little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第28章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hall；　a　glass　case；　a　waiting　room；　and　a　fire…proof　passage　where　the
Department　seemed　to　keep　its　wind。　On　this　occasion　Mr　Barnacle　was　not
engaged；　as　he　had　been　before；　with　the　noble　prodigy　at　the　head　of
the　Department；　but　was　absent。　Barnacle　Junior；　however；　was　announced
as　a　lesser　star；　yet　visible　above　the　office　horizon。

With　Barnacle　junior；　he　signified　his　desire　to　confer；　and　found　that
young　gentleman　singeing　the　calves　of　his　legs　at　the　parental　fire；
and　supporting　his　spine　against　the　mantel…shelf。　It　was　a　fortable
room；　handsomely　furnished　in　the　higher　official　manner；　an　presenting
stately　suggestions　of　the　absent　Barnacle；　in　the　thick　carpet；　the
leather…covered　desk　to　sit　at；　the　leather…covered　desk　to　stand　at；
the　formidable　easy…chair　and　hearth…rug；　the　interposed　screen；　the
torn…up　papers；　the　dispatch…boxes　with　little　labels　sticking　out　of
them；　like　medicine　bottles　or　dead　game；　the　pervading　smell　of　leather
and　mahogany；　and　a　general　bamboozling　air　of　How　not　to　do　it。

The　present　Barnacle；　holding　Mr　Clennam's　card　in　his　hand；　had　a
youthful　aspect；　and　the　fluffiest　little　whisker；　perhaps；　that　ever
was　seen。　Such　a　downy　tip　was　on　his　callow　chin；　that　he　seemed　half
fledged　like　a　young　bird；　and　a　passionate　observer　might　have　urged
that；　if　he　had　not　singed　the　calves　of　his　legs；　he　would　have　died
of　cold。　He　had　a　superior　eye…glass　dangling　round　his　neck；　but
unfortunately　had　such　flat　orbits　to　his　eyes　and　such　limp　little
eyelids　that　it　wouldn't　stick　in　when　he　put　it　up；　but　kept　tumbling
out　against　his　waistcoat　buttons　with　a　click　that　disposed　him　very
much。

'Oh；　I　say。　Look　here！　My　father's　not　in　the　way；　and　won't　be　in　the
way　to…day；'　said　Barnacle　Junior。　'Is　this　anything　that　I　can　do？'

（Click！　Eye…glass　down。　Barnacle　Junior　quite　frightened　and　feeling　all
round　himself；　but　not　able　to　find　it。）

'You　are　very　good；'　said　Arthur　Clennam。　'I　wish　however　to　see　Mr
Barnacle。'

'But　I　say。　Look　here！　You　haven't　got　any　appointment；　you　know；'　said
Barnacle　Junior。

（By　this　time　he　had　found　the　eye…glass；　and　put　it　up　again。）

'No；'　said　Arthur　Clennam。　'That　is　what　I　wish　to　have。'

'But　I　say。　Look　here！　Is　this　public　business？'　asked　Barnacle　junior。

（Click！　Eye…glass　down　again。　Barnacle　Junior　in　that　state　of　search
after　it　that　Mr　Clennam　felt　it　useless　to　reply　at　present。）

'Is　it；'　said　Barnacle　junior；　taking　heed　of　his　visitor's　brown　face；
'anything　about……Tonnage……or　that　sort　of　thing？'

（Pausing　for　a　reply；　he　opened　his　right　eye　with　his　hand；　and　stuck
his　glass　in　it；　in　that　inflammatory　manner　that　his　eye　began　watering
dreadfully。）

'No；'　said　Arthur；　'it　is　nothing　about　tonnage。'

'Then　look　here。　Is　it　private　business？'

'I　really　am　not　sure。　It　relates　to　a　Mr　Dorrit。'

'Look　here；　I　tell　you　what！　You　had　better　call　at　our　house；　if　you
are　going　that　way。　Twenty…four；　Mews　Street；　Grosvenor　Square。　My
father's　got　a　slight　touch　of　the　gout；　and　is　kept　at　home　by　it。'

（The　misguided　young　Barnacle　evidently　going　blind　on　his　eye…glass
side；　but　ashamed　to　make　any　further　alteration　in　his　painful
arrangements。）

'Thank　you。　I　will　call　there　now。　Good　morning。'　Young　Barnacle　seemed
disfited　at　this；　as　not　having　at　all　expected　him　to　go。

'You　are　quite　sure；'　said　Barnacle　junior；　calling　after　him　when　he
got　to　the　door；　unwilling　wholly　to　relinquish　the　bright　business　idea
he　had　conceived；　'that　it's　nothing　about　Tonnage？'

'Quite　sure。'

With　such　assurance；　and　rather　wondering　what　might　have　taken　place
if　it　HAD　been　anything　about　tonnage；　Mr　Clennam　withdrew　to　pursue　his
inquiries。

Mews　Street；　Grosvenor　Square；　was　not　absolutely　Grosvenor　Square
itself；　but　it　was　very　near　it。　It　was　a　hideous　little　street　of　dead
wall；　stables；　and　dunghills；　with　lofts　over　coach…houses　inhabited　by
coachmen's　families；　who　had　a　passion　for　drying　clothes　and　decorating
their　window…sills　with　miniature　turnpike…gates。　The　principal
chimney…sweep　of　that　fashionable　quarter　lived　at　the　blind　end　of　Mews
Street；　and　the　same　corner　contained　an　establishment　much　frequented
about　early　morning　and　twilight　for　the　purchase　of　wine…bottles　and
kitchen…stuff。　Punch's　shows　used　to　lean　against　the　dead　wall　in　Mews
Street；　while　their　proprietors　were　dining　elsewhere；　and　the　dogs　of
the　neighbourhood　made　appointments　to　meet　in　the　same　locality。　Yet
there　were　two　or　three　small　airless　houses　at　the　entrance　end　of　Mews
Street；　which　went　at　enormous　rents　on　account　of　their　being　abject
hangers…on　to　a　fashionable　situation；　and　whenever　one　of　these　fearful
little　coops　was　to　be　let　（which　seldom　happened；　for　they　were　in
great　request）；　the　house　agent　advertised　it　as　a　gentlemanly　residence
in　the　most　aristocratic　part　of　town；　inhabited　solely　by　the　elite　of
the　beau　monde。

If　a　gentlemanly　residence　ing　strictly　within　this　narrow　margin　had
not　been　essential　to　the　blood　of　the　Barnacles；　this　particular　branch
would　have　had　a　pretty　wide　selection　among；　let　us　say；　ten　thousand
houses；　offering　fifty　times　the　acmodation　for　a　third　of　the　money。
As　it　was；　Mr　Barnacle；　finding　his　gentlemanly　residence　extremely
inconvenient　and　extremely　dear；　always　laid　it；　as　a　public　servant；
at　the　door　of　the　country；　and　adduced　it　as　another　instance　of　the
country's　parsimony。

Arthur　Clennam　came　to　a　squeezed　house；　with　a　ramshackle　bowed
front；　little　dingy　windows；　and　a　little　dark　area　like　a　damp
waistcoat…pocket；　which　he　found　to　be　number　twenty…four；　Mews　Street；
Grosvenor　Square。　To　the　sense　of　smell　the　house　was　like　a　sort　of
bottle　filled　with　a　strong　distillation　of　Mews；　and　when　the　footman
opened　the　door；　he　seemed　to　take　the　stopper　out。

The　footman　was　to　the　Grosvenor　Square　footmen；　what　the　house　was　to
the　Grosvenor　Square　houses。　Admirable　in　his　way；　his　way　was　a　back
and　a　bye　way。　His　gorgeousness　was　not　unmixed　with　dirt；　and　both　in
plexion　and　consistency　he　had　suffered　from　the　closeness　of　his
pantry。　A　sallow　flabbiness　was　upon　him　when　he　took　the　stopper　out；
and　presented　the　bottle　to　Mr　Clennam's　nose。

'Be　so　good　as　to　give　that　card　to　Mr　Tite　Barnacle；　and　to　say　that　I
have　just　now　seen　the　younger　Mr　Barnacle；　who　remended　me　to　call
here。'

The　footman　（who　had　as　many　large　buttons　with　the　Barnacle　crest　upon
them　on　the　flaps　of　his　pockets；　as　if　he　were　the　family　strong　box；
and　carried　the　plate　and　jewels　about　with　him　buttoned　up）　pondered
over　the　card　a　little；　then　said；　'Walk　in。'

It　required　some　judgment　to　do　it　without　butting　the　inner　hall…door
open；　and　in　the　consequent　mental　confusion　and　physical　darkness
slipping　down　the　kitchen　stairs。　The　visitor；　however；　brought　himself
up　safely　on　the　door…mat。

Still　the　footman　said　'Walk　in；'　so　the　visitor　followed　him。　At　the
inner　hall…door；　another　bottle　seemed　to　be　presented　and　another
stopper　taken　out。　This　second　vial　appeared　to　be　filled　with
concentrated　provisions　and　extract　of　Sink　from　the　pantry。　After　a
skirmish　in　the　narrow　passage；　occasioned　by　the　footman's　opening　the
door　of　the　dismal　dining…room　with　confidence；　finding　some　one　there
with　consternation；　and　backing　on　the　visitor　with　disorder；　the
visitor　was　shut　up；　pending　his　announcement；　in　a　close　back　parlour。
There　he　had　an　opportunity　of　refreshing　himself　with　both　the
bottles　at　once；　looking　out　at　a　low　blinding　wall　three　feet　off；
and　speculating　on　the　number　of　Barnacle　families　within　the　bills　of
mortality　who　lived　in　such　hutches　of　their　own　free　flunkey　choice。

Mr　Barnacle　would　see　him。　Would　he　walk　up…stairs？　He　would；　and
he　did；　and　in　the　drawing…room；　with　his　leg　on　a　rest；　he　found　Mr
Barnacle　himself；　the　express　image　and　presentment　of　How　not　to　do　it。

Mr　Barnacle　dated　from　a　better　time；　when　the　country　was　not　so
parsimonious　and　the　Circumlocution　Office　was　not　so　badgered。　He　wound
and　wound　folds　of　white　cravat　round　his　neck；　as　he　wound　and　wound
folds　of　tape　and　paper　round　the　neck　of　the　country。　His　wristbands
and　collar　were　oppressive；　his　voice　and　manner　were　oppressive。　He
had　a　large　watch…chain　and　bunch　of　seals；　a　coat　buttoned　up　to
inconvenience；　a　waistcoat　buttoned　up　to　inconvenience；　an　unwrinkled
pair　of　trousers；　a　stiff　pair　of　boots。　He　was　altogether　splendid；
massive；　overpowering；　and　impracticable。　He　seemed　to　have　been　sitting
for　his　portrait　to　Sir　Thomas　Lawrence　all　the　days　of　his　life。

'Mr　Clennam？'　said　Mr　Barnacle。　'Be　seated。'

Mr　Clennam　became　seated。

'You　have　called　on　me；　I　believe；'　said　Mr　Barnacle；　'at　the
Circumlocution……'　giving　it　the　air　of　a　word　of　about　five…and…twenty
syllables……'Office。'

'I　have　taken　that　liberty。'

Mr　Barnacle　solemnly　bent　his　head　as　who　should　say；　'I　do　not　deny
that　it　is　a　liberty；　proceed　to　take　another　liberty；　and　let　me　know
your　business。'

'Allow　me　to　observe　that　I　have　been　for　some　years　in　China；　am　quite
a　stranger　at　home；　and　have　no　pers