Chapter 3 (第1/2页)

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RELATESHOWOLIVERTWISTWASVERYNEARGETTINGAPLACEWHICHWOULDNOTHAVEBEENASINECURE

Foraweekafterthecommissionoftheimpiousandprofaneoffenceofaskingformore，Oliverremainedacloseprisonerinthedarkandsolitaryroomtowhichhehadbeenconsignedbythewisdomandmercyoftheboard。Itappears，atfirstsightnotunreasonabletosuppose，that，ifhehadentertainedabecomingfeelingofrespectforthepredictionofthegentlemaninthewhitewaistcoat，hewouldhaveestablishedthatsageindividual'spropheticcharacter，onceandforever，bytyingoneendofhispocket-handkerchieftoahookinthewall，andattachinghimselftotheother。Totheperformanceofthisfeat，however，therewasoneobstacle：namely，thatpocket-handkerchiefsbeingdecidedarticlesofluxury，hadbeen，forallfuturetimesandages，removedfromthenosesofpaupersbytheexpressorderoftheboard，incouncilassembled：solemnlygivenandpronouncedundertheirhandsandseals。TherewasastillgreaterobstacleinOliver'syouthandchildishness。Heonlycriedbitterlyallday；and，whenthelong，dismalnightcameon，spreadhislittlehandsbeforehiseyestoshutoutthedarkness，andcrouchinginthecorner，triedtosleep：everandanonwakingwithastartandtremble，anddrawinghimselfcloserandclosertothewall，asiftofeelevenitscoldhardsurfacewereaprotectioninthegloomandlonelinesswhichsurroundedhim。

Letitnotbesupposedbytheenemiesof‘thesystem，’that，duringtheperiodofhissolitaryincarceration，Oliverwasdeniedthebenefitofexercise，thepleasureofsociety，ortheadvantagesofreligiousconsolation。Asforexercise，itwasnicecoldweather，andhewasallowedtoperformhisablutionseverymorningunderthepump，inastoneyard，inthepresenceofMr。Bumble，whopreventedhiscatchingcold，andcausedatinglingsensationtopervadehisframe，byrepeatedapplicationsofthecane。Asforsociety，hewascarriedeveryotherdayintothehallwheretheboysdined，andtheresociablyfloggedasapublicwarningandexample。Andsoforfrombeingdeniedtheadvantagesofreligiousconsolation，hewaskickedintothesameapartmenteveryeveningatprayer-time，andtherepermittedtolistento，andconsolehismindwith，ageneralsupplicationoftheboys，containingaspecialclause，thereininsertedbyauthorityoftheboard，inwhichtheyentreatedtobemadegood，virtuous，contented，andobedient，andtobeguardedfromthesinsandvicesofOliverTwist：whomthesupplicationdistinctlysetforthtobeundertheexclusivepatronageandprotectionofthepowersofwickedness，andanarticledirectfromthemanufactoryoftheveryDevilhimself。

Itchancedonemorning，whileOliver'saffairswereinthisauspiciousandcomfortablestate，thatMr。Gamfield，chimney-sweep，wenthiswaydowntheHighStreet，deeplycogitatinginhismindhiswaysandmeansofpayingcertainarrearsofrent，forwhichhislandlordhadbecomeratherpressing。Mr。Gamfield'smostsanguineestimateofhisfinancescouldnotraisethemwithinfullfivepoundsofthedesiredamount；and，inaspeciesofarthimeticaldesperation，hewasalternatelycudgellinghisbrainsandhisdonkey，whenpassingtheworkhouse，hiseyesencounteredthebillonthegate。

‘Wo--o！’saidMr。Gamfieldtothedonkey。

Thedonkeywasinastateofprofoundabstraction：wondering，probably，whetherhewasdestinedtoberegaledwithacabbage-stalkortwowhenhehaddisposedofthetwosacksofsootwithwhichthelittlecartwasladen；so，withoutnoticingthewordofcommand，hejoggedonward。

Mr。Gamfieldgrowledafierceimprecationonthedonkeygenerally，butmoreparticularlyonhiseyes；and，runningafterhim，bestowedablowonhishead，whichwouldinevitablyhavebeateninanyskullbutadonkey's。Then，catchingholdofthebridle，hegavehisjawasharpwrench，bywayofgentlereminderthathewasnothisownmaster；andbythesemeansturnedhimround。Hethengavehimanotherblowonthehead，justtostunhimtillhecamebackagain。Havingcompletedthesearrangements，hewalkeduptothegate，toreadthebill。

Thegentlemanwiththewhitewaistcoatwasstandingatthegatewithhishandsbehindhim，afterhavingdeliveredhimselfofsomeprofoundsentimentsintheboard-room。HavingwitnessedthelittledisputebetweenMr。Gamfieldandthedonkey，hesmiledjoyouslywhenthatpersoncameuptoreadthebill，forhesawatoncethatMr。GamfieldwasexactlythesortofmasterOliverTwistwanted。Mr。Gamfieldsmiled，too，asheperusedthedocument；forfivepoundswasjustthesumhehadbeenwishingfor；and，astotheboywithwhichitwasencumbered，Mr。Gamfield，knowingwhatthedietaryoftheworkhousewas，wellknewhewouldbeanicesmallpattern，justtheverythingforregisterstoves。So，hespeltthebillthroughagain，frombeginningtoend；andthen，touchinghisfurcapintokenofhumility，accostedthegentlemaninthewhitewaistcoat。

‘Thishereboy，sir，wottheparishwantsto’prentis，‘saidMr。Gamfield。

‘Ay，myman，’saidthegentlemaninthewhitewaistcoat，withacondescendingsmile。‘Whatofhim？’

‘Iftheparishvouldlikehimtolearnarightpleasanttrade，inagood’spectablechimbley-sweepin‘bisness，’saidMr。Gamfield，‘Iwantsa’prentis，andIamreadytotakehim。‘

‘Walkin，’saidthegentlemaninthewhitewaistcoat。Mr。Gamfieldhavinglingeredbehind，togivethedonkeyanotherblowonthehead，andanotherwrenchofthejaw，asacautionnottorunawayinhisabsence，followedthegentlemanwiththewhitewaistcoatintotheroomwhereOliverhadfirstseenhim。

‘It'sanastytrade，’saidMr。Limbkins，whenGamfieldhadagainstatedhiswish。

‘Youngboyshavebeensmotheredinchimneysbeforenow，’saidanothergentleman。

‘That'sacausetheydampedthestrawaforetheylititinthechimbleytomake’emcomedownagain，‘saidGamfield；’that'sallsmoke，andnoblaze；vereassmokeain'to‘nouseatallinmakingaboycomedown，foritonlysindshimtosleep，andthat'swothelikes。Boysisweryobstinit，andwerylazy，Gen'l'men，andthere'snothinklikeagoodhotblazetomake’emcomedownvitharun。It'shumanetoo，gen'l'men，acause，evenifthey'vestuckinthechimbley，roastingtheirfeetmakes‘emstruggletohextricatetheirselves。’

Thegentlemaninthewhitewaistcoatappearedverymuchamusedbythisexplanation；buthismirthwasspeedilycheckedbyalookfromMr。Limbkins。Theboardthenproceededtoconverseamongthemselvesforafewminutes，butinsolowatone，thatthewords‘savingofexpenditure，’‘lookedwellintheaccounts，‘‘haveaprintedreportpublished，’werealoneaudible。Theseonlychancedtobeheard，indeed，oraccountoftheirbeingveryfrequentlyrepeatedwithgreatemphasis。

Atlengththewhisperingceased；andthemembersoftheboard，havingresumedtheirseatsandtheirsolemnity，Mr。Limbkinssaid：

‘Wehaveconsideredyourproposition，andwedon'tapproveofit。’

‘Notatall，’saidthegentlemaninthewhitewaistcoat。

‘Decidedlynot，’addedtheothermembers。

AsMr。Gamfielddidhappentolabourundertheslightimputationofhavingbruisedthreeorfourboystodeathalready，itoccurredtohimthattheboardhad，perhaps，insomeunaccountablefreak，takenitintotheirheadsthatthisextraneouscircumstanceoughttoinfluencetheirproceedings。Itwasveryunliketheirgeneralmodeofdoingbusiness，iftheyhad；butstill，ashehadnoparticularwishtorevivetherumour，hetwistedhiscapinhishands，andwalkedslowlyfromthetable。

‘Soyouwon'tletmehavehim，gen'l'men？’saidMr。Gamfield，pausingnearthedoor。

‘No，’repliedMr。Limbkins；‘atleast，asit'sanastybusiness，wethinkyououghttotakesomethinglessthanthepremiumweoffered。’

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