little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第130章

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everything　good　and　everything　sound　at　each　important　stage；　before
taking　his　hearer　on　a　line's…breadth　further。　His　dismissal　of　himself
from　his　description；　was　hardly　less　remarkable。　He　never　said；　I
discovered　this　adaptation　or　invented　that　bination；　but　showed　the
whole　thing　as　if　the　Divine　artificer　had　made　it；　and　he　had　happened
to　find　it；　so　modest　he　was　about　it；　such　a　pleasant　touch　of　respect
iration　of　it；　and　so　calmly　convinced　he
was　that　it　was　established　on　irrefragable　laws。

Not　only　that　evening；　but　for　several　succeeding　evenings；　Clennam　was
quite　charmed　by　this　investigation。　The　more　he　pursued　it；　and　the
oftener　he　glanced　at　the　grey　head　bending　over　it；　and　the　shrewd　eye
kindling　with　pleasure　in　it　and　love　of　it……instrument　for　probing　his
heart　though　it　had　been　made　for　twelve　long　years……the　less　he　could
reconcile　it　to　his　younger　energy　to　let　it　go　without　one　effort　more。
At　length　he　said：

'Doyce；　it　came　to　this　at　last……that　the　business　was　to　be　sunk　with
Heaven　knows　how　many　more　wrecks；　or　begun　all　over　again？'

'Yes；'　returned　Doyce；　'that's　what　the　noblemen　and　gentlemen　made　of
it　after　a　dozen　years。'

'And　pretty　fellows　too！'　said　Clennam；　bitterly。

'The　usual　thing！'　observed　Doyce。　'I　must　not　make　a　martyr　of　myself；
when　I　am　one　of　so　large　a　pany。'

'Relinquish　it；　or　begin　it　all　over　again？'　mused　Clennam。

'That　was　exactly　the　long　and　the　short　of　it；'　said　Doyce。

'Then；　my　friend；'　cried　Clennam；　starting　up　and　taking　his
work…roughened　hand；　'it　shall　be　begun　all　over　again！'

Doyce　looked　alarmed；　and　replied　in　a　hurry……for　him；　'No；　no。　Better
put　it　by。　Far　better　put　it　by。　It　will　be　heard　of；　one　day。　I　can
put　it　by。　You　forget；　my　good　Clennam；　I　HAVE　put　it　by。　It's　all　at　an
end。'

'Yes；　Doyce；'　returned　Clennam；　'at　an　end　as　far　as　your　efforts　and
rebuffs　are　concerned；　I　admit；　but　not　as　far　as　mine　are。　I　am　younger
than　you：　I　have　only　once　set　foot　in　that　precious　office；　and　I　am
fresh　game　for　them。　e！　I'll　try　them。　You　shall　do　exactly　as　you
have　been　doing　since　we　have　been　together。　I　will　add　（as　I　easily
can）　to　what　I　have　been　doing；　the　attempt　to　get　public　justice　done
to　you；　and；　unless　I　have　some　success　to　report；　you　shall　hear　no
more　of　it。'

Daniel　Doyce　was　still　reluctant　to　consent；　and　again　and　again　urged
that　they　had　better　put　it　by。　But　it　was　natural　that　he　should
gradually　allow　himself　to　be　over…persuaded　by　Clennam；　and　should
yield。　Yield　he　did。　So　Arthur　resumed　the　long　and　hopeless　labour　of
striving　to　make　way　with　the　Circumlocution　Office。

The　waiting…rooms　of　that　Department　soon　began　to　be　familiar　with　his
presence；　and　he　was　generally　ushered　into　them　by　its　janitors　much
as　a　pickpocket　might　be　shown　into　a　police…office；　the　principal
difference　being　that　the　object　of　the　latter　class　of　public　business
is　to　keep　the　pickpocket；　while　the　Circumlocution　object　was　to
get　rid　of　Clennam。　However；　he　was　resolved　to　stick　to　the　Great
Department；　and　so　the　work　of　form…filling；　corresponding；　minuting；
memorandum…making；　signing；　counter…signing；　counter…counter…signing；
referring　backwards　and　forwards；　and　referring　sideways；　crosswise；　and
zig…zag；　remenced。

Here　arises　a　feature　of　the　Circumlocution　Office；　not　previously
mentioned　in　the　present　record。　When　that　admirable　Department　got
into　trouble；　and　was；　by　some　infuriated　members　of　Parliament　whom
the　smaller　Barnacles　almost　suspected　of　labouring　under　diabolic
possession；　attacked　on　the　merits　of　no　individual　case；　but　as　an
Institution　wholly　abominable　and　Bedlamite；　then　the　noble　or　right
honourable　Barnacle　who　represented　it　in　the　House；　would　smite　that
member　and　cleave　him　asunder；　with　a　statement　of　the　quantity　of
business　（for　the　prevention　of　business）　done　by　the　Circumlocution
Office。　Then　would　that　noble　or　right　honourable　Barnacle　hold　in　his
hand　a　paper　containing　a　few　figures；　to　which；　with　the　permission
of　the　House；　he　would　entreat　its　attention。　Then　would　the　inferior
Barnacles　exclaim；　obeying　orders；'Hear；　Hear；　Hear！'　and　'Read！'　Then
would　the　noble　or　right　honourable　Barnacle　perceive；　sir；　from　this
little　document；　which　he　thought　might　carry　conviction　even　to　the
perversest　mind　（Derisive　laughter　and　cheering　from　the　Barnacle　fry）；
that　within　the　short　pass　of　the　last　financial　half…year；　this
much…maligned　Department　（Cheers）　had　written　and　received　fifteen
thousand　letters　（Loud　cheers）；　had　written　twenty…four　thousand　minutes
（Louder　cheers）；　and　thirty…two　thousand　five　hundred　and　seventeen
memoranda　（Vehement　cheering）。　Nay；　an　ingenious　gentleman　connected
with　the　Department；　and　himself　a　valuable　public　servant；　had　done
him　the　favour　to　make　a　curious　calculation　of　the　amount　of　stationery
consumed　in　it　during　the　same　period。　It　formed　a　part　of　this　same
short　document；　and　he　derived　from　it　the　remarkable　fact　that　the
sheets　of　foolscap　paper　it　had　devoted　to　the　public　service　would　pave
the　footways　on　both　sides　of　Oxford　Street　from　end　to　end；　and　leave
nearly　a　quarter　of　a　mile　to　spare　for　the　park　（Immense　cheering　and
laughter）；　while　of　tape……red　tape……it　had　used　enough　to　stretch；　in
graceful　festoons；　from　Hyde　Park　Corner　to　the　General　Post　Office。
Then；　amidst　a　burst　of　official　exultation；　would　the　noble　or　right
honourable　Barnacle　sit　down；　leaving　the　mutilated　fragments　of　the
Member　on　the　field。　No　one；　after　that　exemplary　demolition　of　him；
would　have　the　hardihood　to　hint　that　the　more　the　Circumlocution　Office
did；　the　less　was　done；　and　that　the　greatest　blessing　it　could　confer
on　an　unhappy　public　would　be　to　do　nothing。

With　sufficient　occupation　on　his　hands；　now　that　he　had　this　additional
task……such　a　task　had　many　and　many　a　serviceable　man　died　of　before　his
day……Arthur　Clennam　led　a　life　of　slight　variety。　Regular　visits　to　his
mother's　dull　sick　room；　and　visits　scarcely　less　regular　to　Mr　Meagles
at　Twickenham；　were　its　only　changes　during　many　months。

He　sadly　and　sorely　missed　Little　Dorrit。　He　had　been　prepared　to　miss
her　very　much；　but　not　so　much。　He　knew　to　the　full　extent　only　through
experience；　what　a　large　place　in　his　life　was　left　blank　when　her
familiar　little　figure　went　out　of　it。　He　felt；　too；　that　he　must
relinquish　the　hope　of　its　return；　understanding　the　family　character
sufficiently　well　to　be　assured　that　he　and　she　were　divided　by　a　broad
ground　of　separation。　The　old　interest　he　had　had　in　her；　and　her　old
trusting　reliance　on　him；　were　tinged　with　melancholy　in　his　mind：　so
soon　had　change　stolen　over　them；　and　so　soon　had　they　glided　into　the
past　with　other　secret　tendernesses。

When　he　received　her　letter　he　was　greatly　moved；　but　did　not　the　less
sensibly　feel　that　she　was　far　divided　from　him　by　more　than　distance。
It　helped　him　to　a　clearer　and　keener　perception　of　the　place　assigned
him　by　the　family。　He　saw　that　he　was　cherished　in　her　grateful
remembrance　secretly；　and　that　they　resented　him　with　the　jail　and　the
rest　of　its　belongings。

Through　all　these　meditations　which　every　day　of　his　life　crowded　about
her；　he　thought　of　her　otherwise　in　the　old　way。　She　was　his　innocent
friend；　his　delicate　child；　his　dear　Little　Dorrit。　This　very　change
of　circumstances　fitted　curiously　in　with　the　habit；　begun　on　the　night
when　the　roses　floated　away；　of　considering　himself　as　a　much　older　man
than　his　years　really　made　him。　He　regarded　her　from　a　point　of　view
which　in　its　remoteness；　tender　as　it　was；　he　little　thought　would　have
been　unspeakable　agony　to　her。　He　speculated　about　her　future　destiny；
and　about　the　husband　she　might　have；　with　an　affection　for　her　which
would　have　drained　her　heart　of　its　dearest　drop　of　hope；　and　broken　it。

Everything　about　him　tended　to　confirm　him　in　the　custom　of　looking　on
himself　as　an　elderly　man；　from　whom　such　aspirations　as　he　had　bated
in　the　case　of　Minnie　Gowan　（though　that　was　not　so　long　ago　either；
reckoning　by　months　and　seasons）；　were　finally　departed。　His　relations
with　her　father　and　mother　were　like　those　on　which　a　widower　son…in…law
might　have　stood。　If　the　twin　sister　who　was　dead　had　lived　to　pass　away
in　the　bloom　of　womanhood；　and　he　had　been　her　husband；　the　nature　of
his　intercourse　with　Mr　and　Mrs　Meagles　would　probably　have　been　just
what　it　was。　This　imperceptibly　helped　to　render　habitual　the　impression
within　him；　that　he　had　done　with；　and　dismissed　that　part　of　life。

He　invariably　heard　of　Minnie　from　them；　as　telling　them　in　her　letters
how　happy　she　was；　and　how　she　loved　her　husband；　but　inseparable　from
that　subject；　he　invariably　saw　the　old　cloud　on　Mr　Meagles's　face。　Mr
Meagles　had　never　been　quite　so　radiant　since　the　marriage　as　before。
He　had　never　quite　recovered　the　separation　from　Pet。　He　was　the　same
good…humoured；　open　creature；　but　as　if　his　face；　from　being　much　turned
towards　the　pictures　of　his　two　children　which　could　show　him　only　one
look；　unconsciously　adopted　a　characteristic　from　them；　it　always　had
now；　throu