little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第48章

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English　road　abounding　in　interest　for　him　who　had　been　so　long　away；
he　sent　his　valise　on　by　the　coach；　and　set　out　to　walk。　A　walk　was　in
itself　a　new　enjoyment　to　him；　and　one　that　had　rarely　diversified　his
life　afar　off。

He　went　by　Fulham　and　Putney；　for　the　pleasure　of　strolling　over　the
heath。　It　was　bright　and　shining　there；　and　when　he　found　himself　so　far
on　his　road　to　Twickenham；　he　found　himself　a　long　way　on　his　road　to
a　number　of　airier　and　less　substantial　destinations。　They　had　risen
before　him　fast；　in　the　healthful　exercise　and　the　pleasant　road。　It　is
not　easy　to　walk　alone　in　the　country　without　musing　upon　something。　And
he　had　plenty　of　unsettled　subjects　to　meditate　upon；　though　he　had　been
walking　to　the　Land's　End。

First；　there　was　the　subject　seldom　absent　from　his　mind；　the　question；
what　he　was　to　do　henceforth　in　life；　to　what　occupation　he　should
devote　himself；　and　in　what　direction　he　had　best　seek　it。　He　was　far
from　rich；　and　every　day　of　indecision　and　inaction　made　his　inheritance
a　source　of　greater　anxiety　to　him。　As　often　as　he　began　to　consider　how
to　increase　this　inheritance；　or　to　lay　it　by；　so　often　his　misgiving
that　there　was　some　one　with　an　unsatisfied　claim　upon　his　justice；
returned；　and　that　alone　was　a　subject　to　outlast　the　longest　walk。
Again；　there　was　the　subject　of　his　relations　with　his　mother；　which
were　now　upon　an　equable　and　peaceful　but　never　confidential　footing；
and　whom　he　saw　several　times　a　week。　Little　Dorrit　was　a　leading　and　a
constant　subject：　for　the　circumstances　of　his　life；　united　to　those　of
her　own　story；　presented　the　little　creature　to　him　as　the　only　person
between　whom　and　himself　there　were　ties　of　innocent　reliance　on　one
hand；　and　affectionate　protection　on　the　other；　ties　of　passion；
respect；　unselfish　interest；　gratitude；　and　pity。　Thinking　of　her；　and
of　the　possibility　of　her　father's　release　from　prison　by　the　unbarring
hand　of　death……the　only　change　of　circumstance　he　could　foresee　that
might　enable　him　to　be　such　a　friend　to　her　as　he　wished　to　be；　by
altering　her　whole　manner　of　life；　smoothing　her　rough　road；　and
giving　her　a　home……he　regarded　her；　in　that　perspective；　as　his　adopted
daughter；　his　poor　child　of　the　Marshalsea　hushed　to　rest。　If　there　were
a　last　subject　in　his　thoughts；　and　it　lay　towards　Twickenham；　its　form
was　so　indefinite　that　it　was　little　more　than　the　pervading　atmosphere
in　which　these　other　subjects　floated　before　him。

He　had　crossed　the　heath　and　was　leaving　it　behind　when　he　gained　upon　a
figure　which　had　been　in　advance　of　him　for　some　time；　and　which；　as
he　gained　upon　it；　he　thought　he　knew。　He　derived　this　impression
from　something　in　the　turn　of　the　head；　and　in　the　figure's　action　of
consideration；　as　it　went　on　at　a　sufficiently　sturdy　walk。　But　when
the　man……for　it　was　a　man's　figure……pushed　his　hat　up　at　the　back　of　his
head；　and　stopped　to　consider　some　object　before　him；　he　knew　it　to　be
Daniel　Doyce。

'How　do　you　do；　Mr　Doyce？'　said　Clennam；　overtaking　him。　'I　am　glad　to
see　you　again；　and　in　a　healthier　place　than　the　Circumlocution　Office。'

'Ha！　Mr　Meagles's　friend！'　exclaimed　that　public　criminal；　ing　out　of
some　mental　binations　he　had　been　making；　and　offering　his　hand。　'I
am　glad　to　see　you；　sir。　Will　you　excuse　me　if　I　forget　your　name？'

'Readily。　It's　not　a　celebrated　name。　It's　not　Barnacle。'　'No；　no；'　said
Daniel；　laughing。　'And　now　I　know　what　it　is。　It's　Clennam。　How　do　you
do；　Mr　Clennam？'

'I　have　some　hope；'　said　Arthur；　as　they　walked　on　together；　'that　we
may　be　going　to　the　same　place；　Mr　Doyce。'

'Meaning　Twickenham？'　returned　Daniel。　'I　am　glad　to　hear　it。'

They　ate；　and　lightened　the　way　with　a　variety　of
conversation。　The　ingenious　culprit　was　a　man　of　great　modesty　and　good
sense；　and；　though　a　plain　man；　had　been　too　much　accustomed　to　bine
what　was　original　and　daring　in　conception　with　what　was　patient　and
minute　in　execution；　to　be　by　any　means　an　ordinary　man。　It　was　at　first
difficult　to　lead　him　to　speak　about　himself；　and　he　put　off　Arthur's
advances　in　that　direction　by　admitting　slightly；　oh　yes；　he　had　done
this；　and　he　had　done　that；　and　such　a　thing　was　of　his　making；　and
such　another　thing　was　his　discovery；　but　it　was　his　trade；　you　see；　his
trade；　until；　as　he　gradually　became　assured　that　his　panion　had　a
real　interest　in　his　account　of　himself；　he　frankly　yielded　to　it。　Then
it　appeared　that　he　was　the　son　of　a　north…country　blacksmith；　and　had
originally　been　apprenticed　by　his　widowed　mother　to　a　lock…maker；　that
he　had　'struck　out　a　few　little　things'　at　the　lock…maker's；　which　had
led　to　his　being　released　from　his　indentures　with　a　present；　which
present　had　enabled　him　to　gratify　his　ardent　wish　to　bind　himself　to
a　working　engineer；　under　whom　he　had　laboured　hard；　learned　hard；　and
lived　hard；　seven　years。　His　time　being　out；　he　had　'worked　in　the　shop'
at　weekly　wages　seven　or　eight　years　more；　and　had　then　betaken
himself　to　the　banks　of　the　Clyde；　where　he　had　studied；　and　filed；　and
hammered；　and　improved　his　knowledge；　theoretical　and　practical；　for　six
or　seven　years　more。　There　he　had　had　an　offer　to　go　to　Lyons；　which　he
had　accepted；　and　from　Lyons　had　been　engaged　to　go　to　Germany；　and　in
Germany　had　had　an　offer　to　go　to　St　Petersburg；　and　there　had　done　very
well　indeed……never　better。　However；　he　had　naturally　felt　a　preference
for　his　own　country；　and　a　wish　to　gain　distinction　there；　and　to　do
whatever　service　he　could　do；　there　rather　than　elsewhere。　And　so　he　had
e　home。　And　so　at　home　he　had　established　himself　in　business；　and
had　invented　and　executed；　and　worked　his　way　on；　until；　after　a　dozen
years　of　constant　suit　and　service；　he　had　been　enrolled　in　the
Great　British　Legion　of　Honour；　the　Legion　of　the　Rebuffed　of　the
Circumlocution　Office；　and　had　been　decorated　with　the　Great　British
Order　of　Merit；　the　Order　of　the　Disorder　of　the　Barnacles　and
Stiltstalkings。

'It　is　much　to　be　regretted；'　said　Clennam；　'that　you　ever　turned　your
thoughts　that　way；　Mr　Doyce。'

'True；　sir；　true　to　a　certain　extent。　But　what　is　a　man　to　do？　if　he
has　the　misfortune　to　strike　out　something　serviceable　to　the　nation；
he　must　follow　where　it　leads　him。'　'Hadn't　he　better　let　it　go？'　said
Clennam。

'He　can't　do　it；'　said　Doyce；　shaking　his　head　with　a　thoughtful　smile。
'It's　not　put　into　his　head　to　be　buried。　It's　put　into　his　head　to　be
made　useful。　You　hold　your　life　on　the　condition　that　to　the　last　you
shall　struggle　hard　for　it。　Every　man　holds　a　discovery　on　the　same
terms。'

'That　is　to　say；'　said　Arthur；　with　a　growing　admiration　of　his　quiet
panion；　'you　are　not　finally　discouraged　even　now？'

'I　have　no　right　to　be；　if　I　am；'　returned　the　other。　'The　thing　is　as
true　as　it　ever　was。'

When　they　had　walked　a　little　way　in　silence；　Clennam；　at　once　to
change　the　direct　point　of　their　conversation　and　not　to　change　it
too　abruptly；　asked　Mr　Doyce　if　he　had　any　partner　in　his　business　to
relieve　him　of　a　portion　of　its　anxieties？

'No；'　he　returned；　'not　at　present。　I　had　when　I　first　entered　on　it；
and　a　good　man　he　was。　But　he　has　been　dead　some　years；　and　as　I　could
not　easily　take　to　the　notion　of　another　when　I　lost　him；　I　bought
his　share　for　myself　and　have　gone　on　by　myself　ever　since。　And　here's
another　thing；'　he　said；　stopping　for　a　moment　with　a　good…humoured
laugh　in　his　eyes；　and　laying　his　closed　right　hand；　with　its　peculiar
suppleness　of　thumb；　on　Clennam's　arm；　'no　inventor　can　be　a　man　of
business；　you　know。'

'No？'　said　Clennam。

'Why；　so　the　men　of　business　say；'　he　answered；　resuming　the　walk　and
laughing　outright。　'I　don't　know　why　we　unfortunate　creatures　should
be　supposed　to　want　mon　sense；　but　it　is　generally　taken　for　granted
that　we　do。　Even　the　best　friend　I　have　in　the　world；　our　excellent
friend　over　yonder；'　said　Doyce；　nodding　towards　Twickenham；　'extends
a　sort　of　protection　to　me；　don't　you　know；　as　a　man　not　quite　able　to
take　care　of　himself？'

Arthur　Clennam　could　not　help　joining　in　the　good…humoured　laugh；　for　he
recognised　the　truth　of　the　description。

'So　I　find　that　I　must　have　a　partner　who　is　a　man　of　business　and　not
guilty　of　any　inventions；'　said　Daniel　Doyce；　taking　off　his　hat　to　pass
his　hand　over　his　forehead；　'if　it's　only　in　deference　to　the　current
opinion；　and　to　uphold　the　credit　of　the　Works。　I　don't　think　he'll　find
that　I　have　been　very　remiss　or　confused　in　my　way　of　conducting　them；
but　that's　for　him　to　say……whoever　he　is……not　for　me。'　'You　have　not
chosen　him　yet；　then？'

'No；　sir；　no。　I　have　only　just　e　to　a　decision　to　take　one。　The　fact
is；　there's　more　to　do　than　there　used　to　be；　and　the　Works　are　enough
for　me　as　I　grow　older。　What　with　the　books　and　correspondence；　and
foreign　journeys　for　which　a　Principal　is　necessary；　I　can't　do　all。　I
am　going　to　talk　over　the　best　way　of　negotiating　the　matter；　if　I　find
a　spare　half…hour　between　this　and　Monday　morning；　with　my……my　Nurse　and
protector；'　said　Doyce；　with　laughing　eyes　again。　'He　is　a　sagacious　man
in　business；　and　has　had　a　good　apprenticeship　to　it。'