little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第57部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


put　on　the　silk…gown　and　the　jet…black　row　of　curls　represented　in　that
portrait　（her　hair　was　reddish…grey　in　the　kitchen）；　established　herself
in　the　breakfast…room；　put　her　spectacles　between　two　particular　leaves
of　Doctor　Buchan's　Domestic　Medicine；　and　sat　looking　over　the　blind　all
day　until　they　came　back　again。　It　was　supposed　that　no　persuasion　could
be　invented　which　would　induce　Mrs　Tickit　to　abandon　her　post　at　the
blind；　however　long　their　absence；　or　to　dispense　with　the　attendance
of　Dr　Buchan；　the　lucubrations　of　which　learned　practitioner；　Mr　Meagles
implicitly　believed　she　had　never　yet　consulted　to　the　extent　of　one
word　in　her　life。

In　the　evening　they　played　an　old…fashioned　rubber；　and　Pet　sat　looking
over　her　father's　hand；　or　singing　to　herself　by　fits　and　starts　at　the
piano。　She　was　a　spoilt　child；　but　how　could　she　be　otherwise？　Who　could
be　much　with　so　pliable　and　beautiful　a　creature；　and　not　yield　to　her
endearing　influence？　Who　could　pass　an　evening　in　the　house；　and　not
love　her　for　the　grace　and　charm　of　her　very　presence　in　the　room？　This
was　Clennam's　reflection；　notwithstanding　the　final　conclusion　at　which
he　had　arrived　up…stairs。

In　making　it；　he　revoked。　'Why；　what　are　you　thinking　of；　my　good　sir？'
asked　the　astonished　Mr　Meagles；　who　was　his　partner。

'I　beg　your　pardon。　Nothing；'　returned　Clennam。

'Think　of　something；　next　time；　that's　a　dear　fellow；'　said　Mr　Meagles。

Pet　laughingly　believed　he　had　been　thinking　of　Miss　Wade。

'Why　of　Miss　Wade；　Pet？'　asked　her　father。

'Why；　indeed！'　said　Arthur　Clennam。

Pet　coloured　a　little；　and　went　to　the　piano　again。

As　they　broke　up　for　the　night；　Arthur　overheard　Doyce　ask　his　host　if
he　could　give　him　half　an　hour's　conversation　before　breakfast　in　the
morning？　The　host　replying　willingly；　Arthur　lingered　behind　a　moment；
having　his　own　word　to　add　to　that　topic。

'Mr　Meagles；'　he　said；　on　their　being　left　alone；　'do　you　remember　when
you　advised　me　to　go　straight　to　London？'

'Perfectly　well。'　'And　when　you　gave　me　some　other　good　advice　which　I
needed　at　that　time？'

'I　won't　say　what　it　was　worth；'　answered　Mr　Meagles：　'but　of　course　I
remember　our　being　very　pleasant　and　confidential　together。'

'I　have　acted　on　your　advice；　and　having　disembarrassed　myself　of　an
occupation　that　was　painful　to　me　for　many　reasons；　wish　to　devote
myself　and　what　means　I　have；　to　another　pursuit。'

'Right！　You　can't　do　it　too　soon；'　said　Mr　Meagles。

'Now；　as　I　came　down　to…day；　I　found　that　your　friend；　Mr　Doyce；　is
looking　for　a　partner　in　his　business……not　a　partner　in　his　mechanical
knowledge；　but　in　the　ways　and　means　of　turning　the　business　arising
from　it　to　the　best　account。'

'Just　so；'　said　Mr　Meagles；　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　and　with
the　old　business　expression　of　face　that　had　belonged　to　the　scales　and
scoop。

'Mr　Doyce　mentioned　incidentally；　in　the　course　of　our　conversation；
that　he　was　going　to　take　your　valuable　advice　on　the　subject　of　finding
such　a　partner。　If　you　should　think　our　views　and　opportunities　at　all
likely　to　coincide；　perhaps　you　will　let　him　know　my　available　position。
I　speak；　of　course；　in　ignorance　of　the　details；　and　they　may　be
unsuitable　on　both　sides。'

'No　doubt；　no　doubt；'　said　Mr　Meagles；　with　the　caution　belonging　to　the
scales　and　scoop。

'But　they　will　be　a　question　of　figures　and　accounts……'

'Just　so；　just　so；'　said　Mr　Meagles；　with　arithmetical　solidity
belonging　to　the　scales　and　scoop。

'……And　I　shall　be　glad　to　enter　into　the　subject；　provided　Mr　Doyce
responds；　and　you　think　well　of　it。　If　you　will　at　present；　therefore；
allow　me　to　place　it　in　your　hands；　you　will　much　oblige　me。'

'Clennam；　I　accept　the　trust　with　readiness；'　said　Mr　Meagles。　'And
without　anticipating　any　of　the　points　which　you；　as　a　man　of　business；
have　of　course　reserved；　I　am　free　to　say　to　you　that　I　think　something
may　e　of　this。　Of　one　thing　you　may　be　perfectly　certain。　Daniel　is
an　honest　man。'

'I　am　so　sure　of　it　that　I　have　promptly　made　up　my　mind　to　speak　to
you。'　'You　must　guide　him；　you　know；　you　must　steer　him；　you　must　direct
him；　he　is　one　of　a　crotchety　sort；'　said　Mr　Meagles；　evidently　meaning
nothing　more　than　that　he　did　new　things　and　went　new　ways；　'but　he　is
as　honest　as　the　sun；　and　so　good　night！'　Clennam　went　back　to　his　room；
sat　down　again　before　his　fire；　and　made　up　his　mind　that　he　was　glad
he　had　resolved　not　to　fall　in　love　with　Pet。　She　was　so　beautiful；
so　amiable；　so　apt　to　receive　any　true　impression　given　to　her　gentle
nature　and　her　innocent　heart；　and　make　the　man　who　should　be　so　happy
as　to　municate　it；　the　most　fortunate　and　enviable　of　all　men；　that
he　was　very　glad　indeed　he　had　e　to　that　conclusion。

But；　as　this　might　have　been　a　reason　for　ing　to　the　opposite
conclusion；　he　followed　out　the　theme　again　a　little　way　in　his　mind；　to
justify　himself；　perhaps。

'Suppose　that　a　man；'　so　his　thoughts　ran；　'who　had　been　of　age　some
twenty　years　or　so；　who　was　a　diffident　man；　from　the　circumstances　of
his　youth；　who　was　rather　a　grave　man；　from　the　tenor　of　his　life；　who
knew　himself　to　be　deficient　in　many　little　engaging　qualities　which
he　admired　in　others；　from　having　been　long　in　a　distant　region；　with
nothing　softening　near　him；　who　had　no　kind　sisters　to　present　to　her；
who　had　no　congenial　home　to　make　her　known　in；　who　was　a　stranger　in
the　land；　who　had　not　a　fortune　to　pensate；　in　any　measure；　for
these　defects；　who　had　nothing　in　his　favour　but　his　honest　love　and　his
general　wish　to　do　right……suppose　such　a　man　were　to　e　to　this　house；
and　were　to　yield　to　the　captivation　of　this　charming　girl；　and　were　to
persuade　himself　that　he　could　hope　to　win　her；　what　a　weakness　it　would
be！'

He　softly　opened　his　window；　and　looked　out　upon　the　serene　river。　Year
after　year　so　much　allowance　for　the　drifting　of　the　ferry…boat；　so
many　miles　an　hour　the　flowing　of　the　stream；　here　the　rushes；　there　the
lilies；　nothing　uncertain　or　unquiet。

Why　should　he　be　vexed　or　sore　at　heart？　It　was　not　his　weakness　that　he
had　imagined。　It　was　nobody's；　nobody's　within　his　knowledge；　why　should
it　trouble　him？　And　yet　it　did　trouble　him。　And　he　thought……who　has　not
thought　for　a　moment；　sometimes？……that　it　might　be　better　to　flow　away
monotonously；　like　the　river；　and　to　pound　for　its　insensibility　to
happiness　with　its　insensibility　to　pain。




CHAPTER　17。　Nobody's　Rival


Before　breakfast　in　the　morning；　Arthur　walked　out　to　look　about　him。
As　the　morning　was　fine　and　he　had　an　hour　on　his　hands；　he　crossed　the
river　by　the　ferry；　and　strolled　along　a　footpath　through　some　meadows。
When　he　came　back　to　the　towing…path；　he　found　the　ferry…boat　on　the
opposite　side；　and　a　gentleman　hailing　it　and　waiting　to　be　taken　over。

This　gentleman　looked　barely　thirty。　He　was　well　dressed；　of　a　sprightly
and　gay　appearance；　a　well…knit　figure；　and　a　rich　dark　plexion。　As
Arthur　came　over　the　stile　and　down　to　the　water's　edge；　the　lounger
glanced　at　him　for　a　moment；　and　then　resumed　his　occupation　of　idly
tossing　stones　into　the　water　with　his　foot。　There　was　something　in　his
way　of　spurning　them　out　of　their　places　with　his　heel；　and　getting　them
into　the　required　position；　that　Clennam　thought　had　an　air　of　cruelty
in　it。　Most　of　us　have　more　or　less　frequently　derived　a　similar
impression　from　a　man's　manner　of　doing　some　very　little　thing：　plucking
a　flower；　clearing　away　an　obstacle；　or　even　destroying　an　insentient
object。

The　gentleman's　thoughts　were　preoccupied；　as　his　face　showed；　and　he
took　no　notice　of　a　fine　Newfoundland　dog；　who　watched　him　attentively；
and　watched　every　stone　too；　in　its　turn；　eager　to　spring　into　the
river　on　receiving　his　master's　sign。　The　ferry…boat　came　over；　however；
without　his　receiving　any　sign；　and　when　it　grounded　his　master　took　him
by　the　collar　and　walked　him　into　it。

'Not　this　morning；'　he　said　to　the　dog。　'You　won't　do　for　ladies'
pany；　dripping　wet。　Lie　down。'

Clennam　followed　the　man　and　the　dog　into　the　boat；　and　took　his　seat。
The　dog　did　as　he　was　ordered。　The　man　remained　standin