little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第159章

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capture；　shut　his　eyes　when　his　Lordship　came　in。

Lord　Decimus；　nevertheless；　was　glad　to　see　the　Member。　He　was　also
glad　to　see　Mr　Merdle；　glad　to　see　Bishop；　glad　to　see　Bar；　glad　to　see
Physician；　glad　to　see　Tite　Barnacle；　glad　to　see　Chorus；　glad　to
see　Ferdinand　his　private　secretary。　Lord　Decimus；　though　one　of　the
greatest　of　the　earth；　was　not　remarkable　for　ingratiatory　manners；　and
Ferdinand　had　coached　him　up　to　the　point　of　noticing　all　the　fellows
he　might　find　there；　and　saying　he　was　glad　to　see　them。　When　he　had
achieved　this　rush　of　vivacity　and　condescension；　his　Lordship　posed
himself　into　the　picture　after　Cuyp；　and　made　a　third　cow　in　the　group。

Bar；　who　felt　that　he　had　got　all　the　rest　of　the　jury　and　must　now　lay
hold　of　the　Foreman；　soon　came　sidling　up；　double　eye…glass　in　hand。　Bar
tendered　the　weather；　as　a　subject　neatly　aloof　from　official　reserve；
for　the　Foreman's　consideration。　Bar　said　that　he　was　told　（as　everybody
always　is　told；　though　who　tells　them；　and　why；　will　ever　remain　a
mystery）；　that　there　was　to　be　no　wall…fruit　this　year。　Lord　Decimus
had　not　heard　anything　amiss　of　his　peaches；　but　rather　believed；　if　his
people　were　correct；　he　was　to　have　no　apples。　No　apples？　Bar　was　lost
in　astonishment　and　concern。　It　would　have　been　all　one　to　him；　in
reality；　if　there　had　not　been　a　pippin　on　the　surface　of　the　earth；　but
his　show　of　interest　in　this　apple　question　was　positively　painful。
Now；　to　what；　Lord　Decimus……for　we　troublesome　lawyers　loved　to　gather
information；　and　could　never　tell　how　useful　it　might　prove　to　us……to
what；　Lord　Decimus；　was　this　to　be　attributed？　Lord　Decimus　could　not
undertake　to　propound　any　theory　about　it。　This　might　have　stopped
another　man；　but　Bar；　sticking　to　him　fresh　as　ever；　said；　'As　to　pears；
now？'

Long　after　Bar　got　made　Attorney…General；　this　was　told　of　him　as
a　master…stroke。　Lord　Decimus　had　a　reminiscence　about　a　pear…tree
formerly　growing　in　a　garden　near　the　back　of　his　dame's　house　at　Eton；
upon　which　pear…tree　the　only　joke　of　his　life　perennially　bloomed。　It
was　a　joke　of　a　pact　and　portable　nature；　turning　on　the　difference
between　Eton　pears　and　Parliamentary　pairs；　but　it　was　a　joke；　a　refined
relish　of　which　would　seem　to　have　appeared　to　Lord　Decimus　impossible
to　be　had　without　a　thorough　and　intimate　acquaintance　with　the　tree。
Therefore；　the　story　at　first　had　no　idea　of　such　a　tree；　sir；　then
gradually　found　it　in　winter；　carried　it　through　the　changing　season；
saw　it　bud；　saw　it　blossom；　saw　it　bear　fruit；　saw　the　fruit　ripen；　in
short；　cultivated　the　tree　in　that　diligent　and　minute　manner　before　it
got　out　of　the　bed…room　window　to　steal　the　fruit；　that　many　thanks　had
been　offered　up　by　belated　listeners　for　the　trees　having　been　planted
and　grafted　prior　to　Lord　Decimus's　time。　Bar's　interest　in　apples　was
so　overtopped　by　the　wrapt　suspense　in　which　he　pursued　the　changes
of　these　pears；　from　the　moment　when　Lord　Decimus　solemnly　opened　with
'Your　mentioning　pears　recalls　to　my　remembrance　a　pear…tree；'　down　to
the　rich　conclusion；　'And　so　we　pass；　through　the　various　changes
of　life；　from　Eton　pears　to　Parliamentary　pairs；'　that　he　had　to　go
down…stairs　with　Lord　Decimus；　and　even　then　to　be　seated　next　to　him
at　table　in　order　that　he　might　hear　the　anecdote　out。　By　that　time；　Bar
felt　that　he　had　secured　the　Foreman；　and　might　go　to　dinner　with　a　good
appetite。

It　was　a　dinner　to　provoke　an　appetite；　though　he　had　not　had　one。　The
rarest　dishes；　sumptuously　cooked　and　sumptuously　served；　the　choicest
fruits；　the　most　exquisite　wines；　marvels　of　workmanship　in　gold　and
silver；　china　and　glass；　innumerable　things　delicious　to　the　senses　of
taste；　smell；　and　sight；　were　insinuated　into　its　position。　O；　what
a　wonderful　man　this　Merdle；　what　a　great　man；　what　a　master　man；　how
blessedly　and　enviably　endowed……in　one　word；　what　a　rich　man！

He　took　his　usual　poor　eighteenpennyworth　of　food　in　his　usual
indigestive　way；　and　had　as　little　to　say　for　himself　as　ever　a
wonderful　man　had。　Fortunately　Lord　Decimus　was　one　of　those　sublimities
who　have　no　occasion　to　be　talked　to；　for　they　can　be　at　any　time
sufficiently　occupied　with　the　contemplation　of　their　own　greatness。
This　enabled　the　bashful　young　Member　to　keep　his　eyes　open　long　enough
at　a　time　to　see　his　dinner。　But；　whenever　Lord　Decimus　spoke；　he　shut
them　again。

The　agreeable　young　Barnacle；　and　Bar；　were　the　talkers　of　the　party。
Bishop　would　have　been　exceedingly　agreeable　also；　but　that　his
innocence　stood　in　his　way。　He　was　so　soon　left　behind。　When　there　was
any　little　hint　of　anything　being　in　the　wind；　he　got　lost　directly。
Worldly　affairs　were　too　much　for　him；　he　couldn't　make　them　out　at　all。

This　was　observable　when　Bar　said；　incidentally；　that　he　was　happy　to
have　heard　that　we　were　soon　to　have　the　advantage　of　enlisting　on
the　good　side；　the　sound　and　plain　sagacity……not　demonstrative　or
ostentatious；　but　thoroughly　sound　and　practical……of　our　friend　Mr
Sparkler。

Ferdinand　Barnacle　laughed；　and　said　oh　yes；　he　believed　so。　A　vote　was
a　vote；　and　always　acceptable。

Bar　was　sorry　to　miss　our　good　friend　Mr　Sparkler　to…day；　Mr　Merdle。

'He　is　away　with　Mrs　Merdle；'　returned　that　gentleman；　slowly　ing
out　of　a　long　abstraction；　in　the　course　of　which　he　had　been　fitting　a
tablespoon　up　his　sleeve。　'It　is　not　indispensable　for　him　to　be　on　the
spot。'

'The　magic　name　of　Merdle；'　said　Bar；　with　the　jury　droop；　'no　doubt
will　suffice　for　all。'

'Why……yes……I　believe　so；'　assented　Mr　Merdle；　putting　the　spoon　aside；
and　clumsily　hiding　each　of　his　hands　in　the　coat…cuff　of　the　other
hand。　'I　believe　the　people　in　my　interest　down　there　will　not　make　any
difficulty。'

'Model　people！'　said　Bar。　'I　am　glad　you　approve　of　them；'　said　Mr
Merdle。

'And　the　people　of　those　other　two　places；　now；'　pursued　Bar；　with　a
bright　twinkle　in　his　keen　eye；　as　it　slightly　turned　in　the　direction
of　his　magnificent　neighbour；　'we　lawyers　are　always　curious；　always
inquisitive；　always　picking　up　odds　and　ends　for　our　patchwork　minds；
since　there　is　no　knowing　when　and　where　they　may　fit　into　some
corner；……the　people　of　those　other　two　places　now？　Do　they　yield　so
laudably　to　the　vast　and　cumulative　influence　of　such　enterprise　and
such　renown；　do　those　little　rills　bee　absorbed　so　quietly
and　easily；　and；　as　it　were　by　the　influence　of　natural　laws；　so
beautifully；　in　the　swoop　of　the　majestic　stream　as　it　flows　upon　its
wondrous　way　enriching　the　surrounding　lands；　that　their　course　is
perfectly　to　be　calculated；　and　distinctly　to　be　predicated？'

Mr　Merdle；　a　little　troubled　by　Bar's　eloquence；　looked　fitfully　about
the　nearest　salt…cellar　for　some　moments；　and　then　said　hesitating：

'They　are　perfectly　aware；　sir；　of　their　duty　to　Society。　They　will
return　anybody　I　send　to　them　for　that　purpose。'

'Cheering　to　know；'　said　Bar。　'Cheering　to　know。'

The　three　places　in　question　were　three　little　rotten　holes　in　this
Island；　containing　three　little　ignorant；　drunken；　guzzling；　dirty；
out…of…the…way　constituencies；　that　had　reeled　into　Mr　Merdle's　pocket。
Ferdinand　Barnacle　laughed　in　his　easy　way；　and　airily　said　they　were
a　nice　set　of　fellows。　Bishop；　mentally　perambulating　among　paths　of
peace；　was　altogether　swallowed　up　in　absence　of　mind。

'Pray；'　asked　Lord　Decimus；　casting　his　eyes　around　the　table；　'what
is　this　story　I　have　heard　of　a　gentleman　long　confined　in　a　debtors'
prison　proving　to　be　of　a　wealthy　family；　and　having　e　into　the
inheritance　of　a　large　sum　of　money？　I　have　met　with　a　variety　of
allusions　to　it。　Do　you　know　anything　of　it；　Ferdinand？'

'I　only　know　this　much；'　said　Ferdinand；　'that　he　has　given　the
Department　with　which　I　have　the　honour　to　be　associated；'　this
sparkling　young　Barnacle　threw　off　the　phrase　sportively；　as　who　should
say；　We　know　all　about　these　forms　of　speech；　but　we　must　keep　it　up；
we　must　keep　the　game　alive；　'no　end　of　trouble；　and　has　put　us　into
innumerable　fixes。'

'Fixes？'　repeated　Lord　Decimus；　with　a　majestic　pausing　and　pondering
on　the　word　that　made　the　bashful　Member　shut