little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第36章

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through　which　it　was　that　Mrs　Clennam　first　happened　to　employ　Miss
Dorrit。'　Plornish　repeated；　employ　Miss　Dorrit；　and　Mrs　Plornish　having
e　to　an　end；　feigned　to　bite　the　fingers　of　the　little　hand　as　she
kissed　it。

'The　landlord　of　the　Yard；'　said　Arthur　Clennam；　'is……'

'He　is　Mr　Casby；　by　name；　he　is；'　said　Plornish；　'and　Pancks；　he
collects　the　rents。　That；'　added　Mr　Plornish；　dwelling　on　the　subject
with　a　slow　thoughtfulness　that　appeared　to　have　no　connection　with　any
specific　object；　and　to　lead　him　nowhere；　'that　is　about　what　they　are；
you　may　believe　me　or　not；　as　you　think　proper。'

'Ay？'　returned　Clennam；　thoughtful　in　his　turn。　'Mr　Casby；　too！　An　old
acquaintance　of　mine；　long　ago！'

Mr　Plornish　did　not　see　his　road　to　any　ment　on　this　fact；　and　made
none。　As　there　truly　was　no　reason　why　he　should　have　the　least　interest
in　it；　Arthur　Clennam　went　on　to　the　present　purport　of　his　visit；
namely；　to　make　Plornish　the　instrument　of　effecting　Tip's　release；
with　as　little　detriment　as　possible　to　the　self…reliance　and
self…helpfulness　of　the　young　man；　supposing　him　to　possess　any　remnant
of　those　qualities：　without　doubt　a　very　wide　stretch　of　supposition。
Plornish；　having　been　made　acquainted　with　the　cause　of　action　from　the
Defendant's　own　mouth；　gave　Arthur　to　understand　that　the　Plaintiff
was　a　'Chaunter'……meaning；　not　a　singer　of　anthems；　but　a　seller　of
horses……and　that　he　（Plornish）　considered　that　ten　shillings　in　the
pound　'would　settle　handsome；'　and　that　more　would　be　a　waste　of　money。
The　Principal　and　instrument　soon　drove　off　together　to　a　stable…yard　in
High　Holborn；　where　a　remarkably　fine　grey　gelding；　worth；　at　the　lowest
figure；　seventy…five　guineas　（not　taking　into　account　the　value　of　the
shot　he　had　been　made　to　swallow　for　the　improvement　of　his　form）；　was
to　be　parted　with　for　a　twenty…pound　note；　in　consequence　of　his　having
run　away　last　week　with　Mrs　Captain　Barbary　of　Cheltenham；　who　wasn't　up
to　a　horse　of　his　courage；　and　who；　in　mere　spite；　insisted　on　selling
him　for　that　ridiculous　sum：　or；　in　other　words；　on　giving　him　away。
Plornish；　going　up　this　yard　alone　and　leaving　his　Principal　outside；
found　a　gentleman　with　tight　drab　legs；　a　rather　old　hat；　a　little
hooked　stick；　and　a　blue　neckerchief　（Captain　Maroon　of　Gloucestershire；
a　private　friend　of　Captain　Barbary）；　who　happened　to　be　there；　in
a　friendly　way；　to　mention　these　little　circumstances　concerning　the
remarkably　fine　grey　gelding　to　any　real　judge　of　a　horse　and　quick
snapper…up　of　a　good　thing；　who　might　look　in　at　that　address　as　per
advertisement。　This　gentleman；　happening　also　to　be　the　Plaintiff　in　the
Tip　case；　referred　Mr　Plornish　to　his　solicitor；　and　declined　to　treat
with　Mr　Plornish；　or　even　to　endure　his　presence　in　the　yard；　unless
he　appeared　there　with　a　twenty…pound　note：　in　which　case　only；　the
gentleman　would　augur　from　appearances　that　he　meant　business；　and
might　be　induced　to　talk　to　him。　On　this　hint；　Mr　Plornish　retired
to　municate　with　his　Principal；　and　presently　came　back　with　the
required　credentials。　Then　said　Captain　Maroon；　'Now；　how　much　time　do
you　want　to　make　the　other　twenty　in？　Now；　I'll　give　you　a　month。'　Then
said　Captain　Maroon；　when　that　wouldn't　suit；　'Now；　I'll　tell　what　I'll
do　with　you。　You　shall　get　me　a　good　bill　at　four　months；　made　payable
at　a　banking…house；　for　the　other　twenty！'　Then　said　Captain　Maroon；
when　THAT　wouldn't　suit；　'Now；　e；　Here's　the　last　I've　got　to　say
to　you。　You　shall　give　me　another　ten　down；　and　I'll　run　my　pen　clean
through　it。'　Then　said　Captain　Maroon　when　THAT　wouldn't　suit；　'Now；
I'll　tell　you　what　it　is；　and　this　shuts　it　up；　he　has　used　me　bad；　but
I'll　let　him　off　for　another　five　down　and　a　bottle　of　wine；　and　if　you
mean　done；　say　done；　and　if　you　don't　like　it；　leave　it。'　Finally　said
Captain　Maroon；　when　THAT　wouldn't　suit　either；　'Hand　over；　then！'……And
in　consideration　of　the　first　offer；　gave　a　receipt　in　full　and
discharged　the　prisoner。

'Mr　Plornish；'　said　Arthur；　'I　trust　to　you；　if　you　please；　to　keep　my
secret。　If　you　will　undertake　to　let　the　young　man　know　that　he　is　free；
and　to　tell　him　that　you　were　employed　to　pound　for　the　debt　by
some　one　whom　you　are　not　at　liberty　to　name；　you　will　not　only　do　me　a
service；　but　may　do　him　one；　and　his　sister　also。'

'The　last　reason；　sir；'　said　Plornish；　'would　be　quite　sufficient。　Your
wishes　shall　be　attended　to。'

'A　Friend　has　obtained　his　discharge；　you　can　say　if　you　please。　A
Friend　who　hopes　that　for　his　sister's　sake；　if　for　no　one　else's；　he
will　make　good　use　of　his　liberty。'

'Your　wishes；　sir；　shall　be　attended　to。'

'And　if　you　will　be　so　good；　in　your　better　knowledge　of　the　family；　as
to　municate　freely　with　me；　and　to　point　out　to　me　any　means　by　which
you　think　I　may　be　delicately　and　really　useful　to　Little　Dorrit；　I
shall　feel　under　an　obligation　to　you。'

'Don't　name　it；　sir；'　returned　Plornish；　'it'll　be　ekally　a　pleasure　an
a……it'l　be　ekally　a　pleasure　and　a……'　Finding　himself　unable　to　balance
his　sentence　after　two　efforts；　Mr　Plornish　wisely　dropped　it。　He　took
Clennam's　card　and　appropriate　pecuniary　pliment。

He　was　earnest　to　finish　his　mission　at　once；　and　his　Principal
was　in　the　same　mind。　So　his　Principal　offered　to　set　him　down　at　the
Marshalsea　Gate；　and　they　drove　in　that　direction　over　Blackfriars
Bridge。　On　the　way；　Arthur　elicited　from　his　new　friend　a　confused
summary　of　the　interior　life　of　Bleeding　Heart　Yard。　They　was　all　hard
up　there；　Mr　Plornish　said；　unmon　hard　up；　to　be　sure。　Well；　he
couldn't　say　how　it　was；　he　didn't　know　as　anybody　could　say　how　it　was；
all　he　know'd　was；　that　so　it　was。

When　a　man　felt；　on　his　own　back　and　in　his　own　belly；　that　poor　he　was；
that　man　（Mr　Plornish　gave　it　as　his　decided　belief）　know'd　well　that
he　was　poor　somehow　or　another；　and　you　couldn't　talk　it　out　of　him；　no
more　than　you　could　talk　Beef　into　him。　Then　you　see；　some　people　as　was
better　off　said；　and　a　good　many　such　people　lived　pretty　close　up
to　the　mark　themselves　if　not　beyond　it　so　he'd　heerd；　that　they　was
'improvident'　（that　was　the　favourite　word）　down　the　Yard。　For　instance；
if　they　see　a　man　with　his　wife　and　children　going　to　Hampton　Court　in　a
Wan；　perhaps　once　in　a　year；　they　says；　'Hallo！　I　thought　you　was　poor；
my　improvident　friend！'　Why；　Lord；　how　hard　it　was　upon　a　man！　What　was
a　man　to　do？　He　couldn't　go　mollancholy　mad；　and　even　if　he　did；　you
wouldn't　be　the　better　for　it。　In　Mr　Plornish's　judgment　you　would　be
the　worse　for　it。　Yet　you　seemed　to　want　to　make　a　man　mollancholy　mad。
You　was　always　at　it……if　not　with　your　right　hand；　with　your　left。　What
was　they　a　doing　in　the　Yard？　Why；　take　a　look　at　'em　and　see。　There
was　the　girls　and　their　mothers　a　working　at　their　sewing；　or　their
shoe…binding；　or　their　trimming；　or　their　waistcoat　making；　day　and
night　and　night　and　day；　and　not　more　than　able　to　keep　body　and　soul
together　after　all……often　not　so　much。　There　was　people　of　pretty　well
all　sorts　of　trades　you　could　name；　all　wanting　to　work；　and　yet　not
able　to　get　it。　There　was　old　people；　after　working　all　their　lives；
going　and　being　shut　up　in　the　workhouse；　much　worse　fed　and　lodged　and
treated　altogether；　than……Mr　Plornish　said　manufacturers；　but　appeared
to　mean　malefactors。　Why；　a　man　didn't　know　where　to　turn　himself　for　a
crumb　of　fort。　As　to　who　was　to　blame　for　it；　Mr　Plornish　didn't　know
who　was　to　blame　for　it。　He　could　tell　you　who　suffered；　but　he　couldn't
tell　you　whose　fault　it　was。　It　wasn't　HIS　place　to　find　out；　and　who'd
mind　what　he　said；　if　he　did　find　out？　He　only　know'd　that　it　wasn't　put
right　by　them　what　undertook　that　line　of　business；　and　that　it　didn't
e　right　of　itself。　And；　in　brief；　his　illogical　opinion　was；　that　if
you　couldn't　do　nothing　for　him；　you　had　better　take　nothing　from　him
for　doing　of　it；　so　far　as　he　could　make　out；　that　was　about　what　it
e　to。　Thus；　in　a　prolix；　gently…growling；　foolish　way；　did　Plornish
turn　the　tangled　skein　of　his　estate　about　and　about；　like　a　blind　man
who　was　trying　to　find　some　beginning　or　end　to　it；　until　they　reached
the　prison　gate。　There；　he　left　his　Principal　alone；　to　wonder；　as　he
rode　away；　how　many　thousand　Plornishes　there　might　be　within　a　day
or　two's　journey　of　the　Circumlocution　Office；　playing　sundry　curious
variations　on　the　same　tune；　which　were　not　known　by　ear　in　that
glorious　institution。



CHAPTER　13。　Patriarchal


The　mention　of　Mr　Casby　again　revived　in　Clennam's　memory　the
smouldering　embers　of　curiosity　and　interest　which　Mrs　Flintwinch　had
fanned　on　the　night　of　his　arrival。　Flora　Casby　had　been　the　beloved　of
his　boyhood；　and　Flora　was　the　daughter　and　only　child　of　wooden…headed
old　Christopher　（so　he　was　still　occasionally　spoken　of　by　some
irreverent　spirits　who　had　had　dealings　with　him；　and　in　whom
familiarity　had　bred　its　proverbial　result　perhaps）；　who　was　reputed　to
be　rich　in　weekly　tenants；　and　to　get　a　good　quantity　of　blood　out　of
the　stones　of　several　unpromising　courts　and　alleys。　After　some　days　of
inquiry　and　research；　Arthur　Clennam　became　convinced　tha