little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第12章

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Master　Arthur　repeated　his　recent　refusal　to　pick　at　anything。

'Very　well；　then；'　said　the　old　man；　'make　his　bed。　Stir　yourself。'　His
neck　was　so　twisted　that　the　knotted　ends　of　his　white　cravat　usually
dangled　under　one　ear；　his　natural　acerbity　and　energy；　always
contending　with　a　second　nature　of　habitual　repression；　gave　his
features　a　swollen　and　suffused　look；　and　altogether；　he　had　a　weird
appearance　of　having　hanged　himself　at　one　time　or　other；　and　of　having
gone　about　ever　since；　halter　and　all；　exactly　as　some　timely　hand　had
cut　him　down。

'You'll　have　bitter　words　together　to…morrow；　Arthur；　you　and　your
mother；'　said　Jeremiah。　'Your　having　given　up　the　business　on　your
father's　death……which　she　suspects；　though　we　have　left　it　to　you　to
tell　her……won't　go　off　smoothly。'

'I　have　given　up　everything　in　life　for　the　business；　and　the　time　came
for　me　to　give　up　that。'

'Good！'　cried　Jeremiah；　evidently　meaning　Bad。　'Very　good！　only　don't
expect　me　to　stand　between　your　mother　and　you；　Arthur。　I　stood　between
your　mother　and　your　father；　fending　off　this；　and　fending　off　that；　and
getting　crushed　and　pounded　betwixt　em；　and　I've　done　with　such　work。'

'You　will　never　be　asked　to　begin　it　again　for　me；　Jeremiah。'

'Good。　I'm　glad　to　hear　it；　because　I　should　have　had　to　decline　it；　if
I　had　been。　That's　enough……as　your　mother　says……and　more　than　enough　of
such　matters　on　a　Sabbath　night。　Affery；　woman；　have　you　found　what　you
want　yet？'

She　had　been　collecting　sheets　and　blankets　from　a　press；　and　hastened
to　gather　them　up；　and　to　reply；　'Yes；　Jeremiah。'　Arthur　Clennam　helped
her　by　carrying　the　load　himself；　wished　the　old　man　good　night；　and
went　up…stairs　with　her　to　the　top　of　the　house。

They　mounted　up　and　up；　through　the　musty　smell　of　an　old　close　house；
little　used；　to　a　large　garret　bed…room。　Meagre　and　spare；　like　all　the
other　rooms；　it　was　even　uglier　and　grimmer　than　the　rest；　by　being　the
place　of　banishment　for　the　worn…out　furniture。　Its　movables　were　ugly
old　chairs　with　worn…out　seats；　and　ugly　old　chairs　without　any　seats；
a　threadbare　patternless　carpet；　a　maimed　table；　a　crippled　wardrobe；
a　lean　set　of　fire…irons　like　the　skeleton　of　a　set　deceased；　a
washing…stand　that　looked　as　if　it　had　stood　for　ages　in　a　hail　of
dirty　soapsuds；　and　a　bedstead　with　four　bare　atomies　of　posts；　each
terminating　in　a　spike；　as　if　for　the　dismal　acmodation　of　lodgers
who　might　prefer　to　impale　themselves。　Arthur　opened　the　long　low
window；　and　looked　out　upon　the　old　blasted　and　blackened　forest　of
chimneys；　and　the　old　red　glare　in　the　sky；　which　had　seemed　to　him　once
upon　a　time　but　a　nightly　reflection　of　the　fiery　environment　that　was
presented　to　his　childish　fancy　in　all　directions；　let　it　look　where　it
would。

He　drew　in　his　head　again；　sat　down　at　the　bedside；　and　looked　on　at
Affery　Flintwinch　making　the　bed。

'Affery；　you　were　not　married　when　I　went　away。'

She　screwed　her　mouth　into　the　form　of　saying　'No；'　shook　her　head；　and
proceeded　to　get　a　pillow　into　its　case。

'How　did　it　happen？'

'Why；　Jeremiah；　o'　course；'　said　Affery；　with　an　end　of　the　pillow…case
between　her　teeth。

'Of　course　he　proposed　it；　but　how　did　it　all　e　about？　I　should　have
thought　that　neither　of　you　would　have　married；　least　of　all　should　I
have　thought　of　your　marrying　each　other。'

'No　more　should　I；'　said　Mrs　Flintwinch；　tying　the　pillow　tightly　in　its
case。

'That's　what　I　mean。　When　did　you　begin　to　think　otherwise？'

'Never　begun　to　think　otherwise　at　all；'　said　Mrs　Flintwinch。

Seeing；　as　she　patted　the　pillow　into　its　place　on　the　bolster；　that　he
was　still　looking　at　her　as　if　waiting　for　the　rest　of　her　reply；
she　gave　it　a　great　poke　in　the　middle；　and　asked；　'How　could　I　help
myself？'

'How　could　you　help　yourself　from　being　married！'

'O'　course；'　said　Mrs　Flintwinch。　'It　was　no　doing　o'　mine。　I'D　never
thought　of　it。　I'd　got　something　to　do；　without　thinking；　indeed！　She
kept　me　to　it　（as　well　as　he）　when　she　could　go　about；　and　she　could　go
about　then。'　'Well？'

'Well？'　echoed　Mrs　Flintwinch。　'That's　what　I　said　myself。　Well！　What's
the　use　of　considering？　If　them　two　clever　ones　have　made　up　their　minds
to　it；　what's　left　for　me　to　do？　Nothing。'

'Was　it　my　mother's　project；　then？'

'The　Lord　bless　you；　Arthur；　and　forgive　me　the　wish！'　cried　Affery；
speaking　always　in　a　low　tone。　'If　they　hadn't　been　both　of　a　mind　in
it；　how　could　it　ever　have　been？　Jeremiah　never　courted　me；　t'ant　likely
that　he　would；　after　living　in　the　house　with　me　and　ordering　me
about　for　as　many　years　as　he'd　done。　He　said　to　me　one　day；　he　said；
〃Affery；〃　he　said；　〃now　I　am　going　to　tell　you　something。　What　do　you
think　of　the　name　of　Flintwinch？〃　〃What　do　I　think　of　it？〃　I　says。
〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃because　you're　going　to　take　it；〃　he　said。　〃Take　it？〃　I
says。　〃Jere…MI…ah？〃　Oh！　he's　a　clever　one！'

Mrs　Flintwinch　went　on　to　spread　the　upper　sheet　over　the　bed；　and　the
blanket　over　that；　and　the　counterpane　over　that；　as　if　she　had　quite
concluded　her　story。　'Well？'　said　Arthur　again。

'Well？'　echoed　Mrs　Flintwinch　again。　'How　could　I　help　myself？　He　said
to　me；　〃Affery；　you　and　me　must　be　married；　and　I'll　tell　you　why。　She's
failing　in　health；　and　she'll　want　pretty　constant　attendance　up　in
her　room；　and　we　shall　have　to　be　much　with　her；　and　there'll　be　nobody
about　now　but　ourselves　when　we're　away　from　her；　and　altogether　it　will
be　more　convenient。　She's　of　my　opinion；〃　he　said；　〃so　if　you'll　put
your　bon　on　next　Monday　morning　at　eight；　we'll　get　it　over。〃'　Mrs
Flintwinch　tucked　up　the　bed。

'Well？'

'Well？'　repeated　Mrs　Flintwinch；　'I　think　so！　I　sits　me　down　and　says
it。　Well！……Jeremiah　then　says　to　me；　〃As　to　banns；　next　Sunday　being　the
third　time　of　asking　（for　I've　put　'em　up　a　fortnight）；　is　my　reason　for
naming　Monday。　She'll　speak　to　you　about　it　herself；　and　now　she'll　find
you　prepared；　Affery。〃　That　same　day　she　spoke　to　me；　and　she　said；　〃So；
Affery；　I　understand　that　you　and　Jeremiah　are　going　to　be　married。　I
am　glad　of　it；　and　so　are　you；　with　reason。　It　is　a　very　good　thing　for
you；　and　very　wele　under　the　circumstances　to　me。　He　is　a　sensible
man；　and　a　trustworthy　man；　and　a　persevering　man；　and　a　pious　man。〃
What　could　I　say　when　it　had　e　to　that？　Why；　if　it　had　been……a
smothering　instead　of　a　wedding；'　Mrs　Flintwinch　cast　about　in　her　mind
with　great　pains　for　this　form　of　expression；　'I　couldn't　have　said　a
word　upon　it；　against　them　two　clever　ones。'

'In　good　faith；　I　believe　so。'　'And　so　you　may；　Arthur。'

'Affery；　what　girl　was　that　in　my　mother's　room　just　now？'

'Girl？'　said　Mrs　Flintwinch　in　a　rather　sharp　key。

'It　was　a　girl；　surely；　whom　I　saw　near　you……almost　hidden　in　the　dark
corner？'

'Oh！　She？　Little　Dorrit？　She's　nothing；　she's　a　whim　of……hers。'　It　was　a
peculiarity　of　Affery　Flintwinch　that　she　never　spoke　of　Mrs　Clennam
by　name。　'But　there's　another　sort　of　girls　than　that　about。　Have　you
forgot　your　old　sweetheart？　Long　and　long　ago；　I'll　be　bound。'

'I　suffered　enough　from　my　mother's　separating　us；　to　remember　her。

I　recollect　her　very　well。'

'Have　you　got　another？'

'No。'

'Here's　news　for　you；　then。　She's　well　to　do　now；　and　a　widow。　And　if
you　like　to　have　her；　why　you　can。'

'And　how　do　you　know　that；　Affery？'

'Them　two　clever　ones　have　been　speaking　about　it。……There's　Jeremiah　on
the　stairs！'　She　was　gone　in　a　moment。

Mrs　Flintwinch　had　introduced　into　the　web　that　his　mind　was　busily
weaving；　in　that　old　workshop　where　the　loom　of　his　youth　had　stood；　the
last　thread　wanting　to　the　pattern。　The　airy　folly　of　a　boy's　love　had
found　its　way　even　into　that　house；　and　he　had　been　as　wretched　under
its　hopelessness　as　if　the　house　had　been　a　castle　of　romance。　Little
more　than　a　week　ago　at　Marseilles；　the　face　of　the　pretty　girl　from
whom　he　had　parted　with　regret；　had　had　an　unusual　interest　for　him；　and
a　tender　hold　upon　him；　because　of　some　resemblance；　real　or　imagined；
to　this　first　face　that　had　soared　out　of　his　gloomy　life　into　the
bright　glories　of　fancy。　He　leaned　upon　the　sill　of　the　long　low　window