The Old Curiosity Shop / Лавка древностей
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“What is the matter?” said the child.
“Nothing’s the matter, my dear,” returned her visitor. “I’m your friend. Perhaps you haven’t thought so, but it’s me that’s your friend not him.”
“Not who?” the child inquired.
“Short, my dear. I tell you what,” said Codlin, “You see, I’m the real, openhearted man. I don’t look it, but I am indeed. Short’s very well, and seems kind, but he overdoes it [57] . Now I don’t.”
The child was puzzled, and did not know not tell what to say.
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he overdoes it –
“Take my advice,” said Codlin: “don’t ask me why, but take it. As long as you travel with us, keep as near me as you can. Don’t offer to leave us but always stick to me and say that I’m your friend. Will you bear that in mind, my dear, and always say that it was me that was your friend?”
“Say so where, and when?” inquired the child innocently.
“O, nowhere in particular,” replied Codlin; “I’m only worried about you. Why didn’t you tell me your little history about you and the poor old gentleman? I’m the best adviser that ever was, and so interested in you—so much more interested than Short. And you needn’t tell Short, you know, that we’ve had this little talk together. God bless you. Recollect the friend. Codlin’s the friend, not Short. Your real friend is Codlin, not Short.”
Thomas Codlin stole away on tip-toe [58] , leaving the child in a state of extreme surprise. And suddenly somebody knocked at hers.
“Yes,” said the child.
“It’s me, Short” a voice called through the key-hole. “I only wanted to say that we must be off early tomorrow morning, my dear. Will you go with us? I’ll call you.”
The child answered “Yes”. She felt some uneasiness at the anxiety of these men.
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on tip-toe – на цыпочках
19
Very early next morning, Short fulfilled his promise, and knocked softly at her door. Nell started from her bed without delay, and roused the old man.
It was dark before they reached the town. Here all was tumult and confusion; the streets were filled with throngs of people. At length they passed through the town and made for the race-course [59] , which was upon an open heath. They saw a big tent.
After a scanty supper, Nell and the old man lay down to rest in a corner of a tent, and slept, despite the busy preparations that were going on around them all night long.
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race-course – ипподром
And now they had come to the time when they must beg their bread. Soon after sunrise in the morning the child, while the two men lay dozing in another corner, plucked grandfather by the sleeve, and slightly glancing towards them, said, in a low voice
“Grandfather, these men suspect that we have secretly left our relatives, and I think, they want to sent us back. We must get away from them.”
“How?” muttered the old man. “Dear Nelly, how? They will easily catch me, and never let me see you anymore!”
“You’re trembling,” said the child. “Keep close to me all day. Never mind them, don’t look at them, but me. I shall find a time when we can go away. When I do, come with me, and do not stop or speak a word. Hush! That’s all.”
“Halloa! what are you doing, my dear?” said Mr. Codlin, raising his head, and yawning. Then observing that his companion was asleep, he added in an earnest whisper, “Codlin’s the friend, remember not Short.”
Late in the day, Mr. Codlin pitched the show in a convenient spot, and the spectators were soon in the very triumph of the scene. That was the very moment. They seized it, and fled.
They made a path through booths and carriages and throngs of people, and never once stopped to look behind. They made for the open fields.
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Kit raised his eyes to the window of Nell’s little room, and hoped to see some indication of her presence. His own earnest wish, coupled with the assurance he had received from Quilp, filled him with the belief that she would arrive.
“I think they must certainly come tomorrow, eh mother?” said Kit, laying aside his hat and sighing as he spoke. “They have been gone a week. They surely couldn’t stop away more than a week, could they now?”
The mother shook her head, and reminded him how often he had been disappointed already.
“I consider,” said Kit, “that a week is quite long enough for them to be rambling about; don’t you say so?”
“Quite long enough, Kit, longer than enough, but they may not come back for all that.”
Kit thought she was right.
“Then what do you think, mother, has become of them? You don’t think they’ve gone to sea, anyhow?”
“Not gone for sailors, certainly,” returned the mother with a smile. “But I think that they have gone to some foreign country.”
“I say,” cried Kit with a rueful face, “don’t talk like that, mother.”
“I am afraid they have, and that’s the truth,” she said. “It’s the talk of all the neighbours.”
“I don’t believe it,” said Kit. “Not a word of it. How should they know!”
“They may be wrong of course,” returned the mother, “but the people say that the old gentleman and Miss Nell have gone to live abroad where they will never be disturbed.”
Kit scratched his head mournfully. Suddenly a knock at the door was heard. Kit opened the door and saw a little old gentleman and a little old lady.
“Why, bless me,” cried the old gentleman, “the lad is here! My dear, do you see? This is a very good lad, I’m sure.”
“I’m sure he is,” rejoined the old lady. “A very good lad, and I am sure he is a good son.”
The old gentleman then handed the old lady out, and after looking at him with an approving smile, they went into the house.
“Well, boy,” said the old gentleman, smiling; “We are here before you, you see, Christopher [60] .”
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Christopher –