登陆注册
5412800000033

第33章

`Oh,' replied Mrs Squeers, nodding her head at Nicholas, and eyeing him coldly from top to toe.

`He'll take a meal with us tonight,' said Squeers, `and go among the boys tomorrow morning. You can give him a shake-down here, tonight, can't you?'

`We must manage it somehow,' replied the lady. `You don't much mind how you sleep, I suppose, sir?'

No, indeed,' replied Nicholas, `I am not particular.'

`That's lucky,' said Mrs Squeers. And as the lady's humour was considered to lie chiefly in retort, Mr Squeers laughed heartily, and seemed to expect that Nicholas should do the same.

After some further conversation between the master and mistress relative to the success of Mr Squeers's trip and the people who had paid, and the people who had made default in payment, a young servant girl brought in a Yorkshire pie and some cold beef, which being set upon the table, the boy Smike appeared with a jug of ale.

Mr Squeers was emptying his great-coat pockets of letters to different boys, and other small documents, which he had brought down in them. The boy glanced, with an anxious and timid expression, at the papers, as if with a sickly hope that one among them might relate to him. The look was a very painful one, and went to Nicholas's heart at once; for it told a long and very sad history.

It induced him to consider the boy more attentively, and he was surprised to observe the extraordinary mixture of garments which formed his dress.

Although he could not have been less than eighteen or nineteen years old, and was tall for that age, he wore a skeleton suit, such as is usually put upon very little boys, and which, though most absurdly short in the arms and legs, was quite wide enough for his attenuated frame. In order that the lower part of his legs might be in perfect keeping with this singular dress, he had a very large pair of boots, originally made for tops, which might have been once worn by some stout farmer, but were now too patched and tattered for a beggar. Heaven knows how long he had been there, but he still wore the same linen which he had first taken down; for, round his neck, was a tattered child's frill, only half concealed by a coarse, man's neckerchief. He was lame; and as he feigned to be busy in arranging the table, glanced at the letters with a look so keen, and yet so dispirited and hopeless, that Nicholas could hardly bear to watch him.

`What are you bothering about there, Smike?' cried Mrs Squeers; `let the things alone, can't you?'

`Eh!' said Squeers, looking up. `Oh! it's you, is it?'

`Yes, sir,' replied the youth, pressing his hands together, as though to control, by force, the nervous wandering of his fingers. `Is there--'

`Well!' said Squeers.

`Have you--did anybody--has nothing been heard--about me?'

`Devil a bit,' replied Squeers testily.

The lad withdrew his eyes, and, putting his hand to his face, moved towards the door.

`Not a-word,' resumed Squeers, `and never will be. Now, this is a pretty sort of thing, isn't it, that you should have been left here, all these years, and no money paid after the first six:--nor no notice taken, nor no clue to be got who you belong to? It's a pretty sort of thing that Ishould have to feed a great fellow like you, and never hope to get one penny for it, isn't it?'

The boy put his hand to his head as if he were making an effort to recollect something, and then, looking vacantly at his questioner, gradually broke into a smile, and limped away.

`I'll tell you what, Squeers,' remarked his wife as the door closed, `I think that young chap's turning silly.'

`I hope not,' said the schoolmaster; `for he's a handy fellow out of doors, and worth his meat and drink, anyway. I should think he'd have wit enough for us though, if he was. But come; let's have supper, for I am hungry and tired, and want to get to bed.'

This reminder brought in an exclusive steak for Mr Squeers, who speedily proceeded to do it ample justice. Nicholas drew up his chair, but his appetite was effectually taken away.

`How's the steak, Squeers?' said Mrs S.

`Tender as a lamb,' replied Squeers. `Have a bit.'

`I couldn't eat a morsel,' replied his wife. `What'll the young man take, my dear?'

`Whatever he likes that's present,' rejoined Squeers, in a most unusual burst of generosity.

`What do you say, Mr Knuckleboy?' inquired Mrs Squeers.

`I'll take a little of the pie, if you please,' replied Nicholas. `Avery little, for I'm not hungry.'

Well, it's a pity to cut the pie if you're not hungry, isn't it?' said Mrs Squeers. `Will you try a bit of the beef?'

`Whatever you please,' replied Nicholas abstractedly; `it's all the same to me.'

Mrs Squeers looked vastly gracious on receiving this reply; and nodding to Squeers, as much as to say that she was glad to find the young man knew his station, assisted Nicholas to a slice of meat with her own fair hands.

`Ale, Squeery?' inquired the lady, winking and frowning to give him to understand that the question propounded, was, whether Nicholas should have ale, and not whether he (Squeers) would take any.

`Certainly,' said Squeers, re-telegraphing in the same manner. `A glassful.'

So Nicholas had a glassful, and being occupied with his own reflections, drank it, in happy innocence of all the foregone proceedings.

`Uncommon juicy steak that,' said Squeers, as he laid down his knife and fork, after plying it, in silence, for some time.

`It's prime meat,' rejoined his lady. `I bought a good large piece of it myself on purpose for--'

`For what!' exclaimed Squeers hastily. `Not for the--'

`No, no; not for them,' rejoined Mrs Squeers; `on purpose for you against you came home. Lor! you didn't think I could have made such a mistake as that.'

`Upon my word, my dear, I didn't know what you were going to say,' said Squeers, who had turned pale.

同类推荐
  • Indian Heroes & Great Chieftains

    Indian Heroes & Great Chieftains

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 菩萨十住行道品

    菩萨十住行道品

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 溪山琴况

    溪山琴况

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上阳子金丹大要仙派

    上阳子金丹大要仙派

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 巾箱说

    巾箱说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 我的世界危机纪元

    我的世界危机纪元

    危机纪元200年,这是异星人侵略MC世界的第200年,MC方的军队节节败退政府濒临倒塌。这时,一支由已经退役的陆卫国将军组建的势力,在慢慢壮大……
  • 雷皇

    雷皇

    一场突变改变了他的命运,让他走上修真的道路。艺成下山,携神剑雷羽,御天罚奇兽走过白山黑水,游遍云峦仙境。他不再是寒烟渡那个懵懂的少年,而是正道中的天纵奇资。天地浩劫,魔乱大地,一条坎坷的修真之路,但到最后结果会是什么呢?佛法道决,邪道妖人,法宝凶兽都难脱雷煌天罚。到底孰对孰错,到底谁正谁邪。天理循环,报应不爽,回首时误天下苍生,救天下苍生……
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 空间农女巧种田

    空间农女巧种田

    勿忘幽是一个随心所欲的人,怕麻烦,喜欢自由自在,幸好穿到的这个农家对她很好,很纵容她,才让她过着舒心的日子,她刚穿越过来,就遇上了干旱,便举家迁徙到其他城市,历经三个月终于在柳翠村安了家,面对一贫如洗的家,勿忘幽便从卖仙草膏到烧仙草饮品,再到火锅、酿生抽和泡菜,日子终于过得红火,还有空间这个金手指,日子过得美滋滋的,却引来背后大势力的觊觎,两方便展开斗争,勿忘幽虽然可以提供灵菜,但是却不能打开修仙秘籍,只能靠积累功德值……
  • 魂穿末世之驭灵女王带球跑

    魂穿末世之驭灵女王带球跑

    一场灵魂互换的生死契约,改变的不仅仅是一个人的未来!再次睁眼,玄灵大陆的驭灵女王千暮雪,变成了二十一世纪普通女孩。魂穿异世,刚搞懂这世界的生存之道,末世席卷而来。全新又黑暗的世界,是人性善恶的极端挑战,是适者生存的残酷选拔,也是光明前的澎湃波涛!千暮雪心里只有一个信念,活下去!前有丧尸挡路,千暮雪随手一甩,一拨傀儡实力弑杀;路遇变异植物偷袭,跺跺脚,成千灵植百分百完虐;后有变异动物妨碍,无需劳神费力,千万灵兽震撼碾压......千暮雪要做的,就是吃好喝好,再将肚子里的某小只养得成小肉包!只是,某人身上自带灵气,还一反常态缠上身:“媳妇儿,一起灵修吧!”型男变羔羊,千暮雪夹起包子就跑.....
  • 诫子拾遗

    诫子拾遗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 居易续谈

    居易续谈

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 幸好你也暗恋我

    幸好你也暗恋我

    温栩栩眼里,言如生是最霸道的同桌,最腹黑毒舌的上司,婚后变成最缠人的老公,最无耻的爸爸。小包子:“爸爸今晚我要跟你们睡一起。”言先生:“听说最新版的变形金刚又出了。”小包子:“噢,爸爸妈妈我回房了。”(青梅竹马,男女主身心干净。)
  • 空日历

    空日历

    本书是80后诗人陆燕姜的诗歌作品集,部分已经发表在期刊上。她用“丫丫式”的诗歌体式,制造与读者间的朗阔空白,延伸形式和内容的距离,增强了我们接受诗意的难度。她的诗歌语言既是表现的工具,同时又仿佛是具有活体性质的另一个主体,既与诗人对话,又与读者进行着对话与交流。这样的诗显然站到了一个时代艺术的高地,对于诗歌的内行读者而言必然具有特殊的魅力。
  • 重造天下

    重造天下

    明末史诗,明末的清明上河图。注重文史,注重语言。