Оливер Твист

Chapter 49

           ‘Ispeakoffifteenyearsago,whenyouwerenotmorethanelevenyearsold,andyourfatherbutone-and-thirtyforhewas,Irepeat,aboy,whenHISfatherorderedhimtomarry.MustIgobacktoeventswhichcastashadeuponthememoryofyourparent,orwillyouspareit,anddisclosetomethetruth?’

           ‘Ihavenothingtodisclose,’rejoinedMonks.‘Youmusttalkonifyouwill.

           ‘Thesenewfriends,then,’saidMr.Brownlow,‘wereanavalofficerretiredfromactiveservice,whosewifehaddiedsomehalf-a-yearbefore,andlefthimwithtwochildrentherehadbeenmore,but,ofalltheirfamily,happilybuttwosurvived.Theywerebothdaughters;oneabeautifulcreatureofnineteen,andtheotheramerechildoftwoorthreeyearsold.

           ‘What’sthistome?’askedMonks.

           ‘Theyresided,’saidMr.Brownlow,withoutseemingtoheartheinterruption,‘inapartofthecountrytowhichyourfatherinhiswanderinghadrepaired,andwherehehadtakenuphisabode.Acquaintance,intimacy,friendship,fastfollowedoneachother.Yourfatherwasgiftedasfewmenare.Hehadhissister’ssoulandperson.Astheoldofficerknewhimmoreandmore,hegrewtolovehim.Iwouldthatithadendedthere.Hisdaughterdidthesame.

           Theoldgentlemanpaused;Monkswasbitinghislips,withhiseyesfixeduponthefloor;seeingthis,heimmediatelyresumed:

           ‘Theendofayearfoundhimcontracted,solemnlycontracted,tothatdaughter;theobjectofthefirst,true,ardent,onlypassionofaguilelessgirl.

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