Chapter 21【1 / 3】

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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。

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