little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第47章

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it……numbers　of　children　and　young　people；　blooming　women；　strong　men；
and　what　not；　have　been　cut　down　and　carried；　and　still　here　are　you；
you　see；　not　much　changed　after　all。　Your　time　and　mine　may　be　a　long
one　yet。　When　I　say　for　ever；　I　mean　（though　I　am　not　poetical）　through
all　our　time。'　Mr　Flintwinch　gave　this　explanation　with　great　calmness；
and　calmly　waited　for　an　answer。

'So　long　as　Little　Dorrit　is　quiet　and　industrious；　and　stands　in　need
of　the　slight　help　I　can　give　her；　and　deserves　it；　so　long；　I　suppose；
unless　she　withdraws　of　her　own　act；　she　will　continue　to　e　here；　I
being　spared。'

'Nothing　more　than　that？'　said　Flintwinch；　stroking　his　mouth　and　chin。

'What　should　there　be　more　than　that！　What　could　there　be　more　than
that！'　she　ejaculated　in　her　sternly　wondering　way。

Mrs　Flintwinch　dreamed；　that；　for　the　space　of　a　minute　or　two；　they
remained　looking　at　each　other　with　the　candle　between　them；　and
that　she　somehow　derived　an　impression　that　they　looked　at　each　other
fixedly。

'Do　you　happen　to　know；　Mrs　Clennam；'　Affery's　liege　lord　then　demanded
in　a　much　lower　voice；　and　with　an　amount　of　expression　that　seemed
quite　out　of　proportion　to　the　simple　purpose　of　his　words；　'where　she
lives？'

'No。'

'Would　you……now；　would　you　like　to　know？'　said　Jeremiah　with　a　pounce　as
if　he　had　sprung　upon　her。

'If　I　cared　to　know；　I　should　know　already。　Could　I　not　have　asked　her
any　day？'

'Then　you　don't　care　to　know？'

'I　do　not。'

Mr　Flintwinch；　having　expelled　a　long　significant　breath　said；　with　his
former　emphasis；　'For　I　have　accidentally……mind！……found　out。'

'Wherever　she　lives；'　said　Mrs　Clennam；　speaking　in　one　unmodulated　hard
voice；　and　separating　her　words　as　distinctly　as　if　she　were　reading
them　off　from　separate　bits　of　metal　that　she　took　up　one　by　one；　'she
has　made　a　secret　of　it；　and　she　shall　always　keep　her　secret　from　me。'

'After　all；　perhaps　you　would　rather　not　have　known　the　fact；　any　how？'
said　Jeremiah；　and　he　said　it　with　a　twist；　as　if　his　words　had　e　out
of　him　in　his　own　wry　shape。

'Flintwinch；'　said　his　mistress　and　partner；　flashing　into　a　sudden
energy　that　made　Affery　start；　'why　do　you　goad　me？　Look　round　this
room。　If　it　is　any　pensation　for　my　long　confinement　within　these
narrow　limits……not　that　I　plain　of　being　afflicted；　you　know　I　never
plain　of　that……if　it　is　any　pensation　to　me　for　long　confinement
to　this　room；　that　while　I　am　shut　up　from　all　pleasant　change　I　am　also
shut　up　from　the　knowledge　of　some　things　that　I　may　prefer　to　avoid
knowing；　why　should　you；　of　all　men；　grudge　me　that　belief？'

'I　don't　grudge　it　to　you；'　returned　Jeremiah。

'Then　say　no　more。　Say　no　more。　Let　Little　Dorrit　keep　her　secret　from
me；　and　do　you　keep　it　from　me　also。　Let　her　e　and　go；　unobserved　and
unquestioned。　Let　me　suffer；　and　let　me　have　what　alleviation　belongs　to
my　condition。　Is　it　so　much；　that　you　torment　me　like　an　evil　spirit？'

'I　asked　you　a　question。　That's　all。'

'I　have　answered　it。　So；　say　no　more。　Say　no　more。'　Here　the　sound　of
the　wheeled　chair　was　heard　upon　the　floor；　and　Affery's　bell　rang　with
a　hasty　jerk。

More　afraid　of　her　husband　at　the　moment　than　of　the　mysterious　sound　in
the　kitchen；　Affery　crept　away　as　lightly　and　as　quickly　as　she　could；
descended　the　kitchen　stairs　almost　as　rapidly　as　she　had　ascended　them；
resumed　her　seat　before　the　fire；　tucked　up　her　skirt　again；　and　finally
threw　her　apron　over　her　head。　Then　the　bell　rang　once　more；　and　then
once　more；　and　then　kept　on　ringing；　in　despite　of　which　importunate
summons；　Affery　still　sat　behind　her　apron；　recovering　her　breath。

At　last　Mr　Flintwinch　came　shuffling　down　the　staircase　into　the
hall；　muttering　and　calling　'Affery　woman！'　all　the　way。　Affery　still
remaining　behind　her　apron；　he　came　stumbling　down　the　kitchen　stairs；
candle　in　hand；　sidled　up　to　her；　twitched　her　apron　off；　and　roused
her。

'Oh　Jeremiah！'　cried　Affery；　waking。　'What　a　start　you　gave　me！'

'What　have　you　been　doing；　iah。　'You've　been　rung
for　fifty　times。'

'Oh　Jeremiah；'　said　Mistress　Affery；　'I　have　been　a…dreaming！'

Reminded　of　her　former　achievement　in　that　way；　Mr　Flintwinch　held　the
candle　to　her　head；　as　if　he　had　some　idea　of　lighting　her　up　for　the
illumination　of　the　kitchen。

'Don't　you　know　it's　her　tea…time？'　he　demanded　with　a　vicious　grin；　and
giving　one　of　the　legs　of　Mistress　Affery's　chair　a　kick。

'Jeremiah？　Tea…time？　I　don't　know　what's　e　to　me。　But　I　got　such　a
dreadful　turn；　Jeremiah；　before　I　went……off　a…dreaming；　that　I　think　it
must　be　that。'

'Yoogh！　Sleepy…Head！'　said　Mr　Flintwinch；　'what　are　you　talking　about？'

'Such　a　strange　noise；　Jeremiah；　and　such　a　curious　movement。　In　the
kitchen　here……just　here。'

Jeremiah　held　up　his　light　and　looked　at　the　blackened　ceiling；　held
down　his　light　and　looked　at　the　damp　stone　floor；　turned　round　with　his
light　and　looked　about　at　the　spotted　and　blotched　walls。

'Rats；　cats；　water；　drains；'　said　Jeremiah。

Mistress　Affery　negatived　each　with　a　shake　of　her　head。　'No；　Jeremiah；
I　have　felt　it　before。　I　have　felt　it　up…stairs；　and　once　on　the
staircase　as　I　was　going　from　her　room　to　ours　in　the　night……a　rustle
and　a　sort　of　trembling　touch　behind　me。'

'Affery；　my　woman；'　said　Mr　Flintwinch　grimly；　after　advancing　his　nose
to　that　lady's　lips　as　a　test　for　the　detection　of　spirituous　liquors；
'if　you　don't　get　tea　pretty　quick；　old　woman；　you'll　bee　sensible
of　a　rustle　and　a　touch　that'll　send　you　flying　to　the　other　end　of　the
kitchen。'

This　prediction　stimulated　Mrs　Flintwinch　to　bestir　herself；　and　to
hasten　up…stairs　to　Mrs　Clennam's　chamber。　But；　for　all　that；　she　now
began　to　entertain　a　settled　conviction　that　there　was　something　wrong
in　the　gloomy　house。　Henceforth；　she　was　never　at　peace　in　it　after
daylight　departed；　and　never　went　up　or　down　stairs　in　the　dark　without
having　her　apron　over　her　head；　lest　she　should　see　something。

What　with　these　ghostly　apprehensions　and　her　singular　dreams；　Mrs
Flintwinch　fell　that　evening　into　a　haunted　state　of　mind；　from　which
it　may　be　long　before　this　present　narrative　descries　any　trace　of　her
recovery。　In　the　vagueness　and　indistinctness　of　all　her　new　experiences
and　perceptions；　as　everything　about　her　was　mysterious　to　herself　she
began　to　be　mysterious　to　others：　and　became　as　difficult　to　be　made　out
to　anybody's　satisfaction　as　she　found　the　house　and　everything　in　it
difficult　to　make　out　to　her　own。

She　had　not　yet　finished　preparing　Mrs　Clennam's　tea；　when　the　soft
knock　came　to　the　door　which　always　announced　Little　Dorrit。　Mistress
Affery　looked　on　at　Little　Dorrit　taking　off　her　homely　bon　in　the
hall；　and　at　Mr　Flintwinch　scraping　his　jaws　and　contemplating　her　in
silence；　as　expecting　some　wonderful　consequence　to　ensue　which　would
frighten　her　out　of　her　five　wits　or　blow　them　all　three　to　pieces。

After　tea　there　came　another　knock　at　the　door；　announcing　Arthur。
Mistress　Affery　went　down　to　let　him　in；　and　he　said　on　entering；
'Affery；　I　am　glad　it's　you。　I　want　to　ask　you　a　question。'　Affery
immediately　replied；　'For　goodness　sake　don't　ask　me　nothing；　Arthur！　I
am　frightened　out　of　one　half　of　my　life；　and　dreamed　out　of　the
other。　Don't　ask　me　nothing！　I　don't　know　which　is　which；　or　what　is
what！'……and　immediately　started　away　from　him；　and　came　near　him　no
more。

Mistress　Affery　having　no　taste　for　reading；　and　no　sufficient　light　for
needlework　in　the　subdued　room；　supposing　her　to　have　the　inclination；
now　sat　every　night　in　the　dimness　from　which　she　had　momentarily
emerged　on　the　evening　of　Arthur　Clennam's　return；　occupied　with　crowds
of　wild　speculations　and　suspicions　respecting　her　mistress　and　her
husband　and　the　noises　in　the　house。　When　the　ferocious　devotional
exercises　were　engaged　in；　these　speculations　would　distract　Mistress
Affery's　eyes　towards　the　door；　as　if　she　expected　some　dark　form　to
appear　at　those　propitious　moments；　and　make　the　party　one　too　many。

Otherwise；　Affery　never　said　or　did　anything　to　attract　the　attention　of
the　two　clever　ones　towards　her　in　any　marked　degree；　except　on　certain
occasions；　generally　at　about　the　quiet　hour　towards　bed…time；　when　she
would　suddenly　dart　out　of　her　dim　corner；　and　whisper　with　a　face　of
terror　to　Mr　Flintwinch；　reading　the　paper　near　Mrs　Clennam's　little
table：　'There；　jeremiah！　Now！　What's　that　noise？'

Then　the　noise；　if　there　were　any；　would　have　ceased；　and　Mr　Flintwinch
would　snarl；　turning　upon　her　as　if　she　had　cut　him　down　that　moment
against　his　will；　'Affery；　old　woman；　you　shall　have　a　dose；　old　woman；
such　a　dose！　You　have　been　dreaming　again！'




CHAPTER　16。　Nobody's　Weakness


The　time　being　e　for　the　reneeagles
family；　Clennam；　pursuant　to　contract　made　between　himself　and　Mr
Meagles　within　the　precincts　of　Bleeding　Heart　Yard；　turned　his　face
on　a　certain　Saturday　towards　Twickenham；　where　Mr　Meagles　had　a
cottage…residence　of　his　own。　The　weather　being　fine　and　dry；　and　any
English　road　abounding　in　interest　for　him　who　had　been　so　long　away；
he　sent　his　valise　on　by　the　coach；　and　set　out　t