Chapter 533.docx

Chapter 533.docx

《Chapter 533.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Chapter 533.docx（5页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

Chapter533

Chapter53

ANDLAST

Thefortunesofthosewhohavefiguredinthistalearenearlyclosed.Thelittlethatremainstotheirhistoriantorelate,istoldinfewandsimplewords.

Beforethreemonthshadpassed,RoseFlemingandHarryMaylieweremarriedinthevillagechurchwhichwashenceforthtobethesceneoftheyoungclergyman'slabours;onthesamedaytheyenteredintopossessionoftheirnewandhappyhome.

Mrs.Maylietookupherabodewithhersonanddaughter-in-law,toenjoy,duringthetranquilremainderofherdays,thegreatestfelicitythatageandworthcanknow--thecontemplationofthehappinessofthoseonwhomthewarmestaffectionsandtenderestcaresofawell-spentlife,havebeenunceasinglybestowed.

Itappeared,onfullandcarefulinvestigation,thatifthewreckofpropertyremaininginthecustodyofMonks（whichhadneverprosperedeitherinhishandsorinthoseofhismother）wereequallydividedbetweenhimselfandOliver,itwouldyield,toeach,littlemorethanthreethousandpounds.Bytheprovisionsofhisfather'swill,Oliverwouldhavebeenentitledtothewhole;butMr.Brownlow,unwillingtodeprivetheeldersonoftheopportunityofretrievinghisformervicesandpursuinganhonestcareer,proposedthismodeofdistribution,towhichhisyoungchargejoyfullyacceded.

Monks,stillbearingthatassumedname,retiredwithhisportiontoadistantpartoftheNewWorld;where,havingquicklysquanderedit,heoncemorefellintohisoldcourses,and,afterundergoingalongconfinementforsomefreshactoffraudandknavery,atlengthsunkunderanattackofhisolddisorder,anddiedinprison.Asfarfromhome,diedthechiefremainingmembersofhisfriendFagin'sgang.

Mr.BrownlowadoptedOliverashisson.Removingwithhimandtheoldhousekeepertowithinamileoftheparsonage-house,wherehisdearfriendsresided,hegratifiedtheonlyremainingwishofOliver'swarmandearnestheart,andthuslinkedtogetheralittlesociety,whoseconditionapproachedasnearlytooneofperfecthappinessascaneverbeknowninthischangingworld.

Soonafterthemarriageoftheyoungpeople,theworthydoctorreturnedtoChertsey,where,bereftofthepresenceofhisoldfriends,hewouldhavebeendiscontentedifhistemperamenthadadmittedofsuchafeeling;andwouldhaveturnedquitepeevishifhehadknownhow.Fortwoorthreemonths,hecontentedhimselfwithhintingthathefearedtheairbegantodisagreewithhim;then,findingthattheplacereallynolongerwas,tohim,whatithadbeen,hesettledhisbusinessonhisassistant,tookabachelor'scottageoutsidethevillageofwhichhisyoungfriendwaspastor,andinstantaneouslyrecovered.Herehetooktogardening,planting,fishing,carpentering,andvariousotherpursuitsofasimilarkind:

allundertakenwithhischaracteristicimpetuosity.Ineachandallhehassincebecomefamousthroughouttheneighborhood,asamostprofoundauthority.

Beforehisremoval,hehadmanagedtocontractastrongfriendshipforMr.Grimwig,whichthateccentricgentlemancordiallyreciprocated.HeisaccordinglyvisitedbyMr.Grimwigagreatmanytimesinthecourseoftheyear.Onallsuchoccasions,Mr.Grimwigplants,fishes,andcarpenters,withgreatardour;doingeverythinginaverysingularandunprecedentedmanner,butalwaysmaintainingwithhisfavouriteasseveration,thathismodeistherightone.OnSundays,heneverfailstocriticisethesermontotheyoungclergyman'sface:

alwaysinformingMr.Losberne,instrictconfidenceafterwards,thatheconsidersitanexcellentperformance,butdeemsitaswellnottosayso.Itisastandingandveryfavouritejoke,forMr.BrownlowtorallyhimonhisoldprophecyconcerningOliver,andtoremindhimofthenightonwhichtheysatwiththewatchbetweenthem,waitinghisreturn;butMr.Grimwigcontendsthathewasrightinthemain,and,inproofthereof,remarksthatOliverdidnotcomebackafterall;whichalwayscallsforthalaughonhisside,andincreaseshisgoodhumour.

Mr.NoahClaypole:

receivingafreepardonfromtheCrowninconsequenceofbeingadmittedapproveragainstFagin:

andconsideringhisprofessionnotaltogetherassafeaoneashecouldwish:

was,forsomelittletime,atalossforthemeansofalivelihood,notburdenedwithtoomuchwork.Aftersomeconsideration,hewentintobusinessasanInformer,inwhichcallingherealisesagenteelsubsistence.Hisplanis,towalkoutonceaweekduringchurchtimeattendedbyCharlotteinrespectableattire.Theladyfaintsawayatthedoorsofcharitablepublicans,andthegentlemanbeingaccommodatedwiththree-pennyworthofbrandytorestoreher,laysaninformationnextday,andpocketshalfthepenalty.SometimesMr.Claypolefaintshimself,buttheresultisthesame.

Mr.andMrs.Bumble,deprivedoftheirsituations,weregraduallyreducedtogreatindigenceandmisery,andfinallybecamepaupersinthatverysameworkhouseinwhichtheyhadoncelordeditoverothers.Mr.Bumblehasbeenheardtosay,thatinthisreverseanddegradation,hehasnotevenspiritstobethankfulforbeingseparatedfromhiswife.

AstoMr.GilesandBrittles,theystillremainintheiroldposts,althoughtheformerisbald,andthelast-namedboyquitegrey.Theysleepattheparsonage,butdividetheirattentionssoequallyamongitsinmates,andOliverandMr.Brownlow,andMr.Losberne,thattothisdaythevillagershaveneverbeenabletodiscovertowhichestablishmenttheyproperlybelong.

MasterCharlesBates,appalledbySikes'scrime,fellintoatrainofreflectionwhetheranhonestlifewasnot,afterall,thebest.Arrivingattheconclusionthatitcertainlywas,heturnedhisbackuponthescenesofthepast,resolvedtoamenditinsomenewsphereofaction.Hestruggledhard,andsufferedmuch,forsometime;but,havingacontenteddisposition,andagoodpurpose,succeededintheend;and,frombeingafarmer'sdrudge,andacarrier'slad,heisnowthemerriestyounggrazierinallNorthamptonshire.

Andnow,thehandthattracesthesewords,falters,asitapproachestheconclusionofitstask;andwouldweave,foralittlelongerspace,thethreadoftheseadventures.

IwouldfainlingeryetwithafewofthoseamongwhomIhavesolongmoved,andsharetheirhappinessbyendeavouringtodepictit.IwouldshowRoseMaylieinallthebloomandgraceofearlywomanhood,sheddingonhersecludedpathinlifesoftandgentlelight,thatfellonallwhotroditwithher,andshoneintotheirhearts.Iwouldpaintherthelifeandjoyofthefire-sidecircleandthelivelysummergroup;Iwouldfollowherthroughthesultryfieldsatnoon,andhearthelowtonesofhersweetvoiceinthemoonliteveningwalk;Iwouldwatchherinallhergoodnessandcharityabroad,andthesmilinguntiringdischargeofdomesticdutiesathome;Iwouldpaintherandherdeadsister'schildhappyintheirloveforoneanother,andpassingwholehourstogetherinpicturingthefriendswhomtheyhadsosadlylost;Iwouldsummonbeforeme,onceagain,thosejoyouslittlefacesthatclusteredroundherknee,andlistentotheirmerryprattle;Iwouldrecallthetonesofthatclearlaugh,andconjureupthesympathisingtearthatglistenedinthesoftblueeye.These,andathousandlooksandsmiles,andturnsofthoughtandspeech--Iwouldfainrecallthemeveryone.

HowMr.Brownlowwenton,fromdaytoday,fillingthemindofhisadoptedchildwithstoresofknowledge,andbecomingattachedtohim,moreandmore,ashisnaturedevelopeditself,andshowedthethrivingseedsofallhewishedhimtobecome--howhetracedinhimnewtraitsofhisearlyfriend,thatawakenedinhisownbosomoldremembrances,melancholyandyetsweetandsoothing--howthetwoorphans,triedbyadversity,remembereditslessonsinmercytoothers,andmutuallove,andferventthankstoHimwhohadprotectedandpreservedthem--theseareallmatterswhichneednottobetold.Ihavesaidthattheyweretrulyhappy;andwithoutstrongaffectionandhumanityofheart,andgratitudetothatBeingwhosecodeisMercy,andwhosegreatattributeisBenevolencetoallthingsthatbreathe,happinesscanneverbeattained.

Withinthealtaroftheoldvillagechurchtherestandsawhitemarbletablet,whichbearsasyetbutoneword:

'AGNES.'Thereisnocoffininthattomb;andmayitbemany,manyyears,beforeanothernameisplacedaboveit!

But,ifthespiritsoftheDeadevercomebacktoearth,tovisitspotshallowedbythelove--thelovebeyondthegrave--ofthosewhomtheyknewinlife,IbelievethattheshadeofAgnessometimeshoversroundthatsolemnnook.IbelieveitnonethelessbecausethatnookisinaChurch,andshewasweakanderring.

最后一章。

有关这部传记中出场人物的命运差不多已经讲完了。

留给本书作者交待的只有简简单单几句话。

不出三个月，露丝弗莱明与哈利梅莱结婚了，地点就是那所从此以后将成为这位年轻牧师工作场所的乡村教堂。

同一天，他俩搬进了幸福的新居。

梅莱太太也搬来跟儿子、儿媳妇住在一块儿，准备在宁静的余年享受一下品德高洁的老年人所能领略的最大乐事――细细品味两个孩子的幸福，自己的一生没有虚度，又曾不断地向他俩倾注最温暖的爱心和无微不至的关怀。

经过充分而又周密的调查，黎福特家的那笔遗产（无论是在孟可司名下还是在他母亲手中，那笔财产从未增值），除去孟可司已经挥霍的部分，如果在他与奥立弗之间平分，各自可得三千英镑多一点。

依照父亲的遗嘱，奥立弗本来有权得到全部财产，但布朗罗先生不愿意剥夺那位长子改邪归正的机会，提出了这样一个分配方式，他的那位幼小的被保护人愉快地接受了。

孟可司，依旧顶着这个化名，带上自己得到的那一份财产，隐退到新大陆一个遥远的地方去了。

在那儿，他很快便把财产挥霍一空，又一次重操旧业，由于犯下另一桩欺诈罪被判长期监禁，最终因旧病复发死在狱中。

他的朋友费金一伙余下的几名首犯也都客死异乡。

布朗罗先生把奥立弗当作亲生儿子收养下来，带着他和老管家迁往新居，离自己那几位老朋友的牧师住宅不到一英里，满足了奥立弗那热情而又真挚的心怀中余下的唯一希望，就这样，他把一个小小的团体联系在一起，他们的幸福俨然达到了在这个动荡不定的世界上所能达到的最高境界。

两个年轻人结婚以后不久，那位可敬的大夫便返回杰茨去了。

在那儿，离开了那班老朋友，他本来没准会变得牢骚满腹，或者莫名其妙地变得暴躁易怒，幸而他生来没有这样一份德性。

两三个月之间，他一开始还通过暗示来自我宽慰，意思是那边的空气恐怕对自己不大合适，随后又发觉对他说来当地确实已经和过去大不一样了，他把业务交给助手，在年轻朋友担任牧师的那所村子外边租了一所供单身汉住的小房子，所有的不舒服便立刻康复了。

在那里，他忙于种花、植树、钓鱼、做木器活以及诸如此类的活动，不管是干什么，他无不带着自己独具一格的急性子。

他后来在各个方面都成为最渊博的权威人士，名气传遍了附近一带。

大夫搬家以前就已经对格林维格先生印象极佳，这位执拗的绅士也对他投桃报李。

一年当中，格林维格先生多次前来拜访。

每次来访，格林维格先生都劲头十足地植树、钓鱼、做木工。

他做什么事情都与众不同，有的更是史无前例，而且老是搬出他所珍爱的那句名言来说明自已的方法才是