Chapter 8【1 / 2】

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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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