little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第180章

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in　the　face。'　'If　the　money　I　have　sacrificed　had　been　all　my　own；　Mr
Rugg；'　sighed　Mr　Clennam；　'I　should　have　cared　far　less。'

'Indeed；　sir？'　said　Mr　Rugg；　rubbing　his　hands　with　a　cheerful　air。

'You　surprise　me。　That's　singular；　sir。　I　have　generally　found；　in　my
experience；　that　it's　their　own　money　people　are　most　particular　about。
I　have　seen　people　get　rid　of　a　good　deal　of　other　people's　money；　and
bear　it　very　well：　very　well　indeed。'

With　these　forting　remarks；　Mr　Rugg　seated　himself　on　an　office…stool
at　the　desk　and　proceeded　to　business。

'Now；　Mr　Clennam；　by　your　leave；　let　us　go　into　the　matter。　Let　us　see
the　state　of　the　case。　The　question　is　simple。　The　question　is　the
usual　plain；　straightforward；　mon…sense　question。　What　can　we　do　for
ourself？　What　can　we　do　for　ourself？'

'This　is　not　the　question　with　me；　Mr　Rugg；'　said　Arthur。　'You　mistake
it　in　the　beginning。　It　is；　what　can　I　do　for　my　partner；　how　can　I　best
make　reparation　to　him？'

'I　am　afraid；　sir；　do　you　know；'　argued　Mr　Rugg　persuasively；　'that　you
are　still　allowing　your　feeling　to　be　worked　upon。　I　don't　like　the　term
〃reparation；〃　sir；　except　as　a　lever　in　the　hands　of　counsel。　Will　you
excuse　my　saying　that　I　feel　it　my　duty　to　offer　you　the　caution；　that
you　really　must　not　allow　your　feelings　to　be　worked　upon？'

'Mr　Rugg；'　said　Clennam；　nerving　himself　to　go　through　with　what　he
had　resolved　upon；　and　surprising　that　gentleman　by　appearing；　in　his
despondency；　to　have　a　settled　determination　of　purpose；　'you　give　me
the　impression　that　you　will　not　be　much　disposed　to　adopt　the　course
I　have　made　up　my　mind　to　take。　If　your　disapproval　of　it　should　render
you　unwilling　to　discharge　such　business　as　it　necessitates；　I　am　sorry
for　it；　and　must　seek　other　aid。　But　I　will　represent　to　you　at　once；
that　to　argue　against　it　with　me　is　useless。'

'Good；　sir；'　answered　Mr　Rugg；　shrugging　his　shoulders。'Good；　sir。　Since
the　business　is　to　be　done　by　some　hands；　let　it　be　done　by　mine。　Such
was　my　principle　in　the　case　of　Rugg　and　Bawkins。　Such　is　my　principle
in　most　cases。'


Clennam　then　proceeded　to　state　to　Mr　Rugg　his　fixed　resolution。　He　told
Mr　Rugg　that　his　partner　was　a　man　of　great　simplicity　and　integrity；
and　that　in　all　he　meant　to　do；　he　was　guided　above　all　things　by　a
knowledge　of　his　partner's　character；　and　a　respect　for　his　feelings。
He　explained　that　his　partner　was　then　absent　on　an　enterprise　of
importance；　and　that　it　particularly　behoved　himself　publicly　to　accept
the　blame　of　what　he　had　rashly　done；　and　publicly　to　exonerate　his
partner　from　all　participation　in　the　responsibility　of　it；　lest　the
successful　conduct　of　that　enterprise　should　be　endangered　by　the
slightest　suspicion　wrongly　attaching　to　his　partner's　honour　and　credit
in　another　country。　He　told　Mr　Rugg　that　to　clear　his　partner　morally；
to　the　fullest　extent；　and　publicly　and　unreservedly　to　declare　that
he；　Arthur　Clennam；　of　that　Firm；　had　of　his　own　sole　act；　and　even
expressly　against　his　partner's　caution；　embarked　its　resources　in　the
swindles　that　had　lately　perished；　was　the　only　real　atonement　within
his　power；　was　a　better　atonement　to　the　particular　man　than　it　would　be
to　many　men；　and　was　therefore　the　atonement　he　had　first　to　make。　With
this　view；　his　intention　was　to　print　a　declaration　to　the　foregoing
effect；　which　he　had　already　drawn　up；　and；　besides　circulating　it
among　all　who　had　dealings　with　the　House；　to　advertise　it　in　the　public
papers。　Concurrently　with　this　measure　（the　description　of　which　cost　Mr
Rugg　innumerable　wry　faces　and　great　uneasiness　in　his　limbs）；　he　would
address　a　letter　to　all　the　creditors；　exonerating　his　partner　in　a
solemn　manner；　informing　them　of　the　stoppage　of　the　House　until　their
pleasure　could　be　known　and　his　partner　municated　with；　and　humbly
submitting　himself　to　their　direction。　If；　through　their　consideration
for　his　partner's　innocence；　the　affairs　could　ever　be　got　into　such
train　as　that　the　business　could　be　profitably　resumed；　and　its　present
downfall　overe；　then　his　own　share　in　it　should　revert　to　his
partner；　as　the　only　reparation　he　could　make　to　him　in　money　value　for
the　distress　and　loss　he　had　unhappily　brought　upon　him；　and　he　himself；
at　as　mall　a　salary　as　he　could　live　upon；　would　ask　to　be　allowed　to
serve　the　business　as　a　faithful　clerk。

Though　Mr　Rugg　saw　plainly　there　was　no　preventing　this　from　being　done；
still　the　wryness　of　his　face　and　the　uneasiness　of　his　limbs　so　sorely
required　the　propitiation　of　a　Protest；　that　he　made　one。

'I　offer　no　objection；　sir；'　said　he；　'I　argue　no　point　with　you。　I　will
carry　out　your　views；　sir；　but；　under　protest。'　Mr　Rugg　then　stated；
not　without　prolixity；　the　heads　of　his　protest。　These　were；　in　effect；
because　the　whole　town；　or　he　might　say　the　whole　country；　was　in　the
first　madness　of　the　late　discovery；　and　the　resentment　against　the
victims　would　be　very　strong：　those　who　had　not　been　deluded　being
certain　to　wax　exceedingly　wroth　with　them　for　not　having　been　as　wise
as　they　were：　and　those　who　had　been　deluded　being　certain　to　find
excuses　and　reasons　for　themselves；　of　which　they　were　equally　certain
to　see　that　other　sufferers　were　wholly　devoid：　not　to　mention　the　great
probability　of　every　individual　sufferer　persuading　himself；　to　his
violent　indignation；　that　but　for　the　example　of　all　the　other　sufferers
he　never　would　have　put　himself　in　the　way　of　suffering。　Because　such　a
declaration　as　Clennam's；　made　at　such　a　time；　would　certainly　draw　down
upon　him　a　storm　of　animosity；　rendering　it　impossible　to　calculate　on
forbearance　in　the　creditors；　or　on　unanimity　among　them；　and　exposing
him　a　solitary　target　to　a　straggling　cross…fire；　which　might　bring　him
down　from　half…a…dozen　quarters　at　once。

To　all　this　Clennam　merely　replied　that；　granting　the　whole　protest；
nothing　in　it　lessened　the　force；　or　could　lessen　the　force；　of　the
voluntary　and　public　exoneration　of　his　partner。　He　therefore；　once
and　for　all；　requested　Mr　Rugg's　immediate　aid　in　getting　the　business
despatched。　Upon　that；　Mr　Rugg　fell　to　work；　and　Arthur；　retaining　no
property　to　himself　but　his　clothes　and　books；　and　a　little　loose
money；　placed　his　small　private　banker's…account　with　the　papers　of　the
business。

The　disclosure　was　made；　and　the　storm　raged　fearfully。　Thousands　of
people　were　wildly　staring　about　for　somebody　alive　to　heap　reproaches
on；　and　this　notable　case；　courting　publicity；　set　the　living　somebody
so　much　wanted；　on　a　scaffold。　When　people　who　had　nothing　to　do　with
the　case　were　so　sensible　of　its　flagrancy；　people　who　lost　money　by　it
could　scarcely　be　expected　to　deal　mildly　with　it。　Letters　of　reproach
and　invective　showered　in　from　the　creditors；　and　Mr　Rugg；　who　sat　upon
the　high　stool　every　day　and　read　them　all；　informed　his　client　within　a
week　that　he　feared　there　were　writs　out。

'I　must　take　the　consequences　of　what　I　have　done；'　said　Clennam。　'The
writs　will　find　me　here。'

On　the　very　next　morning；　as　he　was　turning　in　Bleeding　Heart　Yard　by
Mrs　Plornish's　corner；　Mrs　Plornish　stood　at　the　door　waiting　for　him；
and　mysteriously　besought　him　to　step　into　Happy　Cottage。　There　he　found
Mr　Rugg。

'I　thought　I'd　wait　for　you　here。　I　wouldn't　go　on　to　the　Counting…house
this　morning　if　I　was　you；　sir。'

'Why　not；　Mr　Rugg？'

'There　are　as　many　as　five　out；　to　my　knowledge。'

'It　cannot　be　too　soon　over；'　said　Clennam。　'Let　them　take　me　at　once。'

'Yes；　but；'　said　Mr　Rugg；　getting　between　him　and　the　door；　'hear
reason；　hear　reason。　They'll　take　you　soon　enough；　Mr　Clennam；　I　don't
doubt；　but；　hear　reason。　It　almost　always　happens；　in　these　cases；
that　some　insignificant　matter　pushes　itself　in　front　and　makes　much
of　itself。　Now；　I　find　there's　a　little　one　out……a　mere　Palace　Court
jurisdiction……and　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　a　caption　may　be　made
upon　that。　I　wouldn't　be　taken　upon　that。'

'Why　not？'　asked　Clennam。

'I'd　be　taken　on　a　full…grown　one；　sir；'　said　Mr　Rugg。　'It's　as　well　to
keep　up　appearances。　As　your　professional　adviser；　I　should　prefer　your
being　taken　on　a　writ　from　one　of　the　Superior　Courts；　if　you　have　no
objection　to　do　me　that　favour。　It　looks　better。'

'Mr　Rugg；'　said　Arthur；　in　his　dejection；　'my　only　wish　is；　that　it
should　be　over。　I　will　go　on；　and　take　my　chance。'

'Another　word　of　reason；　sir！'　cried　Mr　Rugg。　'Now；　this　is　reason。
The　other　may　be　taste；　but　this　is　reason。　If　you　should　be　taken　on　a
little　one；　sir；　you　would　go　to　the　Marshalsea。　Now；　you　know　what　the
Marshalsea　is。　Very　close。　Excessively　confined。　Whereas　in　the　King's
Bench……'　Mr　Rugg　waved　his　right　hand　freely；　as　expressing　abundance　of
space。　'I　would　rather；'　said　Clennam；　'be　taken　to　the　Marshalsea　than
to　any　other　prison。'

'Do　you　say　so　indeed；　sir？'　returned　Mr　Rugg。　'Then　this　is　taste；　too；
and　we　may　be　walking。'

He　was　a　little　offended　at　first；　but　he　soon　overlooked　it。　They
walked　through　the　Yard　to　the　other　end。　The　Bleeding　Hearts　were　more
interested　in　Arthur　since　his　reverses　than　formerly；　now　regarding　him
as　one　who　was　t