Oliver Twist-CHAPTER XXXVIII Đây là một tác phẩm anh ngữ dành cho trẻ em nổi tiếng của nhà văn Charles Dicken với những từ vựng quen thuộc. Nhằm giúp các em và các bạn yêu thich tiếng anh luyện tập và củng cố thêm kỹ năng đọc tiếng anh . | Oliver Twist Charles Dickens CHAPTER XXXVIII CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT PASSED BETWEEN MR. AND MRS. BUMBLE AND MR. MONKS AT THEIR NOCTURNAL INTERVIEW It was a dull close overcast summer evening. The clouds which had been threatening all day spread out in a dense and sluggish mass of vapour already yielded large drops of rain and seemed to presage a violent thunderstorm when Mr. and Mrs. Bumble turning out of the main street of the town directed their course towards a scattered little colony of ruinous houses distant from it some mile and a-half or thereabouts and erected on a low unwholesome swamp bordering upon the river. They were both wrapped in old and shabby outer garments which might perhaps serve the double purpose of protecting their persons from the rain and sheltering them from observation. The husband carried a lantern from which however no light yet shone and trudged on a few paces in front as though the way being dirty to give his wife the benefit of treading in his heavy footprints. They went on in profound silence every now and then Mr. Bumble relaxed his pace and turned his head as if to make sure that his helpmate was following then discovering that she was close at his heels he mended his rate of walking and proceeded at a considerable increase of speed towards their place of destination. This was far from being a place of doubtful character for it had long been known as the residence of none but low ruffians who under various pretences of living by their labour subsisted chiefly on plunder and crime. It was a collection of mere hovels some hastily built with loose bricks others of old worm-eaten ship-timber jumbled together without any attempt at order or arrangement and planted for the most part within a few feet of the river s bank. A few leaky boats drawn up on the mud and made fast to the dwarf wall which skirted it and here and there an oar or coil of rope appeared at first to indicate that the inhabitants of these miserable cottages .
