天才一秒记住【151看书网】地址：151kanshu.com
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！’
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