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OLIVERWALKSTOLONDON。HEENCOUNTERSONTHEROADASTRANGESORTOFYOUNGGENTLEMAN
Oliverreachedthestileatwhichtheby-pathterminated;andoncemoregainedthehigh-road。Itwaseighto'clocknow。Thoughhewasnearlyfivemilesawayfromthetown,heran,andhidbehindthehedges,byturns,tillnoon:fearingthathemightbepursuedandovertaken。Thenhesatdowntorestbythesideofthemilestone,andbegantothink,forthefirsttime,wherehehadbettergoandtrytolive。
Thestonebywhichhewasseated,bore,inlargecharacters,anintimationthatitwasjustseventymilesfromthatspottoLondon。Thenameawakenedanewtrainofideasintheboy'smind。
London!--thatgreatplace!--nobody--notevenMr。Bumble--couldeverfindhimthere!Hehadoftenheardtheoldmenintheworkhouse,too,saythatnoladofspiritneedwantinLondon;andthattherewerewaysoflivinginthatvastcity,whichthosewhohadbeenbredupincountrypartshadnoideaof。Itwastheveryplaceforahomelessboy,whomustdieinthestreetsunlesssomeonehelpedhim。Asthesethingspassedthroughhisthoughts,hejumpeduponhisfeet,andagainwalkedforward。
HehaddiminishedthedistancebetweenhimselfandLondonbyfullfourmilesmore,beforeherecollectedhowmuchhemustundergoerehecouldhopetoreachhisplaceofdestination。Asthisconsiderationforceditselfuponhim,heslackenedhispacealittle,andmeditateduponhismeansofgettingthere。Hehadacrustofbread,acoarseshirt,andtwopairsofstockings,inhisbundle。Hehadapennytoo--agiftofSowerberry'saftersomefuneralinwhichhehadacquittedhimselfmorethanordinarilywell--inhispocket。‘Acleanshirt,’thoughtOliver,‘isaverycomfortablething;andsoaretwopairsofdarnedstockings;andsoisapenny;buttheyaresmallhelpstoasixty-fivemiles’walkinwintertime。‘ButOliver'sthoughts,likethoseofmostotherpeople,althoughtheywereextremelyreadyandactivetopointouthisdifficulties,werewhollyatalosstosuggestanyfeasiblemodeofsurmountingthem;so,afteragooddealofthinkingtonoparticularpurpose,hechangedhislittlebundleovertotheothershoulder,andtrudgedon。
Oliverwalkedtwentymilesthatday;andallthattimetastednothingbutthecrustofdrybread,andafewdraughtsofwater,whichhebeggedatthecottage-doorsbytheroad-side。Whenthenightcame,heturnedintoameadow;and,creepingcloseunderahay-rick,determinedtoliethere,tillmorning。Hefeltfrightenedatfirst,forthewindmoaneddismallyovertheemptyfields:andhewascoldandhungry,andmorealonethanhehadeverfeltbefore。Beingverytiredwithhiswalk,however,hesoonfellasleepandforgothistroubles。
Hefeltcoldandstiff,whenhegotupnextmorning,andsohungrythathewasobligedtoexchangethepennyforasmallloaf,intheveryfirstvillagethroughwhichhepassed。Hehadwalkednomorethantwelvemiles,whennightclosedinagain。Hisfeetweresore,andhislegssoweakthattheytrembledbeneathhim。Anothernightpassedinthebleakdampair,madehimworse;whenhesetforwardonhisjourneynextmorninghecouldhardlycrawlalong。
Hewaitedatthebottomofasteephilltillastage-coachcameup,andthenbeggedoftheoutsidepassengers;buttherewereveryfewwhotookanynoticeofhim:andeventhosetoldhimtowaittilltheygottothetopofthehill,andthenletthemseehowfarhecouldrunforahalfpenny。PoorOlivertriedtokeepupwiththecoachalittleway,butwasunabletodoit,byreasonofhisfatigueandsorefeet。Whentheoutsidessawthis,theyputtheirhalfpencebackintotheirpocketsagain,declaringthathewasanidleyoungdog,anddidn'tdeserveanything;andthecoachrattledawayandleftonlyacloudofdustbehind。
Insomevillages,largepaintedboardswerefixedup:warningallpersonswhobeggedwithinthedistrict,thattheywouldbesenttojail。ThisfrightenedOliververymuch,andmadehimgladtogetoutofthosevillageswithallpossibleexpedition。Inothers,hewouldstandabouttheinn-yards,andlookmournfullyateveryonewhopassed:aproceedingwhichgenerallyterminatedinthelandlady'sorderingoneofthepost-boyswhowereloungingabout,todrivethatstrangeboyoutoftheplace,forshewassurehehadcometostealsomething。Ifhebeggedatafarmer'shouse,tentoonebuttheythreatenedtosetthedogonhim;andwhenheshowedhisnoseinashop,theytalkedaboutthebeadle--whichbroughtOliver'sheartintohismouth,--veryoftentheonlythinghehadthere,formanyhourstogether。
Infact,ifithadnotbeenforagood-heartedturnpike-man,andabenevolentoldlady,Oliver'stroubleswouldhavebeenshortenedbytheverysameprocesswhichhadputanendtohismother's;inotherwords,hewouldmostassuredlyhavefallendeadupontheking'shighway。Buttheturnpike-mangavehimamealofbreadandcheese;andtheoldlady,whohadashipwreckedgrandsonwanderingbarefootinsomedistantpartoftheearth,tookpityuponthepoororphan,andgavehimwhatlittleshecouldafford--andmore--withsuchkindandgentlewords,andsuchtearsofsympathyandcompassion,thattheysankdeeperintoOliver'ssoul,thanallthesufferingshehadeverundergone。
Earlyontheseventhmorningafterhehadlefthisnativeplace,OliverlimpedslowlyintothelittletownofBarnet。Thewindow-shutterswereclosed;thestreetwasempty;notasoulhadawakenedtothebusinessoftheday。Thesunwasrisinginallitssplendidbeauty;butthelightonlyservedtoshowtheboyhisownlonesomenessanddesolation,ashesat,withbleedingfeetandcoveredwithdust,uponadoor-step。
Bydegrees,theshutterswereopened;thewindow-blindsweredrawnup;andpeoplebeganpassingtoandfro。SomefewstoppedtogazeatOliverforamomentortwo,orturnedroundtostareathimastheyhurriedby;butnonerelievedhim,ortroubledthemselvestoinquirehowhecamethere。Hehadnohearttobeg。Andtherehesat。
Hehadbeencrouchingonthestepforsometime:wonderingatthegreatnumberofpublic-houses(everyotherhouseinBarnetwasatavern,largeorsmall),gazinglistlesslyatthecoachesastheypassedthrough,andthinkinghowstrangeitseemedthattheycoulddo,withease,inafewhours,whatithadtakenhimawholeweekofcourageanddeterminationbeyondhisyearstoaccomplish:whenhewasrousedbyobservingthataboy,whohadpassedhimcarelesslysomeminutesbefore,hadreturned,andwasnowsurveyinghimmostearnestlyfromtheoppositesideoftheway。Hetooklittleheedofthisatfirst;buttheboyremainedinthesameattitudeofcloseobservationsolong,thatOliverraisedhishead,andreturnedhissteadylook。Uponthis,theboycrossedover;andwalkingcloseuptoOliver,said,
‘Hullo,mycovey!What'stherow?’
Theboywhoaddressedthisinquirytotheyoungwayfarer,wasabouthisownage:butoneofthequeerestlookingboysthatOliverhadevenseen。Hewasasnub-nosed,flat-browed,common-facedboyenough;andasdirtyajuvenileasonewouldwishtosee;buthehadabouthimalltheairsandmannersofaman。Hewasshortofhisage:withratherbow-legs,andlittle,sharp,uglyeyes。Hishatwasstuckonthetopofhisheadsolightly,thatitthreatenedtofalloffeverymoment--andwouldhavedoneso,veryoften,ifthewearerhadnothadaknackofeverynowandthengivinghisheadasuddentwitch,whichbroughtitbacktoitsoldplaceagain。Heworeaman'scoat,whichreachednearlytohisheels。Hehadturnedthecuffsback,half-wayuphisarm,togethishandsoutofthesleeves:apparentlywiththeultimateviewofthrustingthemintothepocketsofhiscorduroytrousers;fortherehekeptthem。Hewas,altogether,asroysteringandswaggeringayounggentlemanaseverstoodfourfeetsix,orsomethingless,inthebluchers。
‘Hullo,mycovey!What'stherow?’saidthisstrangeyounggentlemantoOliver。
‘Iamveryhungryandtired,’repliedOliver:thetearsstandinginhiseyesashespoke。‘Ihavewalkedalongway。Ihavebeenwalkingthesesevendays。’
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