little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第116章

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No　one　had　interfered　in　the　dispute；　which　was　beyond　the　French
colloquial　powers　of　Edward　Dorrit；　Esquire；　and　scarcely　within　the
province　of　the　ladies。　Miss　Fanny；　however；　now　supported　her　father
with　great　bitterness；　declaring；　in　her　native　tongue；　that　it　was
quite　clear　there　was　something　special　in　this　man's　impertinence；
and　that　she　considered　it　important　that　he　should　be；　by　some　means；
forced　to　give　up　his　authority　for　making　distinctions　between　that
family　and　other　wealthy　families。　What　the　reasons　of　his　presumption
could　be；　she　was　at　a　loss　to　imagine；　but　reasons　he　must　have；　and
they　ought　to　be　torn　from　him。

All　the　guides；　mule…drivers；　and　idlers　in　the　yard；　had　made
themselves　parties　to　the　angry　conference；　and　were　much　impressed　by
the　courier's　now　bestirring　himself　to　get　the　carriages　out。　With　the
aid　of　some　dozen　people　to　each　wheel；　this　was　done　at　a　great　cost　of
noise；　and　then　the　loading　was　proceeded　with；　pending　the　arrival　of
the　horses　from　the　post…house。

But　the　very　genteel　lady's　English　chariot　being　already　horsed　and　at
the　inn…door；　the　landlord　had　slipped　up…stairs　to　represent　his　hard
case。　This　was　notified　to　the　yard　by　his　now　ing　down　the　staircase
in　attendance　on　the　gentleman　and　the　lady；　and　by　his　pointing　out　the
offended　majesty　of　Mr　Dorrit　to　them　with　a　significant　motion　of　his
hand。

'Beg　your　pardon；'　said　the　gentleman；　detaching　himself　from　the
lady；　and　ing　forward。　'I　am　a　man　of　few　words　and　a　bad　hand　at　an
explanation……but　lady　here　is　extremely　anxious　that　there　should　be　no
Row。　Lady……a　mother　of　mine；　in　point　of　fact……wishes　me　to　say　that　she
hopes　no　Row。'

Mr　Dorrit；　still　panting　under　his　injury；　saluted　the　gentleman；　and
saluted　the　lady；　in　a　distant；　final；　and　invincible　manner。

'No；　but　really……here；　old　feller；　you！'　This　was　the　gentleman's　way　of
appealing　to　Ed　he　pounced　as　a　great　and
providential　relief。　'Let　you　and　I　try　to　make　this　all　right。　Lady　so
very　much　wishes　no　Row。'

Edward　Dorrit；　Esquire；　led　a　little　apart　by　the　button；　assumed　a
diplomatic　expression　of　countenance　in　replying；　'Why　you　must　confess；
that　when　you　bespeak　a　lot　of　rooms　beforehand；　and　they　belong　to　you；
it's　not　pleasant　to　find　other　people　in　'em。'

'No；'　said　the　other；　'I　know　it　isn't。　I　admit　it。　Still；　let　you　and　I
try　to　make　it　all　right；　and　avoid　Row。　The　fault　is　not　this　chap's
at　all；　but　my　mother's。　Being　a　remarkably　fine　woman　with　no　bigodd
nonsense　about　her……well　educated；　too……she　was　too　many　for　this　chap。
Regularly　pocketed　him。'

'If　that's　the　case……'　Edward　Dorrit；　Esquire；　began。

'Assure　you　'pon　my　soul　'tis　the　case。　Consequently；'　said　the　other
gentleman；　retiring　on　his　main　position；　'why　Row？'

'Edmund；'　said　the　lady　from　the　doorway；　'I　hope　you　have　explained；
or　are　explaining；　to　the　satisfaction　of　this　gentleman　and　his　family
that　the　civil　landlord　is　not　to　blame？'

'Assure　you；　ma'am；'　returned　Edmund；　'perfectly　paralysing　myself　with
trying　it　on。'　He　then　looked　steadfastly　at　Edward　Dorrit；　Esquire；　for
some　seconds；　and　suddenly　added；　in　a　burst　of　confidence；　'Old　feller！
Is　it　all　right？'

'I　don't　know；　after　all；'　said　the　lady；　gracefully　advancing　a　step　or
two　towards　Mr　Dorrit；　'but　that　I　had　better　say　myself；　at　once；
that　I　assured　this　good　man　I　took　all　the　consequences　on　myself　of
occupying　one　of　a　stranger's　suite　of　rooms　during　his　absence；　for
just　as　much　（or　as　little）　time　as　I　could　dine　in。　I　had　no　idea　the
rightful　owner　would　e　back　so　soon；　nor　had　I　any　idea　that　he
had　e　back；　or　I　should　have　hastened　to　make　restoration　of　my
ill…gotten　chamber；　and　to　have　offered　my　explanation　and　apology。　I
trust　in　saying　this……'

For　a　moment　the　lady；　with　a　glass　at　her　eye；　stood　transfixed　and
speechless　before　the　two　Miss　Dorrits。　At　the　same　moment；　Miss　Fanny；
in　the　foreground　of　a　grand　pictorial　position；　formed　by　the
family；　the　family　equipages；　and　the　family　servants；　held　her　sister
tight　under　one　arm　to　detain　her　on　the　spot；　and　with　the　other　arm
fanned　herself　with　a　distinguished　air；　and　negligently　surveyed　the
lady　from　head　to　foot。

The　lady；　recovering　herself　quickly……for　it　was　Mrs　Merdle　and　she　was
not　easily　dashed……went　on　to　add　that　she　trusted　in　saying　this；　she
apologised　for　her　boldness；　and　restored　this　well…behaved　landlord　to
the　favour　that　was　so　very　valuable　to　him。　Mr　Dorrit；　on　the　altar　of
whose　dignity　all　this　was　incense；　made　a　gracious　reply；　and　said
that　his　people　should……ha……countermand　his　horses；　and　he
would……hum……overlook　what　he　had　at　first　supposed　to　be　an　affront；
but　now　regarded　as　an　honour。　Upon　this　the　bosom　bent　to　him；　and　its
owner；　with　a　wonderful　mand　of　feature；　addressed　a　winning　smile　of
adieu　to　the　two　sisters；　as　young　ladies　of　fortune　in　whose　favour　she
was　much　prepossessed；　and　whom　she　had　never　had　the　gratification　of
seeing　before。

Not　so；　however；　Mr　Sparkler。　This　gentleman；　being　transfixed　at
the　same　moment　as　his　lady…mother；　could　not　by　any　means　unfix　himself
again；　but　stood　stiffly　staring　at　the　whole　position　with　Miss
Fanny　in　the　Foreground。　On　his　mother　saying；　'Edmund；　we　are　quite
ready；　will　you　give　me　your　arm？'　he　seemed；　by　the　motion　of　his　lips；
to　reply　with　some　remark　prehending　the　form　of　words　in　which　his
shining　talents　found　the　most　frequent　utterance；　but　he　relaxed　no
muscle。　So　fixed　was　his　figure；　that　it　would　have　been　matter　of　some
difficulty　to　bend　him　sufficiently　to　get　him　in　the　carriage…door；
if　he　had　not　received　the　timely　assistance　of　a　maternal　pull　from
within。　He　was　no　sooner　within　than　the　pad　of　the　little　window　in　the
back　of　the　chariot　disappeared；　and　his　eye　usurped　its　place。　There
it　remained　as　long　as　so　small　an　object　was　discernible；　and　probably
much　longer；　staring　（as　though　something　inexpressibly　surprising
should　happen　to　a　codfish）　like　an　ill…executed　eye　in　a　large　locket。

This　encounter　was　so　highly　agreeable　to　Miss　Fanny；　and　gave　her
so　much　to　think　of　with　triumph　afterwards；　that　it　softened　her
asperities　exceedingly。　When　the　procession　was　again　in　motion　next
day；　she　occupied　her　place　in　it　with　a　new　gaiety；　and　showed　such　a
flow　of　spirits　indeed；　that　Mrs　General　looked　rather　surprised。

Little　Dorrit　was　glad　to　be　found　no　fault　with；　and　to　see　that　Fanny
was　pleased；　but　her　part　in　the　procession　was　a　musing　part；　and　a
quiet　one。　Sitting　opposite　her　father　in　the　travelling…carriage；　and
recalling　the　old　Marshalsea　room；　her　present　existence　was　a　dream。
All　that　she　saw　was　new　and　wonderful；　but　it　was　not　real；　it　seemed
to　her　as　if　those　visions　of　mountains　and　picturesque　countries　might
melt　away　at　any　moment；　and　the　carriage；　turning　some　abrupt　corner；
bring　up　with　a　jolt　at　the　old　Marshalsea　gate。

To　have　no　work　to　do　was　strange；　but　not　half　so　strange　as　having
glided　into　a　corner　where　she　had　no　one　to　think　for；　nothing　to　plan
and　contrive；　no　cares　of　others　to　load　herself　with。　Strange　as　that
was；　it　was　far　stranger　yet　to　find　a　space　between　herself　and　her
father；　where　others　occupied　themselves　in　taking　care　of　him；　and
where　she　was　never　expected　to　be。　At　first；　this　was　so　much　more
unlike　her　old　experience　than　even　the　mountains　themselves；　that　she
had　been　unable　to　resign　herself　to　it；　and　had　tried　to　retain　her
old　place　about　him。　But　he　had　spoken　to　her　alone；　and　had　said　that
people……ha……people　in　an　exalted　position；　my　dear；　must　scrupulously
exact　respect　from　their　dependents；　and　that　for　her；　his　daughter；
Miss　Amy　Dorrit；　of　the　sole　remaining　branch　of　the　Dorrits　of
Dorsetshire；　to　be　known　to……hum……to　occupy　herself　in　fulfilling　the
functions　of……ha　hum……a　valet；　would　be　inpatible　with　that　respect。
Therefore；　my　dear；　he……ha……he　laid　his　parental　injunctions　upon
her；　to　remember　that　she　was　a　lady；　who　had　now　to　conduct　herself
with……hum……a　proper　pride；　and　to　preserve　the　rank　of　a　lady；
and　consequently　he　requested　her　to　abstain　from　doing　what　would
occasion……ha……unpleasant　and　derogatory　remarks。　She　had　obeyed　without
a　murmur。　Thus　it　had　been　brought　about　that　she　now　sat　in　her　corner
of　the　luxurious　carriage　with　her　little　patient　hands　folded　before
her；　quite　displaced　even　from　the　last　point　of　the　old　standing　ground
in　life　on　which　her　feet　had　lingered。

It　was　from　this　position　that　all　she　saw　appeared　unreal；　the　more
surprising　the　scenes；　the　more　they　resembled　the　unreality　of　her
own　inner　life　as　she　went　through　its　vacant　places　all　day　long。　The
gorges　of　the　Simplon；　its　enormous　depths　and　thundering　waterfalls；
the　wonderful　road；　the　points　of　danger　where　a　loose　wheel　or　a
faltering　horse　would　have　been　destruction；　the　descent　into　Italy；　the
opening　of　that　beautiful　land　as　the　rugged　mountain…chasm　widened　and
let　them　out　from　a　gloomy　and　dark　imprisonment……all　a　dream……only　the
old　mean　Marshalsea　a　reality。　Nay；　even　the　old　mean　Marshalsea　was
shaken　to