little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第164章

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went　but　itself　and　Time。　She　suffered　it　to　run　down；　but　he　was　still
uneasy；　and　showed　that　was　not　what　he　wanted。　At　length　he　roused
himself　to　explain　that　he　wanted　money　to　be　raised　on　this　watch。　He
was　quite　pleased　when　she　pretended　to　take　it　away　for　the　purpose；
and　afterwards　had　a　relish　for　his　little　tastes　of　wine　and　jelly；
that　he　had　not　had　before。

He　soon　made　it　plain　that　this　was　so；　for；　in　another　day　or　two
he　sent　off　his　sleeve…buttons　and　finger…rings。　He　had　an　amazing
satisfaction　in　entrusting　her　with　these　errands；　and　appeared　to
consider　it　equivalent　to　making　the　most　methodical　and　provident
arrangements。　After　his　trinkets；　or　such　of　them　as　he　had　been　able　to
see　about　him；　were　gone；　his　clothes　engaged　his　attention；　and　it
is　as　likely　as　not　that　he　was　kept　alive　for　some　days　by　the
satisfaction　of　sending　them；　piece　by　piece；　to　an　imaginary
pawnbroker's。

Thus　for　ten　days　Little　Dorrit　bent　over　his　pillow；　laying　her　cheek
against　his。　Sometimes　she　was　so　worn　out　that　for　a　few　minutes
they　would　slumber　together。　Then　she　would　awake；　to　recollect　with
fast…flowing　silent　tears　what　it　was　that　touched　her　face；　and　to　see；
stealing　over　the　cherished　face　upon　the　pillow；　a　deeper　shadow　than
the　shadow　of　the　Marshalsea　Wall。

Quietly；　quietly；　all　the　lines　of　the　plan　of　the　great　Castle
melted　one　after　another。　Quietly；　quietly；　the　ruled　and　cross…ruled
countenance　on　which　they　were　traced；　became　fair　and　blank。

Quietly；　quietly；　the　reflected　marks　of　the　prison　bars　and　of　the
zig…zag　iron　on　the　wall…top；　faded　away。　Quietly；　quietly；　the　face
subsided　into　a　far　younger　likeness　of　her　own　than　she　had　ever　seen
under　the　grey　hair；　and　sank　to　rest。

At　first　her　uncle　was　stark　distracted。　'O　my　brother！　O　William；
William！　You　to　go　before　me；　you　to　go　alone；　you　to　go；　and　I　to
remain！　You；　so　far　superior；　so　distinguished；　so　noble；　I；　a　poor
useless　creature　fit　for　nothing；　and　whom　no　one　would　have　missed！'

It　did　her；　for　the　time；　the　good　of　having　him　to　think　of　and　to
succour。

'Uncle；　dear　uncle；　spare　yourself；　spare　me！'

The　old　man　was　not　deaf　to　the　last　words。　When　he　did　begin　to
restrain　himself；　it　was　that　he　might　spare　her。　He　had　no　care　for
himself；　but；　with　all　the　remaining　power　of　the　honest　heart；　stunned
so　long　and　now　awaking　to　be　broken；　he　honoured　and　blessed　her。

'O　God；'　he　cried；　before　they　left　the　room；　with　his　wrinkled　hands
clasped　over　her。　'Thou　seest　this　daughter　of　my　dear　dead　brother！　All
that　I　have　looked　upon；　with　my　half…blind　and　sinful　eyes；　Thou　hast
discerned　clearly；　brightly。　Not　a　hair　of　her　head　shall　be　harmed
before　Thee。　Thou　wilt　uphold　her　here　to　her　last　hour。　And　I　know　Thou
wilt　reward　her　hereafter！'

They　remained　in　a　dim　room　near；　until　it　was　almost　midnight；　quiet
and　sad　together。　At　times　his　grief　would　seek　relief　in　a　burst　like
that　in　which　it　had　found　its　earliest　expression；　but；　besides　that
his　little　strength　would　soon　have　been　unequal　to　such　strains；　he
never　failed　to　recall　her　words；　and　to　reproach　himself　and　calm
himself。　The　only　utterance　with　which　he　indulged　his　sorrow；　was　the
frequent　exclamation　that　his　brother　was　gone；　alone；　that　they　had
been　together　in　the　outset　of　their　lives；　that　they　had　fallen　into
misfortune　together；　that　they　had　kept　together　through　their　many
years　of　poverty；　that　they　had　remained　together　to　that　day；　and　that
his　brother　was　gone　alone；　alone！

They　parted；　heavy　and　sorrowful。　She　would　not　consent　to　leave　him
anywhere　but　in　his　own　room；　and　she　saw　him　lie　down　in　his　clothes
upon　his　bed；　and　covered　him　with　her　own　hands。　Then　she　sank　upon　her
own　bed；　and　fell　into　a　deep　sleep：　the　sleep　of　exhaustion　and
rest；　though　not　of　plete　release　from　a　pervading　consciousness　of
affliction。　Sleep；　good　Little　Dorrit。　Sleep　through　the　night！

It　was　a　moonlight　night；　but　the　moon　rose　late；　being　long　past　the
full。　When　it　was　high　in　the　peaceful　firmament；　it　shone　through
half…closed　lattice　blinds　into　the　solemn　room　where　the　stumblings　and
wanderings　of　a　life　had　so　lately　ended。　Two　quiet　figures　were　within
the　room；　tpassive；　equally　removed
by　an　untraversable　distance　from　the　teeming　earth　and　all　that　it
contains；　though　soon　to　lie　in　it。

One　figure　reposed　upon　the　bed。　The　other；　kneeling　on　the　floor；
drooped　over　it；　the　arms　easily　and　peacefully　resting　on　the　coverlet；
the　face　bowed　down；　so　that　the　lips　touched　the　hand　over　which　with
its　last　breath　it　had　bent。　The　two　brothers　were　before　their　Father；
far　beyond　the　twilight　judgment　of　this　world；　high　above　its　mists　and
obscurities。




CHAPTER　20。　Introduces　the　next


The　passengers　were　landing　from　the　packet　on　the　pier　at　Calais。
A　low…lying　place　and　a　low…spirited　place　Calais　was；　with　the　tide
ebbing　out　towards　low　water…mark。　There　had　been　no　more　water　on　the
bar　than　had　sufficed　to　float　the　packet　in；　and　now　the　bar　itself；
with　a　shallow　break　of　sea　over　it；　looked　like　a　lazy　marine　monster
just　risen　to　the　surface；　whose　form　was　indistinctly　shown　as　it　lay
asleep。　The　meagre　lighthouse　all　in　white；　haunting　the　seaboard　as　if
it　were　the　ghost　of　an　edifice　that　had　once　had　colour　and　rotundity；
dropped　melancholy　tears　after　its　late　buffeting　by　the　waves。　The　long
rows　of　gaunt　black　piles；　slimy　and　wet　and　weather…worn；　with　funeral
garlands　of　seaweed　twisted　about　them　by　the　late　tide；　might
have　represented　an　unsightly　marine　cemetery。　Every　wave…dashed；
storm…beaten　object；　was　so　low　and　so　little；　under　the　broad　grey　sky；
in　the　noise　of　the　wind　and　sea；　and　before　the　curling　lines　of　surf；
making　at　it　ferociously；　that　the　wonder　was　there　was　any　Calais　left；
and　that　its　low　gates　and　low　wall　and　low　roofs　and　low　ditches　and
low　sand…hills　and　low　ramparts　and　flat　streets；　had　not　yielded
long　ago　to　the　undermining　and　besieging　sea；　like　the　fortifications
children　make　on　the　sea…shore。

After　slipping　among　oozy　piles　and　planks；　stumbling　up　wet　steps　and
encountering　many　salt　difficulties；　the　passengers　entered　on　their
fortless　peregrination　along　the　pier；　where　all　the　French　vagabonds
and　English　outlaws　in　the　town　（half　the　population）　attended　to
prevent　their　recovery　from　bewilderment。　After　being　minutely　inspected
by　all　the　English；　and　claimed　and　reclaimed　and　counter…claimed　as
prizes　by　all　the　French　in　a　hand…to…hand　scuffle　three　quarters　of　a
mile　long；　they　were　at　last　free　to　enter　the　streets；　and　to　make　off
in　their　various　directions；　hotly　pursued。

Clennam；　harassed　by　more　anxieties　than　one；　was　among　this　devoted
band。　Having　rescued　the　most　defenceless　of　his　patriots　from
situations　of　great　extremity；　he　now　went　his　way　alone；　or　as　nearly
alone　as　he　could　be；　with　a　native　gentleman　in　a　suit　of　grease　and
a　cap　of　the　same　material；　giving　chase　at　a　distance　of　some　fifty
yards；　and　continually　calling　after　him；　'Hi！　Ice…say！　You！　Seer！
Ice…say！　Nice　Oatel！'

Even　this　hospitable　person；　however；　was　left　behind　at　last；　and
Clennam　pursued　his　way；　unmolested。　There　was　a　tranquil　air　in　the
town　after　the　turbulence　of　the　Channel　and　the　beach；　and　its　dulness
in　that　parison　was　agreeable。　He　met　new　groups　of　his　countrymen；
who　had　all　a　straggling　air　of　having　at　one　time　overblown　themselves；
like　certain　unfortable　kinds　of　flowers；　and　of　being　now　mere
weeds。　They　had　all　an　air；　too；　of　lounging　out　a　limited　round；　day
after　day；　which　strongly　reminded　him　of　the　Marshalsea。　But；　taking
no　further　note　of　them　than　was　sufficient　to　give　birth　to　the
reflection；　he　sought　out　a　certain　street　and　number　which　he　kept　in
his　mind。

'So　Pancks　said；'　he　murmured　to　himself；　as　he　stopped　before　a　dull
house　answering　to　the　address。　'I　suppose　his　information　to　be　correct
and　his　discovery；　among　Mr　Casby's　loose　papers；　indisputable；　but；
without　it；　I　should　hardly　have　supposed　this　to　be　a　likely　place。'

A　dead　sort　of　house；　with　a　dead　wall　over　the　way　and　a　dead　gateway
at　the　side；　where　a　pendant　bell…handle　produced　two　dead　tinkles；　and
a　knocker　produced　a　dead；　flat；　surface…tapping；　that　seemed　not　to
have　depth　enough　in　it　to　perate　even　the　cracked　door。　However；　the
door　jarred　open　on　a　dead　sort　of　spring；　and　he　closed　it　behind　him
as　he　entered　a　dull　yard；　soon　brought　to　a　close　by　another　dead　wall；
where　an　attempt　had　been　made　to　train　some　creeping　shrubs；　which　were
dead；　and　to　make　a　little　fountain　in　a　grotto；　which　was　dry；　and　to
decorate　that　with　a　little　statue；　which　was　gone。

The　entry　to　the　house　was　on　the　left；　and　it　was　garnished　as　the
outer　gateway　was；　with　two　printed　bills　in　French　and　English；
announcing　Furnished　Apartments　to　let；　with　immediate　possession。　A
strong　cheerful　peasant　woman；　all　stocking；　petticoat；　white　cap；　and
ear…ring；　stood　here　in　a　dark　doorway；　and　said　with　a　pleasant　show　of
teeth；　'Ice…say！　Seer！　Who？'

Clennam；　replying　in　French；　said　the　Englis