奥利弗投奔的那户人家，其成员 preliminarily 介绍
在一间宽敞的房间里——虽说里面的家具更透着旧式的舒坦，而非时新的雅致——两位女士坐在一张摆满早餐的桌子旁。贾尔斯先生一身黑色正装，悉心打扮，正侍候着她们。他在碗橱和早餐桌之间约莫一半的位置站定；身子挺得笔直，头朝后仰，微微向一侧偏着，左腿向前迈出，右手插进背心，左手垂在身侧，攥着个茶盘，那模样活像个深为自己德行与身份感到快意的人。
两位女士中，一位年事已高；可她坐的那把高背橡木椅，也没她腰板挺得直。她一身打扮极尽整洁讲究，是旧时衣装的古怪混搭，又稍顺了眼下的风气，反倒把老样式衬得可人，却不损其神韵；她双手交叠身前桌上，端坐得威仪俨然。她那双眼睛（岁月也没怎么黯淡了其中的光彩）正专注地望着年轻的同伴。
年轻的女士正值女子韶华初绽的妙龄；在那般年纪，若说有天使为着上帝美意寄身凡胎，大可无亵渎之嫌地想，他们便栖居在她这样的躯壳里。
她还不满十七。生得那般纤巧精致；那般温婉柔顺；那般纯净明丽；竟似尘土非她所属，粗人非她所匹。她深蓝眸中闪动的灵慧，还有那高贵额上镌着的聪颖，几乎不似她这年纪、这世间所有；然而那甜美与温良交替的神情，那面上游走、不遗半分阴翳的万千光采；尤其是那笑，那欢欣安然的笑，却分明为着家园、炉边与平和喜乐而生。
她正忙着桌上些许细务。偶一抬眼，正撞上老女士在看她，便顽皮地把额前简简单单编好的头发往后撩了撩；那亮闪闪的眼神里，便添了般亲昵与无琢的可爱，连有福的精灵见了怕也要含笑。
“布里特尔斯去了有一个多钟头了吧？”老女士顿了顿，开口问道。
“一小时十二分，夫人。”贾尔斯先生答道，一边扯出系着黑缎带的银表看了看。
“他向来慢吞吞的。”老女士说。
“布里特尔斯打小就是个慢吞吞的娃儿，夫人。”侍者答道。且说这布里特尔斯慢吞吞了三十多年，看来是一点儿快起来的指望也没了。
“我看他倒是越来越慢了。”老女士说。
“他要是为跟别的娃儿玩耽搁了，可真说不过去。”年轻女士笑道。
贾尔斯先生正斟酌着，自个儿陪个恭敬的笑妥不妥当，门外花园闸口驶来一辆双轮轻便马车：里头跳出个胖绅士，径直跑到门前：不知怎的一下就进了屋，冲进房来，险些连贾尔斯带早餐桌一块儿掀翻。
“我可从来没听过这种事！”胖绅士叫道，“我亲爱的梅莱太太——老天保佑——还是深更半夜的——我从来没听过这种事！”
一番慰唁之下，胖绅士与两位女士都握了手，拉过一把椅子，问她们身子可好。
“你该吓死了才是；准是给吓坏了。”胖绅士说，“怎不派人来？我的天，我家下人一刻钟就能到；我也一样；我助手准乐坏了；换谁都成，这等情形下。哎呀呀！太突然了！还是深更半夜的！”
这医生似是尤其恼火劫案来得突兀、又挑在夜里；仿佛撬门入户的先生们素来习惯晌午办事，还得提前一两天发帖约好。
“你呢，罗斯小姐，”医生转向年轻女士，“我——”
“哦！好得很呢。”罗斯打断他，“可楼上有个可怜人，姨妈想请您去看看。”
“啊！可不是，”医生答，“是有这么回事。贾尔斯，听说那是你的手笔？”
贾尔斯正热躁躁地归整茶杯，闻言涨红了脸，说那是他的荣幸。
“荣幸，嗯？”医生说，“唔，这我可说不好；在后厨打贼一枪，跟隔十二步放倒对手，许是一样光荣。权当他是朝天放的枪，你便算决斗过了，贾尔斯。”
贾尔斯觉着这轻描淡写是存心削他威风，便恭恭敬敬答道，这等事非他这等人可妄断；不过他倒觉着，对那边的人来说，可不是闹着玩的。
“天，这话在理！”医生说，“人在哪儿？带路。我下楼再来瞧您，梅莱太太。他就是从那小窗进来的，嗯？啧，换我可不信！”
他一路说个不停，跟着贾尔斯上楼；趁他上楼这工夫，不妨交代读者：洛斯伯恩先生是邻近一带的外科医生，周遭十里皆唤他“医生”，他发福非因吃得好，实是心宽；为人慈和爽朗，又不乏怪癖，这般老 bachelor（单身汉），任凭活着的探险家搜遍五倍的地界，也难寻其二。
医生去了许久，超出他与女士们所料。马车里搬出个大扁箱；卧室铃响个不停；下人 perpetual 地上下奔走；由这些征兆，大可断定楼上正折腾要紧事。终于他回来了；面对急切的问询，只把病人情形说得十分玄秘，还把门仔细关上。
“这可奇了，梅莱太太。”医生说，背抵着门，似要拦人不进。
“但愿他没性命之忧？”老女士道。
“唔，那般情形下，倒也不算奇，”医生答，“虽则我以为他无碍。你可见过那贼？”
“没。”老女士答。
“也没听说他什么？”
“没。”
“恕我插嘴，夫人，”贾尔斯先生插话，“洛斯伯恩医生进来前，我正要同您讲他。”
实情是，贾尔斯起初难以启齿，承认自己只打中了个娃儿。众人把他勇武夸上了天，他拼了命也想把说明延后那销魂的几分钟；其间他正享着那转瞬即逝的、无畏勇名之鼎盛。
“罗斯想见那人，”梅莱太太说，“我可不依。”
“哼！”医生应道，“他模样也没多吓人。你介不介意在我陪着时见见？”
“若有必要，”老女士答，“自然不介意。”
“那我便以为有必要，”医生说，“无论如何，若推了，你定会深悔没见。他现下安安静静，舒舒坦坦。容我——罗斯小姐，可准我？绝无半分危险，我拿名誉担保！”
HAS AN INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE INMATES OF THE HOUSE, TO WHICH
OLIVER RESORTED
In a handsome room: though its furniture had rather the air of
old-fashioned comfort, than of modern elegance: there sat two ladies at
a well-spread breakfast-table. Mr. Giles, dressed with scrupulous care
in a full suit of black, was in attendance upon them. He had taken his
station some half-way between the side-board and the breakfast-table;
and, with his body drawn up to its full height, his head thrown back,
and inclined the merest trifle on one side, his left leg advanced, and
his right hand thrust into his waist-coat, while his left hung down by
his side, grasping a waiter, looked like one who laboured under a very
agreeable sense of his own merits and importance.
Of the two ladies, one was well advanced in years; but the high-backed
oaken chair in which she sat, was not more upright than she. Dressed
with the utmost nicety and precision, in a quaint mixture of by-gone
costume, with some slight concessions to the prevailing taste, which
rather served to point the old style pleasantly than to impair its
effect, she sat, in a stately manner, with her hands folded on the
table before her. Her eyes (and age had dimmed but little of their
brightness) were attentively upon her young companion.
The younger lady was in the lovely bloom and spring-time of womanhood;
at that age, when, if ever angels be for God’s good purposes enthroned
in mortal forms, they may be, without impiety, supposed to abide in
such as hers.
She was not past seventeen. Cast in so slight and exquisite a mould; so
mild and gentle; so pure and beautiful; that earth seemed not her
element, nor its rough creatures her fit companions. The very
intelligence that shone in her deep blue eye, and was stamped upon her
noble head, seemed scarcely of her age, or of the world; and yet the
changing expression of sweetness and good humour, the thousand lights
that played about the face, and left no shadow there; above all, the
smile, the cheerful, happy smile, were made for Home, and fireside
peace and happiness.
She was busily engaged in the little offices of the table. Chancing to
raise her eyes as the elder lady was regarding her, she playfully put
back her hair, which was simply braided on her forehead; and threw into
her beaming look, such an expression of affection and artless
loveliness, that blessed spirits might have smiled to look upon her.
“And Brittles has been gone upwards of an hour, has he?” asked the old
lady, after a pause.
“An hour and twelve minutes, ma’am,” replied Mr. Giles, referring to a
silver watch, which he drew forth by a black ribbon.
“He is always slow,” remarked the old lady.
“Brittles always was a slow boy, ma’am,” replied the attendant. And
seeing, by the bye, that Brittles had been a slow boy for upwards of
thirty years, there appeared no great probability of his ever being a
fast one.
“He gets worse instead of better, I think,” said the elder lady.
