little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第29章

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'Allow　me　to　observe　that　I　have　been　for　some　years　in　China；　am　quite
a　stranger　at　home；　and　have　no　personal　motive　or　interest　in　the
inquiry　I　am　about　to　make。'

Mr　Barnacle　tapped　his　fingers　on　the　table；　and；　as　if　he　were　now
sitting　for　his　portrait　to　a　new　and　strange　artist；　appeared　to　say
to　his　visitor；　'If　you　will　be　good　enough　to　take　me　with　my　present
lofty　expression；　I　shall　feel　obliged。'

'I　have　found　a　debtor　in　the　Marshalsea　Prison　of　the　name　of　Dorrit；
who　has　been　there　many　years。　I　wish　to　investigate　his　confused
affairs　so　far　as　to　ascertain　whether　it　may　not　be　possible；　after
this　lapse　of　time；　to　ameliorate　his　unhappy　condition。　The　name　of
Mr　Tite　Barnacle　has　been　mentioned　to　me　as　representing　some　highly
influential　interest　among　his　creditors。　Am　I　correctly　informed？'

It　being　one　of　the　principles　of　the　Circumlocution　Office　never；　on
any　account　whatever；　to　give　a　straightforward　answer；　Mr　Barnacle
said；　'Possibly。'

'On　behalf　of　the　Crown；　may　I　ask；　or　as　private　individual？'

'The　Circumlocution　Department；　sir；'　Mr　Barnacle　replied；　'may　have
possibly　remended……possibly……I　cannot　say……that　some　public　claim
against　the　insolvent　estate　of　a　firm　or　copartnership　to　which　this
person　may　have　belonged；　should　be　enforced。　The　question　may　have
been；　in　the　course　of　official　business；　referred　to　the　Circumlocution
Department　for　its　consideration。　The　Department　may　have　either
originated；　or　confirmed；　a　Minute　making　that　remendation。'

'I　assume　this　to　be　the　case；　then。'

'The　Circumlocution　Department；'　said　Mr　Barnacle；　'is　not　responsible
for　any　gentleman's　assumptions。'

'May　I　inquire　how　I　can　obtain　official　information　as　to　the　real
state　of　the　case？'

'It　is　petent；'　said　Mr　Barnacle；　'to　any　member　of　the……Public；'
mentioning　that　obscure　body　with　reluctance；　as　his　natural　enemy；
'to　memorialise　the　Circumlocution　Department。　Such　formalities　as　are
required　to　be　observed　in　so　doing；　may　be　known　on　application　to　the
proper　branch　of　that　Department。'

'Which　is　the　proper　branch？'

'I　must　refer　you；'　returned　Mr　Barnacle；　ringing　the　bell；　'to　the
Department　itself　for　a　formal　answer　to　that　inquiry。'

'Excuse　my　mentioning……'

'The　Department　is　accessible　to　the……Public；'　Mr　Barnacle　was　always
checked　a　little　by　that　word　of　impertinent　signification；　'if
the……Public　approaches　it　according　to　the　official　forms；　if
the……Public　does　not　approach　it　according　to　the　official　forms；
the……Public　has　itself　to　blame。'

Mr　Barnacle　made　him　a　severe　bow；　as　a　wounded　man　of　family；　a　wounded
man　of　place；　and　a　wounded　man　of　a　gentlemanly　residence；　all　rolled
into　one；　and　he　made　Mr　Barnacle　a　bow；　and　was　shut　out　into　Mews
Street　by　the　flabby　footman。

Having　got　to　this　pass；　he　resolved　as　an　exercise　in　perseverance；
to　betake　himself　again　to　the　Circumlocution　Office；　and　try　what
satisfaction　he　could　get　there。　So　he　went　back　to　the　Circumlocution
Office；　and　once　more　sent　up　his　card　to　Barnacle　junior　by　a　messenger
who　took　it　very　ill　indeed　that　he　should　e　back　again；　and　who　was
eating　mashed　potatoes　and　gravy　behind　a　partition　by　the　hall　fire。

He　was　readmitted　to　the　presence　of　Barnacle　junior；　and　found　that
young　gentleman　singeing　his　knees　now；　and　gaping　his　weary　way　on
to　four　o'clock。　'I　say。　Look　here。　You　stick　to　us　in　a　devil　of　a
manner；'　Said　Barnacle　junior；　looking　over　his　shoulder。

'I　want　to　know……'

'Look　here。　Upon　my　soul　you　mustn't　e　into　the　place　saying　you
want　to　know；　you　know；'　remonstrated　Barnacle　junior；　turning　about　and
putting　up　the　eye…glass。

'I　want　to　know；'　said　Arthur　Clennam；　who　had　made　up　his　mind　to
persistence　in　one　short　form　of　words；　'the　precise　nature　of　the　claim
of　the　Crown　against　a　prisoner　for　debt；　named　Dorrit。'

'I　say。　Look　here。　You　really　are　going　it　at　a　great　pace；　you　know。
Egad；　you　haven't　got　an　appointment；'　said　Barnacle　junior；　as　if　the
thing　were　growing　serious。

'I　want　to　know；'　said　Arthur；　and　repeated　his　case。

Barnacle　junior　stared　at　him　until　his　eye…glass　fell　out；　and　then
put　it　in　again　and　stared　at　him　until　it　fell　out　again。　'You　have
no　right　to　e　this　sort　of　move；'　he　then　observed　with　the　greatest
weakness。　'Look　here。　What　do　you　mean？　You　told　me　you　didn't　know
whether　it　was　public　business　or　not。'

'I　have　now　ascertained　that　it　is　public　business；'　returned　the
suitor；　'and　I　want　to　know'……and　again　repeated　his　monotonous　inquiry。

Its　effect　upon　young　Barnacle　was　to　make　him　repeat　in　a　defenceless
way；　'Look　here！　Upon　my　SOUL　you　mustn't　e　into　the　place　saying　you
want　to　know；　you　know！'　The　effect　of　that　upon　Arthur　Clennam　was
to　make　him　repeat　his　inquiry　in　exactly　the　same　words　and　tone
as　before。　The　effect　of　that　upon　young　Barnacle　was　to　make　him　a
wonderful　spectacle　of　failure　and　helplessness。

'Well；　I　tell　you　what。　Look　here。　You　had　better　try　the　Secretarial
Department；'　he　said　at　last；　sidling　to　the　bell　and　ringing　it。
'Jenkinson；'　to　the　mashed　potatoes　messenger；　'Mr　Wobbler！'

Arthur　Clennam；　who　now　felt　that　he　had　devoted　himself　to　the　storming
of　the　Circumlocution　Office；　and　must　go　through　with　it；　acpanied
the　messenger　to　another　floor　of　the　building；　where　that　functionary
pointed　out　Mr　Wobbler's　room。　He　entered　that　apartment；　and　found　two
gentlemen　sitting　face　to　face　at　a　large　and　easy　desk；　one　of　whom　was
polishing　a　gun…barrel　on　his　pocket…handkerchief；　while　the　other　was
spreading　marmalade　on　bread　with　a　paper…knife。

'Mr　Wobbler？'　inquired　the　suitor。

Both　gentlemen　glanced　at　him；　and　seemed　surprised　at　his　assurance。

'So　he　went；'　said　the　gentleman　with　the　gun…barrel；　who　was　an
extremely　deliberate　speaker；　'down　to　his　cousin's　place；　and　took　the
Dog　with　him　by　rail。　Inestimable　Dog。　Flew　at　the　porter　fellow　when　he
was　put　into　the　dog…box；　and　flew　at　the　guard　when　he　was　taken　out。
He　got　half…a…dozen　fellows　into　a　Barn；　and　a　good　supply　of　Rats；　and
timed　the　Dog。　Finding　the　Dog　able　to　do　it　immensely；　made　the　match；
and　heavily　backed　the　Dog。　When　the　match　came　off；　some　devil　of
a　fellow　was　bought　over；　Sir；　Dog　was　made　drunk；　Dog's　master　was
cleaned　out。'

'Mr　Wobbler？'　inquired　the　suitor。

The　gentleman　who　was　spreading　the　marmalade　returned；　without　looking
up　from　that　occupation；　'What　did　he　call　the　Dog？'

'Called　him　Lovely；'　said　the　other　gentleman。　'Said　the　Dog　was　the
perfect　picture　of　the　old　aunt　from　whom　he　had　expectations。　Found　him
particularly　like　her　when　hocussed。'

'Mr　Wobbler？'　said　the　suitor。

Both　gentlemen　laughed　for　some　time。　The　gentleman　with　the　gun…barrel；
considering　it；　on　inspection；　in　a　satisfactory　state；　referred　it　to
the　other；　receiving　confirmation　of　his　views；　he　fitted　it　into　its
place　in　the　case　before　him；　and　took　out　the　stock　and　polished　that；
softly　whistling。

'Mr　Wobbler？'　said　the　suitor。

'What's　the　matter？'　then　said　Mr　Wobbler；　with　his　mouth　full。

'I　want　to　know……'　and　Arthur　Clennam　again　mechanically　set　forth　what
he　wanted　to　know。

'Can't　inform　you；'　observed　Mr　Wobbler；　apparently　to　his　lunch。　'Never
heard　of　it。　Nothing　at　all　to　do　with　it。　Better　try　Mr　Clive；　second
door　on　the　left　in　the　next　passage。'

'Perhaps　he　will　give　me　the　same　answer。'

'Very　likely。　Don't　know　anything　about　it；'　said　Mr　Wobbler。

The　suitor　turned　away　and　had　left　the　room；　when　the　gentleman　with
the　gun　called　out　'Mister！　Hallo！'

He　looked　in　again。

'Shut　the　door　after　you。　You're　letting　in　a　devil　of　a　draught　here！'
A　few　steps　brought　him　to　the　second　door　on　the　left　in　the　next
passage。　In　that　room　he　found　three　gentlemen；　number　one　doing　nothing
particular；　number　two　doing　nothing　particular；　number　three　doing
nothing　particular。　They　seemed；　however；　to　be　more　directly　concerned
than　the　others　had　been　in　the　effective　execution　of　the　great
principle　of　the　office；　as　there　was　an　awful　inner　apartment　with　a
double　door；　in　which　the　Circumlocution　Sages　appeared　to　be　assembled
in　council；　and　out　of　which　there　was　an　imposing　ing　of　papers；
and　into　which　there　was　an　imposing　going　of　papers；　almost　constantly；
wherein　another　gentleman；　number　four；　was　the　active　instrument。

'I　want　to　know；'　said　Arthur　Clennam；……and　again　stated　his　case　in　the
same　barrel…organ　way。　As　number　one　referred　him　to　number　two；　and
as　number　two　referred　him　to　number　three；　he　had　occasion　to　state
it　three　times　before　they　all　referred　him　to　number　four；　to　whom　he
stated　it　again。

Number　four　was　a　vivacious；　well…looking；　well…dressed；　agreeable
young　fellow……he　was　a　Barnacle；　but　on　the　more　sprightly　side　of
the　family……and　he　said　in　an　easy　way；　'Oh！　you　had　better　not　bother
yourself　about　it；　I　think。'

'Not　bother　myself　about　it？'

'No！　I　remend　you　not　to　bother　yourself　about　it。'

This　was　such　a　new　point　of　view　that　Arthur　Clennam　found　himself　at　a
loss　how　to　receive　it。

'You　can　if　you　like。　I　can　give　you　plenty　of　for