtheDodger，sullenly。‘Come，letgoo’me，willyou！‘And，swinginghimself，atonejerk，cleanoutofthebigcoat，whichheleftintheJew'shands，theDodgersnatchedupthetoastingfork，andmadeapassatthemerryoldgentleman'swaistcoat；which，ifithadtakeneffect，wouldhaveletalittlemoremerrimentoutthancouldhavebeeneasilyreplaced。

TheJewsteppedbackinthisemergency，withmoreagilitythancouldhavebeenanticipatedinamanofhisapparentdecrepitude；and，seizingupthepot，preparedtohurlitathisassailant'shead。ButCharleyBates，atthismoment，callinghisattentionbyaperfectlyterrifichowl，hesuddenlyaltereditsdestination，andflungitfullatthatyounggentleman。

‘Why，whattheblazesisinthewindnow！’growledadeepvoice。‘Whopitchedthat’ereatme？It'swellit'sthebeer，andnotthepot，ashitme，orI'dhavesettledsomebody。Imighthaveknow'd，asnobodybutaninfernal，rich，plundering，thunderingoldJewcouldaffordtothrowawayanydrinkbutwater--andnotthat，unlesshedonetheRiverCompanyeveryquarter。Wot'sitallabout，Fagin？D--me，ifmyneck-handkercheran'tlinedwithbeer！Comein，yousneakingwarmint；wotareyoustoppingoutsidefor，asifyouwasashamedofyourmaster！Comein！‘

Themanwhogrowledoutthesewords，wasastoutly-builtfellowofaboutfive-and-thirty，inablackvelveteencoat，verysoileddrabbreeches，lace-uphalfboots，andgreycottonstockingswhichinclosedabulkypairoflegs，withlargeswellingcalves；--thekindoflegs，whichinsuchcostume，alwayslookinanunfinishedandincompletestatewithoutasetoffetterstogarnishthem。Hehadabrownhatonhishead，andadirtybelcherhandkerchiefroundhisneck：withthelongfrayedendsofwhichhesmearedthebeerfromhisfaceashespoke。Hedisclosed，whenhehaddoneso，abroadheavycountenancewithabeardofthreedays‘growth，andtwoscowlingeyes；oneofwhichdisplayedvariousparti-colouredsymptomsofhavingbeenrecentlydamagedbyablow。

‘Comein，d'yehear？’growledthisengagingruffian。

Awhiteshaggydog，withhisfacescratchedandtornintwentydifferentplaces，skulkedintotheroom。

‘Whydidn'tyoucomeinafore？’saidtheman。‘You'regettingtooproudtoownmeaforecompany，areyou？Liedown！’

Thiscommandwasaccompaniedwithakick，whichsenttheanimaltotheotherendoftheroom。Heappearedwellusedtoit，however；forhecoiledhimselfupinacornerveryquietly，withoututteringasound，andwinkinghisveryill-lookingeyestwentytimesinaminute，appearedtooccupyhimselfintakingasurveyoftheapartment。

‘Whatareyouupto？Ill-treatingtheboys，youcovetous，avaricious，in-sa-ti-a-bleoldfence？’saidtheman，seatinghimselfdeliberately。‘Iwondertheydon'tmurderyou！IwouldifIwasthem。IfI'dbeenyour’prentice，I'dhavedoneitlongago，and--no，Icouldn'thavesoldyouafterwards，foryou'refitfornothingbutkeepingasacuriousityofuglinessinaglassbottle，andIsupposetheydon'tblowglassbottleslargeenough。‘

‘Hush！hush！Mr。Sikes，’saidtheJew，trembling；‘don'tspeaksoloud！’

‘Noneofyourmistering，’repliedtheruffian；‘youalwaysmeanmischiefwhenyoucomethat。Youknowmyname：outwithit！Ishan'tdisgraceitwhenthetimecomes。’

‘Well，well，then--BillSikes，’saidtheJew，withabjecthumility。‘Youseemoutofhumour，Bill。’

‘PerhapsIam，’repliedSikes；‘Ishouldthinkyouwasratheroutofsortstoo，unlessyoumeanaslittleharmwhenyouthrowpewterpotsabout，asyoudowhenyoublaband--’

‘Areyoumad？’saidtheJew，catchingthemanbythesleeve，andpointingtowardstheboys。

Mr。Sikescontentedhimselfwithtyinganimaginaryknotunderhisleftear，andjerkinghisheadoverontherightshoulder；apieceofdumbshowwhichtheJewappearedtounderstandperfectly。Hethen，incantterms，withwhichhiswholeconversationwasplentifullybesprinkled，butwhichwouldbequiteunintelligibleiftheywererecordedhere，demandedaglassofliquor。

‘Andmindyoudon'tpoisonit，’saidMr。Sikes，layinghishatuponthetable。

Thiswassaidinjest；butifthespeakercouldhaveseentheevilleerwithwhichtheJewbithispalelipasheturnedroundtothecupboard，hemighthavethoughtthecautionnotwhollyunnecessary，orthewish（atallevents）toimproveuponthedistiller'singenuitynotveryfarfromtheoldgentleman'smerryheart。

Afterswallowingtwoofthreeglassesofspirits，Mr。Sikescondescendedtotakesomenoticeoftheyounggentlemen；whichgraciousactledtoaconversation，inwhichthecauseandmannerofOliver'scapturewerecircumstantiallydetailed，withsuchalterationsandimprovementsonthetruth，astotheDodgerappearedmostadvisableunderthecircumstances。

‘I'mafraid，’saidtheJew，‘thathemaysaysomethingwhichwillgetusintotrouble。’

‘That'sverylikely，’returnedSikeswithamaliciousgrin。‘You'reblowedupon，Fagin。’

‘AndI'mafraid，yousee，’addedtheJew，speakingasifhehadnotnoticedtheinterruption；andregardingtheothercloselyashedidso，--‘I'mafraidthat，ifthegamewasupwithus，itmightbeupwithagoodmanymore，andthatitwouldcomeoutratherworseforyouthanitwouldforme，mydear。’

Themanstarted，andturnedroundupontheJew。Buttheoldgentleman'sshoulderswereshruggeduptohisears；andhiseyeswerevacantlystaringontheoppositewall。

Therewasalongpause。Everymemberoftherespectablecoterieappearedplungedinhisownreflections；notexceptingthedog，whobyacertainmaliciouslickingofhislipsseemedtobemeditatinganattackuponthelegsofthefirstgentlemanorladyhemightencounterinthestreetswhenhewentout。

‘Somebodymustfindoutwot'sbeendoneattheoffice，’saidMr。Sikesinamuchlowertonethanhehadtakensincehecamein。

TheJewnoddedassent。

‘Ifhehasn'tpeached，andiscommitted，there'snofeartillhecomesoutagain，’saidMr。Sikes，‘andthenhemustbetakencareon。Youmustgetholdofhimsomehow。’

AgaintheJewnodded。

Theprudenceofthislineofaction，indeed，wasobvious；but，unfortunately，therewasoneverystrongobjectiontoitsbeingadopted。Thiswas，thattheDodger，andCharleyBates，andFagin，andMr。WilliamSikes，happened，oneandall，toentertainaviolentanddeeply-rootedantipathytogoingnearapolice-officeonanygroundorpretextwhatever。

Howlongtheymighthavesatandlookedateachother，inastateofuncertaintynotthemostpleasantofitskind，itisdifficulttoguess。Itisnotnecessarytomakeanyguessesonthesubject，however；forthesuddenentranceofthetwoyoungladieswhomOliverhadseenonaformeroccasion，causedtheconversationtoflowafresh。