Chapter 73.docx

Chapter 73.docx

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Chapter73

Chapter7

OLIVERCONTINUESREFRACTORY

NoahClaypoleranalongthestreetsathisswiftestpace,andpausednotonceforbreath,untilhereachedtheworkhouse-gate.Havingrestedhere,foraminuteorso,tocollectagoodburstofsobsandanimposingshowoftearsandterror,heknockedloudlyatthewicket;andpresentedsucharuefulfacetotheagedpauperwhoopenedit,thatevenhe,whosawnothingbutruefulfacesabouthimatthebestoftimes,startedbackinastonishment.

'Why,what'sthematterwiththeboy!

'saidtheoldpauper.

'Mr.Bumble!

Mr.Bumble!

'criedNoah,withwell-affecteddismay:

andintonessoloudandagitated,thattheynotonlycaughttheearofMr.Bumblehimself,whohappenedtobehardby,butalarmedhimsomuchthatherushedintotheyardwithouthiscockedhat,--whichisaverycuriousandremarkablecircumstance:

asshowingthatevenabeadle,acteduponasuddenandpowerfulimpulse,maybeafflictedwithamomentaryvisitationoflossofself-possession,andforgetfulnessofpersonaldignity.

'Oh,Mr.Bumble,sir!

'saidNoah:

'Oliver,sir,--Oliverhas--'

'What?

What?

'interposedMr.Bumble:

withagleamofpleasureinhismetalliceyes.'Notrunaway;hehasn'trunaway,hashe,Noah?

'

'No,sir,no.Notrunaway,sir,buthe'sturnedwicious,'repliedNoah.'Hetriedtomurderme,sir;andthenhetriedtomurderCharlotte;andthenmissis.Oh!

whatdreadfulpainitis!

Suchagony,please,sir!

'Andhere,Noahwrithedandtwistedhisbodyintoanextensivevarietyofeel-likepositions;therebygivingMr.Bumbletounderstandthat,fromtheviolentandsanguinaryonsetofOliverTwist,hehadsustainedsevereinternalinjuryanddamage,fromwhichhewasatthatmomentsufferingtheacutesttorture.

WhenNoahsawthattheintelligencehecommunicatedperfectlyparalysedMr.Bumble,heimpartedadditionaleffectthereunto,bybewailinghisdreadfulwoundstentimeslouderthanbefore;andwhenheobservedagentlemaninawhitewaistcoatcrossingtheyard,hewasmoretragicinhislamentationsthanever:

rightlyconceivingithighlyexpedienttoattractthenotice,androusetheindignation,ofthegentlemanaforesaid.

Thegentleman'snoticewasverysoonattracted;forhehadnotwalkedthreepaces,whenheturnedangrilyround,andinquiredwhatthatyoungcurwashowlingfor,andwhyMr.Bumbledidnotfavourhimwithsomethingwhichwouldrendertheseriesofvocularexclamationssodesignated,aninvoluntaryprocess?

'It'sapoorboyfromthefree-school,sir,'repliedMr.Bumble,'whohasbeennearlymurdered--allbutmurdered,sir,--byyoungTwist.'

'ByJove!

'exclaimedthegentlemaninthewhitewaistcoat,stoppingshort.'Iknewit!

Ifeltastrangepresentimentfromtheveryfirst,thatthataudaciousyoungsavagewouldcometobehung!

'

'Hehaslikewiseattempted,sir,tomurderthefemaleservant,'saidMr.Bumble,withafaceofashypaleness.

'Andhismissis,'interposedMr.Claypole.

'Andhismaster,too,Ithinkyousaid,Noah?

'addedMr.Bumble.

'No!

he'sout,orhewouldhavemurderedhim,'repliedNoah.'Hesaidhewantedto.'

'Ah!

Saidhewantedto,didhe,myboy?

'inquiredthegentlemaninthewhitewaistcoat.

'Yes,sir,'repliedNoah.'Andplease,sir,missiswantstoknowwhetherMr.Bumblecansparetimetostepupthere,directly,andfloghim--'causemaster'sout.'

'Certainly,myboy;certainly,'saidthegentlemaninthewhitewaistcoat:

smilingbenignly,andpattingNoah'shead,whichwasaboutthreeincheshigherthanhisown.'You'reagoodboy--averygoodboy.Here'sapennyforyou.Bumble,juststepuptoSowerberry'swithyourcane,andseewhat'sbesttobedone.Don'tsparehim,Bumble.'

'No,Iwillnot,sir,'repliedthebeadle.Andthecockedhatandcanehavingbeen,bythistime,adjustedtotheirowner'ssatisfaction,Mr.BumbleandNoahClaypolebetookthemselveswithallspeedtotheundertaker'sshop.

Herethepositionofaffairshadnotatallimproved.Sowerberryhadnotyetreturned,andOlivercontinuedtokick,withundiminishedvigour,atthecellar-door.TheaccountsofhisferocityasrelatedbyMrs.SowerberryandCharlotte,wereofsostartlinganature,thatMr.Bumblejudgeditprudenttoparley,beforeopeningthedoor.Withthisviewhegaveakickattheoutside,bywayofprelude;and,then,applyinghismouthtothekeyhole,said,inadeepandimpressivetone:

'Oliver!

'

'Come;youletmeout!

'repliedOliver,fromtheinside.

'Doyouknowthisherevoice,Oliver?

'saidMr.Bumble.

'Yes,'repliedOliver.

'Ain'tyouafraidofit,sir?

Ain'tyoua-tremblingwhileIspeak,sir?

'saidMr.Bumble.

'No!

'repliedOliver,boldly.

Ananswersodifferentfromtheonehehadexpectedtoelicit,andwasinthehabitofreceiving,staggeredMr.Bumblenotalittle.Hesteppedbackfromthekeyhole;drewhimselfuptohisfullheight;andlookedfromonetoanotherofthethreebystanders,inmuteastonishment.

'Oh,youknow,Mr.Bumble,hemustbemad,'saidMrs.Sowerberry.

'Noboyinhalfhissensescouldventuretospeaksotoyou.'

'It'snotMadness,ma'am,'repliedMr.Bumble,afterafewmomentsofdeepmeditation.'It'sMeat.'

'What?

'exclaimedMrs.Sowerberry.

'Meat,ma'am,meat,'repliedBumble,withsternemphasis.'You'veover-fedhim,ma'am.You'veraisedaartificialsoulandspiritinhim,ma'amunbecomingapersonofhiscondition:

astheboard,Mrs.Sowerberry,whoarepracticalphilosophers,willtellyou.Whathavepauperstodowithsoulorspirit?

It'squiteenoughthatwelet'emhavelivebodies.Ifyouhadkepttheboyongruel,ma'am,thiswouldneverhavehappened.'

'Dear,dear!

'ejaculatedMrs.Sowerberry,piouslyraisinghereyestothekitchenceiling:

'thiscomesofbeingliberal!

'

TheliberalityofMrs.SowerberrytoOliver,hadconsistedofaprofusebestowaluponhimofallthedirtyoddsandendswhichnobodyelsewouldeat;sotherewasagreatdealofmeeknessandself-devotioninhervoluntarilyremainingunderMr.Bumble'sheavyaccusation.Ofwhich,todoherjustice,shewaswhollyinnocent,inthought,word,ordeed.

'Ah!

'saidMr.Bumble,whentheladybroughthereyesdowntoearthagain;'theonlythingthatcanbedonenow,thatIknowof,istoleavehiminthecellarforadayorso,tillhe'salittlestarveddown;andthentotakehimout,andkeephimongruelallthroughtheapprenticeship.Hecomesofabadfamily.Excitablenatures,Mrs.Sowerberry!

Boththenurseanddoctorsaid,thatthatmotherofhismadeherwayhere,againstdifficultiesandpainthatwouldhavekilledanywell-disposedwoman,weeksbefore.'

AtthispointofMr.Bumble'sdiscourse,Oliver,justhearingenoughtoknowthatsomeallusionwasbeingmadetohismother,recommencedkicking,withaviolencethatrenderedeveryothersoundinaudible.Sowerberryreturnedatthisjuncture.Oliver'soffencehavingbeenexplainedtohim,withsuchexaggerationsastheladiesthoughtbestcalculatedtorousehisire,heunlockedthecellar-doorinatwinkling,anddraggedhisrebelliousapprenticeout,bythecollar.

Oliver'sclotheshadbeentorninthebeatinghehadreceived;hisfacewasbruisedandscratched;andhishairscatteredoverhisforehead.Theangryflushhadnotdisappeared,however;andwhenhewaspulledoutofhisprison,hescowledboldlyonNoah,andlookedquiteundismayed.

'Now,youareaniceyoungfellow,ain'tyou?

'saidSowerberry;givingOliverashake,andaboxontheear.

'Hecalledmymothernames,'repliedOliver.

'Well,andwhatifhedid,youlittleungratefulwretch?

'saidMrs.Sowerberry.'Shedeservedwhathesaid,andworse.'

'Shedidn't'saidOliver.

'Shedid,'saidMrs.Sowerberry.

'It'salie!

'saidOliver.

Mrs.Sowerberryburstintoafloodoftears.

ThisfloodoftearsleftMr.Sowerberrynoalternative.IfhehadhesitatedforoneinstanttopunishOlivermostseverely,itmustbequitecleartoeveryexperiencedreaderthathewouldhavebeen,accordingtoallprecedentsindisputesofmatrimonyestablished,abrute,anunnaturalhusband,aninsultingcreature,abaseimitationofaman,andvariousotheragreeablecharacterstoonumerousforrecitalwithinthelimitsofthischapter.Todohimjustice,hewas,asfarashispowerwent--itwasnotveryextensive--kindlydisposedtowardstheboy;perhaps,becauseitwashisinteresttobeso;perhaps,becausehiswifedislikedhim.Thefloodoftears,however,lefthimnoresource;soheatoncegavehimadrubbing,whichsatisfiedevenMrs.Sowerberryherself,andrenderedMr.Bumble'ssubsequentapplicationoftheparochialcane,ratherunnecessary.Fortherestoftheday,hewasshutupinthebackkitchen,incompanywithapumpandasliceofbread;andatnight,Mrs.Sowerberry,aftermakingvariousremarksoutsidethedoor,bynomeanscomplimentarytothememoryofhismother,lookedintotheroom,and,amidstthejeersandpointingsofNoahandCharlotte,orderedhimupstairstohisdismalbed.

Itwasnotuntilhewasleftaloneinthesilenceandstillnessofthegloomyworkshopoftheundertaker,thatOlivergavewaytothefeelingswhichtheday'streatmentmaybesupposedlikelytohaveawakenedinamerechild.Hehadlistenedtotheirtauntswithalookofcontempt;hehadbornethelashwithoutacry:

forhefeltthatprideswellinginhisheartwhichwouldhavekeptdownashriektothelast,thoughtheyhadroastedhimalive.Butnow,whentherewerenonetoseeorhearhim,hefelluponhiskneesonthefloor;and,hidinghisfaceinhishands,weptsuchtearsas,Godsendforthecreditofournature,fewsoyoungmayeverhavecausetopouroutbeforehim!

Foralongtime,Oliverremainedmotionlessinthisattitude.Thecandlewasburninglowinthesocketwhenherosetohisfeet.Havinggazedcautiouslyroundhim,andlistenedin