Chapter 21（1 / 2）

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THEEXPEDITION

Itwasacheerlessmorningwhentheygotintothestreet；blowingandraininghard；andthecloudslookingdullandstormy。Thenighthadbeenverywet：largepoolsofwaterhadcollectedintheroad：andthekennelswereoverflowing。Therewasafaintglimmeringofthecomingdayinthesky；butitratheraggravatedthanrelievedthegloomofthescene：thesombrelightonlyservingtopalethatwhichthestreetlampsafforded，withoutsheddinganywarmerorbrightertintsuponthewethouse-tops，anddrearystreets。Thereappearedtobenobodystirringinthatquarterofthetown；thewindowsofthehouseswereallcloselyshut；andthestreetsthroughwhichtheypassed，werenoiselessandempty。

BythetimetheyhadturnedintotheBethnalGreenRoad，thedayhadfairlybeguntobreak。Manyofthelampswerealreadyextinguished；afewcountrywaggonswereslowlytoilingon，towardsLondon；nowandthen，astage-coach，coveredwithmud，rattledbrisklyby：thedriverbestowing，ashepassed，andadmonitorylashupontheheavywaggonerwho，bykeepingonthewrongsideoftheroad，hadendangeredhisarrivingattheoffice，aquarterofaminuteafterhistime。Thepublic-houses，withgas-lightsburninginside，werealreadyopen。Bydegrees，othershopsbegantobeunclosed，andafewscatteredpeopleweremetwith。Then，camestragglinggroupsoflabourersgoingtotheirwork；then，menandwomenwithfish-basketsontheirheads；donkey-cartsladenwithvegetables；chaise-cartsfilledwithlive-stockorwholecarcassesofmeat；milk-womenwithpails；anunbrokenconcourseofpeople，trudgingoutwithvarioussuppliestotheeasternsuburbsofthetown。AstheyapproachedtheCity，thenoiseandtrafficgraduallyincreased；whentheythreadedthestreetsbetweenShoreditchandSmithfield，ithadswelledintoaroarofsoundandbustle。Itwasaslightasitwaslikelytobe，tillnightcameonagain，andthebusymorningofhalftheLondonpopulationhadbegun。

TurningdownSunStreetandCrownStreet，andcrossingFinsburysquare，Mr。Sikesstruck，bywayofChiswellStreet，intoBarbican：thenceintoLongLane，andsointoSmithfield；fromwhichlatterplacearoseatumultofdiscordantsoundsthatfilledOliverTwistwithamazement。

Itwasmarket-morning。Thegroundwascovered，nearlyankle-deep，withfilthandmire；athicksteam，perpetuallyrisingfromthereekingbodiesofthecattle，andminglingwiththefog，whichseemedtorestuponthechimney-tops，hungheavilyabove。Allthepensinthecentreofthelargearea，andasmanytemporarypensascouldbecrowdedintothevacantspace，werefilledwithsheep；tieduptopostsbytheguttersidewerelonglinesofbeastsandoxen，threeorfourdeep。Countrymen，butchers，drovers，hawkers，boys，thieves，idlers，andvagabondsofeverylowgrade，weremingledtogetherinamass；thewhistlingofdrovers，thebarkingdogs，thebellowingandplungingoftheoxen，thebleatingofsheep，thegruntingandsqueakingofpigs，thecriesofhawkers，theshouts，oaths，andquarrellingonallsides；theringingofbellsandroarofvoices，thatissuedfromeverypublic-house；thecrowding，pushing，driving，beating，whoopingandyelling；thehideousanddiscordantdimthatresoundedfromeverycornerofthemarket；andtheunwashed，unshaven，squalid，anddirtyfiguresconstantlyrunningtoandfro，andburstinginandoutofthethrong；rendereditastunningandbewilderingscene，whichquiteconfoundedthesenses。

Mr。Sikes，draggingOliverafterhim，elbowedhiswaythroughthethickestofthecrowd，andbestowedverylittleattentiononthenumeroussightsandsounds，whichsoastonishedtheboy。Henodded，twiceorthrice，toapassingfriend；and，resistingasmanyinvitationstotakeamorningdram，pressedsteadilyonward，untiltheywereclearoftheturmoil，andhadmadetheirwaythroughHosierLaneintoHolborn。

‘Now，young’un！‘saidSikes，lookingupattheclockofSt。Andrew'sChurch，’harduponseven！youmuststepout。Come，don'tlagbehindalready，Lazy-legs！‘

Mr。Sikesaccompaniedthisspeechwithajerkathislittlecompanion'swrist；Oliver，quickeninghispaceintoakindoftrotbetweenafastwalkandarun，keptupwiththerapidstridesofthehouse-breakeraswellashecould。

Theyheldtheircourseatthisrate，untiltheyhadpassedHydeParkcorner，andwereontheirwaytoKensington：whenSikesrelaxedhispace，untilanemptycartwhichwasatsomelittledistancebehind，cameup。Seeing‘Hounslow’writtenonit，heaskedthedriverwithasmuchcivilityashecouldassume，ifhewouldgivethemaliftasfarasIsleworth。

‘Jumpup，’saidtheman。‘Isthatyourboy？’

‘Yes；he'smyboy，’repliedSikes，lookinghardatOliver，andputtinghishandabstractedlyintothepocketwherethepistolwas。

‘Yourfatherwalksrathertooquickforyou，don'the，myman？’inquiredthedriver：seeingthatOliverwasoutofbreath。

‘Notabitofit，’repliedSikes，interposing。‘He'susedtoit。

Here，takeholdofmyhand，Ned。Inwithyou！‘

ThusaddressingOliver，hehelpedhimintothecart；andthedriver，pointingtoaheapofsacks，toldhimtoliedownthere，andresthimself。

Astheypassedthedifferentmile-stones，Oliverwondered，moreandmore，wherehiscompanionmeanttotakehim。Kensington，Hammersmith，Chiswick，KewBridge，Brentford，wereallpassed；andyettheywentonassteadilyasiftheyhadonlyjustbeguntheirjourney。Atlength，theycametoapublic-housecalledtheCoachandHorses；alittlewaybeyondwhich，anotherroadappearedtorunoff。Andhere，thecartstopped。

Sikesdismountedwithgreatprecipitation，holdingOliverbythehandallthewhile；andliftinghimdowndirectly，bestowedafuriouslookuponhim，andrappedtheside-pocketwithhisfist，inasignificantmanner。

‘Good-bye，boy，’saidtheman。

‘He'ssulky，’repliedSikes，givinghimashake；‘he'ssulky。Ayoungdog！Don'tmindhim。’

‘NotI！’rejoinedtheother，gettingintohiscart。‘It'safineday，afterall。’Andhedroveaway。

Sikeswaiteduntilhehadfairlygone；andthen，tellingOliverhemightlookabouthimifhewanted，onceagainledhimonwardonhisjourney。

Theyturnedroundtotheleft，ashortwaypastthepublic-house；andthen，takingaright-handroad，walkedonforalongtime：passingmanylargegardensandgentlemen'shousesonbothsidesoftheway，andstoppingfornothingbutalittlebeer，untiltheyreachedatown。Hereagainstthewallofahouse，Oliversawwrittenupinprettylargeletters，‘Hampton。’Theylingeredabout，inthefields，forsomehours。Atlengththeycamebackintothetown；and，turningintoanoldpublic-housewithadefacedsign-board，orderedsomedinnerbythekitchenfire。