THE APPOINTMENT KEPT

The church clocks chimed three quarters past eleven, as two figures emerged on London Bridge. One, which advanced with a swift and rapid step, was that of a woman who looked eagerly about her as though in quest of some expected object; the other figure was that of a man, who slunk along in the deepest shadow he could find, and, at some distance, accommodated his pace to hers: stopping when she stopped: and as she moved again, creeping stealthily on: but never allowing himself, in the ardour of his pursuit, to gain upon her footsteps. Thus, they crossed the bridge, from the Middlesex to the Surrey shore, when the woman, apparently disappointed in her anxious scrutiny of the foot-passengers, turned back. The movement was sudden; but he who watched her, was not thrown off his guard by it; for, shrinking into one of the recesses which surmount the piers of the bridge, and leaning over the parapet the better to conceal his figure, he suffered her to pass on the opposite pavement. When she was about the same distance in advance as she had been before, he slipped quietly down, and followed her again. At nearly the centre of the bridge, she stopped. The man stopped too.

It was a very dark night. The day had been unfavourable, and at that hour and place there were few people stirring. Such as there were, hurried quickly past: very possibly without seeing, but certainly without noticing, either the woman, or the man who kept her in view. Their appearance was not calculated to attract the importunate regards of such of London's destitute population, as chanced to take their way over the bridge that night in search of some cold arch or doorless hovel wherein to lay their heads; they stood there in silence: neither speaking nor spoken to, by any one who passed.

A mist hung over the river, deepening the red glare of the fires that burnt upon the small craft moored off the different wharfs, and rendering darker and more indistinct the murky buildings on the banks. The old smoke-stained storehouses on either side, rose heavy and dull from the dense mass of roofs and gables, and frowned sternly upon water too black to reflect even their lumbering shapes. The tower of old Saint Saviour's Church, and the spire of Saint Magnus, so long the giant-warders of the ancient bridge, were visible in the gloom; but the forest of shipping below bridge, and the thickly scattered spires of churches above, were nearly all hidden from sight.

The girl had taken a few restless turns to and fro--closely watched meanwhile by her hidden observer--when the heavy bell of St. Paul's tolled for the death of another day. Midnight had come upon the crowded city. The palace, the night-cellar, the jail, the madhouse: the chambers of birth and death, of health and sickness, the rigid face of the corpse and the calm sleep of the child: midnight was upon them all.

The hour had not struck two minutes, when a young lady, accompanied by a grey-haired gentleman, alighted from a hackney-carriage within a short distance of the bridge, and, having dismissed the vehicle, walked straight towards it. They had scarcely set foot upon its pavement, when the girl started, and immediately made towards them.

They walked onward, looking about them with the air of persons who entertained some very slight expectation which had little chance of being realised, when they were suddenly joined by this new associate. They halted with an exclamation of surprise, but suppressed it immediately; for a man in the garments of a countryman came close up--brushed against them, indeed--at that precise moment.

'Not here,' said Nancy hurriedly, 'I am afraid to speak to you here. Come away--out of the public road--down the steps yonder!'

As she uttered these words, and indicated, with her hand, the direction in which she wished them to proceed, the countryman looked round, and roughly asking what they took up the whole pavement for, passed on.

The steps to which the girl had pointed, were those which, on the Surrey bank, and on the same side of the bridge as Saint Saviour's Church, form a landing-stairs from the river. To this spot, the man bearing the appearance of a countryman, hastened unobserved; and after a moment's survey of the place, he began to descend.

These stairs are a part of the bridge; they consist of three flights. Just below the end of the second, going down, the stone wall on the left terminates in an ornamental pilaster facing towards the Thames. At this point the lower steps widen: so that a person turning that angle of the wall, is necessarily unseen by any others on the stairs who chance to be above him, if only a step. The countryman looked hastily round, when he reached this point; and as there seemed no better place of concealment, and, the tide being out, there was plenty of room, he slipped aside, with his back to the pilaster, and there waited: pretty certain that they would come no lower, and that even if he could not hear what was said, he could follow them again, with safety.

So tardily stole the time in this lonely place, and so eager was the spy to penetrate the motives of an interview so different from what he had been led to expect, that he more than once gave the matter up for lost, and persuaded himself, either that they had stopped far above, or had resorted to some entirely different spot to hold their mysterious conversation. He was on the point of emerging from his hiding-place, and regaining the road above, when he heard the sound of footsteps, and directly afterwards of voices almost close at his ear.

He drew himself straight upright against the wall, and, scarcely breathing, listened attentively.

'This is far enough,' said a voice, which was evidently that of the gentleman. 'I will not suffer the young lady to go any farther. Many people would have distrusted you too much to have come even so far, but you see I am willing to humour you.'

'To humour me!' cried the voice of the girl whom he had followed. 'You're considerate, indeed, sir. To humour me! Well, well, it's no matter.'

'Why, for what,' said the gentleman in a kinder tone, 'for what purpose can you have brought us to this strange place? Why not have let me speak to you, above there, where it is light, and there is something stirring, instead of bringing us to this dark and dismal hole?'

'I told you before,' replied Nancy, 'that I was afraid to speak to you there. I don't know why it is,' said the girl, shuddering, 'but I have such a fear and dread upon me to-night that I can hardly stand.'

'A fear of what?' asked the gentleman, who seemed to pity her.

'I scarcely know of what,' replied the girl. 'I wish I did. Horrible thoughts of death, and shrouds with blood upon them, and a fear that has made me burn as if I was on fire, have been upon me all day. I was reading a book to-night, to wile the time away, and the same things came into the print.'

'Imagination,' said the gentleman, soothing her.

'No imagination,' replied the girl in a hoarse voice. 'I'll swear I saw "coffin" written in every page of the book in large black letters,--aye, and they carried one close to me, in the streets to-night.'

'There is nothing unusual in that,' said the gentleman. 'They have passed me often.'

'_Real ones_,' rejoined the girl. 'This was not.'

There was something so uncommon in her manner, that the flesh of the concealed listener crept as he heard the girl utter these words, and the blood chilled within him. He had never experienced a greater relief than in hearing the sweet voice of the young lady as she begged her to be calm, and not allow herself to become the prey of such fearful fancies.

'Speak to her kindly,' said the young lady to her companion. 'Poor creature! She seems to need it.'

'Your haughty religious people would have held their heads up to see me as I am to-night, and preached of flames and vengeance,' cried the girl. 'Oh, dear lady, why ar'n't those who claim to be God's own folks as gentle and as kind to us poor wretches as you, who, having youth, and beauty, and all that they have lost, might be a little proud instead of so much humbler?'

'Ah!' said the gentleman. 'A Turk turns his face, after washing it well, to the East, when he says his prayers; these good people, after giving their faces such a rub against the World as to take the smiles off, turn with no less regularity, to the darkest side of Heaven. Between the Mussulman and the Pharisee, commend me to the first!'

These words appeared to be addressed to the young lady, and were perhaps uttered with the view of affording Nancy time to recover herself. The gentleman, shortly afterwards, addressed himself to her.

'You were not here last Sunday night,' he said.

'I couldn't come,' replied Nancy; 'I was kept by force.'

'By whom?'

'Him that I told the young lady of before.'

'You were not suspected of holding any communication with anybody on the subject which has brought us here to-night, I hope?' asked the old gentleman.

'No,' replied the girl, shaking her head. 'It's not very easy for me to leave him unless he knows why; I couldn't give him a drink of laudanum before I came away.'

'Did he awake before you returned?' inquired the gentleman.

'No; and neither he nor any of them suspect me.'

'Good,' said the gentleman. 'Now listen to me.'

'I am ready,' replied the girl, as he paused for a moment.

'This young lady,' the gentleman began, 'has communicated to me, and to some other friends who can be safely trusted, what you told her nearly a fortnight since. I confess to you that I had doubts, at first, whether you were to be implicitly relied upon, but now I firmly believe you are.'

'I am,' said the girl earnestly.

'I repeat that I firmly believe it. To prove to you that I am disposed to trust you, I tell you without reserve, that we propose to extort the secret, whatever it may be, from the fear of this man Monks. But if--if--' said the gentleman, 'he cannot be secured, or, if secured, cannot be acted upon as we wish, you must deliver up the Jew.'

'Fagin,' cried the girl, recoiling.

'That man must be delivered up by you,' said the gentleman.

'I will not do it! I will never do it!' replied the girl. 'Devil that he is, and worse than devil as he has been to me, I will never do that.'

'You will not?' said the gentleman, who seemed fully prepared for this answer.

'Never!' returned the girl.

'Tell me why?'

'For one reason,' rejoined the girl firmly, 'for one reason, that the lady knows and will stand by me in, I know she will, for I have her promise: and for this other reason, besides, that, bad life as he has led, I have led a bad life too; there are many of us who have kept the same courses together, and I'll not turn upon them, who might--any of them--have turned upon me, but didn't, bad as they are.'

'Then,' said the gentleman, quickly, as if this had been the point he had been aiming to attain; 'put Monks into my hands, and leave him to me to deal with.'

'What if he turns against the others?'

'I promise you that in that case, if the truth is forced from him, there the matter will rest; there must be circumstances in Oliver's little history which it would be painful to drag before the public eye, and if the truth is once elicited, they shall go scot free.'

'And if it is not?' suggested the girl.

'Then,' pursued the gentleman, 'this Fagin shall not be brought to justice without your consent. In such a case I could show you reasons, I think, which would induce you to yield it.'

'Have I the lady's promise for that?' asked the girl.

'You have,' replied Rose. 'My true and faithful pledge.'

'Monks would never learn how you knew what you do?' said the girl, after a short pause.

'Never,' replied the gentleman. 'The intelligence should be brought to bear upon him, that he could never even guess.'

'I have been a liar, and among liars from a little child,' said the girl after another interval of silence, 'but I will take your words.'

After receiving an assurance from both, that she might safely do so, she proceeded in a voice so low that it was often difficult for the listener to discover even the purport of what she said, to describe, by name and situation, the public-house whence she had been followed that night. From the manner in which she occasionally paused, it appeared as if the gentleman were making some hasty notes of the information she communicated. When she had thoroughly explained the localities of the place, the best position from which to watch it without exciting observation, and the night and hour on which Monks was most in the habit of frequenting it, she seemed to consider for a few moments, for the purpose of recalling his features and appearances more forcibly to her recollection.

'He is tall,' said the girl, 'and a strongly made man, but not stout; he has a lurking walk; and as he walks, constantly looks over his shoulder, first on one side, and then on the other. Don't forget that, for his eyes are sunk in his head so much deeper than any other man's, that you might almost tell him by that alone. His face is dark, like his hair and eyes; and, although he can't be more than six or eight and twenty, withered and haggard. His lips are often discoloured and disfigured with the marks of teeth; for he has desperate fits, and sometimes even bites his hands and covers them with wounds--why did you start?' said the girl, stopping suddenly.

The gentleman replied, in a hurried manner, that he was not conscious of having done so, and begged her to proceed.

'Part of this,' said the girl, 'I have drawn out from other people at the house I tell you of, for I have only seen him twice, and both times he was covered up in a large cloak. I think that's all I can give you to know him by. Stay though,' she added. 'Upon his throat: so high that you can see a part of it below his neckerchief when he turns his face: there is--'

'A broad red mark, like a burn or scald?' cried the gentleman.

'How's this?' said the girl. 'You know him!'

The young lady uttered a cry of surprise, and for a few moments they were so still that the listener could distinctly hear them breathe.

'I think I do,' said the gentleman, breaking silence. 'I should by your description. We shall see. Many people are singularly like each other. It may not be the same.'

As he expressed himself to this effect, with assumed carelessness, he took a step or two nearer the concealed spy, as the latter could tell from the distinctness with which he heard him mutter, 'It must be he!'

'Now,' he said, returning: so it seemed by the sound: to the spot where he had stood before, 'you have given us most valuable assistance, young woman, and I wish you to be the better for it. What can I do to serve you?'

'Nothing,' replied Nancy.

'You will not persist in saying that,' rejoined the gentleman, with a voice and emphasis of kindness that might have touched a much harder and more obdurate heart. 'Think now. Tell me.'

'Nothing, sir,' rejoined the girl, weeping. 'You can do nothing to help me. I am past all hope, indeed.'

'You put yourself beyond its pale,' said the gentleman. 'The past has been a dreary waste with you, of youthful energies mis-spent, and such priceless treasures lavished, as the Creator bestows but once and never grants again, but, for the future, you may hope. I do not say that it is in our power to offer you peace of heart and mind, for that must come as you seek it; but a quiet asylum, either in England, or, if you fear to remain here, in some foreign country, it is not only within the compass of our ability but our most anxious wish to secure you. Before the dawn of morning, before this river wakes to the first glimpse of day-light, you shall be placed as entirely beyond the reach of your former associates, and leave as utter an absence of all trace behind you, as if you were to disappear from the earth this moment. Come! I would not have you go back to exchange one word with any old companion, or take one look at any old haunt, or breathe the very air which is pestilence and death to you. Quit them all, while there is time and opportunity!'

'She will be persuaded now,' cried the young lady. 'She hesitates, I am sure.'

'I fear not, my dear,' said the gentleman.

'No sir, I do not,' replied the girl, after a short struggle. 'I am chained to my old life. I loathe and hate it now, but I cannot leave it. I must have gone too far to turn back,--and yet I don't know, for if you had spoken to me so, some time ago, I should have laughed it off. But,' she said, looking hastily round, 'this fear comes over me again. I must go home.'

'Home!' repeated the young lady, with great stress upon the word.

'Home, lady,' rejoined the girl. 'To such a home as I have raised for myself with the work of my whole life. Let us part. I shall be watched or seen. Go! Go! If I have done you any service all I ask is, that you leave me, and let me go my way alone.'

'It is useless,' said the gentleman, with a sigh. 'We compromise her safety, perhaps, by staying here. We may have detained her longer than she expected already.'

'Yes, yes,' urged the girl. 'You have.'

'What,' cried the young lady, 'can be the end of this poor creature's life!'

'What!' repeated the girl. 'Look before you, lady. Look at that dark water. How many times do you read of such as I who spring into the tide, and leave no living thing, to care for, or bewail them. It may be years hence, or it may be only months, but I shall come to that at last.'

'Do not speak thus, pray,' returned the young lady, sobbing.

'It will never reach your ears, dear lady, and God forbid such horrors should!' replied the girl. 'Good-night, good-night!'

The gentleman turned away.

'This purse,' cried the young lady. 'Take it for my sake, that you may have some resource in an hour of need and trouble.'

'No!' replied the girl. 'I have not done this for money. Let me have that to think of. And yet--give me something that you have worn: I should like to have something--no, no, not a ring--your gloves or handkerchief--anything that I can keep, as having belonged to you, sweet lady. There. Bless you! God bless you. Good-night, good-night!'

The violent agitation of the girl, and the apprehension of some discovery which would subject her to ill-usage and violence, seemed to determine the gentleman to leave her, as she requested.

The sound of retreating footsteps were audible and the voices ceased.

The two figures of the young lady and her companion soon afterwards appeared upon the bridge. They stopped at the summit of the stairs.

'Hark!' cried the young lady, listening. 'Did she call! I thought I heard her voice.'

'No, my love,' replied Mr. Brownlow, looking sadly back. 'She has not moved, and will not till we are gone.'

Rose Maylie lingered, but the old gentleman drew her arm through his, and led her, with gentle force, away. As they disappeared, the girl sunk down nearly at her full length upon one of the stone stairs, and vented the anguish of her heart in bitter tears.

After a time she arose, and with feeble and tottering steps ascended the street. The astonished listener remained motionless on his post for some minutes afterwards, and having ascertained, with many cautious glances round him, that he was again alone, crept slowly from his hiding-place, and returned, stealthily and in the shade of the wall, in the same manner as he had descended.

Peeping out, more than once, when he reached the top, to make sure that he was unobserved, Noah Claypole darted away at his utmost speed, and made for the Jew's house as fast as his legs would carry him.

    教堂的钟声敲十一点三刻的时候，两个人影出现在伦敦桥上。一个步履匆匆走在前边的是个女人，她急切地四下张望，像是在寻找某一个预期的目标。另一个男人的身影鬼鬼祟祟，一路上尽量走在最阴暗的影子底下，他不时调节自己的步伐，与那个女的保持一定的距离，女的停下他也停下，女的继续走他也暗暗往前移动，但即使跟踪得来劲了也决不赶到她的前边。就这样，他们在弥德塞克斯过桥，来到塞莱河岸。这时，那女的显然感到失望，因为她心急火燎地搜索过来，却没有在过路行人中见到自己要找的人，便转身走了回来。这个动作非常突然，但监视她的人并没有忙中出错，一闪身躲进桥墩顶上一处四进去的地方，并且翻过栏杆，藏得更加严实。他听着那女的从对面便道上走过去。女的走到前边，和先前的距离差不多了，他才无声无息地溜出来，又一次跟上去。几乎是在桥的中间，女的停住了。那个男的也停下来。

    夜色深沉，星月无光。整天天气都很差，此时此地，已经没有什么人来来去去。即或有，也是行色匆匆快步走过，不管是对那个女的，还是牢牢盯住她的那个男人，很可能连看也没看一眼，就是看见了也肯定没有留意。有几个伦敦穷汉这天晚上碰巧从桥上路过，打算找一处冷冰冰的拱道或者门户大开的破房子权且栖身，这一男一女的外表也没有引来他们那种令人讨厌的目光。两人默默地站在那里，不同任何过路人搭话，别人也不和他们交谈。

    河面上笼罩着一层雾气，停泊在各个码头上的小船燃点起的红色灯火因而显得颜色更深，岸边阴沉混沌的建筑物显得越发昏暗朦胧。沿河两岸一些货栈早就被烟雾熏得污迹斑斑，呆板而又忧郁地从密密层层的屋顶、山墙中耸立起来，冷森森地向水面皱着眉头事功。于赋、兵制、地形、水利诸方面亦下功夫。以世道兴，乌黑的河水连它们那粗大丑陋的样子也照不出来。幽暗中，古老的救世主教堂的钟楼和圣玛格纳斯教堂尖顶隐隐可见，依旧像两个巨灵神守卫着这座历史悠久的大桥，但桥下林立的船桅与岸上星罗棋布的教堂尖顶几乎全都看不见了。

    姑娘忐忑不安地走来走去――那个暗中盯梢的男人一直严密监视着她――这功夫，圣保罗大教堂响起沉重的钟声，宣告又一天寿终正寝。午夜已降临这座人烟密集的都市，降临宫殿、地下室酒店、监狱、疯人院，进入这些生与死、健康与疾病共同拥有的寝室，降临尸体那僵直冷峻的面孔与孩子平静甜美的酣睡。

    十二点敲过不到两分钟，在离大桥很近的地方，一个少女由一位鬓发斑白的绅士陪伴着，从一辆出租马车上下来，将马车打发走，便直端端往桥上走来。他们刚踏上便道，姑娘猛然惊起，立即迎上前去。

    他们缓步走上桥，一边查看着四周，看样子是对某种实现的可能性极小的事只抱着姑且一试的态度，这时，两人突然与那位新伙伴走到了一块。随着一声刚刚发出就戛然而止的惊呼1844年经济学哲学手稿又称“巴黎手稿”。由三个未完成，他们停住了脚步，因为就在这一瞬间，一个乡下人打扮的汉子走到他们跟前――的确擦了他们一下。

    “不要在这儿，”南希急促地说，“我害怕在这儿和你们说话。上――马路外边――到下边石阶那儿去。”

    她这么说着，用手指了一下要他们去的方向，那个乡下人回头看了一眼，粗声嘎气地问他们干吗把整个便道都给占着，随后就走开了。

    南希姑娘所指的石阶在塞莱河堤，跟救世主教堂同在桥的一侧，是一段上下船的石梯，那个乡下人模样的汉子已经神不知鬼不觉地赶到那个地方，他对地形观察了片刻宋程颢等认为，人的气质之性因气禀而成，人之贤愚善恶取，便开始往下走。

    这条石梯是桥的一部分，一共有三段。朝下走完第二段阶梯，左边的石壁尽头立着一根面向泰晤士河的装饰性壁柱。从这里再往下走，石梯要宽一些，一个人只要转到石壁后边，就肯定不会被石梯上的人看见，哪怕只比他高出一级阶梯。乡下人来到这个地点，忙忙慌慌地看了看周围，眼前似乎没有更好的藏身之处了，加上潮水已经退了，这里有的是立足的地方。他溜到一旁，背朝壁柱，来了个以逸待劳：料定他们不会再往下走，即便听不见他们在讲什么，也可以稳稳当当地继续盯住他们。

    时间在这个僻静的角落显得如此拖沓，这名暗探又是如此急切，恨不得马上探明他们住这次会面的意图，要知道这和他光听介绍而估计的情况完全不同，他不止一次认为这事算是吹了，并且劝自己相信，他们要么是远远地在上边停住不走了，要么就是另外找了个地方去进行密谈。他正想从躲藏的地方走出来，回到大路上去，就在这当儿，他听到了脚步声，紧接着是几乎近在耳旁的说话声。

    他身子一挺，笔直地贴在石壁上，屏住呼吸，聚精会神地谛听着。

    “这下可够远的了，”一个声音说道，显然是那位绅士的嗓音，“我不能叫这位小姐再往前走了。换了别人，都会对你信不过，连此地也不肯来的，可你也看得出，我愿意顺着你的心思。”

    “顺着我的心思。”这正是诺亚克雷波尔跟踪的那个姑娘的声音，“你真能体谅人，先生。顺着我的心思。好了，好了，这没什么关系。”

    “哦，为什么呢，”绅士的口气温和了一些，“你把我们带到这么一个不可思议的地方，到底是出于什么目的？你干吗不让我和你在上边谈，那地方有灯，又有人走动，却偏要引我们到这个荒凉的黑窟窿里来？”

    “我刚才告诉过你，”南希回答，“我害怕在那儿和你说话。不知道怎么的，”姑娘说话时浑身直哆嗦，“可今天晚上我真是怕得要命，站都站不稳。”

    “怕什么呢？”那位绅士似乎对她很同情。

    “我简直不知道是怎么回事，”姑娘回答，“要知道就好了。我一整天想的都是可怕的念头，死神，带血的裹尸布，越害怕身上越发烫，像是给架在火上烤一样。今天晚上我看了一本书，想混混时间，这些东西又从书上跑出来了。”

    “这是想像。”绅士安慰她说。

    “不是想像，”姑娘的声音很沙哑，“我敢发誓，我看见书上每一页都有‘棺材’这两个字，字体又大又黑――嗳，刚才在街上，他们就抬着一副棺材从我身边走过。”

    “这种事不足为奇，”绅士说道，“我也时常遇到。”

    “那是真的棺材，”姑娘答道，“我看到的不是真的。”

    她说话的回气的确非同寻常，躲在一旁偷听的暗探禁不住毛骨悚然，连血都凉了。接着他又听到那位小姐柔和的声音，只感到一阵前所未有的轻松，那位小姐恳求她平静下来，不要听任这样可怕的幻觉来折磨自己。

    “请你好好劝劝她，”小姐对老先生说，“苦命的姑娘。她看来很需要这样。”

    “看见我今天晚上的样子，你们有些高傲的教友少不了会昂起头来，并且祈祷地狱之火和上帝的惩罚降临，”姑娘嚷道，“噢，可爱的小姐，有些人自称是上帝的子民，他们对待我们这班苦命人为什么不能像你这样体贴、善意呢？你又年轻又美貌，我们失去的一切你都有，你完全可以高傲一些，用不着这么谦恭。”

    “哦。”老先生说道，“土耳其人把脸洗净，然后面朝东方做祷告。而那些好人，在和尘世的摩擦中似乎连笑容也给抹掉了，总是一成不变地面向天国最黑暗的一侧。如果要我在异教徒和伪君子之间作一个选择的话，我宁可选择前者。”

    这番话表面上是向年轻小姐说的，但目的也许是给南希一点时间，让她定下心来。稍停，老先生自己便和她攀谈起来。

    “上星期天晚上你不在这里。”他说道。

    “我来不了，”南希回答，“硬给留下了。”

    “被谁？”

    “我以前跟小姐说过的那个人。”

    “今天晚上我们到这儿来，没有人怀疑你是来向什么人通风报信的？”老先生说。

    “没有，”姑娘摇了摇头，回答，“我离开他可真不容易，除非让他知道为什么。要不是上一次出来以前我给他服了一点鸦片酊，我也见不着这位小姐了。”

    “在你回去之前，他没醒过来？”老先生问道。

    “没有，不管是他，还是他们中的哪一个，都没有怀疑我。”

    “很好，”老先生说道，“眼下你听我说。”

    “我听着呢。”姑娘在他停下来的刹那间回答。

    “这位小姐，”老先生开日了，“把差不多半个月以前你说的事，告诉了我和另外几位可以完全信赖的朋友。坦率地说，一开始我怀疑你是否绝对靠得住，但现在我深信你是靠得住的。”

    “我靠得住。”姑娘真诚地说。

    “我再说一遍，我对此深信不疑。为了向你证明我对你的信任，我要毫无保留地告诉你，我们打算从利用孟可司这个人的恐惧着手，逼他说出秘密，不管这是个什么样的秘密。但如果――如果――”老先生说，“不能把他给逮住，或者，即便逮住了，却无法迫使他按我们的意图行事，你就必须告发那个犹太人。”

    “费金！”姑娘猛一后退，发出一声惊叫。

    “你必须告发那个人。”老先生说道。

    “我不干。我绝不会干这种事！”姑娘回答，“虽说他是个魔鬼，对待我比魔鬼还要可恶，我也绝不会干这种事。”

    “你不愿意？”老先生仿佛对这一答复已有充分准备似的。

    “绝不！”姑娘答道。

    “可不可以告诉我原因？”

    “有一个原因，”姑娘断然回答，“有一个原因是小姐知道的，而巨也会支持我，我知道她会支持我，因为我跟她有约在先。再说，还有一个原因，他虽说是个坏蛋，可我也不是什么好东西，我们许多人干的都是同样的勾当，我不能出卖他们，他们――不管是哪一个――本来都有机会出卖我，可都没有出卖我，尽管他们是坏人。”

    “既然如此，”老先生随即说道，似乎这正是他一心要达到的目的一般，“那就把孟可司交给我，由我来对付他。”

    “要是他供出别人怎么办？”

    “我答应你，在这种情形下，只要他说出真相，事情就算作罢，奥立弗的简短经历当中一定有种种变故，不便分之于世。一旦真相大白，他们也就脱离干系了。”

    “如果弄不清楚呢？”姑娘提醒道。

    “那么，”老先生继续说道，“除非你同意，那个犹太人不会被送上法庭。如果出现这种情形，我大概可以向你讲明理由，你会同意这样做的。”

    “小姐是不是也答应？”姑娘问道。

    “我答应你，”露丝回答，“我真心诚意地保证。”

    “孟可司决不会明白你们是怎么知道这些事情的？”姑娘略略顿了一下，说道。

    “绝对不会，”老先生回答，“这件事就要落到他头上了，叫他根本无从猜测。”

    “我是个骗子，从小就生活在骗子中间，”姑娘再度沉默下来，过了一会儿，她说道，“但我相信你的话。”

    从他们二位口中得到她尽可放心的担保之后，她开始描述当天晚上她一走出来就被盯上的那家小酒馆叫什么名宇，在什么地方，她说话的声音很低，那个在一旁偷听的暗探常常连她讲的大意也难以琢磨。从她偶尔稍停片刻这一点来判断，老先生似乎正在对她提供的情况匆匆作一些记录。她一五一十地说明了小酒店的方位，从哪里进行监视位置最好，又不会引起别人的注意，哪几个晚上盘可司前去酒店的可能性最大，几点钟，接下来，她似乎考虑了一会儿，以便更为清晰地回想他的外貌特征。

    “他个儿高高的，”姑娘说道，“长得很结实，不胖，走路的样子鬼鬼祟祟的，老是回头看，先瞧瞧这一边，然后又瞧瞧另一边。别忘了，因为他的眼睛往里凹，比哪一个男人都深得多，你单凭这一点就完全可以把他认出来。脸黑黑的，头发和眼睛也一样。尽管大不了二十六岁，就算二十八岁吧，皮肤已经长了很多褶子，挺憔悴的。他的嘴唇经常没有血色，齿痕很深。他一抽筋就不得了，有时候咬得手上满是伤痕――你干吗吓一大跳？”姑娘说着，猝然停了下来。

    老先生连忙回答，他这是无意识的动作，请她继续说下去。

    “这个人的情况，”姑娘说道，“有一部分是我从其他住在店里的人那儿了解到的，就是我跟你说的那家酒店，我也只见过他两次，两次他都披着一件大斗篷。可以供你们识别他的特征恐怕也就是这些了。慢着，还有，”她补充说，“他的脖子，他转过脸去的时候，围巾下边多多少少可以看到一点儿，那儿有――”

    “一大块红斑，像是烧伤或者烫伤。”老先生大声说道。

    “怎么回事？你认识他！”姑娘说。

    年轻小姐发出一声惊呼，一时间，三个人都沉默下来，那个偷听的人甚至可以清清楚楚地听到他们呼吸的声音。

    “我想是的，”老先生打破了沉默，“根据你的描述理应如此。再说吧。很多人彼此像得出奇，也可能不是同一个人。”

    他说出这番话的时候装出若无其事的样子，朝前走了两步，离藏在暗处的密探更近了，后者清清楚楚地听到他低声说道：“肯定是他。”

    “好吧，”说话间，他似乎又回到了刚才站的地方（听声音好像是这样），“姑娘，你给了我们极为可贵的帮助，愿你由此得到好报。我能为你做些什么呢？”

    “没什么。”南希回答。

    “你不要固执一词，”老先生答道，他的声音和语气充满了好意，再硬、再固执的心也不能不感动，“你考虑一下，尽管说。”

    “没有什么，先生。”姑娘一边回答，一边哭了起来，“你帮不了我，我一点指望都没有了，真的。”

    “你不要自暴自弃，”老绅士说道，“你以往白白耗费了青春活力，这种无价之宝造物主只给我们一次，永远不会再次赐予，但是，你还可以寄希望于未来。我并不是说，凭我们的力量可以带给你心灵的平静，那是要靠你自己去追求才能到来的。可是，为你提供一处幽静的栖身之地。在英国也可以，如果你不敢留在国内的话，国外也可以，这不仅是我们力所能及的事，也是我们的殷切希望。天亮以前，在这条河迎来第一抹曙光之前，你就可以到达你从前那班同伙完全够不着的地方，并且不会留下一点痕迹，就好像你一下子从尘世间消失了一样。说吧。我不愿意让你回去跟哪个以往的伙伴交谈一句，或者看一眼哪一处老巢，甚至不愿意让你再呼吸一口那里的空气，那种空气只会给你带来瘟疫和死亡。把这一切统统抛开吧，趁现在还有时间和机会。”

    “她就要被说服了，”年轻小姐大声说道，“她在犹豫，一定是的。”

    “只怕不一定，我亲爱的。”老绅士说道。

    “是的，先生，我不会改变主意，”经过短时间的努力，姑娘答道，““我与过去的生话是用链条拴在一起的。我现在讨厌它、恨它，但却离不开它。我只能走到再也回不来的地步才算了事――我也不知道是怎么搞的，即使你很久以前就对我这样说，我也会哈哈大笑，不当一回事。不过，”她慌慌张张地回头看了一眼，“我又怕起来了，我得回家去了。”

    “回家！”年轻的小姐重复了一遍，特别在“家”这个字眼上加重了语气。

    “是的，回家，小姐，”姑娘答道，“那是我用一辈子的操劳替自己营造起来的家。我们分手吧。我会被人盯上或者认出来的。走吧！走吧！如果我替你们帮了什么忙的话，我没有别的要求，只求你们不要管我，让我自个儿走自个儿的路。”

    “毫无作用，”绅士叹了一口气，说道，“我们呆在此地，说不定会危及她的安全，我们可能耽搁她太久了，已经超出她原来的估计。”

    “是啊，是啊，”姑娘一个劲地催促，“已经超出了。”

    “这苦命的人会得到什么样的归宿啊。”年轻小姐哭了。

    “什么归宿。”姑娘重复了一遍。“瞧瞧你前边吧，小姐，瞧瞧那漆黑的河水。你肯定不知读到过多少回了，像我这样的人跳进水流之中，没有一个人在乎，没有一个人哭。兴许是几年以后，或者只要几个月也不一定，但我终究会走到那一步的。”

    “求你了，别那么说。”年轻小姐哽咽着答道。

    “这样的事不会传进你耳朵里的，亲爱的小姐，上帝保佑，不要让你听到这样可怕的事。”姑娘回答说，“再见，再见了。”

    老绅士转过脸去。

    “这个钱包，”年轻小姐叫道，“看在我的分上，请你收下，遇到急需的时候多少可以用得上。”

    “不。”姑娘回答，“我做这件事不是为了钱，就让我把这一点记在心里吧。不过――你可以把你带在身上的东西给我一样：我想要一样东西――不，不，不是戒指――你的手套或者是手绢――我想保存一样属于你的东西作个纪念，可爱的小姐。啊，天啦！愿上帝保佑你！再见，再见吧！”

    见南希姑娘极为冲动，加上担心她如果被人发现会遭到毒打虐待，老绅士似乎这才下决心答应她的恳求，离她而去。清晰可闻的脚步声渐渐远去，说话声停止了。

    年轻小姐与她那位同伴的身影不多一会就出现在桥面上。他们在石梯顶上停下来。

    “听！”露丝谛听着，忽然叫了一声，“她是不是在叫！我好像听见了她的声音。”

    “不，亲爱的，”布朗罗先生悲哀地往后看了一眼，答道，“她还在老地方站着，在我们离去之前，她是不会走开的。”

    露丝梅莱还在犹豫，但老绅士挽住她的胳膊，略一用力，领着她走了。他们渐渐消失了，姑娘几乎直挺挺地瘫倒在一级石梯上，满心的愁苦化作辛酸的泪水中涌泻而出。

    过了一会儿，她站起来，拖着疲软的脚步，摇摇晃晃地登上街面去了。几分钟过去了，那个惊异不置的偷听者仍呆在原地一动不动，他一次又一次用审慎的目光环顾四周，确信自己身边没有其他的人了，才缓缓地从隐藏的地方爬出来，同下来的时候一样借着石壁的阴影，偷偷摸摸地往桥上走去。

    诺亚克雷波尔走到上边，又不止一次地往外窥探，断定没有人注意到自己，然后一跃而出，撒开双腿，以最快的速度往老犹太的住所奔去。

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