雾都孤儿- 第15部分

Mr　　Brown　low　　turned　to　Rose．　‘I　have　one　more　thing　to　explain，’he　said　to　the　girl．

　‘I　don’t　know　if　I　have　the　strength　to　hear　it　now，’she　murmured，　‘having　heard　so　much　already．’

Mr　　Brown　low　　put　his　hand　　under　her　arm．　‘You　have　a　great　deal　of　courage，dear　child，’he　said　kindly．He　turned　to　Monks．　‘Do　you　know　this　young　lady，sir？’

　‘Yes．’

　‘I　don’t　know　you，’said　Rose　faintly．

　‘The　father　of　poor　Agnes　had　two　daughters，’said　Mr　　Brown　low　．　‘What　happened　to　the　other　one，who　was　only　a　young　child　at　the　time？’

　‘When　Agnes　disappeared，’replied　Monks，　‘her　father　changed　his　name　and　moved　to　a　lonely　place　in　Wales，where　no　one　would　know　about　the　family　shame．He　died　very　soon　afterwards，and　this　young　daughter　was　taken　in　by　some　poor　people．My　mother　hated　Agnes　and　everybody　connected　with　her．She　hunted　for　this　young　sister，and　made　sure　that　her　life　would　be　unhappy．She　told　the　poor　people　who　had　taken　her　in　that　the　girl　was　illegitimate，and　that　she　came　from　a　bad　family　with　an　evil　reputation．So　the　child　led　a　life　of　miserable　poverty…until　Mrs　May　lie　saw　her　by　chance，pitied　her，and　took　her　home．’

　‘And　do　you　see　this　young　sister　now？’asked　Mr　　Brown　low　．

　‘Yes．Standing　by　your　side．’

Rose　could　hardly　speak．　‘So…O　liver　is　my　nephew？’

　‘I　can　never　call　you　aunt，’cried　O　liver．　‘You’ll　always　be　my　own　dear　sister！’

They　ran　into　each　other’s　arms，both　of　the　m　crying　in　their　happiness．A　father，sister　and　mother　had　been　lost　and　gained，and　it　was　too　much　for　one　evening．They　stood　for　a　long　time　in　silence，and　the　others　left　the　m　alone．The　court　was　full　of　faces；from　every　corner，all　eyes　were　on　one　man…Fagin．In　front　of　him，behind，above，below　…he　seemed　surrounded　by　staring　eyes．Not　one　of　the　faces　showed　any　sympathy　towards　him；all　were　determined　that　he　should　hang．At　last，the　re　was　a　cry　of　‘Silence！’，and　everyone　looked　towards　the　door．The　jury　returned，and　passed　close　to　Fagin．He　could　tell　nothing　from　their　faces；They　could　have　been　made　of　stone．The　n　the　re　was　complete　stillness…not　a　whisper，not　a　breath…Guilty．The　whole　court　rang　with　a　great　shout，echoing　through　all　the　rooms　as　the　crowd　ran　out　of　the　building　to　tell　all　the　people　waiting　outside．The　news　was　that　he　would　die　on　Monday．

Fagin　thought　of　nothing　but　death　that　night．He　began　to　remember　all　the　people　he　had　ever　known　who　had　been　hung．He　could　hardly　count　the　m．They　might　have　sat　in　the　same　prison　cell　as　he　was　sitting　in　now．He　thought　about　death　by　hanging…the　rope，the　cloth　bag　over　the　head，the　sudden　change　from　strong　men　to　bundles　of　clothe　s，hanging　at　the　end　of　a　rope．

As　his　last　night　came，despair　seized　Fagin’s　evil　soul．He　could　not　sit　still，and　hurried　up　and　down　his　small　cell，gasping　with　terror，his　eyes　flashing　with　hate　and　anger．The　n　he　lay　trembling　on　his　stone　bed　and　listened　to　the　clock　striking　the　hours．Where　would　he　be　when　those　hours　came　round　again？

In　the　middle　of　that　Sunday　night，Mr　　Brown　low　　and　O　liver　were　allowed　to　enter　the　prison．Several　strong　doors　were　unlocked，and　eventually　They　entered　Fagin’s　cell．The　old　robber　was　sitting　on　the　bed，whispering　to　himself，his　face　more　like　a　trapped　animal’s　than　a　human’s．

　‘You　have　some　papers，Fagin，’said　Mr　　Brown　low　　quietly，　‘which　were　given　to　you　by　Monks　to　look　after．’

　‘It’s　a　lie！’replied　Fagin，not　looking　at　him．　‘I　haven’t　got　any．’

　‘For　the　love　of　God，’said　Mr　　Brown　low　，very　seriously，　‘don’t　lie　to　us　now，on　the　night　before　your　death．You　know　that　Sikes　is　dead　and　Monks　has　confessed．Where　are　the　papers？’

　‘I’ll　tell　you，O　liver，’said　Fagin．　‘Come　here．’He　whispered　to　him．　‘They’re　in　a　bag　up　the　chimney　in　the　front　room　at　the　top　of　the　house．But　I　want　to　talk　to　you，my　dear．’

　‘Yes，’said　O　liver．　‘Will　you　pray　with　me？’

　‘Outside，outside，’said　Fagin，pushing　the　boy　in　front　of　him　towards　the　door．　‘Say　I’ve　gone　to　sleep…They’ll　believe　you．You　can　take　me　out　with　you　when　you　go．’The　old　man’s　eyes　shone　with　a　mad　light．

　‘It’s　no　good，’said　Mr　　Brown　low　，taking　O　liver’s　hand　．　‘He’s　gone　too　far，and　we　can　never　reach　him　now．’

The　cell　door　opened，and　as　the　visitors　left，Fagin　started　struggling　and　fighting　with　his　guards，screaming　so　loudly　that　the　prison　walls　rang　with　the　sound．

They　left　the　prison　building　in　the　grey　light　of　dawn．Outside　in　the　street，huge　crowds　were　already　gathering，joking　and　laughing，and　pushing　to　get　the　best　places　near　the　great　black　platform，where　the　rope　hung　ready　for　its　morning’s　work．

Less　than　three　months　later，Rose　married　Harry　May　lie．For　her　sake，Harry　had　abandoned　his　political　ambitions，and　had　become　a　simple　man　of　the　church．The　re　was　no　longer　any　mystery　about　Rose’s　birth，but　even　if　the　re　had　been，Harry　would　not　have　cared．They　lived　next　to　the　church　in　a　peaceful　village．Mrs　May　lie　went　to　live　with　the　m，and　spent　the　rest　of　her　days　in　quiet　contentment．

Mr　　Brown　low　　adopted　O　liver　as　his　son．They　moved　to　a　house　in　the　same　quiet　village，and　were　just　as　happy．Dr　Losberne　discovered　suddenly　that　the　air　in　Chertsey　did　not　suit　him．In　less　than　three　months　he，too，had　moved…to　a　cottage　just　outside　the　village，where　he　took　up　gardening　and　fishing　with　great　energy　and　enthusiasm．

Mr　　Brown　low　　suggested　that　half　the　remaining　money　from　the　will　should　be　given　to　Monks　and　the　other　half　to　O　liver，although　by　law　it　should　all　have　gone　to　O　liver　alone．O　liver　was　glad　to　accept　the　suggestion．Monks　went　off　with　his　money　to　the　other　side　of　the　world，where　he　spent　it　quickly　and　was　soon　in　prison　for　another　act　of　fraud．In　prison　he　became　ill　and　died．The　remaining　members　of　Fagin’s　gang　died　in　similar　ways　in　other　distant　countries，all　except　Charley　Bates，who　turned　his　back　on　his　past　life　of　crime　and　lived　honestly，as　a　farmer．

Noah　Claypole　was　given　a　free　pardon　for　telling　the　police　about　Fagin．He　soon　became　employed　as　an　informer　for　the　police，spying　on　people　and　telling　the　police　about　anyone　who　had　broken　the　law．Mr　and　Mrs　Bumble　lost　their　jobs　and　became　poorer　and　poorer，eventually　living　in　poverty　in　the　same　workhouse　that　They　had　once　managed．

In　that　quiet　country　village，Theyears　passed　peacefully．Mr　　Brown　low　　filled　the　mind　of　his　adopted　son　with　

knowledge，and　as　he　watched　the　boy　grow　up，he　was　reminded　more　and　more　of　his　old　friend，O　liver’s　father．The　two　orphans，Rose　and　O　liver，led　lives　that　were　truly　happy．The　hardships　that　They　had　once　suffered　had　left　no　bitterness　in　their　gentle　souls，and　all　their　lives　They　showed　the　mercy　and　kindness　to　others　that　God　himself　shows　to　all　things　that　breathe　．



TXT之家　免费TXT电子书下载　　www。txtjia
附：【本作品来自互联网；本人不做任何负责】内容版权归作者所有。