Oliver Twist 雾都孤儿 - Chapter 6

The month's trial over, Oliver was formally apprenticed¹.

 

It was a nice sickly season just at this time.

 

In commercial phrase, coffins² were looking up; and, in the course of a few weeks, Oliver acquired a great deal of experience.

 

The success of Mr. Sowerberry's ingenious speculation³, exceeded even his most sanguine⁴ hopes.

 

The oldest inhabitants recollected⁵ no period at which measles⁶ had been so prevalent, or so fatal to infant existence; and many were the mournful processions which little Oliver headed, in a hat-band reaching down to his knees, to the indescribable admiration⁷ and emotion of all the mothers in the town.

 

As Oliver accompanied his master in most of his adult expeditions too, in order that he might acquire that equanimity⁸ of demeanour and full command of nerve which was essential to a finished undertaker, he had many opportunities of observing the beautiful resignation and fortitude⁹ with which some strong-minded people bear their trials and losses. For instance; when Sowerberry had an order for the burial of some rich old lady or gentleman, who was surrounded by a great number of nephews and nieces, who had been perfectly¹⁰ inconsolable during the previous illness, and whose grief had been wholly irrepressible even on the most public occasions, they would be as happy among themselves as need be--quite cheerful and contented--conversing together with as much freedom and gaiety, as if nothing whatever had happened to disturb them.

 

Husbands, too, bore the loss of their wives with the most heroic calmness. Wives, again, put on weeds for their husbands, as if, so far from grieving in the garb¹¹ of sorrow, they had made up their minds to render it as becoming and attractive as possible.

 

It was observable, too, that ladies and gentlemen who were in passions of anguish¹² during the ceremony of interment, recovered almost as soon as they reached home, and became quite composed before the tea-drinking was over.

 

All this was very pleasant and improving to see; and Oliver beheld¹³ it with great admiration. That Oliver Twist was moved to resignation by the example of these good people, I cannot, although I am his biographer, undertake to affirm with any degree of confidence; but I can most distinctly say, that for many months he continued meekly¹⁴ to submit to the domination and ill-treatment of Noah Claypole: who used him far worse than before, now that his jealousy¹⁵ was roused by seeing the new boy promoted to the black stick and hatband, while he, the old one, remained stationary¹⁶ in the muffin-cap and leathers.

 

Charlotte treated him ill, because Noah did; and Mrs. Sowerberry was his decided¹⁷ enemy, because Mr. Sowerberry was disposed to be his friend; so, between these three on one side, and a glut¹⁸ of funerals on the other, Oliver was not altogether as comfortable as the hungry pig was, when he was shut up, by mistake, in the grain department of a brewery¹⁹. And now, I come to a very important passage in Oliver's history; for I have to record an act, slight and unimportant perhaps in appearance, but which indirectly²⁰ produced a material change in all his future prospects²¹ and proceedings²². One day, Oliver and Noah had descended²³ into the kitchen at the usual dinner-hour, to banquet upon a small joint²⁴ of mutton--a pound and a half of the worst end of the neck--when Charlotte being called out of the way, there ensued a brief interval²⁵ of time, which Noah Claypole, being hungry and vicious, considered he could not possibly devote to a worthier²⁶ purpose than aggravating²⁷ and tantalising young Oliver Twist. Intent upon this innocent amusement, Noah put his feet on the table-cloth; and pulled Oliver's hair; and twitched²⁸ his ears; and expressed his opinion that he was a 'sneak'; and furthermore announced his intention of coming to see him hanged, whenever that desirable event should take place; and entered upon various topics of petty annoyance²⁹, like a malicious³⁰ and ill-conditioned charity-boy as he was.

 

But, making Oliver cry, Noah attempted to be more facetious³¹ still; and in his attempt, did what many sometimes do to this day, when they want to be funny.

 

He got rather personal. 'Work'us,' said Noah, 'how's your mother?' 'She's dead,' replied Oliver; 'don't you say anything about her to me!' Oliver's colour rose as he said this; he breathed quickly; and there was a curious working of the mouth and nostrils³², which Mr. Claypole thought must be the immediate³³ precursor³⁴ of a violent fit of crying.

 

Under this impression he returned to the charge. 'What did she die of, Work'us?' said Noah. 'Of a broken heart, some of our old nurses told me,' replied Oliver: more as if he were talking to himself, than answering Noah. 'I think I know what it must be to die of that!' 'Tol de rol lol lol, right fol lairy³⁵, Work'us,' said Noah, as a tear rolled down Oliver's cheek.

 

'What's set you a snivelling now?' 'Not _you_,' replied Oliver, sharply. 'There; that's enough. Don't say anything more to me about her; you'd better not!' 'Better not!' exclaimed Noah. 'Well!

 

Better not!

 

Work'us, don't be impudent³⁶.

 

_Your_ mother, too!

 

She was a nice 'un she was.

 

Oh, Lor!'

 

And here, Noah nodded his head expressively³⁷; and curled up as much of his small red nose as muscular action could collect together, for the occasion. 'Yer know, Work'us,' continued Noah, emboldened³⁸ by Oliver's silence, and speaking in a jeering³⁹ tone of affected⁴⁰ pity: of all tones the most annoying: 'Yer know, Work'us, it can't be helped now; and of course yer couldn't help it then; and I am very sorry for it; and I'm sure we all are, and pity yer very much.

 

But yer must know, Work'us, yer mother was a regular right-down bad 'un.' 'What did you say?' inquired Oliver, looking up very quickly. 'A regular right-down bad 'un, Work'us,' replied Noah, coolly. 'And it's a great deal better, Work'us, that she died when she did, or else she'd have been hard labouring in Bridewell, or transported, or hung; which is more likely than either, isn't it?' Crimson⁴¹ with fury, Oliver started up; overthrew⁴² the chair and table; seized Noah by the throat; shook him, in the violence of his rage, till his teeth chattered⁴³ in his head; and collecting his whole force into one heavy blow, felled him to the ground. A minute ago, the boy had looked the quiet child, mild, dejected creature that harsh treatment had made him.

 

But his spirit was roused at last; the cruel insult to his dead mother had set his blood on fire.

 

His breast heaved; his attitude was erect⁴⁴; his eye bright and vivid; his whole person changed, as he stood glaring over the cowardly tormentor⁴⁵ who now lay crouching⁴⁶ at his feet; and defied him with an energy he had never known before. 'He'll murder me!' blubbered Noah.

 

'Charlotte!

 

missis!

 

Here's the new boy a murdering of me!

 

Help! help!

 

Oliver's gone mad! Char--lotte!' Noah's shouts were responded to, by a loud scream from Charlotte, and a louder from Mrs. Sowerberry; the former of whom rushed into the kitchen by a side-door, while the latter paused on the staircase till she was quite certain that it was consistent with the preservation⁴⁷ of human life, to come further down. 'Oh, you little wretch⁴⁸!' screamed Charlotte: seizing Oliver with her utmost force, which was about equal to that of a moderately strong man in particularly good training.

 

'Oh, you little un-grate-ful, mur-de-rous, hor-rid villain⁴⁹!'

 

And between every syllable⁵⁰, Charlotte gave Oliver a blow with all her might: accompanying it with a scream, for the benefit of society. Charlotte's fist was by no means a light one; but, lest it should not be effectual in calming Oliver's wrath⁵¹, Mrs. Sowerberry plunged⁵² into the kitchen, and assisted to hold him with one hand, while she scratched his face with the other. In this favourable⁵³ position of affairs, Noah rose from the ground, and pommelled him behind. This was rather too violent exercise to last long.

 

When they were all wearied out, and could tear and beat no longer, they dragged Oliver, struggling and shouting, but nothing daunted⁵⁴, into the dust-cellar, and there locked him up.

 

This being done, Mrs. Sowerberry sunk into a chair, and burst into tears. 'Bless her, she's going off!' said Charlotte.

 

'A glass of water, Noah, dear.

 

Make haste!' 'Oh!

 

Charlotte,' said Mrs. Sowerberry:

 

speaking as well as she could, through a deficiency of breath, and a sufficiency of cold water, which Noah had poured over her head and shoulders.

 

'Oh! Charlotte, what a mercy we have not all been murdered in our beds!' 'Ah! mercy indeed, ma'am,' was the reply.

 

I only hope this'll teach master not to have any more of these dreadful creatures, that are born to be murderers and robbers from their very cradle. Poor Noah!

 

He was all but killed, ma'am, when I come in.' 'Poor fellow!' said Mrs. Sowerberry: looking piteously on the charity-boy. Noah, whose top waistcoat-button might have been somewhere on a level with the crown of Oliver's head, rubbed his eyes with the inside of his wrists while this commiseration⁵⁵ was bestowed⁵⁶ upon him, and performed some affecting tears and sniffs⁵⁷. 'What's to be done!' exclaimed Mrs. Sowerberry.

 

'Your master's not at home; there's not a man in the house, and he'll kick that door down in ten minutes.'

 

Oliver's vigorous plunges⁵⁸ against the bit of timber in question, rendered this occurance highly probable. 'Dear, dear!

 

I don't know, ma'am,' said Charlotte, 'unless we send for the police-officers.' 'Or the millingtary,' suggested Mr. Claypole. 'No, no,' said Mrs. Sowerberry: bethinking herself of Oliver's old friend.

 

'Run to Mr. Bumble, Noah, and tell him to come here directly, and not to lose a minute; never mind your cap!

 

Make haste!

 

You can hold a knife to that black eye, as you run along. It'll keep the swelling⁵⁹ down.' Noah stopped to make no reply, but started off at his fullest speed; and very much it astonished the people who were out walking, to see a charity-boy tearing through the streets pell-mell, with no cap on his head, and a clasp-knife at his eye.

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