Oliver Twist(雾都孤儿(孤星血泪))-44

Oliver needed no prompting to despatch, and in little more thanfive minutes they were on their way to Craven Street. When theyCharles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsOliver Twist 436arrived there, Rose left Oliver in the coach, under pretence ofpreparing the old gentleman to receive him; and sending up hercard by the servant, requested to see Mr. Brownlow on verypressing business. The servant soon returned, to beg that shewould walk upstairs; and following him into an upper room, MissMaylie was presented to an elderly gentleman of benevolentappearance, in a bottle-green coat. At no great distance fromwhom, was seated another old gentleman, in nankeen breechesand gaiters; who did not look particularly benevolent, and whowas sitting with his hands clasped on the top of a thick stick, andhis chin propped thereupon.“Dear me,” said the gentleman in the bottle-green coat, hastilyrising with great politeness, “I beg your pardon, young lady—Iimagined it was some importunate person who—I beg you willexcuse me. Be seated, pray.”“Mr. Brownlow, I believe, sir?” said Rose, glancing from theother gentleman to the one who had spoken.“That is my name,” said the old gentleman. “This is my friend,Mr. Grimwig. Grimwig, will you leave us for a few minutes?”“I believe,” interposed Miss Maylie, “that at this period of ourinterview, I need not give the gentleman the trouble of going away.If I am correctly informed, he is cognisant of the business onwhich I wish to speak to you.”Mr. Brownlow inclined his head. Mr. Grimwig, who had madeone very stiff bow, and risen from his chair, made another verystiff bow, and dropped into it again.“I shall surprise you very much, I have no doubt,” said Rose,naturally embarrassed; “but you once showed great benevolenceand goodness to a very dear young friend of mine, and I am sureCharles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsOliver Twist 437you will take an interest in hearing of him again.”“Indeed!” said Mr. Brownlow.“Oliver Twist you knew him as,” replied Rose.The words no sooner escaped her lips, than Mr. Grimwig, whohad been affecting to dip into a large book that lay on the table,upset it with a great crash, and falling back in his chair,discharged from his features every expression but one ofunmitigated wonder, and indulged in a prolonged and vacantstare; then, as if ashamed of having betrayed so much emotion, hejerked himself, as it were, by a convulsion into his former attitude,and looking out straight before him emitted a long, deep whistle,which seemed, at last, not to be discharged on empty air, but to dieaway in the innermost recesses of his stomach.Mr. Brownlow was no less surprised, although his astonishmentwas not expressed in the same eccentric manner. He drew hischair nearer to Miss Maylie’s, and said:“Do me the favour, my dear young lady, to leave entirely out ofthe question that goodness and benevolence of which you speak,and of which nobody else knows anything; and if you have it inyour power to produce any evidence which will alter theunfavourable opinion I was once induced to entertain of that poorchild, in Heaven’s name put me in possession of it.”“A bad one! I’ll eat my head if he is not a bad one,” growled Mr.Grimwig, speaking by some ventriloquial power, without moving amuscle of his face.“He is a child of a noble nature and a warm heart,” said Rose,colouring; “and that Power which has thought fit to try himbeyond his years, has planted in his breast affections and feelingswhich would do honour to many who have numbered his days sixCharles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsOliver Twist 438times over.”“I’m only sixty-one,” said Mr. Grimwig, with the same rigidface. “And, as the devil’s in it if this Oliver is not twelve years oldat least, I don’t see the application of that remark.”“Do not heed my friend, Miss Maylie,” said Mr. Brownlow; “hedoes not mean what he says.”“Yes, he does,” growled Mr. Grimwig.“No, he does not,” said Mr. Brownlow, obviously rising in wrathas he spoke.“He’ll eat his head, if he doesn’t,” growled Mr. Grimwig.“He would deserve to have it knocked off, if he does,” said Mr.Brownlow.“And he’d uncommonly like to see any man offer to do it,”responded Mr. Grimwig, knocking his stick upon the floor.Having gone thus far, the two old gentleman severally tooksnuff, and afterwards shook hands, according to their invariablecustom.“Now, Miss Maylie,” said Mr. Brownlow, “to return to thesubject in which your humanity is so much interested. Will you letme know what intelligence you have of this poor child; allowingme to premise that I exhausted every means in my power ofdiscovering him, and that since I have been absent from thiscountry, my first impression that he had imposed upon me, andhad been persuaded by his former associates to rob me, has beenconsiderably shaken.”Rose, who had had time to collect her thoughts, at once related,in a few natural words, all that had befallen Oliver since he left Mr.Brownlow’s house; reserving Nancy’s information for thatgentleman’s private ear, and concluding with the assurance thatCharles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsOliver Twist 439his only sorrow, for some months past, had been the not being ableto meet with his former benefactor and friend.“Thank God!” said the old gentleman. “This is great happinessto me—great happiness. But you have not told me where he isnow, Miss Maylie. You must pardon my finding fault with you—but why not have brought him?”“He is waiting in a coach at the door,” replied Rose.“At this door!” cried the old gentleman. With which he hurriedout of the room, down the stairs, up the coach steps, and into thecoach, without another word.When the room door closed behind him, Mr. Grimwig lifted uphis head, and converting one of the hind legs of his chair into apivot, described three distinct circles with the assistance of hisstick and the table, sitting in it all the time. After performing thisevolution, he rose and limped as fast as he could up and down theroom at least a dozen times, and then stopping before Rose, kissedher without the slightest preface.“Hush!” he said, as the young lady rose in some alarm at thisunusual proceeding. “Don’t be afraid. I’m old enough to be yourgrandfather. You’re a sweet girl. I like you. Here they are!”In fact, as he threw himself at one dextrous dive into his formerseat, Mr. Brownlow returned, accompanied by Oliver, whom Mr.Grimwig received very graciously; and if the gratification of thatmoment had been the only reward for all her anxiety and care inOliver’s behalf, Rose Maylie would have been well repaid.“There is somebody else who should not be forgotten, by thebye,” said Mr. Brownlow, ringing the bell. “Send Mrs. Bedwinhere, if you please.”The old housekeeper answered the summons with all despatch;Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsOliver Twist 440and dropping a curtsey at the door, waited for orders.“Why, you get blinder every day, Bedwin,” said Mr. Brownlow,rather testily.“Well, that I do, sir,” replied the old lady. “People’s eyes, at mytime of life, don’t improve with age, sir.”“I could have told you that,” rejoined Mr. Brownlow; “but puton your glasses, and see if you can’t find out what you werewanted for, will you?”The old lady began to rummage in her pocket for herspectacles. But Oliver’s patience was not proof against this newtrial; and yielding to his first impulse, he sprang into her arms.“God be good to me!” cried the old lady, embracing him; “it ismy innocent boy!”“My dear old nurse!” cried Oliver.“He would come back—I knew he would,” said the old lady,holding him in her arms. “How well he looks, and how like agentleman’s son he is dressed again! Where have you been, thislong, long while? Ah! the same sweet face, but not so pale; thesame soft eye, but not so sad. I have never forgotten them, or hisquiet smile, but have seen them every day, side by side with thoseof my own dear children, dead and gone since I was a lightsomeyoung creature.” Running on thus, and now holding Oliver fromher to mark how he had grown, now clasping him to her andpassing her fingers fondly through his hair, the good soul laughedand wept upon his neck by turns.Leaving her and Oliver to compare notes at leisure, Mr.Brownlow led the way into another room, and there heard fromRose a full narration of her interview with Nancy, whichoccasioned him no little surprise and perplexity. Rose alsoCharles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsOliver Twist 441explained her reasons for not confiding in her friend Mr. Losbernein the first instance. The old gentleman considered that she hadacted prudently, and readily undertook to hold solemn conferencewith the worthy doctor himself. To afford him an early opportunityfor the execution of this design, it was arranged that he should callat the hotel at eight o’clock that evening, and that in the meantimeMrs. Maylie should be cautiously informed of all that hadoccurred. These preliminaries adjusted, Rose and Oliver returnedhome.Rose had by no means overrated the measure of the gooddoctor’s wrath. Nancy’s history was no sooner unfolded to himthan he poured forth a shower of mingled threats and execrations;threatened to make her the first victim of the combined ingenuityof Messrs. Blathers and Duff; and actually put on his hatpreparatory to sallying forth to obtain the assistance of thoseworthies. And, doubtless, he would, in this first outbreak, havecarried the intention into effect without a moment’s considerationof the consequences, if he had not been restrained, in part, bycorresponding violence on the side of Mr. Brownlow, who washimself of an irascible temperament, and partly by sucharguments and representations as seemed best calculated todissuade him from his hot-brained purpose.“Then what the devil is to be done?” said the impetuous doctor,when they had rejoined the two ladies. “Are we to pass a vote ofthanks to all these vagabonds, male and female, and beg them toaccept a hundred pounds, or so, apiece, as a trifling mark of ouresteem, and some slight acknowledgement of their kindness toOliver?”“Not exactly that,” rejoined Mr. Brownlow, laughing; “but weCharles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsOliver Twist 442must proceed gently and with great care.”“Gentleness and care,” exclaimed the doctor. “I’d send themone and all to—”“Never mind where,” interposed Mr. Brownlow. “But reflectwhether sending them anywhere is likely to attain the object wehave in view.”“What object?” asked the doctor.“Simply, the discovery of Oliver’s parentage, and regaining forhim the inheritance of which, if this story be true, he has beenfraudulently deprived.”“Ah!” said Mr. Losberne, cooling himself with his pocket-handkerchief; “I almost forgot that.”“You see,” pursued Mr. Brownlow; “placing this poor girlentirely out of the question, and supposing it were possible tobring these scoundrels to justice without compromising her safety,what good should we bring about?”“Hanging a few of them at least, in all probability,” suggestedthe doctor, “and transporting the rest.”“Very good,” replied Mr. Brownlow, smiling; abut no doubtthey will bring that about for themselves in the fulness of time,and if we step in to forestall them, it seems to me that we shall beperforming a very quixotic act, in direct opposition to our owninterest—or at least Oliver’s, which is the same thing.”“How?” inquired the doctor.“Thus. It is quite clear that we shall have extreme difficulty ingetting to the bottom of this mystery, unless we can bring thisman, Monks, upon his knees. That can only be done by stratagem,and by catching him when he is not surrounded by these people.For, suppose he were apprehended, we have no proof against him.Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsOliver Twist 443He is not even (so far as we know, or as the facts appear to us)concerned with the gang in any of their robberies. If he were notdischarged, it is very unlikely that he could receive any furtherpunishment than being committed to prison as a rogue andvagabond; and of course ever afterwards his mouth would be soobstinately closed that he might as well, for our purpose, be deaf,dumb, blind, and an idiot.”“Then,” said the doctor impetuously, “I put it to you again,whether you think it reasonable that this promise to the girlshould be considered binding; a promise made with the best andkindest intentions, but really—”“Do not discuss the point, my dear young lady, pray,” said Mr.Brownlow, interrupting Rose as she was about to speak. “Thepromise shall be kept. I don’t think it will, in the slightest degree,interfere with our proceedings. But, before we can resolve uponany precise course of action, it will be necessary to see the girl; toascertain from her whether she will point out this Monks, on theunderstanding that he is to be dealt with by us, and not by the law;or, if she will not, or cannot do that, to procure from her such anaccount of his haunts and description of his person, as will enableus to identify him. She cannot be seen until next Sunday night;this is Tuesday. I would suggest that in the meantime we remainperfectly quiet, and keep these matters secret even from Oliverhimself.”Although Mr. Losberne received with many wry faces aproposal involving a delay of five whole days, he was fain to admitthat no better course occurred to him just then; and as both Roseand Mrs. Maylie sided very strongly with Mr. Brownlow, thatgentleman’s proposition was carried unanimously.Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsOliver Twist 444“I should like,” he said, “to call in the aid of my friend Grimwig.He is a strange creature, but a shrewd one, and might prove ofmaterial assistance to us; I should say that he was bred a lawyer,and quitted the bar in disgust because he had only one brief and amotion of course, in twenty years, though whether that is arecommendation or not, you must determine for yourselves.”“I have no objection to your calling in your friend if I may call inmine,” said the doctor.“We must put it to the vote,” replied Mr. Brownlow, “who mayhe be?”“That lady’s son, and this young lady’s very old friend,” said thedoctor, motioning towards Mrs. Maylie, and concluding with anexpressive glance at her niece.Rose blushed deeply, but she did not make any audibleobjection to this motion (possibly she felt in a hopeless minority);and Harry Maylie and Mr. Grimwig were accordingly added to thecommittee.“We stay in town, of course,” said Mr. Maylie, “while thereremains the slightest prospect of prosecuting this inquiry with achance of success. I will spare neither trouble nor expense inbehalf of the object in which we are all so deeply interested, and Iam content to remain here, if it be for twelve months, so long asyou assure me that any hope remains.”“Good!” rejoined Mr. Brownlow. “And as I see on the facesabout me, a disposition to inquire how it happened that I was notin the way to corroborate Oliver’s tale, and had so suddenly leftthe kingdom, let me stipulate that I shall be asked no questionsuntil such time as I may deem it expedient to forestall them bytelling my own story. Believe me, I make this request with goodCharles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsOliver Twist 445reason, for I might otherwise excite hopes destined never to berealised, and only increase difficulties and disappointmentsalready numerous enough. Come! Supper has been announced,and young Oliver, who is all alone in the next room, will havebegun to think, by this time, that we have wearied of his company,and entered into some dark conspiracy to thrust him forth uponthe world.”With these words, the old gentleman gave his hand to Mrs.Maylie, and escorted her into the supper-room. Mr. Losbernefollowed, leading Rose; and the council was, for the present,effectually broken up.Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics