友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
依依小说 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

oliver twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-第37部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



chair forward; and speaking in a very low voice。 

“Yes。 Wot about it?” inquired Sikes。 

“Ah! you know what I mean; my dear;” said the Jew。 “He knows 
what I mean; Nancy; don’t he?” 

“No; he don’t;” sneered Mr。 Sikes。 “Or he won’t; and that’s the 
same thing。 Speak out; and call things by their right names; don’t 
sit there; winking and blinking; and talking to me in hints; as if you 
warn’t the very first that thought about the robbery。 Wot d’ye 
mean?” 

“Hush; Bill; hush!” said the Jew; who had in vain attempted to 
stop this burst of indignation; “somebody will hear us; my dear。 
Somebody will hear us。” 

“Let ’em hear!” said Sikes; “I don’t care。” But as Mr。 Sikes did 
care; on reflection; he dropped his voice as he said the words; and 
grew calmer。 

“There; there;” said the Jew coaxingly。 “It was only my caution; 
nothing more。 Now; my dear; about that crib at Chertsey; when is 
it to be done; Bill; eh? When is it to be done? Such plate; my dear; 
such plate!” said the Jew; rubbing his hands; and elevating his 
eyebrows in a rapture of anticipation。 

“Not at all;” replied Sikes coldly。 

“Not to be done at all!” echoed the Jew; leaning back in his 
chair。 

“No; not at all;” rejoined Sikes。 “At least it can’t be a put…up job; 
as we expected。” 

“Then it hasn’t been properly gone about;” said the Jew; 
turning pale with anger。 “Don’t tell me!” 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


Oliver Twist 199 

“But I will tell you;” retorted Sikes。 “Who are you that’s not to 
be told? I tell you that Toby Crackit has been hanging about the 
place for a fortnight; and he can’t get one of the servants into a 
line。” 

“Do you mean to tell me; Bill;” said the Jew; softening as the 
other grew heated; “that neither of the two men in the house can 
be got over?” 

“Yes; I do mean to tell you so;” replied Sikes。 “The old lady has 
had ’em these twenty year; and; if you were to give ’em five 
hundred pound; they wouldn’t be in it。” 

“But do you mean to say; my dear;” remonstrated the Jew; 
“that the women can’t be got over?” 

“Not a bit of it;” replied Sikes。 

“Not by flash Toby Crackit?” said the Jew incredulously。 
“Think what women are; Bill。” 

“No; not even by flash Toby Crackit;” replied Sikes。 “He says 
he’s worn sham whiskers; and a canary waistcoat; the whole 
blessed time he’s been loitering down there; and it’s all of no use。” 

“He should have tried moustachios and a pair of military 
trousers; my dear;” said the Jew。 

“So he did;” rejoined Sikes; “and they warn’t of no more use 
than the other plant。” 

The Jew looked blank at this information。 After ruminating for 
some minutes with his chin sunk on his breast; he raised his head; 
and said; with a deep sigh; that if flash Toby Crackit reported 
aright; he feared the game was up。 

“And yet;” said the old man; dropping his hands on his knees; 
ait’s a sad thing; my dear; to lose so much when we had set our 
hearts upon it。” 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


Oliver Twist 200 

“So it is;” said Mr。 Sikes。 “Worse luck!” 

A long silence ensued; during which the Jew was plunged in 
deep thought with his face wrinkled into an expression of villainy 
perfectly demoniacal。 Sikes eyed him furtively from time to time。 
Nancy; apparently fearful of irritating the housebreaker; sat with 
her eyes fixed upon the fire; as if she had been deaf to all that 
passed。 

“Fagin;” said Sikes; abruptly breaking the stillness that 
prevailed; “is it worth fifty shiners extra; if it’s safely done from the 
outside?” 

“Yes;” said the Jew; as suddenly rousing himself。 

“Is it a bargain?” inquired Sikes。 

“Yes; my dear; yes;” rejoined the Jew; his eyes glistening; and 
every muscle in his face working; with the excitement that the 
inquiry had awakened。 

“Then;” said Sikes; thrusting aside the Jew’s hand; with some 
disdain; “let it come off as soon as you like。 Toby and I were over 
the garden wall the night afore last; sounding the panels of the 
door and shutters。 The crib’s barred up at night like a jail; but 
there’s one part we can crack; safe and softly。” 

“Which is that; Bill?” asked the Jew eagerly。 

“Why;” whispered Sikes;” as you cross the lawn—” 

“Yes; yes;” said the Jew; bending his head forward with his eyes 
almost staring out of it。 

“Umph!” cried Sikes; stopping short; as the girl; scarcely 
moving her head; looked suddenly round; and pointed for an 
instant to the Jew’s face。 “Never mind what part it is。 You can’t do 
it without me; I know; but it’s best to be on the safe side when one 
deals with you。” 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


Oliver Twist 201 

“As you like; my dear; as you like;” replied the Jew。 “Is there no 
help wanted; but yours and Toby’s?” 

“None;” said Sikes。 “’Cept a centre…bit and a boy。 The first 
we’ve both got; the second you must find us。” 

“A boy!” exclaimed the Jew。 “Oh! then it’s a panel; eh?” 

“Never mind wot it is!” replied Sikes。 “I want a boy; and he 
mustn’t be a big ’un。 Lord!” said Sikes reflectively; “if I’d only got 
that young boy of Ned; the chimbley…sweeper’s! He kept him small 
on purpose; and let him out by the job。 But the father gets lagged; 
and then the Juvenile Delinquent Society comes; and takes the 
boy away from a trade where he was earning money; teaches him 
to read and write; and in times makes ’prentice of him。 And so 
they go on;” said Mr。 Sikes; his wrath rising with the recollection 
of his wrongs; “so they go on; and; if they’d got money enough 
(which it’s a Providence they haven’t); we shouldn’t have half a 
dozen boys left in the whole trade; in a year or two。” 

“No more we should;” acquiesced the Jew; who had been 
considering during this speech; and had only caught the last 
sentence。 “Bill!” 

“What now?” inquired Sikes。 

The Jew nodded his head towards Nancy; who was still gazing 
at the fire; and intimated; by a sign; that he would have her told to 
leave the room。 Sikes shrugged his shoulders impatiently; as if he 
thought the precaution unnecessary; but complied; nevertheless; 
by requesting Miss Nancy to fetch him a jug of beer。 

“You don’t want any beer;” said Nancy; folding her arms; and 
retaining her seat very composedly。 

“I tell you I do!” replied Sikes。 

“Nonsense;” rejoined the girl coolly。 “Go on; Fagin。 I know 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


Oliver Twist 202 

what he is going to say; Bill; he needn’t mind me。” 

The Jew still hesitated。 Sikes looked from one to the other in 
some surprise。 

“Why; you don’t mind the old girl; do you; Fagin?” he asked at 
length。 “You’ve known her long enough to trust her; or the devil’s 
in it。 She ain’t one to blab。 Are you; Nancy?” 

“I should think not!” replied the young lady; drawing her chair 
up to the table; and putting her elbows upon it。 

“No; no; my dear; I know you’re not;” said the Jew; “but—” and 
again the old man paused。 

“But wot?” inquired Sikes。 

“I didn’t know whether she mightn’t p’r’aps be out of sorts; you 
know; my dear; as she was the other night;” replied the Jew。 

At this confession; Miss Nancy burst into a loud laugh; and; 
swallowing a glass of brandy; shook her head with an air of 
defiance; and burst into sundry exclamations of “Keep the game a…
going!” 

“Never say die!” and the like。 These seemed to have the effect 
of reassuring both gentlemen; for the Jew nodded his head with a 
satisfied air; and resumed his seat; as did Mr。 Sikes likewise。 

“Now; Fagin;” said Nancy; with a laugh; “tell Bill at once; about 
Oliver!” 

“Ha! you’re a clever one; my dear; the sharpest girl I ever saw!” 
said the Jew; patting her on the neck。 “It was about Oliver I was 
going to speak; sure enough。 Ha! ha! ha!” 

“What about him?” demanded Sikes。 

“He’s the boy for you; my dear;” replied the Jew; in a hoarse 
whisper; laying his finger on the side of his nose; and grinning 
frightfully。 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


Oliver Twist 203 

“He!” exclaimed Sikes。 

“Have him; Bill!” said Nancy。 “I would; if I was in your place。 
He mayn’t be so much up; as any of the others; but that’s not what 
you ;want; if he’s only to open a door for you。 Depend upon it; he’s 
a safe one; Bill。” 

“I know he is;” rejoined Fagin。 “He’s been in good training 
these last few weeks; and it’s time he began to work for his bread。 
Besides; the others are all too big。” 

“Well; he is just the size I want;” said Mr。 Sikes; ruminating。 

“And will do everything you want; Bill; my dear;” interposed 
the Jew; “he can’t help himself。 That is; if you frighten him 
enough。” 

“Frighten him!” echoed Sikes。 “It’ll be no sham frightening; 
mind you。 If there’s anything queer about him when we once get 
into the work; in for a penny; in for a pound。 You won’t see him 
alive again; Fagin。 Think of that; before you send him。 Mark my 
words!” said the robber; 
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 1 1
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!