Chapter 39 (第1/2页)
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INTRODUCESSOMERESPECTABLECHARACTERSWITHWHOMTHEREADERISALREADYACQUAINTED，ANDSHOWSHOWMONKSANDTHEJEWLAIDTHEIRWORTHYHEADSTOGETHER
Ontheeveningfollowingthatuponwhichthethreeworthiesmentionedinthelast
chapter，disposedoftheirlittlematterofbusinessasthereinnarrated，Mr。WilliamSikes，awakeningfromanap，drowsilygrowledforthaninquirywhattimeofnightitwas。
TheroominwhichMr。Sikespropoundedthisquestion，wasnotoneofthosehehadtenanted，previoustotheChertseyexpedition，althoughitwasinthesamequarterofthetown，andwassituatedatnogreatdistancefromhisformerlodgings。Itwasnot，inappearance，sodesirableahabitationashisoldquarters：beingameanandbadly-furnishedapartment，ofverylimitedsize；lightedonlybyonesmallwindowintheshelvingroof，andabuttingonacloseanddirtylane。Norweretherewantingotherindicationsofthegoodgentleman'shavinggonedownintheworldoflate：foragreatscarcityoffurniture，andtotalabsenceofcomfort，togetherwiththedisappearanceofallsuchsmallmoveablesasspareclothesandlinen，bespokeastateofextremepoverty；whilethemeagreandattenuatedconditionofMr。Sikeshimselfwouldhavefullyconfirmedthesesymptoms，iftheyhadstoodinanyneedofcorroboration。
Thehousebreakerwaslyingonthebed，wrappedinhiswhitegreat-coat，bywayofdressing-gown，anddisplayingasetoffeaturesinnodegreeimprovedbythecadaveroushueofillness，andtheadditionofasoilednightcap，andastiff，blackbeardofaweek'sgrowth。Thedogsatatthebedside：noweyeinghismasterwithawistfullook，andnowprickinghisears，andutteringalowgrowlassomenoiseinthestreet，orinthelowerpartofthehouse，attractedhisattention。Seatedbythewindow，busilyengagedinpatchinganoldwaistcoatwhichformedaportionoftherobber'sordinarydress，wasafemale：sopaleandreducedwithwatchingandprivation，thattherewouldhavebeenconsiderabledifficultyinrecognisingherasthesameNancywhohasalreadyfiguredinthistale，butforthevoiceinwhichsherepliedtoMr。Sikes'squestion。
‘Notlonggoneseven，’saidthegirl。‘Howdoyoufeelto-night，Bill？’
‘Asweakaswater，’repliedMr。Sikes，withanimprecationonhiseyesandlimbs。‘Here；lendusahand，andletmegetoffthisthunderingbedanyhow。’
IllnesshadnotimprovedMr。Sikes'stemper；for，asthegirlraisedhimupandledhimtoachair，hemutteredvariouscursesonherawkwardness，andstruckher。
‘Whiningareyou？’saidSikes。‘Come！Don'tstandsnivellingthere。Ifyoucan'tdoanythingbetterthanthat，cutoffaltogether。D'yehearme？’
‘Ihearyou，’repliedthegirl，turningherfaceaside，andforcingalaugh。‘Whatfancyhaveyougotinyourheadnow？’
‘Oh！you'vethoughtbetterofit，haveyou？’growledSikes，markingthetearwhichtrembledinhereye。‘Allthebetterforyou，youhave。’
‘Why，youdon'tmeantosay，you'dbeharduponmeto-night，Bill，’saidthegirl，layingherhanduponhisshoulder。
‘No！’criedMr。Sikes。‘Whynot？’
‘Suchanumberofnights，’saidthegirl，withatouchofwoman'stenderness，whichcommunicatedsomethinglikesweetnessoftone，eventohervoice：‘suchanumberofnightsasI'vebeenpatientwithyou，nursingandcaringforyou，asifyouhadbeenachild：andthisthefirstthatI'veseenyoulikeyourself；youwouldn'thaveservedmeasyoudidjustnow，ifyou'dthoughtofthat，wouldyou？Come，come；sayyouwouldn't。’
‘Well，then，’rejoinedMr。Sikes，‘Iwouldn't。Why，damme，now，thegirls'swhiningagain！’
‘It'snothing，’saidthegirl，throwingherselfintoachair。‘Don'tyouseemtomindme。It'llsoonbeover。’
‘What'llbeover？’demandedMr。Sikesinasavagevoice。‘Whatfooleryareyouupto，now，again？Getupandbustleabout，anddon'tcomeovermewithyourwoman'snonsense。’
Atanyothertime，thisremonstrance，andthetoneinwhichitwasdelivered，wouldhavehadthedesiredeffect；butthegirlbeingreallyweakandexhausted，droppedherheadoverthebackofthechair，andfainted，beforeMr。Sikescouldgetoutafewoftheappropriateoathswithwhich，onsimilaroccasions，hewasaccustomedtogarnishhisthreats。Notknowing，verywell，whattodo，inthisuncommonemergency；forMissNancy'shystericswereusuallyofthatviolentkindwhichthepatientfightsandstrugglesoutof，withoutmuchassistance；Mr。Sikestriedalittleblasphemy：andfindingthatmodeoftreatmentwhollyineffectual，calledforassistance。
‘What'sthematterhere，mydear？’saidFagin，lookingin。
‘Lendahandtothegirl，can'tyou？’repliedSikesimpatiently。‘Don'tstandchatteringandgrinningatme！’
Withanexclamationofsurprise，Faginhastenedtothegirl'sassistance，whileMr。JohnDawkins（otherwisetheArtfulDodger），whohadfollowedhisvenerablefriendintotheroom，hastilydepositedonthefloorabundlewithwhichhewasladen；andsnatchingabottlefromthegraspofMasterCharlesBateswhocamecloseathisheels，uncorkeditinatwinklingwithhisteeth，andpouredaportionofitscontentsdownthepatient'sthroat：previouslytakingataste，himself，topreventmistakes。
‘Giveherawhiffoffreshairwiththebellows，Charley，’saidMr。Dawkins；‘andyouslapherhands，Fagin，whileBillundoesthepetticuts。’
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