little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第136章

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wise　answer；　Mr　Clennam。　Truly；　none　at　all；　sir。'　His　turning　of
his　smooth　thumbs　over　one　another　as　he　sat　there；　was　so　typical　to
Clennam　of　the　way　in　which　he　would　make　the　subject　revolve　if　it　were
pursued；　never　showing　any　new　part　of　it　nor　allowing　it　to　make　the
smallest　advance；　that　it　did　much　to　help　to　convince　him　of　his　labour
having　been　in　vain。　He　might　have　taken　any　time　to　think　about　it；　for
Mr　Casby；　well　accustomed　to　get　on　anywhere　by　leaving　everything　to
his　bumps　and　his　white　hair；　knew　his　strength　to　lie　in　silence。　So
there　Casby　sat；　twirling　and　twirling；　and　making　his　polished　head　and
forehead　look　largely　benevolent　in　every　knob。

With　this　spectacle　before　him；　Arthur　had　risen　to　go；　when　from　the
inner　Dock　where　the　good　ship　Pancks　was　hove　down　when　out　in　no
cruising　ground；　the　noise　was　heard　of　that　steamer　labouring　towards
him。　It　struck　Arthur　that　the　noise　began　demonstratively　far　off；　as
though　Mr　Pancks　sought　to　impress　on　any　one　who　might　happen　to　think
about　it；　that　he　was　working　on　from　out　of　hearing。　Mr　Pancks　and
he　shook　hands；　and　the　former　brought　his　employer　a　letter　or　two　to
sign。　Mr　Pancks　in　shaking　hands　merely　scratched　his　eyebrow　with　his
left　forefinger　and　snorted　once；　but　Clennam；　who　understood　him　better
now　than　of　old；　prehended　that　he　had　almost　done　for　the　evening
and　wished　to　say　a　word　to　him　outside。　Therefore；　when　he　had　taken
his　leave　of　Mr　Casby；　and　（which　was　a　more　difficult　process）　of
Flora；　he　sauntered　in　the　neighbourhood　on　Mr　Pancks's　line　of　road。

He　had　waited　but　a　short　time　when　Mr　Pancks　appeared。　Mr　Pancks
shaking　hands　again　with　another　expressive　snort；　and　taking　off　his
hat　to　put　his　hair　up；　Arthur　thought　he　received　his　cue　to　speak　to
him　as　one　who　knew　pretty　well　what　had　just　now　passed。　Therefore　he
said；　without　any　preface：

'I　suppose　they　were　really　gone；　Pancks？'

'Yes；'　replied　Pancks。　'They　were　really　gone。'

'Does　he　know　where　to　find　that　lady？'

'Can't　say。　I　should　think　so。'

Mr　Pancks　did　not？　No；　Mr　Pancks　did　not。　Did　Mr　Pancks　know　anything
about　her？　'I　expect；'　rejoined　that　worthy；　'I　know　as　much　about
her　as　she　knows　about　herself。　She　is　somebody's　child……anybody's；
nobody's。

Put　her　in　a　room　in　London　here　with　any　six　people　old　enough　to　be
her　parents；　and　her　parents　may　be　there　for　anything　she　knows。　They
may　be　in　any　house　she　sees；　they　may　be　in　any　churchyard　she　passes；
she　may　run　against　'em　in　any　street；　she　may　make　chance　acquaintance
of　'em　at　any　time；　and　never　know　it。

She　knows　nothing　about　'em。　She　knows　nothing　about　any　relative
whatever。　Never　did。　Never　will。'　'Mr　Casby　could　enlighten　her；
perhaps？'

'May　be；'　said　Pancks。　'I　expect　so；　but　don't　know。　He　has　long　had
money　（not　overmuch　as　I　make　out）　in　trust　to　dole　out　to　her　when
she　can't　do　without　it。　Sometimes　she's　proud　and　won't　touch　it　for
a　length　of　time；　sometimes　she's　so　poor　that　she　must　have　it。　She
writhes　under　her　life。　A　woman　more　angry；　passionate；　reckless；
and　revengeful　never　lived。　She　came　for　money　to…night。　Said　she　had
peculiar　occasion　for　it。'

'I　think；'　observed　Clennam　musing；　'I　by　chance　know　what　occasion……I
mean　into　whose　pocket　the　money　is　to　go。'

'Indeed？'　said　Pancks。　'If　it's　a　pact；　I　remend　that　party　to　be
exact　in　it。　I　wouldn't　trust　myself　to　that　woman；　young　and　handsome
as　she　is；　if　I　had　wronged　her；　no；　not　for　twice　my　proprietor's
money！　Unless；'　Pancks　added　as　a　saving　clause；　'I　had　a　lingering
illness　on　me；　and　wanted　to　get　it　over。'

Arthur；　hurriedly　reviewing　his　own　observation　of　her；　found　it　to
tally　pretty　nearly　with　Mr　Pancks's　view。

'The　wonder　is　to　me；'　pursued　Pancks；　'that　she　has　never　done　for　my
proprietor；　as　the　only　person　connected　with　her　story　she　can　lay
hold　of。　Mentioning　that；　I　may　tell　you；　between　ourselves；　that　I　am
sometimes　tempted　to　do　for　him　myself。'

Arthur　started　and　said；　'Dear　me；　Pancks；　don't　say　that！'

'Understand　me；'　said　Pancks；　extending　five　cropped　coaly　finger…nails
on　Arthur's　arm；　'I　don't　mean；　cut　his　throat。　But　by　all　that's
precious；　if　he　goes　too　far；　I'll　cut　his　hair！'

Having　exhibited　himself　in　the　new　light　of　enunciating　this　tremendous
threat；　Mr　Pancks；　with　a　countenance　of　grave　import；　snorted　several
times　and　steamed　away。




CHAPTER　10。　The　Dreams　of　Mrs　Flintwinch　thicken


The　shady　waiting…rooms　of　the　Circumlocution　Office；　where　he　passed　a
good　deal　of　time　in　pany　with　various　troublesome　Convicts　who　were
under　sentence　to　be　broken　alive　on　that　wheel；　had　afforded　Arthur
Clennam　ample　leisure；　in　three　or　four　successive　days；　to　exhaust　the
subject　of　his　late　glimpse　of　Miss　Wade　and　Tattycoram。　He　had　been
able　to　make　no　more　of　it　and　no　less　of　it；　and　in　this　unsatisfactory
condition　he　was　fain　to　leave　it。

During　this　space　he　had　not　been　to　his　mother's　dismal　old　house。

One　of　his　customary　evenings　for　repairing　thither　now　ing　round；
he　left　his　dwelling　and　his　partner　at　nearly　nine　o'clock；　and　slowly
walked　in　the　direction　of　that　grim　home　of　his　youth。

It　always　affected　his　imagination　as　wrathful；　mysterious；　and　sad；
and　his　imagination　was　sufficiently　impressible　to　see　the　whole
neighbourhood　under　some　tinge　of　its　dark　shadow。　As　he　went　along；
upon　a　dreary　night；　the　dim　streets　by　which　he　went；　seemed　all
depositories　of　oppressive　secrets。　The　deserted　counting…houses；　with
their　secrets　of　books　and　papers　locked　up　in　chests　and　safes；　the
banking…houses；　with　their　secrets　of　strong　rooms　and　wells；　the
keys　of　which　were　in　a　very　few　secret　pockets　and　a　very　few　secret
breasts；　the　secrets　of　all　the　dispersed　grinders　in　the　vast　mill；
among　whom　there　were　doubtless　plunderers；　forgers；　and　trust…betrayers
of　many　sorts；　whom　the　light　of　any　day　that　dawned　might　reveal；　he
could　have　fancied　that　these　things；　in　hiding；　imparted　a　heaviness
to　the　air。　The　shadow　thickening　and　thickening　as　he　approached　its
source；　he　thought　of　the　secrets　of　the　lonely　church…vaults；　where　the
people　who　had　hoarded　and　secreted　in　iron　coffers　were　in　their　turn
similarly　hoarded；　not　yet　at　rest　from　doing　harm；　and　then　of　the
secrets　of　the　river；　as　it　rolled　its　turbid　tide　between　two　frowning
wildernesses　of　secrets；　extending；　thick　and　dense；　for　many　miles；　and
warding　off　the　free　air　and　the　free　country　swept　by　winds　and　wings
of　birds。

The　shadow　still　darkening　as　he　drew　near　the　house；　the　melancholy
room　which　his　father　had　once　occupied；　haunted　by　the　appealing　face
he　had　himself　seen　fade　away　with　him　when　there　was　no　other　watcher
by　the　bed；　arose　before　his　mind。　Its　close　air　was　secret。　The　gloom；
and　must；　and　dust　of　the　whole　tenement；　were　secret。　At　the　heart　of
it　his　mother　presided；　inflexible　of　face；　indomitable　of　will；　firmly
holding　all　the　secrets　of　her　own　and　his　father's　life；　and　austerely
opposing　herself；　front　to　front；　to　the　great　final　secret　of　all　life。

He　had　turned　into　the　narrow　and　steep　street　from　which　the　court　of
enclosure　wherein　the　house　stood　opened；　when　another　footstep　turned
into　it　behind　him；　and　so　close　upon　his　own　that　he　was　jostled　to　the
wall。　As　his　mind　was　teeming　with　these　thoughts；　the　encounter　took
him　altogether　unprepared；　so　that　the　other　passenger　had　had　time　to
say；　boisterously；　'Pardon！　Not　my　fault！'　and　to　pass　on　before　the
instant　had　elapsed　which　was　requisite　to　his　recovery　of　the　realities
about　him。

When　that　moment　had　flashed　away；　he　saw　that　the　man　striding　on
before　him　was　the　man　who　had　been　so　much　in　his　mind　during　the　last
few　days。　It　was　no　casual　resemblance；　helped　out　by　the　force　of
the　impression　the　man　made　upon　him。　It　was　the　man；　the　man　he　had
followed　in　pany　with　the　girl；　and　whom　he　had　overheard　talking　to
Miss　Wade。

The　street　was　a　sharp　descent　and　was　crooked　too；　and　the　man　（who
although　not　drunk　had　the　air　of　being　flushed　with　some　strong　drink）
went　down　it　so　fast　that　Clennam　lost　him　as　he　looked　at　him。　With
no　defined　intention　of　following　him；　but　with　an　impulse　to　keep　the
figure　in　view　a　little　longer；　Clennam　quickened　his　pace　to　pass　the
twist　in　the　street　which　hid　him　from　his　sight。　On　turning　it；　he　saw
the　man　no　more。

Standing　now；　close　to　the　gateway　of　his　mother's　house；　he　looked
down　the　street：　but　it　was　empty。　There　was　no　projecting　shadow　large
enough　to　obscure　the　man；　there　was　no　turning　near　that　he　could　have
taken；　nor　had　there　been　any　audible　sound　of　the　opening　and　closing
of　a　door。　Nevertheless；　he　concluded　that　the　man　must　have　had　a　key
in　his　hand；　and　must　have　opened　one　of　the　many　house…doors　and　gone
in。

Ruminating　on　this　strange　chance　and　strange　glimpse；　he　turned　into
the　court…yard。　As　he　looked；　by　mere　habit；　towards　the　feebly　lighted
windows　of　his　mother's　room；　his　eyes　encountered　the　figure　he　had
just　lost；　standing　against　the　iron　railings　of　the　little　waste
enclosure　looking　up　at　those　w