It was a gloomy autumn evening, and he thought the old place had never looked so dismal3 as in its dreary4 twilight5. The windows broken, the rusty6 sashes rattling7 in their frames, the deserted8 house a dull barrier dividing the glaring lights and bustle9 of the street into two long lines, and standing10 in the midst, cold, dark, and empty — presented a cheerless spectacle which mingled11 harshly with the bright prospects12 the boy had been building up for its late inmates13, and came like a disappointment or misfortune. Kit would have had a good fire roaring up the empty chimneys, lights sparkling and shining through the windows, people moving briskly to and fro, voices in cheerful conversation, something in unison14 with the new hopes that were astir. He had not expected that the house would wear any different aspect — had known indeed that it could not — but coming upon it in the midst of eager thoughts and expectations, it checked the current in its flow, and darkened it with a mournful shadow.
Kit, however, fortunately for himself, was not learned enough or contemplative enough to be troubled with presages15 of evil afar off, and, having no mental spectacles to assist his vision in this respect, saw nothing but the dull house, which jarred uncomfortably upon his previous thoughts. So, almost wishing that he had not passed it, though hardly knowing why, he hurried on again, making up by his increased speed for the few moments he had lost.
‘Now, if she should be out,’ thought Kit, as he approached the poor dwelling16 of his mother, ‘and I not able to find her, this impatient gentleman would be in a pretty taking. And sure enough there’s no light, and the door’s fast. Now, God forgive me for saying so, but if this is Little Bethel’s doing, I wish Little Bethel was — was farther off,’ said Kit checking himself, and knocking at the door.
A second knock brought no reply from within the house; but caused a woman over the way to look out and inquire who that was, awanting Mrs Nubbles.
‘Me,’ said Kit. ‘She’s at — at Little Bethel, I suppose?’— getting out the name of the obnoxious17 conventicle with some reluctance18, and laying a spiteful emphasis upon the words.
The neighbour nodded assent19.
‘Then pray tell me where it is,’ said Kit, ‘for I have come on a pressing matter, and must fetch her out, even if she was in the pulpit.’
It was not very easy to procure20 a direction to the fold in question, as none of the neighbours were of the flock that resorted thither21, and few knew anything more of it than the name. At last, a gossip of Mrs Nubbles’s, who had accompanied her to chapel22 on one or two occasions when a comfortable cup of tea had preceded her devotions, furnished the needful information, which Kit had no sooner obtained than he started off again.
Little Bethel might have been nearer, and might have been in a straighter road, though in that case the reverend gentleman who presided over its congregation would have lost his favourite allusion23 to the crooked24 ways by which it was approached, and which enabled him to liken it to Paradise itself, in contradistinction to the parish church and the broad thoroughfare leading thereunto. Kit found it, at last, after some trouble, and pausing at the door to take breath that he might enter with becoming decency25, passed into the chapel.
It was not badly named in one respect, being in truth a particularly little Bethel — a Bethel of the smallest dimensions — with a small number of small pews, and a small pulpit, in which a small gentleman (by trade a Shoemaker, and by calling a Divine) was delivering in a by no means small voice, a by no means small sermon, judging of its dimensions by the condition of his audience, which, if their gross amount were but small, comprised a still smaller number of hearers, as the majority were slumbering27.
Among these was Kit’s mother, who, finding it matter of extreme difficulty to keep her eyes open after the fatigues28 of last night, and feeling their inclination29 to close strongly backed and seconded by the arguments of the preacher, had yielded to the drowsiness30 that overpowered her, and fallen asleep; though not so soundly but that she could, from time to time, utter a slight and almost inaudible groan31, as if in recognition of the orator’s doctrines32. The baby in her arms was as fast asleep as she; and little Jacob, whose youth prevented him from recognising in this prolonged spiritual nourishment33 anything half as interesting as oysters34, was alternately very fast asleep and very wide awake, as his inclination to slumber26, or his terror of being personally alluded35 to in the discourse36, gained the mastery over him.
‘And now I’m here,’ thought Kit, gliding37 into the nearest empty pew which was opposite his mother’s, and on the other side of the little aisle38, ‘how am I ever to get at her, or persuade her to come out! I might as well be twenty miles off. She’ll never wake till it’s all over, and there goes the clock again! If he would but leave off for a minute, or if they’d only sing!’
But there was little encouragement to believe that either event would happen for a couple of hours to come. The preacher went on telling them what he meant to convince them of before he had done, and it was clear that if he only kept to one-half of his promises and forgot the other, he was good for that time at least.
In his desperation and restlessness Kit cast his eyes about the chapel, and happening to let them fall upon a little seat in front of the clerk’s desk, could scarcely believe them when they showed him — Quilp!
He rubbed them twice or thrice, but still they insisted that Quilp was there, and there indeed he was, sitting with his hands upon his knees, and his hat between them on a little wooden bracket, with the accustomed grin on his dirty face, and his eyes fixed39 upon the ceiling. He certainly did not glance at Kit or at his mother, and appeared utterly40 unconscious of their presence; still Kit could not help feeling, directly, that the attention of the sly little fiend was fastened upon them, and upon nothing else.
But, astounded41 as he was by the apparition42 of the dwarf43 among the Little Bethelites, and not free from a misgiving44 that it was the forerunner45 of some trouble or annoyance46, he was compelled to subdue47 his wonder and to take active measures for the withdrawal48 of his parent, as the evening was now creeping on, and the matter grew serious. Therefore, the next time little Jacob woke, Kit set himself to attract his wandering attention, and this not being a very difficult task (one sneeze effected it), he signed to him to rouse his mother.
Ill-luck would have it, however, that, just then, the preacher, in a forcible exposition of one head of his discourse, leaned over upon the pulpit-desk so that very little more of him than his legs remained inside; and, while he made vehement49 gestures with his right hand, and held on with his left, stared, or seemed to stare, straight into little Jacob’s eyes, threatening him by his strained look and attitude — so it appeared to the child — that if he so much as moved a muscle, he, the preacher, would be literally50, and not figuratively, ‘down upon him’ that instant. In this fearful state of things, distracted by the sudden appearance of Kit, and fascinated by the eyes of the preacher, the miserable51 Jacob sat bolt upright, wholly incapable52 of motion, strongly disposed to cry but afraid to do so, and returning his pastor’s gaze until his infant eyes seemed starting from their sockets53.
‘If I must do it openly, I must,’ thought Kit. With that he walked softly out of his pew and into his mother’s, and as Mr Swiveller would have observed if he had been present, ‘collared’ the baby without speaking a word.
‘Hush, mother!’ whispered Kit. ‘Come along with me, I’ve got something to tell you.’
‘Where am I?’ said Mrs Nubbles.
‘In this blessed Little Bethel,’ returned her son, peevishly54.
‘Blessed indeed!’ cried Mrs Nubbles, catching55 at the word. ‘Oh, Christopher, how have I been edified56 this night!’
‘Yes, yes, I know,’ said Kit hastily; ‘but come along, mother, everybody’s looking at us. Don’t make a noise — bring Jacob — that’s right!’
‘Stay, Satan, stay!’ cried the preacher, as Kit was moving off.
‘This gentleman says you’re to stay, Christopher,’ whispered his mother.
‘Stay, Satan, stay!’ roared the preacher again. ‘Tempt not the woman that doth incline her ear to thee, but harken to the voice of him that calleth. He hath a lamb from the fold!’ cried the preacher, raising his voice still higher and pointing to the baby. ‘He beareth off a lamb, a precious lamb! He goeth about, like a wolf in the night season, and inveigleth the tender lambs!’
Kit was the best-tempered fellow in the world, but considering this strong language, and being somewhat excited by the circumstances in which he was placed, he faced round to the pulpit with the baby in his arms, and replied aloud, ‘No, I don’t. He’s my brother.’
‘He’s MY brother!’ cried the preacher.
‘He isn’t,’ said Kit indignantly. ‘How can you say such a thing? And don’t call me names if you please; what harm have I done? I shouldn’t have come to take ’em away, unless I was obliged, you may depend upon that. I wanted to do it very quiet, but you wouldn’t let me. Now, you have the goodness to abuse Satan and them, as much as you like, Sir, and to let me alone if you please.’
So saying, Kit marched out of the chapel, followed by his mother and little Jacob, and found himself in the open air, with an indistinct recollection of having seen the people wake up and look surprised, and of Quilp having remained, throughout the interruption, in his old attitude, without moving his eyes from the ceiling, or appearing to take the smallest notice of anything that passed.
‘Oh Kit!’ said his mother, with her handkerchief to her eyes, ‘what have you done! I never can go there again — never!’
‘I’m glad of it, mother. What was there in the little bit of pleasure you took last night that made it necessary for you to be low-spirited and sorrowful tonight? That’s the way you do. If you’re happy or merry ever, you come here to say, along with that chap, that you’re sorry for it. More shame for you, mother, I was going to say.’
‘Hush, dear!’ said Mrs Nubbles; ‘you don’t mean what you say I know, but you’re talking sinfulness.’
‘Don’t mean it? But I do mean it!’ retorted Kit. ‘I don’t believe, mother, that harmless cheerfulness and good humour are thought greater sins in Heaven than shirt-collars are, and I do believe that those chaps are just about as right and sensible in putting down the one as in leaving off the other — that’s my belief. But I won’t say anything more about it, if you’ll promise not to cry, that’s all; and you take the baby that’s a lighter57 weight, and give me little Jacob; and as we go along (which we must do pretty quick) I’ll give you the news I bring, which will surprise you a little, I can tell you. There — that’s right. Now you look as if you’d never seen Little Bethel in all your life, as I hope you never will again; and here’s the baby; and little Jacob, you get atop of my back and catch hold of me tight round the neck, and whenever a Little Bethel parson calls you a precious lamb or says your brother’s one, you tell him it’s the truest things he’s said for a twelvemonth, and that if he’d got a little more of the lamb himself, and less of the mint-sauce — not being quite so sharp and sour over it — I should like him all the better. That’s what you’ve got to say to him, Jacob.’
Talking on in this way, half in jest and half in earnest, and cheering up his mother, the children, and himself, by the one simple process of determining to be in a good humour, Kit led them briskly forward; and on the road home, he related what had passed at the Notary58’s house, and the purpose with which he had intruded59 on the solemnities of Little Bethel.
His mother was not a little startled on learning what service was required of her, and presently fell into a confusion of ideas, of which the most prominent were that it was a great honour and dignity to ride in a post-chaise, and that it was a moral impossibility to leave the children behind. But this objection, and a great many others, founded on certain articles of dress being at the wash, and certain other articles having no existence in the wardrobe of Mrs Nubbles, were overcome by Kit, who opposed to each and every of them, the pleasure of recovering Nell, and the delight it would be to bring her back in triumph.
‘There’s only ten minutes now, mother,’ said Kit when they reached home. ‘There’s a bandbox. Throw in what you want, and we’ll be off directly.’
To tell how Kit then hustled60 into the box all sorts of things which could, by no remote contingency61, be wanted, and how he left out everything likely to be of the smallest use; how a neighbour was persuaded to come and stop with the children, and how the children at first cried dismally62, and then laughed heartily63 on being promised all kinds of impossible and unheard-of toys; how Kit’s mother wouldn’t leave off kissing them, and how Kit couldn’t make up his mind to be vexed64 with her for doing it; would take more time and room than you and I can spare. So, passing over all such matters, it is sufficient to say that within a few minutes after the two hours had expired, Kit and his mother arrived at the Notary’s door, where a post-chaise was already waiting.
‘With four horses I declare!’ said Kit, quite aghast at the preparations. ‘Well you ARE going to do it, mother! Here she is, Sir. Here’s my mother. She’s quite ready, sir.’
‘That’s well,’ returned the gentleman. ‘Now, don’t be in a flutter, ma’am; you’ll be taken great care of. Where’s the box with the new clothing and necessaries for them?’
‘Here it is,’ said the Notary. ‘In with it, Christopher.’
‘All right, Sir,’ replied Kit. ‘Quite ready now, sir.’
‘Then come along,’ said the single gentleman. And thereupon he gave his arm to Kit’s mother, handed her into the carriage as politely as you please, and took his seat beside her.
Up went the steps, bang went the door, round whirled the wheels, and off they rattled65, with Kit’s mother hanging out at one window waving a damp pocket-handkerchief and screaming out a great many messages to little Jacob and the baby, of which nobody heard a word.
Kit stood in the middle of the road, and looked after them with tears in his eyes — not brought there by the departure he witnessed, but by the return to which he looked forward. ‘They went away,’ he thought, ‘on foot with nobody to speak to them or say a kind word at parting, and they’ll come back, drawn66 by four horses, with this rich gentleman for their friend, and all their troubles over! She’ll forget that she taught me to write —’
Whatever Kit thought about after this, took some time to think of, for he stood gazing up the lines of shining lamps, long after the chaise had disappeared, and did not return into the house until the Notary and Mr Abel, who had themselves lingered outside till the sound of the wheels was no longer distinguishable, had several times wondered what could possibly detain him.
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1
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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8
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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10
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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11
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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12
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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13
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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presages
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| v.预示，预兆( presage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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28
fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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29
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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30
drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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31
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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32
doctrines
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| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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oysters
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| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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44
misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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forerunner
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| n.前身，先驱（者），预兆，祖先 | |
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46
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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47
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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48
withdrawal
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| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
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49
vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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50
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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51
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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52
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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53
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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peevishly
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| adv．暴躁地 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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56
edified
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| v.开导，启发( edify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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notary
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| n.公证人，公证员 | |
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intruded
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| n.侵入的，推进的v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的过去式和过去分词 )；把…强加于 | |
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hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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dismally
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| adv.阴暗地，沉闷地 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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64
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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