Chapter 21【1 / 3】

天才一秒记住【151看书网】地址：151kanshu.com

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。

小说推荐：《刚下山，就被五位师姐宠上天》《我恶毒女配，会亿点玄学很合理吧》《静园》《如何阻止男主发疯[歌剧魅影]》《我用游戏改变了时间线》《修仙女配谋长生》《明星大冒险，这剧情我熟啊！》《星辰卫士》《高武纪元》《六零小片警爱吃瓜爱工作》

本章未完，请点击下一章继续阅读！若浏览器显示没有新章节了，请尝试点击右上角↗️或右下角↘️的菜单，退出阅读模式即可，谢谢！