The Old Curiosity Shop / Лавка древностей
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The unfortunate Kit looked at his young mistress, but was perfectly motionless and silent.
“I have brought his money for the week,” said the child, looking to the woman and laying it on the table “and a little more, for he was always good and kind to me. It grieves me very much to part with him like this, but there is no help [29] . Good-night!”
The child hastened to the door, and disappeared as rapidly as she had come. Kit remained in a state of utter stupefaction [30] .
29
there is no help –
30
utter stupefaction – полное оцепенение
10
The old man was in a raging fever accompanied with delirium. The child was more alone than she had ever been before. The house was no longer theirs. Mr. Quilp took formal possession of the premises and all upon them. The dwarf proceeded to establish himself and his coadjutor in the house.
First, he put an effectual stop to any further business by shutting up the shop. His coadjutor, Mr. Brass [31] , was an attorney of no very good repute. He was a tall, meagre man, with a nose like a wen, a protruding forehead, retreating eyes, and hair of a deep red. He wore a long black surtout [32] reaching nearly to his ankles, short black trousers, high shoes, and bluish-grey stockings [33] . He had a cringing manner, but a very harsh voice.
31
Brass – Брасс
32
surtout – сюртук
33
bluish-grey stockings – сизо-голубые чулки
Quilp looked at his legal adviser [34] , and being quite overjoyed, rubbed his hands with glee.
“Is it good, Brass, is it nice, is it fragrant?” said Quilp. He smoked a lot. “This is the way to keep off fever, this is the way to keep off every calamity of life!”
“Shall we stop here long, Mr. Quilp?” inquired his legal friend.
“We must stop, I suppose, till the old gentleman upstairs is dead,” returned Quilp.
“He he he!” laughed Mr. Brass, “oh! very good!”
34
legal adviser – учёный советчик
“Smoke!” cried Quilp. “Never stop! you can talk as you smoke. Don’t lose time.”
“He he he!” cried Brass faintly. “But if he should get better, Mr. Quilp?”
“Then we shall stop till he does, and no longer,” returned the dwarf.
The sentinel at the door interposed in this place, and without taking his pipe from his lips, growled:
“Here’s the girl coming down.”
“Aha! Nelly! Oh!” said Quilp, “My dear young friend! How is he now, my lady?”
“He’s very bad,” replied the weeping child.
“What a pretty little Nell!” cried Quilp.
“Oh beautiful, sir, beautiful indeed,” said Brass. “Quite charming!”
“Has Nell come to sit upon Quilp’s knee,” said the dwarf, “or is she going to bed in her own little room inside here? What is poor Nelly going to do?”
“What a remarkable pleasant way he has with children!” muttered Brass.
“I’m not going to stay at all,” faltered Nell. “I want a few things out of that room, and then I won’t come down here any more.”
“You’re sure you’re not going to use that little room anymore; you’re sure you’re not coming back, Nelly?’
“No,” replied the child, hurrying away, with the few articles of dress “never again! Never again.”
“She’s very sensitive,” said Quilp, looking after her. “Very sensitive; that’s a pity. The bed is just my size. I think I shall make it my little room.”
The dwarf walked in and threw himself on his back upon the child’s bed with his pipe in his mouth. Mr. Brass applauded this picture very much.
11
At length, the crisis of the old man’s disorder was past, and he began to recover. By very slow and feeble degrees his consciousness came back; but the mind was weakened and its functions were impaired. He sat, for hours together, with Nell’s small hand in his, playing with the fingers.
He was sitting in his easy-chair one day, and Nell upon a stool beside him, when a man outside knocked.
“Yes,” the old man said without emotion, “it is Quilp. Quilp is master there. Come in, of course.”
And so he did.
“I’m glad to see you well again at last, neighbour,” said the dwarf, sitting down opposite to him. “You’re quite strong now?”
“Yes,” said the old man feebly, “yes.”
“I don’t want to hurry you, you know, neighbour,” said the dwarf, raising his voice; “but the sooner you can find a place to live, the better.”
“Surely,” said the old man. “The better for everybody. I will, certainly, we shall not stay here.”
“You see,” pursued Quilp after a short pause, “I have sold the things. Today’s Tuesday. When will the things be moved? This afternoon?”
“What about Friday morning?” returned the old man.
“Very good,” said the dwarf. “So be it, neighbour.”
“Good,” returned the old man. “I shall remember it.”
12
Thursday arrived. In a small dull yard below his window, there was a tree green and flourishing enough, it threw a rippling shadow on the white wall. The old man sat watching the shadows, until the sun went down; and when it was night, and the moon was slowly rising, he still sat in the same spot.
He besought Nelly to forgive him.
“Forgive you what?” said Nell. “Oh grandfather, what should I forgive?”
“All that is past, all that has come upon you, Nell, all that was done,” returned the old man.
“Do not talk so,” said the child. “Pray do not. Let us speak of something else.”
“Yes, yes, we will,” he rejoined. “Hush! We will not stay here. We will go far away from here.”
“Yes, let us go,” said the child earnestly. “Let us leave this place, and never turn back or think of it again. Let us wander barefoot through the world, rather than linger here.”
“We will,” answered the old man, “we will travel afoot through the fields and woods, and by the side of rivers, and trust ourselves to God in the places where He dwells. You and I together, Nell.”
“We will be happy,” cried the child. “We never can be here.”
“No,” rejoined the old man. “Let us steal away tomorrow morning early and softly, that we may not be seen or heard. Poor Nell! Your cheek is pale, and your eyes are weeping; but you will be well again, and merry too, when we are far away. Tomorrow morning, dear, we’ll turn our faces from this scene of sorrow, and be as free and happy as the birds.”
And then, the old man clasped his hands above her head, and said that from that time forth they would wander up and down together.
The child’s heart beat high with hope and confidence. She had no thought of hunger, or cold, or thirst, or suffering. The old man had slept, for some hours, in his bed, and she was busily engaged in preparing for their flight. There were a few articles of clothing for herself to carry, and a few for him; old garments; and a staff to support his feeble steps. But this was not all her task; for now she must visit the old rooms for the last time.