Chapter 9 Chapter 06 Paul loses a loved one for the second time

In the morning, Polly was very disturbed by apprehension; but for the constant instigation of her dark-eyed companion, she would have put to rest all thoughts of this excursion, and would have made a formal application instead, asking Meet No. 147 in the fortified shadow of Mr. Bay's roof.But Susan herself intended to make the excursion; she, like Tony Lumkin, could endure another's disappointment with a strong will, but could never bear to have her own hope frustrated; The second thought cunningly raised so many questions, and expressed so many opinions in support of the original plan, that it was almost as soon as Mr. Dombey, the gentleman, turned his solemn back and walked towards the city along the usual road. His ignorant son was already on his way to Staggs Gardens as he set off.

-------- ①Tony Lampkin: One of the protagonists in the opera "She Stoops to Conquer" (She Stoops to Conquer, published in 1771) written by the British writer Oliver Goldsmith (Oliver Gold-smith, 1728-1774).He is a stupid, selfish man. This sweet-sounding place is situated in a suburb known to the inhabitants of Staggs Gardens as Camberline Town; Abbreviated the place name to Camden Town for no reason.The two nurses, accompanied by the children they raised, walked here.Richards held Paul, of course, and Susan took little Florence's hand, and jerked and poked her now and then as she thought fit to command her.

Great earthquakes occurred in this period, and the first tremors shattered the whole region, right down to its center.Traces left by the earthquake can be seen everywhere.Houses collapsed; streets were completely cracked and blocked; deep pits and ditches were dug into the ground; piles of earth were piled up high; wood supports.Here, wagons lay overturned and jumbled at the foot of a steep, unnatural hill; there, precious ironware soaked and corroded and rusted disorderly in an accidental pool.Here and there are bridges that lead nowhere, highways that are completely impassable, chimneys that have lost half their height like the Tower of Babel, improvised wooden houses and fences in the most unexpected places, skeletons of dilapidated dwellings, unbuilt Fragments of walls and arches, piles of scaffolding, haphazard bricks, giant cranes and tripods straddling the void.There are hundreds of thousands of unfinished shapes and entities here, scattered and mixed together, standing upside down, buried deep in the ground, towering in the air, rotting in the water, as incomprehensible as a dream.The usual accompaniments of earthquakes—hot springs and flame eruptions—add chaos to the scene.Within the ruined walls boiling waters rolled and hissed, and from there blazed and howled fire; hills of ashes clogged passages, and utterly changed the laws and laws of the land. custom.

-------- ① Babeltower (Babeltower): The story in the Bible "Genesis" says: After the flood, the descendants of Noah migrated eastward in groups, and when they came to Shinar, they found a vast wilderness and decided to live there. come down, and build a city there, and in the city a tower, whose top reaches to the sky;But later Jehovah confused their accents, causing them to speak a variety of languages ​​instead of speaking only one language; due to language barriers, work was suspended and people gradually dispersed, and the city and the tower were destroyed. It fell by the wayside.The reason for giving up halfway is the confusion of language. The word "confusion" is pronounced "Babel" in Hebrew, so people call the city the city of Babel and the tower the Tower of Babel.

In short, the railroad, not yet completed and not yet open to traffic, is being built, and it stretches calmly and slowly from the center of extreme chaos, along its grand line of civilization and progress. But until now, the nearby residents are ashamed to admit this railway.One or two daring speculators were already planning to build streets; one had started a little, but had stalled in the mire and ashes, needing to think again.There was a new tavern, smelling of fresh mortar and glue, with only an open space in front of it, which had painted the railroad arms on its sign; Started a business - at this point it hopes to sell some alcohol to the workers.Likewise, the Road Digger's House was set up in a beer shop; and a long standing ham and beef shop was converted into a railway tavern by the same immediate and welcome motive of profit, selling a roast pig a day. leg.The apartment owner is just as likable and can't be trusted by people for the same reason.People's confidence grows slowly.Where the railway line began there were musty fields, cowsheds, dunghills, refuse heaps, ditches, vegetable gardens, arbors, and rug-beating grounds.Oyster shells in oyster season, lobster shells in lobster season, broken pottery and wilted cabbage leaves in all seasons encroached like little graves on the embankments of the railway lines.Posts, fences, old warning signs to intruders, the backs of rough houses and plots of decaying vegetation stared at the railroad, making it uncomfortable.Nothing is better than it was, or thought to be, because of it.If the poor heath nearby could laugh, it would, like so many poor neighbours, laugh at it.

Staggs Gardens is uncharacteristically incredible.Here was a small row of houses, with a filthy field in front of them; the houses were separated from each other by old doors, slabs, pieces of tarred canvas, and dead bushes, with bottomless tin pots and Dirty iron fire fencing.The gardeners of Staggs Gardens cultivate red beans, raise poultry, rabbits, build crude gazebos (one of which is an old boat), dry clothes and smoke pipes.Some say that Staggs Gardens was named in honor of a late capitalist, Mr. Staggs, who built it for his recreation.Others, who are naturally fond of the country, trace the origin of the name to a quiet and idyllic time when horned herds called staggs used to take refuge in shady fields.Whatever the case may be, the local inhabitants regard Staggs Gardens as a sacred garden, which must not be destroyed by the railroad; The chimney-sweep in the corner (who was supposed to be number one in local politics in the Gardens) had publicly announced that when the railway opened (if it ever came to pass), his two The children would climb up the flue of his house, at his command, laughing and cheering that their plans to destroy Staggs Gardens had failed.

Little Paul was now carried by fate and Richards to this blasphemous place; the name of which Mr. Dombey's sister still conceals from her brother. "That's my home, Susan," said Polly, pointing to it. "Really, Mrs. Richards?" said Susan modestly. "That's my sister, Jemima, standing at the door, that's right!" cried Polly, "and she's holding my own sweet baby doll!" The sight added a pair of very broad wings to Polly's impatience, so that she began to run along the garden, and bounding to Jemima's side, exchanged babies with her sister in an instant; The young girl was startled, as if Dombey's heir had descended into her arms from the clouds.

"Ah, Polly!" cried Jemima. "Look at you! You startled me! Who would have guessed! Come in, Polly! You look so good! The kids will be crazy to see you, sure, Polly." !" So they were, if we judged by the noise they made, by the way they rushed at Polly and dragged her into a low chair by the fire.As she sat there, her own honest apple face became at once the center of a cluster of tiny apples; their ruddy cheeks were all next to it, and were evidently all from the same tree.As for Polly herself, she was as loud and passionate as the children.It wasn't until she was completely out of breath, her hair falling over her flushed face, and the new clothes she had made for the christening crumpled, that the confusion subsided.Even then the second smallest Tudle was still sitting on her lap, with both hands clasping her neck; the third smallest Tudle climbed onto the back of the chair; Swaying, making a desperate effort to kiss her from the corner.

"Look! A pretty lady has come to see you," said Polly. "Look how quiet she is! What a pretty lady she is, isn't she?" This refers to Florence, who had been standing by the door, not unaware of what had just happened, when she attracted the attention of the twigs, and, as luck would have it, Polly then formally introduced Nipper: Miss Nipper is a little worried, she has been neglected. "Oh, come in and sit down, Susan!" said Polly. "This is my sister, Jemima, and here it is. Jemima, I don't know what I would do without Susan Nipper; without her, I wouldn't be here now."

"Oh, sit down, Miss Nipper," said Jemima. Susan sat down in a tiny corner of one of the chairs, solemnly and with great decorum. "Never in my life have I seen anyone so glad to see you, Miss Nipper, never," said Jemima. Susan relaxes, sits a little more in the chair, and smiles kindly. "Undo your bonnet, Miss Nipper, as casually as in your own home," begged Jemima. "I'm afraid you haven't lived in such a shabby place, but I think you'll forgive me." This deference softened the dark eyes, and she took the little Toodle girl who ran past to her knees, and at once sang to her Journey to Banbury Cross.

-------- ①Banbury: a town in the Charwell district of Oxfordshire, England. "But where is my lovely son?" asked Polly. "My poor little guy? I've come all the way here just to see him in his new clothes." "Oh, what a pity!" exclaimed Jemima. "He'll be very sad when he comes back to hear his mother came home. He's at school now, Polly." "Have you been to school yet?" "Yes. He went the first day yesterday, and he was afraid he might miss some of his work if he was late. But it's only half a day, Polly; if you—you and Miss Nipper, could wait till he came back, said Jemima, her timely attention to save the black-eyed face. "How he looks, Jemima, God bless him!" stammered Polly. "Well, he certainly doesn't look as bad as you think," Jemima replied. "Ah!" said Polly excitedly, "I know his legs must be too short." "His legs are short indeed," answered Jemima, "especially when viewed from behind; but they'll grow longer every day, Polly." This consolation is a slow consolation that counts on the future; but the cheerful tone and good intentions with which it is given give it a value which it does not have in itself.After a moment of silence, Polly asked in a more relaxed and cheerful tone: "Where is papa, Jemima dear?" for Mr. Toodle was usually referred to by the family name at home. "Oh, look!" said Jemima, "what a pity again! Pa took his supper away this morning and didn't come back until night. But he talks about you a lot, Polly, and tells a lot about you. Something to tell the kids; he's the kindest, most patient, best-tempered man in the world. He's always been and always will be!" "Thank you, Jemima," cried simple Polly; the words pleased her, but the absence disappointed her. "Oh, you don't have to thank me, Polly," said her sister, kissing her hard on the cheek, dancing with little Paul gleefully. "I sometimes say the same thing about you, and think the same way in my heart." Doubly disappointed, it was impossible to regard a visit so warmly received as a failure; and so the two sisters talked hopefully of domestic affairs, of Baelor, of his brothers and sisters; During this time, after several trips back and forth from the trip to Bunbury Cross, Black Eyes scrutinized the furniture, the Dutch clock, the cupboard, the castle on the mantelpiece with the red and green windows, lighted by a single candle stub; and a pair of black velvet kittens, with a lady's net bag in each mouth, Star People in Gus Gardens thought it was a treasure of imitation art.Presently, lest the dark eyes should suddenly be involuntarily sarcasm, the conversation turned to a general subject in which all could join, and the young girl told all she knew about Mr Dombey, as his future , his family, his career, and his character, were all briefly described to Jemima.She also made a detailed and complete list of all her personal clothes, and said a little about her main relatives and friends.Having said these words frankly, and no longer kept them in her mind, she ate her prawns and drank her stout, now in a good mood and ready to swear an oath of eternal friendship. Florence Jr. isn't far behind in taking advantage of the opportunity either.For while the little Tudles accompanied her to see the toadstools and other curiosities in the garden, she and they were absorbed in building a temporary breakwater in a small green pond formed by stagnant water in one corner.Susan found her while she was still busy with the labor.Although under the influence of the river prawns, Susan has become sensible and humane, but she still has a strong sense of responsibility, so she washes Florence's face and hands, and at the same time points out to her this deteriorated character. delivered a disciplinary discourse; as she spoke, she struck her with her fists for punctuation, and prophesied that she would grieve all the old men of her family to death.Polly and Jemima had a rather long private conversation about money upstairs, and there was a slight delay; after which they exchanged the babies again—for Polly had been holding her own baby. , and Jemima hugged little Paul—the visitors also left. But first the young Tudlers (who were the victims of a well-intentioned scam) were coaxed into a neighboring retail store for the ostensible reason of getting them to spend a penny there.Polly fled as soon as the obstacle was cleared; and Jemima shouted after her that they had only to make a slight detour on their way back and follow the road to town, and they would surely meet the little boy coming back from school. Baylor's. "Look, can't we spare a little time to detour in that direction, Susan?" Polly asked when they stopped to catch their breath. "Why not, Mrs. Richards?" replied Susan. "You know, it's almost time for us to have dinner down the road now," Polly said. " But the midday meal had made her companion so indifferent to this serious consideration, that she did not regard it as a serious matter, and they resolved to "take a little detour." Poor Byler has been in trouble since yesterday morning when he put on the uniform of a benevolent miller.The youth on the street cannot tolerate it.None of the young rascals could bear the sight of it for a minute without rushing at the innocent wearer and doing him harm.His social status was that of an early Christian rather than that of an innocent nineteenth-century child.He had been stoned in the street.He had been thrown into a ditch and splashed with mud; he had been crushed violently against a post.A bum whom he had never known had pulled his yellow cap off his head and flung it into the wind.His legs were not only criticized and insulted verbally, but also pinched physically.That very morning, on his way to Grinding School, he had been beaten blue in the eye socket for absolutely no reason, and was punished by his teacher for it.The teacher was a former miller, past the age of service, and savage; he was hired as a teacher because he knew nothing, and was not fit for anything; and all the chubby little boys who saw His brutal and merciless stick would scare the hell out of him. So, as a result, Bailer, on his way home, sought out the paths less traveled, and walked furtively along narrow alleys and back streets, lest he should meet his tormentors.Since he had to appear on the road at last, bad luck finally came to him again.A little band of boys, headed by a cruel young butcher, lay there waiting for something to amuse them.Seeing a benevolent miller suddenly appear among them--as if delivered into their hands inexplicably--these men all gave a cry, and rushed upon him. But it happened that at this moment, Polly arrived.She had walked a full hour's journey before this, looking hopelessly at the road ahead, and saying it was useless to go any further, when she suddenly beheld this scene.She gave an exclamation of impatience at the sight of it, handed Master Dombey to Black Eyes, and set to work at once to save her unfortunate young son. Unexpected events, like unfortunate events, seldom come alone.Stunned Susan Nipper and her two young dependent children were rescued from under the wheels of a passing wagon by onlookers before they understood what was happening; at this At that moment (it was a market day), there was a thunderous siren: "Here comes the mad cow!" Florence saw people running to and fro, shouting, and the wheels passing them; boys fighting; In the great chaos, they ran forward while screaming.She ran, urging Susan to run with her, until she was exhausted; and when she remembered that they had left the other nurse behind, she stopped, wringing her hands, Then, with a feeling of indescribable horror, she realized that she was alone. "Susan! Susan!" cried Florence, clapping her hands in utter panic. "Oh, where are they? Where are they?" "Where are they?" said an old woman, limping as fast as she could from the other side of the road. "Why did you run away from them?" "I was frightened," Florence replied. "I don't know what I did, I thought they were with me. Where are they?" The old woman took her by the hand and said, "Come with me, and I will tell you where they are." She was a very ugly old woman with red rings around her eyes; when she was silent, she kept her mouth closed and chewed with the roots of her teeth rattling.Her clothes were ragged, and there were several animal skins hanging from her arms.She seemed to have followed Florence at least a little way, for by this time she was out of breath.She looked even uglier as she stood trying to catch her breath, her shrunken, yellow face and throat twisted into shapes. Frightened of her, Florence looked hesitatingly across the street, almost to the end.This is a lonely place, not like a street, but like a lonely road, and there is no one else here except her and the old woman. "You needn't be afraid now," said the old woman, still clasping her hand, "come with me." "I—I don't know you. What's your last name?" asked Florence. "Mrs. Brown," said the old woman. "Good Mrs. Brown." "Are they near?" asked Florence, who had been led away. "Susan is not far off," said good Mrs. Brown; "the others are near her." "Who's hurt?" Florence asked. "Not at all," said good Mrs. Brown. The girl shed tears of joy when she heard this, and walked happily with the old woman, though she could not help looking at her face, especially at her tireless face, as they walked forward. Glancing over his mouth, he wondered if the wicked Mrs. Brown (if there was such a thing in the world) looked just like her. They didn't go very far, just passing through some boring and joyless places like brick factories and brick factories, when the old woman turned into a dirty alley with deep black ruts in the middle of the road. filled with mud.She stopped in front of a dilapidated little house, which was locked as a house full of holes and cracks is always locked.She took a key from her hat, opened the door, and pushed the girl in front of her into a back room; Heaps of sifted ashes or cinders; no furniture of any kind; walls and ceilings are very dark. The girl was too frightened to speak a word, and looked as if she was going to faint. "Now don't be a stupid little mule," said good Mrs. Brown, shaking her awake, "I won't hurt you. Just sit on the rag." Florence obeyed, holding out her closed hands in silent entreaty. "I shall not keep you here for more than an hour," said Mrs. Brown. "Do you understand me?" The girl replied with great difficulty, "I understand." "Then," said good Mrs. Brown, sitting down on her bones, "don't piss me off. If you don't piss me off, then I tell you I won't hurt you. But if you do, Then I'll kill you. I can kill you anytime - even if you're in your own bed in your own home. Now tell me who you are, what you are and everything about you .” Because the old woman threatened her and made promises, because she was afraid of offending her, and because she had acquired a habit of keeping silent and suppressing her feelings, fears, and hopes uncommon, but now almost natural to Florence), so she complied, and related a short history of her own, or whatever she knew about it.Mrs. Brown listened intently till she had finished. "Then your name is Dombey, isn't it?" said Mrs. Brown. "Yes, ma'am." "I want that pretty gown, Miss Dombey," said good Mrs. Browne, "and that little hat, and a skirt or two, and everything else you can afford. Come! Take them off." Come down!" Florence obeyed her order, and took off her trembling hands as quickly as she could, and kept her frightened eyes on Mrs. Browne.When she had stripped herself of all the garments the old woman had spoken of, Mrs. Brown examined them at her leisure, and seemed quite satisfied with their quality and value. "Hmph!" said she, rolling her eyes up and down the girl's slender figure, "I see nothing but those shoes. I must have them, Miss Dombey." Poor little Florence took them off with equal agility; and she was very glad to find something in herself to please the old crone.Then the old woman took some tattered substitutes from the bottom of the pile of rags.It was for this purpose that she rummaged through the pile of rags; she also found a very worn and worn girl's cloak, and a crumpled and mutilated hat, probably from some gutter or Found on the dung heap.She ordered Florence to put on these fine dresses; and as these preparations seemed to be the prelude to her release, the girl complied with as much dexterity as possible than before. In haste to put on her hat (if that could be called a hat, it was more like a pad for carrying heavy loads) she got tangled in her thick hair, You can't get rid of it all at once.Good Mrs. Brown jerked out a pair of pair of scissors with an inexplicable excitement. "I'm already satisfied, why can't you let me rest in peace?" Mrs. Brown said, "You little fool!" "I beg your pardon, but I don't know what I've done," gasped Florence. "I can't help it." "It can't be helped!" cried Mrs. Brown. "How do you expect me to do anything? Oh, God!" said the old woman, fluffing her curls with ferocious joy, "everybody but me would have to cut it off first. " Florence was so relieved to hear that it was her hair, and not her head, that Mrs. Brown desired, that instead of disobeying or entreating, she lifted her tender eyes to the good man. son's face. "If I hadn't once had a daughter--she's overseas--and she was so proud of her fine hair," said Mrs. Not left. She's far away from me, she's far away from me! Oh ho! Oh ho!" Mrs. Brown's wailing was not melodious, but full of deep grief; she sobbed violently upwards with her thin arms; Even more scared.The wailing probably helped save her curls, for Mrs. Brown, after flitting her scissors back and forth like a new breed of butterfly, ordered her to hide them all in her hat, and not a single one of them. Don't show up to seduce her.Having won this victory over herself, Mrs. Brown sat back on her bones, took out a short black pipe, and smoked, all the while wriggling her lips and chewing with the root of her teeth, as if she were eating the pipe. Like a pipe. After smoking, she gave the girl a rabbit skin to hold, so that she would look more like an ordinary friend of hers, and told her that she was now going to lead her to a well-traveled road. Go to the street, where she can ask directions and find her friends.But she warned her (and threatened her with immediate and fatal reprisals if she disobeyed) not to talk to strangers, nor to go to her own house (because, in Mrs Brown's opinion, her home is too near here), but to go to her father's business office in the city; and she must wait on the corner of the street where she was left, until the clock struck three.Mrs. Brown compelled her to obey these orders, and assured her that she employed powerful eyes and ears in her service, and that no movement of her escaped their notice; and Florence faithfully and earnestly promised to obey them. . At last Mrs. Brown set off; leading her changed and ragged little friend through a labyrinth of narrow streets, alleys, and alleys, and after a long time, she arrived at A street carriage-park; at the other end of the lot there was a doorway, from which the bustle and sounds of a wide high street could be heard.Mrs. Brown pointed out the doorway, and told Florence to go left after the clock had struck three, when she seemed to have unconsciously and uncontrollably scratched her hair in good-bye; , she knew what to do, and told her to go ahead and do it, while remembering that someone was watching her. With a lighter heart than before, but still very frightened, Florence felt herself set free, and ran briskly into the corner.When she got there, she looked back and saw the head of good Mrs. Brown peeping out through the low wooden panel of the entrance where she had just delivered her farewell speech, and saw her His fist was waving towards her.But though she looked back often afterwards—at least once a minute when she recalled the old woman nervously—she was never seen again. All the while Florence stood looking at the bustle and bustle of the street with increasing bewilderment, the clock seemed determined not to strike three more times.At last the steeple struck three o'clock; there was a church close by so she could not be mistaken.From time to time she looked back, now and then a short walk, and now and then back, lest Mrs. Brown's omnipotent detectives should be offended; He hurried forward as quickly as possible. All she knew of her father's business was that it belonged to Dombey & Sons, and that it was a prominent place in the city, so she could only find out the way to Dombey & Sons in town; She generally only asks children—she is afraid to ask adults—so it is really difficult for her to get a satisfactory answer.But after a while, as she only asked how to get to the city, leaving out the rest of the question for the time being, she really made her way towards the center of the great district governed by the formidable mayor. It's getting closer. Florence was weary from the long walk, and had been pushed and pushed; deaf and blinded by the noise and confusion, and anxiously thinking of her brother and two nurses; Things, and the prospect of her meeting with her furious father in this change of dress, frightened her; likewise, what had happened in the past, what was happening now, and what would still happen before her , causing her embarrassment and terror.Amid these minglings of affections, Florence hurried on, tearful and weary; once or twice she could not help stopping, and weeping bitterly, to soothe her intolerable mood.But at such times, few people noticed that she was dressed as she was now, and even if they did, they would believe that she was taught to do so in order to win people's pity, so they walked away.Florence also had recourse to her own stoic, self-reliant character, which her sad experience had prematurely formed and tempered; Go unwaveringly to reach it. Another two full hours of the afternoon had passed since her strange adventure, when, to escape the clanking noise of a narrow street clogged with carriages and wagons, she walked to the bank of a river. A place resembling a wharf or mooring; there are many bags, barrels, and boxes piled here and there, and there is a large wooden weighing pan, and a small log cabin with wheels underneath, and outside it stands a A stocky man with a pen in his ear and hands in his pockets, looking at the neighboring masts and boats, whistling as if his day's work was almost done. said the man, turning round just then, "we have nothing for you, little girl, go away!" "Is this the city, please?" asked Dombey's daughter, trembling. . "Yes! This is the city. I think you know that very well. Go away! We have nothing for you." "Thank you, I don't want anything," she replied timidly, "I just want to know the way to Dombey and Son." 这位漫不经心、朝她信步走来的男子似乎对这个回答感到惊奇；他很注意地看着她的脸孔，问道： “唔，·你打听董贝父子公司，能从它那里得到什么呢？” “麻烦您，我想要知道到那里去的路怎么走法。” 那人更加好奇地看着她；由于感到奇怪，他就十分使劲地擦着后脑，因此把帽子都擦得掉下来了。 “乔！”他把帽子拾起来，重新戴上，一边向另一位男子喊道，那人是一位工人。 “乔在这里！”乔说道。 “董贝公司的那位愉快的年轻人在哪里？他一直在这里监督装运货物的。” “他刚刚从那个门走了，”乔说道。 “把他喊回来一会儿。” 乔大叫大嚷地向一个拱道跑去，很快就领回一位神色活泼快乐的男孩子。 “您是董贝手下的人，是不是？”第一位男子问道。 “我在董贝公司里工作，克拉克先生，”男孩子回答道。 “那么，请您看看这里，”克拉克先生说道。 男孩子顺着克拉克先生手指的方向朝弗洛伦斯走过去，心中纳闷，他跟她有什么关系（他这样想倒也是很自然的）。但是她已经听到了一切；除了突然觉得自己已经平安抵达旅途终点、感到宽慰外，她还从他那活泼愉快、富有朝气的脸孔与举止中感到无比放心，于是就热情洋溢地向他跑去，把他的手拉到她的两只手里，路上把一只塌根鞋都走掉了。 “对不起，我迷路了！”弗洛伦斯说道。 “迷路了！”男孩子喊道。 “是的，我是在今天早上在离这里很远的地方迷路 的，——后来我的衣服被人取走了——我现在穿的不是我自己的衣服——我的姓名叫弗洛伦斯·董贝，我是我弟弟的唯一的姐姐——哎呀，我的天呀，请您帮帮我吧！”弗洛伦斯哭泣着，把她长久压抑在心中的孩子的感情尽情发泄出来，眼泪汪汪地往下流淌。这时候，她的破烂的帽子掉了，头发蓬松地披散在脸上，引起船舶仪器制造商所罗门·吉尔斯的外甥、年轻的沃尔特默默无言的赞美与同情。 克拉克先生惊异得目瞪口呆，低声说道，“·我在·这码头上还从没见过这样的怪事。”沃尔特捡起鞋子，把它穿在那只小小的脚上，就像故事中的王子给灰姑娘试穿舞鞋一样①。他把兔皮挂在左胳膊上，又把右胳膊伸给弗洛伦斯，觉得自己不是像理查德·惠廷顿（那样的比方太陈腐无奇了），而是像脚下躺着一条死龙的英格兰的圣徒乔治②。 -------- ①这是欧洲著名的童话。有一位美丽的姑娘为后母及异母姐姐虐待，终日与煤渣为伴，所以被称为灰姑娘。有一天她在仙灵的帮助下，化装前去参加舞会，被王子爱上了；她在匆忙回家途中掉了一只鞋子；王子为了寻找她，就拿着这只鞋子去让许多姑娘试穿；她试穿正合适，最后与王子结了婚。 ②圣徒乔治（SaintGeorge）：英格兰的保护圣徒，活动时期约在三世纪；据传说，他曾与一条恶龙搏斗，杀死了它，并从它的脚爪下救出一位女郎。 “别哭了，董贝小姐，”沃尔特热情奔放地说道，“对我来说，我在这里真是一件多么好的事啊！您现在非常安全，就像由军舰上最优秀的一队海军保护着一样！啊，别哭了！” “我不再哭了，”弗洛伦斯说道，“我现在是因为快乐才哭的。” “因为快乐才哭的！”沃尔特想道，“而我是她快乐的原因！”“我们走吧，董贝小姐。现在您的另一只鞋子掉了！您就穿我的鞋子吧，董贝小姐。” “不，不，不，”他性急地要把自己的鞋子脱下来；弗洛伦斯拦住他，不让他脱；“我穿这双鞋子更好。这双鞋子对我很合适。” “唔，那倒是真的，”沃尔特向她的脚望了一眼，说道，“我的鞋子太长了，长出一英里。我刚才怎么没想到这一点呢！您穿了·我·的鞋子就根本没法走路了！我们走吧，董贝小姐，让我看有哪个坏蛋敢来欺负您！” 就这样，看上去无限勇猛的沃尔特领着看上去十分快乐的弗洛伦斯走了；他们手挽手地沿着街道走去；至于他们的样子在路上是否可能引起人们的惊奇或者实际上已经引起了，他们都毫不在意。 天色愈来愈黑，雾愈来愈浓，而且也开始下雨了；但是他们对这些丝毫也不理会，因为两人都全神贯注在弗洛伦斯新近的奇遇中了；弗洛伦斯以她那种年龄所特有的天真无邪的真诚与信任叙述着这次奇遇，沃尔特则听着，仿佛他们根本不是在泰晤士大街上的泥浆与污油中行走，而是单独在热带某个荒岛中长着阔叶的高大树林中散步——当时他很可能想象，他们就是在那样的情况下散步的。 “我们要走很远吗？”弗洛伦斯终于抬起眼睛，望着她的同伴的脸孔，问道。 “啊！顺便说说，”沃尔特停下脚步，说道，“让我看看，我们在哪里了？哦，我知道了。不过办公室都关闭了，董贝小姐。那里没有任何人了。董贝先生好久以前就回家去了。我想我们是不是也应该回家了？要不就留在这里过夜。要是我把您领到我舅舅的家里去——他家离这里不远，我就住在那里——，然后我乘马车到您家里，告诉他们您安然无恙，再给您带回一些衣服；那样是不是最好？” “我想那样最好，”弗洛伦斯回答道。“您呢？您以为怎么样？” 当他们在街上商议的时候，有一个人从他们身旁经过，他走过时向沃尔特迅速地看了一眼，仿佛认识他似的；但是他接着似乎纠正了这个初步印象，就没有停下来，而是继续向前走了。 “唔，我想那是卡克先生，”沃尔特说道。“我们公司的卡克先生。不是我们的卡克经理，董贝小姐，——是另一位卡克；是职位低的那一位——，喂！卡克先生！” “是沃尔特·盖伊吗？”那人停下脚步，转过身来，说道，“您跟这样一位奇怪的同伴在一起，使我不敢相信了。” 当他站在街灯旁边，惊奇地听着沃尔特匆匆的解释时，他与他面前这两位手挽手的富于朝气的年轻人形成了鲜明的对照。他并不老，但是头发已经白了；仿佛由于承受着某种沉重的痛苦的负担，他已经曲背弯腰，在他疲惫与忧郁的脸上已经刻上了深深的皱纹。他眼睛中的光泽，脸部的表情，甚至说话的声音全都消沉、衰弱，毫无生气，仿佛他体内的精神已经化为灰烬了。他穿着一身黑色的服装，虽然很简朴，但也还体面；不过他的衣服跟他整个性格相配，穿在身上好像都收缩变小、自贬身价似的，又好像跟他整个人一起，从头到脚都表露出忧伤的哀求：让他在蒙羞受辱的状态中默默无闻，孤独一人吧。 可是他对青年及希望的兴趣并没有随同他灵魂中其他的余烬一起熄灭，因为当沃尔特说话时，他怀着不寻常的同情注视着他那诚挚的脸，虽然在他的神色之间同时也流露出难以说明的忧虑与怜悯（尽管他竭力掩盖）。当沃尔特最后把向弗洛伦斯提出的问题向他提出的时候，他仍站在那里用同样的表情看着他，仿佛他已在他的脸上令人伤心地读到了与它现在所呈现的活泼快乐的神情截然相反的命运。 “您看怎么好，卡克先生？”沃尔特微笑着说道。“虽然您并不常跟我谈话，但是当您跟我谈话时，您知道，您常常给我提出一些好的意见。” “我觉得您自己的意见最好，”他回答道；这时他的眼光从弗洛伦斯身上移到沃尔特身上，然后又移回去。 “卡克先生，”沃尔特心中闪现出一个慷慨大方的想法，“对了！这对您是个机会！请您到董贝先生家里去向他报告这个好消息。它对您会有一些好处，先生。我就留在家里。您一定去。” “我！”那一位回答道。 “是的，为什么不呢，卡克先生？”男孩子说道。 他只是握握他的手作为回答；他似乎感到羞耻，甚至害怕去做这件事。他向他祝了晚安，并劝他赶快去做之后，就离开了。 “好了，董贝小姐，”当他们也开始走路的时候，沃尔特望着他的背影，说道，“我们尽快到我舅舅家里去。您听董贝先生谈到过这位低级职员卡克先生吗，董贝小姐？” “没有，”女孩子温和地回答道，“我不常听爸爸讲话。” “啊！不错！这使他更丢脸，”沃尔特想道。他停了一分钟，向下看着在他身边行走的女孩子的那张温柔的、耐性的小脸，然后以他惯有的孩子的活泼与机灵，设法改变话题；碰巧这时那倒霉的鞋子又有一只掉下了，他就建议把弗洛伦斯抱到他舅舅家里去。弗洛伦斯虽然十分疲乏，但却仍大笑着谢绝了他的建议，因为唯恐他抱不住会使她掉下来。他们离开木制海军军官候补生已经不远，沃尔特又继续从船舶遇难及其他动人的事故中援引各种先例，说有些比他还小的男孩子曾经胜利地抢救和抱出比弗洛伦斯还大的女孩子；因此当他们到达仪器制造商的门口时，他们仍在兴高采烈地交谈着这些故事。 “喂，所尔舅舅！”沃尔特冲进店铺，喊道，并且从这时起，整个晚上都是没有条理地、上气不接下气地说着。“这真是一件奇妙的遭遇！董贝先生的女儿在街上迷路了，一位老妖婆把她的衣服都抢去了——是我找到的——把她领到我们家里来，让她在我们家的客厅里休息休息——请看这里！” “我的老天爷！”所尔舅舅吃惊地往后退缩，靠在他所喜爱的罗盘盒子上。“这不可能！唔，我——” “是的，其他任何人也都不曾遇到过这样的事情，”沃尔特预料到他还要说的话。“没有任何人会，没有任何人能遇到这样的事情，你知道。请到这里来！帮我把这张小沙发抬到壁炉旁好吗，所尔舅舅？——请做几盘菜——给她吃点晚餐好吗，舅舅？——请把这双鞋子扔到炉栅底下，董贝小姐——把您的脚搁到火炉围栏上烘一烘——它们多湿呀——这是个奇遇，是不是，舅舅？——上帝保佑我的灵魂，我是多么热啊！” 所罗门·吉尔斯由于同情并处在极度的不知所措的状态中，也同样觉得很热。他轻轻地拍拍弗洛伦斯的头，劝她吃，劝她喝，用在炉子上烘热的手绢擦着她脚上肿痛的地方，眼睛和耳朵则跟着他的火车头般的外甥转，脑子里糊里糊涂，什么也不明白，只觉得他不时被那位兴奋的年轻人在房间里奔来窜去的时候碰着、撞着；那位年轻人想一下子完成二十件事，但却一件事也没有完成。 “请等一会儿，舅舅，”他拿起一支蜡烛，继续说道，“我现在到楼上去，穿上另一件短上衣，然后我就出发。我说，舅舅，这是不是一件奇遇？” “我亲爱的孩子，”所罗门说道；他前额上架着眼镜，衣袋里装着很大的精密计时表，一会儿跑到在沙发上的弗洛伦斯那里，一会儿跑到客厅里各个角落的外甥那里，一直在他们中间跑个不停，“这是极不寻常的——” “是的，但是，舅舅，请——弗洛伦斯，请——你知道，晚饭，舅舅。” “是的，是的，是的，”所罗门立刻往一条羊腿上砍了一刀，仿佛他是在给一位巨人筹办宴席似的。“我会好好照料她的，沃利！我明白。亲爱的宝贝！当然，饿坏了。你去准备好。天主保佑我！理查德·惠廷顿爵士三次担任伦敦市长！” 沃尔特登上很高的顶楼，又从上面下来，并没有花很久的时间；但在这段时间里，弗洛伦斯经受不住疲累，已经在壁炉前面打盹了。平静下来的时间虽然只有几分钟，但它却使所罗门·吉尔斯镇静下来，稍稍安排一下，使她舒适一些；他把房间的光线弄暗，又把炉火跟她遮隔开来。因此，当男孩子回到客厅的时候，她正宁静地睡着。 “好极了！”他低声说道，一边把所罗门紧紧地一抱，抱得他脸孔都变了样。“现在我走了。我得带一块干面包片，因为我饿极了——还有，别喊醒她，所尔舅舅。” “不会的，不会的，”所罗门说道。“漂亮的孩子。” “确实漂亮！”沃尔特喊道。“我从来没有见到过这样的脸孔，所尔舅舅。现在我走了。” “很好，”所罗门大大宽慰地说道。 “我说，所尔舅舅，”沃尔特在门口探进头来，喊道。 “他又在这里啊，”所罗门说道。 “她现在看上去怎么样？” “很幸福，”所罗门说道。 “太好了！现在我走了。” “我希望你真的走了，”所罗门自言自语道。 “我说，所尔舅舅，”沃尔特又出现在门口，说道。 “他又在这里哪，”所罗门说道。 “我们在街上遇到低级职员卡克先生。他比过去更加古怪了。他跟我告别了，但却跟在我们后面，一直跟到这里—— 这真是一件希奇的事情！ ——因为当我们到达店门口的时候，我向四周看了一下，看到他不声不响地走了，就像是一位护送我回家的仆人或一条忠心耿耿的狗一样。现在她看上去怎么样，舅舅？ " “像先前一样漂亮，沃利，”所尔舅舅回答道。 “不错，现在·我走了！” 这一次他真正走了。所罗门·吉尔斯没有吃晚饭的胃口，他坐在壁炉的对面，望着熟睡中的弗洛伦斯，构筑着许多异想天开的空中楼阁；在朦胧的阴影中，在所有仪器的旁边，他看上去就像是一位戴着威尔士假发，穿着一套咖啡色衣服的魔术师；他已施行了魔法，使孩子睡着了。 在这同时，沃尔特正向着董贝先生的公馆前进，这样快的速度是从街头租用的马车很少能达到的；可是他的头每隔两三分钟还要从窗子中往外探出一次，急不可耐地催促着车夫。抵达旅途终点后，他从马车中跳出来，气喘吁吁地把他的使命向仆人通报，然后就跟着他直接到了图书室；图书室里七嘴八舌，一片混乱，董贝先生，他的妹妹，托克斯小姐，理查兹和尼珀全都聚集在那里。 “啊，我请您原谅，先生，”沃尔特急急忙忙向他跑去，说道，“但我很高兴向您报告：一切都好，先生。董贝小姐已经找到了！” 这男孩子面容坦诚，头发飘垂，眼睛闪耀，气喘吁吁，心情喜悦、兴奋，与坐在图书室椅子上、正对着他的董贝先生形成了奇怪的、截然不同的对照。 “我跟你说过，路易莎，一定会找到她的，”董贝先生稍稍转过头来，对那位与托克斯小姐一道哭哭啼啼的夫人说道。 “请通知仆人们，不必再去找了。带消息来的这位男孩子是我们公司里的年轻人盖伊。我的女儿是怎么找到的，先生？我知道她是怎么丢失的。”这时他威严地看着理查兹。“但她是怎么找到的？是谁找到她的？” “唔，我相信是·我找到董贝小姐的，先生，”沃尔特谦虚地说道，“至少我不知道我能自称有确实找到她的功劳，先生，但是我成了一个幸运的工具——” “先生，”董贝先生打断他说道；他怀着本能的厌恶的情绪注视着这位男孩子由于参与这一事件而明显流露出来的骄傲与喜悦的神色，“您刚才说您不是确实找到我的女儿，又说您成了一个幸运的工具，您这些话是什么意思？请说得清楚和有条理些。” 沃尔特无法说得有条理，但他在没有缓过气来的状态下，尽量把话说得使人明白易懂，于是他叙述了他为什么一个人到这里来的经过。 “你听见了没有，女孩子？”董贝先生严厉地对黑眼睛说道，“带上必需的东西，立刻跟这位年轻人去把弗洛伦斯小姐接回家。盖伊，明天早上我会奖赏您。” “啊，谢谢您，先生，”沃尔特说道。“您很客气。可是说实在的，我并没有想过得什么奖赏，先生。” “您是个孩子，”董贝先生突然地、几乎是凶猛地说道，“您想什么，或爱想什么，没有什么重要意义。您做了件好事，先生。别把它糟蹋了。路易莎，请给孩子喝点儿酒。” 沃尔特·盖伊在奇克夫人的带领下离开房间的时候，董贝先生用很不高兴的眼光跟随着他。当他与苏珊·尼珀一起乘马车回到他舅舅家里去的时候，董贝先生心上的眼睛也许同样会毫无好感地跟随着他。 他们到家时，看到弗洛伦斯由于睡了一觉，精神大为舒爽；她已经吃过了晚饭，而且跟所罗门·吉尔斯已比先前熟多了；她对他完全信任，并且自由自在地与他相处。黑眼睛先前哭得很厉害，现在可以称为红眼睛了；她沉默寡言，垂头丧气；这时把弗洛伦斯抱在怀里，没有说一句生气或责骂的话，并把这次会见弄得十分歇斯底里。然后她把客厅暂时改变为化妆室，十分细心地给弗洛伦斯穿上合适的衣服，并很快地把她领了出来；除了天生的缺陷使她不够格外，这时她在其他方面完全像是一位董贝家里的人了。 “再见！”弗洛伦斯跑到所罗门跟前，说道，“您待我真好。” 老所尔非常高兴，像祖父一样吻着她。 “再见，沃尔特！再见！”弗洛伦斯说道。 “再见！”沃尔特向她伸出双手，说道。 “我永远也不会忘记您，”弗洛伦斯继续说道。“是的，我确实永远也不会忘记您。再见，沃尔特！” 女孩子怀着天真的感激的心情向他仰起面孔。沃尔特低下脸，然后又抬起来，满脸涨得通红，火辣辣地发烧，一边害羞地看着所尔舅舅。 “沃尔特在哪里？”“晚安，沃尔特！”“再见，沃尔特！” “再握一次手，沃尔特！”弗洛伦斯和她的小保姆被关进一辆轿式马车里以后，依旧还可以听得见她的这些喊声。当马车终于出发的时候，沃尔特站在门阶上快活地向着她挥动的手绢答礼，这时他身后的木制海军军官候补生正像他本人一样，专心致志地望着那一辆马车；其他所有来来往往的马车全都被排除在他的视线之外了。 马车又适时地到达董贝先生的公馆；在图书室里又响起七嘴八舌的一片声音。他们又嘱咐马车再等一下——“是准备给理查兹大嫂乘的，”当苏珊与弗洛伦斯走过去的时候，与这位小保姆共事的一位女仆不祥地低声说道。 丢失了的女孩子进来时引起了一点哄动，不过并不大。过去从来不曾找过她的董贝先生在她额上吻了一次，告诫她今后再也不要跟不忠的仆人们离家出走或到什么地方去游逛了。奇克夫人本在悲叹人性败坏，甚至在被慈善的磨工召唤到品德高尚的道路上去的时候也未能挽救过来，这时她停下来，以比接待一位真正的董贝家里的人稍逊一筹的欢迎礼节接待了弗洛伦斯。托克斯小姐按照她面前的两个典范调节了一下自己的感情。只有理查兹，罪人理查兹一个人以断断续续、互不连贯的话语，倾吐了自己表示欢迎的衷情，并向那位迷失了道路的小女孩弯下身去，仿佛她真正地爱她。 “啊，理查兹！”奇克夫人叹了一口气，说道。“如果您对您抚养的孩子曾及时地显示出某些适当的感情的话，那么您本会使那些希望对她们的同胞怀有好感的人们感到更为满意的；对于您来说，也会更为得当。现在这孩子眼看着就要被过早地剥夺了天然的滋养品了！” “被切断了一个共同的源泉！”托克斯小姐哭泣着低声说道。 “如果是我处在忘恩负义的地位的话，”奇克夫人一本正经地说道，“如果我能代替您发表感想的话，那么，理查兹，我就会觉得，仿佛慈善的磨工的制服会摧残我的孩子，他所受的教育会使他窒息的。” 就这件事情本身来说，实际上——不过奇克夫人不知道就是了——他几乎已经被那件制服摧残了；至于他所受的教育，那么它的报应也可以说是来得很及时，因为那是暴风雨般的殴打与接连不断的哭泣。 “路易莎！”董贝先生说道。“没有必要再说这些话，这位女人已经被解雇了，工资也支付了。你就离开这个屋子，理查兹，因为你把我的儿子——我的儿子，”董贝先生把这四个字强调地重复了一遍，说道，“带到了穷乡僻壤和令人一想起来都会毛骨悚然的社会中去。至于今天上午弗洛伦斯小姐遭遇到的不幸事故，从某种重要的意义上说，这倒是个值得高兴和幸运的情况，因为若不是发生这件事，我就决不会知道——而且是从你们自己的嘴中知道——，你们犯了什么样的罪。我想，路易莎，另一位保姆，年轻的那一位，”这时尼珀姑娘大声哭泣着，“由于年龄要小得多，而且一定受了保罗奶妈的影响，所以可以继续留用。劳驾你吩咐，把这位女人的马车钱付了，付到”——董贝先生停住，畏缩地说道，“付到斯塔格斯花园。” 波利向门口走去，弗洛伦斯拉住她的衣服，极为悲惨可怜地哭着要她别走。看到这个他不能不承认的亲生骨肉难舍难分地依恋着这位出身低微的异乡女人，而他就坐在旁边，这是插进这位傲慢的父亲心中的一把匕首，是射进他脑子中的一支箭。这倒并不是由于他关心他的女儿转向谁或从谁那里转开。当他想到他的儿子会怎么做的时候，他心中顿时感到了剧烈的痛苦。 不管怎么样，反正他的儿子那天夜里拼命地大哭。老实说，可怜的保罗跟像他这样年龄的其他儿子们相比更有理由伤心落泪，因为他已失去第二个母亲了——就他所知道的来说，这是他的第一个母亲——；这次起因于一次意外事故的打击，跟那次曾在他的生命的开端笼罩上黑暗的天然的苦难同样突如其来地降临。在同样的打击下，她的姐姐也失去了一位善良的、真诚的朋友；她很哀伤地哭着，一直哭到睡去为止。但这是离开本题的事情了，让我们不要为它浪费笔墨.