little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第52章

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and　wished　him　good　morning；　and　gracefully　made　as　if　she　would　take
his　arm　and　be　escorted　into　the　house。　To　this　Gowan　had　no　objection。
No；　he　knew　he　was　too　safe。

There　was　a　passing　cloud　on　Mr　Meagles's　good…humoured　face　when　they
all　three　（four；　counting　the　dog；　and　he　was　the　most　objectionable
but　one　of　the　party）　came　in　to　breakfast。　Neither　it；　nor　the　touch
of　uneasiness　on　Mrs　Meagles　as　she　directed　her　eyes　towards　it；　was
unobserved　by　Clennam。

'Well；　Gowan；'　said　Mr　Meagles；　even　suppressing　a　sigh；　'how　goes　the
world　with　you　this　morning？'

'Much　as　usual；　sir。　Lion　and　I　being　determined　not　to　waste　anything
of　our　weekly　visit；　turned　out　early；　and　came　over　from　Kingston；　my
present　headquarters；　where　I　am　making　a　sketch　or　two。'　Then　he　told
how　he　had　met　Mr　Clennam　at　the　ferry；　and　they　had　e　over　together。

'Mrs　Gowan　is　well；　Henry？'　said　Mrs　Meagles。　（Clennam　became
attentive。）

'My　mother　is　quite　well；　thank　you。'　（Clennam　became　inattentive。）　'I
have　taken　the　liberty　of　making　an　addition　to　your　family　dinner…party
to…day；　which　I　hope　will　not　be　inconvenient　to　you　or　to　Mr　Meagles。　I
couldn't　very　well　get　out　of　it；'　he　explained；　turning　to　the　latter。
'The　young　fellow　wrote　to　propose　himself　to　me；　and　as　he　is　well
connected；　I　thought　you　would　not　object　to　my　transferring　him　here。'

'Who　is　the　young　fellow？'　asked　Mr　Meagles　with　peculiar　placency。

'He　is　one　of　the　Barnacles。　Tite　Barnacle's　son；　Clarence　Barnacle；　who
is　in　his　father's　Department。　I　can　at　least　guarantee　that　the　river
shall　not　suffer　from　his　visit。　He　won't　set　it　on　fire。'

'Aye；　aye？'　said　Meagles。　'A　Barnacle　is　he？　We　know　something　of　that
family；　eh；　Dan？　By　George；　they　are　at　the　top　of　the　tree；　though！　Let
me　see。　What　relation　will　this　young　fellow　be　to　Lord　Decimus　now？　His
Lordship　married；　in　seventeen　niy…seven；　Lady　Jemima　Bilberry；　who
was　the　second　daughter　by　the　third　marriage……no！　There　I　am　wrong！
That　was　Lady　Seraphina……Lady　Jemima　was　the　first　daughter　by　the
second　marriage　of　the　fifteenth　Earl　of　Stiltstalking　with　the
Honourable　Clementina　Toozellem。　Very　well。　Now　this　young　fellow's
father　married　a　Stiltstalking　and　his　father　married　his　cousin　who　was
a　Barnacle。

The　father　of　that　father　who　married　a　Barnacle；　married　a　Joddleby。……I
am　getting　a　little　too　far　back；　Gowan；　I　want　to　make　out　what
relation　this　young　fellow　is　to　Lord　Decimus。'

'That's　easily　stated。　His　father　is　nephew　to　Lord　Decimus。'

'Nephew……to……Lord……Decimus；'　Mr　Meagles　luxuriously　repeated　with　his
eyes　shut；　that　he　might　have　nothing　to　distract　him　from　the　full
flavour　of　the　genealogical　tree。　'By　George；　you　are　right；　Gowan。　So
he　is。'

'Consequently；　Lord　Decimus　is　his　great　uncle。'

'But　stop　a　bit！'　said　Mr　Meagles；　opening　his　eyes　with　a　fresh
discovery。　'Then　on　the　mother's　side；　Lady　Stiltstalking　is　his　great
aunt。'

'Of　course　she　is。'

'Aye；　aye；　aye？'　said　Mr　Meagles　with　much　interest。　'Indeed；　indeed？　We
shall　be　glad　to　see　him。　We'll　entertain　him　as　well　as　we　can；　in　our
humble　way；　and　we　shall　not　starve　him；　I　hope；　at　all　events。'

In　the　beginning　of　this　dialogue；　Clennam　had　expected　some　great
harmless　outburst　from　Mr　Meagles；　like　that　which　had　made　him　burst
out　of　the　Circumlocution　Office；　holding　Doyce　by　the　collar。　But　his
good　friend　had　a　weakness　which　none　of　us　need　go　into　the　next　street
to　find；　and　which　no　amount　of　Circumlocution　experience　could　long
subdue　in　him。　Clennam　looked　at　Doyce；　but　Doyce　knew　all　about　it
beforehand；　and　looked　at　his　plate；　and　made　no　sign；　and　said　no　word。

'I　am　much　obliged　to　you；'　said　Gowan；　to　conclude　the　subject。
'Clarence　is　a　great　ass；　but　he　is　one　of　the　dearest　and　best　fellows
that　ever　lived！'

It　appeared；　before　the　breakfast　was　over；　that　everybody　whom　this
Gowan　knew　was　either　more　or　less　of　an　ass；　or　more　or　less　of　a
knave；　but　was；　notwithstanding；　the　most　lovable；　the　most　engaging；
the　simplest；　truest；　kindest；　dearest；　best　fellow　that　ever　lived。
The　process　by　which　this　unvarying　result　was　attained；　whatever　the
premises；　might　have　been　stated　by　Mr　Henry　Gowan　thus：　'I　claim　to　be
always　book…keeping；　with　a　peculiar　nicety；　in　every　man's　case；　and
posting　up　a　careful　little　account　of　Good　and　Evil　with　him。　I　do
this　so　conscientiously；　that　I　am　happy　to　tell　you　I　find　the　most
worthless　of　men　to　be　the　dearest　old　fellow　too：　and　am　in　a　condition
to　make　the　gratifying　report；　that　there　is　much　less　difference　than
you　are　inclined　to　suppose　between　an　honest　man　and　a　scoundrel。'　The
effect　of　this　cheering　discovery　happened　to　be；　that　while　he　seemed
to　be　scrupulously　finding　good　in　most　men；　he　did　in　reality　lower
it　where　it　was；　and　set　it　up　where　it　was　not；　but　that　was　its　only
disagreeable　or　dangerous　feature。

It　scarcely　seemed；　however；　to　afford　Mr　Meagles　as　much　satisfaction
as　the　Barnacle　genealogy　had　done。　The　cloud　that　Clennam　had　never
seen　upon　his　face　before　that　morning；　frequently　overcast　it　again；
and　there　was　the　same　shadow　of　uneasy　observation　of　him　on　the　ely
face　of　his　wife。　More　than　once　or　twice　when　Pet　caressed　the　dog；
it　appeared　to　Clennam　that　her　father　was　unhappy　in　seeing　her　do　it；
and；　in　one　particular　instance　when　Gowan　stood　on　the　other　side　of
the　dog；　and　bent　his　head　at　the　same　time；　Arthur　fancied　that　he　saw
tears　rise　to　Mr　Meagles's　eyes　as　he　hurried　out　of　the　room。　It　was
either　the　fact　too；　or　he　fancied　further；　that　Pet　herself　was　not
insensible　to　these　little　incidents；　that　she　tried；　with　a　more
delicate　affection　than　usual；　to　express　to　her　good　father　how　much
she　loved　him；　that　it　was　on　this　account　that　she　fell　behind　the
rest；　both　as　they　went　to　church　and　as　they　returned　from　it；　and
took　his　arm。　He　could　not　have　sworn　but　that　as　he　walked　alone　in
the　garden　afterwards；　he　had　an　instantaneous　glimpse　of　her　in
her　father's　room；　clinging　to　both　her　parents　with　the　greatest
tenderness；　and　weeping　on　her　father's　shoulder。

The　latter　part　of　the　day　turning　out　wet；　they　were　fain　to　keep　the
house；　look　over　Mr　Meagles's　collection；　and　beguile　the　time　with
conversation。　This　Gowan　had　plenty　to　say　for　himself；　and　said　it
in　an　off…hand　and　amusing　manner。　He　appeared　to　be　an　artist　by
profession；　and　to　have　been　at　Rome　some　time；　yet　he　had　a　slight；
careless；　amateur　way　with　him……a　perceptible　limp；　both　in　his　devotion
to　art　and　his　attainments……which　Clennam　could　scarcely　understand。

He　applied　to　Daniel　Doyce　for　help；　as　they　stood　together；　looking　out
of　window。

'You　know　Mr　Gowan？'　he　said　in　a　low　voice。

'I　have　seen　him　here。　es　here　every　Sunday　when　they　are　at　home。'

'An　artist；　I　infer　from　what　he　says？'

'A　sort　of　a　one；'　said　Daniel　Doyce；　in　a　surly　tone。

'What　sort　of　a　one？'　asked　Clennam；　with　a　smile。

'Why；　he　has　sauntered　into　the　Arts　at　a　leisurely　Pall…Mall　pace；'
said　Doyce；　'and　I　doubt　if　they　care　to　be　taken　quite　so　coolly。'

Pursuing　his　inquiries；　Clennam　found　that　the　Gowan　family　were　a　very
distant　ramification　of　the　Barnacles；　and　that　the　paternal　Gowan；
originally　attached　to　a　legation　abroad；　had　been　pensioned　off　as　a
missioner　of　nothing　particular　somewhere　or　other；　and　had　died　at
his　post　with　his　drawn　salary　in　his　hand；　nobly　defending　it　to　the
last　extremity。　In　consideration　of　this　eminent　public　service；　the
Barnacle　then　in　power　had　remended　the　Crown　to　bestow　a　pension　of
two　or　three　hundred　a…year　on　his　widow；　to　which　the　next　Barnacle　in
power　had　added　certain　shady　and　sedate　apartments　in　the　Palaces　at
Hampton　Court；　where　the　old　lady　still　lived；　deploring　the　degeneracy
of　the　times　in　pany　with　several　other　old　ladies　of　both　sexes。　Her
son；　Mr　Henry　Gowan；　inheriting　from　his　father；　the　missioner；　that
very　questionable　help　in　life；　a　very　small　independence；　had　been
difficult　to　settle；　the　rather；　as　public　appointments　chanced　to
be　scarce；　and　his　genius；　during　his　earlier　manhood；　was　of　that
exclusively　agricultural　character　which　applies　itself　to　the
cultivation　of　wild　oats。　At　last　he　had　declared　that　he　would　bee
a　Painter；　partly　because　he　had　always　had　an　idle　knack　that　way；
and　partly　to　grieve　the　souls　of　the　Barnacles…in…chief　who　had　not
provided　for　him。　So　it　had　e　to　pass　successively；　first；　that
several　distinguished　ladies　had　been　frightfully　shocked；　then；　that
portfolios　of　his　performances　had　been　handed　about　o'　nights；　and
declared　with　ecstasy　to　be　perfect　Claudes；　perfect　Cuyps；　perfect
phaenomena；　then；　that　Lord　Decimus　had　bought　his　picture；　and　had
asked　the　President　and　Council　to　dinner　at　a　blow；　and　had　said；　with
his　own　magnificent　gravity；　'Do　you　know；　there　appears　to　me　to
be　really　immense　merit　in　that　work？'　and；　in　short；　that　people　of
condition　had　absolutely　taken　pains　to　bring　him　into　fashion。　But；
somehow；　it　had　all　failed。　The　prejudiced　public　had　stood　out　against
it　obstinately。　They　had　determined　not　to　admi