little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第25章

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Fanny　bade　her　father　good　night；　and　whisked　off　airily。　Tip　had
already　clattered　down…stairs。　'Now；　Mr　Clennam；'　said　the　uncle；
looking　back　as　he　shuffled　out　after　them；　'the　lock；　sir；　the　lock。'

Mr　Clennam　had　two　things　to　do　before　he　followed；　one；　to　offer　his
testimonial　to　the　Father　of　the　Marshalsea；　without　giving　pain　to　his
child；　the　other　to　say　something　to　that　child；　though　it　were　but　a
word；　in　explanation　of　his　having　e　there。

'Allow　me；'　said　the　Father；　'to　see　you　down…stairs。'

She　had　slipped　out　after　the　rest；　and　they　were　alone。　'Not　on　any
account；'　said　the　visitor；　hurriedly。　'Pray　allow　me　to……'　chink；
chink；　chink。

'Mr　Clennam；'　said　the　Father；　'I　am　deeply；　deeply……'　But　his　visitor
had　shut　up　his　hand　to　stop　the　clinking；　and　had　gone　down…stairs　with
great　speed。

He　saw　no　Little　Dorrit　on　his　way　down；　or　in　the　yard。　The　last　two　or
three　stragglers　were　hurrying　to　the　lodge；　and　he　was　following；
when　he　caught　sight　of　her　in　the　doorway　of　the　first　house　from　the
entrance。　He　turned　back　hastily。

'Pray　forgive　me；'　he　said；　'for　speaking　to　you　here；　pray　forgive　me
for　ing　here　at　all！　I　followed　you　to…night。　I　did　so；　that　I　might
endeavour　to　render　you　and　your　family　some　service。　You　know　the
terms　on　which　I　and　my　mother　are；　and　may　not　be　surprised　that　I
have　preserved　our　distant　relations　at　her　house；　lest　I　should
unintentionally　make　her　jealous；　or　resentful；　or　do　you　any　injury　in
her　estimation。　What　I　have　seen　here；　in　this　short　time；　has　greatly
increased　my　heartfelt　wish　to　be　a　friend　to　you。　It　would　repense
me　for　much　disappointment　if　I　could　hope　to　gain　your　confidence。'

She　was　scared　at　first；　but　seemed　to　take　courage　while　he　spoke　to
her。

'You　are　very　good；　sir。　You　speak　very　earnestly　to　me。　But　I……but　I
wish　you　had　not　watched　me。'

He　understood　the　emotion　with　which　she　said　it；　to　arise　in　her
father's　behalf；　and　he　respected　it；　and　was　silent。

'Mrs　Clennam　has　been　of　great　service　to　me；　I　don't　know　what　we
should　have　done　without　the　employment　she　has　given　me；　I　am　afraid
it　may　not　be　a　good　return　to　bee　secret　with　her；　I　can　say　no　more
to…night；　sir。　I　am　sure　you　mean　to　be　kind　to　us。　Thank　you；　thank
you。'　'Let　me　ask　you　one　question　before　I　leave。　Have　you　known　my
mother　long？'

'I　think　two　years；　sir；……The　bell　has　stopped。'

'How　did　you　know　her　first？　Did　she　send　here　for　you？'

'No。　She　does　not　even　know　that　I　live　here。　We　have　a　friend；　father
and　I……a　poor　labouring　man；　but　the　best　of　friends……and　I　wrote　out
that　I　wished　to　do　needlework；　and　gave　his　address。　And　he　got　what
I　wrote　out　displayed　at　a　few　places　where　it　cost　nothing；　and　Mrs
Clennam　found　me　that　way；　and　sent　for　me。　The　gate　will　be　locked；
sir！'

She　was　so　tremulous　and　agitated；　and　he　was　so　moved　by　passion　for
her；　and　by　deep　interest　in　her　story　as　it　dawned　upon　him；　that　he
could　scarcely　tear　himself　away。　But　the　stoppage　of　the　bell；　and　the
quiet　in　the　prison；　were　a　warning　to　depart；　and　with　a　few　hurried
words　of　kindness　he　left　her　gliding　back　to　her　father。

But　he　remained　too　late。　The　inner　gate　was　locked；　and　the　lodge
closed。　After　a　little　fruitless　knocking　with　his　hand；　he　was　standing
there　with　the　disagreeable　conviction　upon　him　that　he　had　got　to　get
through　the　night；　when　a　voice　accosted　him　from　behind。

'Caught；　eh？'　said　the　voice。　'You　won't　go　home　till　morning。　Oh！　It's
you；　is　it；　Mr　Clennam？'

The　voice　was　Tip's；　and　they　stood　looking　at　one　another　in　the
prison…yard；　as　it　began　to　rain。


'You've　done　it；'　observed　Tip；　'you　must　be　sharper　than　that　next
time。'

'But　you　are　locked　in　too；'　said　Arthur。

'I　believe　I　am！'　said　Tip；　sarcastically。　'About！　But　not　in　your　way。
I　belong　to　the　shop；　only　my　sister　has　a　theory　that　our　governor　must
never　know　it。　I　don't　see　why；　myself。'

'Can　I　get　any　shelter？'　asked　Arthur。　'What　had　I　better　do？'

'We　had　better　get　hold　of　Amy　first　of　all；'　said　Tip；　referring　any
difficulty　to　her　as　a　matter　of　course。

'I　would　rather　walk　about　all　night……it's　not　much　to　do……than　give
that　trouble。'

'You　needn't　do　that；　if　you　don't　mind　paying　for　a　bed。　If　you　don't
mind　paying；　they'll　make　you　up　one　on　the　Snuggery　table；　under　the
circumstances。　If　you'll　e　along；　I'll　introduce　you　there。'

As　they　passed　down　the　yard；　Arthur　looked　up　at　the　window　of　the　room
he　had　lately　left；　where　the　light　was　still　burning。　'Yes；　sir；'　said
Tip；　following　his　glance。　'That's　the　governor's。　She'll　sit　with　him
for　another　hour　reading　yesterday's　paper　to　him；　or　something　of　that
sort；　and　then　she'll　e　out　like　a　little　ghost；　and　vanish　away
without　a　sound。'

'I　don't　understand　you。'

'The　governor　sleeps　up　in　the　room；　and　she　has　a　lodging　at　the
turnkey's。　First　house　there；'　said　Tip；　pointing　out　the　doorway　into
which　she　had　retired。　'First　house；　sky　parlour。　She　pays　twice　as　much
for　it　as　she　would　for　one　twice　as　good　outside。　But　she　stands　by　the
governor；　poor　dear　girl；　day　and　night。'

This　brought　them　to　the　tavern…establishment　at　the　upper　end　of　the
prison；　where　the　collegians　had　just　vacated　their　social　evening　club。
The　apartment　on　the　ground…floor　in　which　it　was　held；　was　the　Snuggery
in　question；　the　presidential　tribune　of　the　chairman；　the　pewter…pots；
glasses；　pipes；　tobacco…ashes；　and　general　flavour　of　members；　were
still　as　that　convivial　institution　had　left　them　on　its　adjournment。
The　Snuggery　had　two　of　the　qualities　popularly　held　to　be　essential　to
grog　for　ladies；　in　respect　that　it　was　hot　and　strong；　but　in　the　third
point　of　analogy；　requiring　plenty　of　it；　the　Snuggery　was　defective；
being　but　a　cooped…up　apartment。

The　unaccustomed　visitor　from　outside；　naturally　assumed　everybody　here
to　be　prisoners……landlord；　waiter；　barmaid；　potboy；　and　all。　Whether
they　were　or　not；　did　not　appear；　but　they　all　had　a　weedy　look。　The
keeper　of　a　chandler's　shop　in　a　front　parlour；　who　took　in　gentlemen
boarders；　lent　his　assistance　in　making　the　bed。　He　had　been　a　tailor　in
his　time；　and　had　kept　a　phaeton；　he　said。　He　boasted　that　he　stood　up
litigiously　for　the　interests　of　the　college；　and　he　had　undefined　and
undefinable　ideas　that　the　marshal　intercepted　a　'Fund；'　which　ought　to
e　to　the　collegians。　He　liked　to　believe　this；　and　always　impressed
the　shadowy　grievance　on　new…ers　and　strangers；　though　he　could　not；
for　his　life；　have　explained　what　Fund　he　meant；　or　how　the　notion　had
got　rooted　in　his　soul。　He　had　fully　convinced　himself；　notwithstanding；
that　his　own　proper　share　of　the　Fund　was　three　and　ninepence　a　week；
and　that　in　this　amount　he；　as　an　individual　collegian；　was　swindled　by
the　marshal；　regularly　every　Monday。　Apparently；　he　helped　to　make　the
bed；　that　he　might　not　lose　an　opportunity　of　stating　this　case；　after
which　unloading　of　his　mind；　and　after　announcing　（as　it　seemed　he
always　did；　without　anything　ing　of　it）　that　he　was　going　to　write　a
letter　to　the　papers　and　show　the　marshal　up；　he　fell　into　miscellaneous
conversation　with　the　rest。　It　was　evident　from　the　general　tone　of　the
whole　party；　that　they　had　e　to　regard　insolvency　as　the　normal　state
of　mankind；　and　the　payment　of　debts　as　a　disease　that　occasionally
broke　out。　In　this　strange　scene；　and　with　these　strange　spectres
flitting　about　him；　Arthur　Clennam　looked　on　at　the　preparations　as　if
they　were　part　of　a　dream。　Pending　which；　the　long…initiated　Tip；　with
an　awful　enjoyment　of　the　Snuggery's　resources；　pointed　out　the　mon
kitchen　fire　maintained　by　subscription　of　collegians；　the　boiler　for
hot　water　supported　in　like　manner；　and　other　premises　generally　tending
to　the　deduction　that　the　way　to　be　healthy；　wealthy；　and　wise；　was　to
e　to　the　Marshalsea。

The　two　tables　put　together　in　a　corner；　were；　at　length；　converted　into
a　very　fair　bed；　and　the　stranger　was　left　to　the　Windsor　chairs；
the　presidential　tribune；　the　beery　atmosphere；　sawdust；　pipe…lights；
spittoons　and　repose。　But　the　last　item　was　long；　long；　long；