little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第145部分

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laws；　tumbled　and　rolled　from　its　glorious　multitude　of　fountains。

Here　it　seemed　to　Little　Dorrit　that　a　change　came　over　the　Marshalsea
spirit　of　their　society；　and　that　Prunes　and　Prism　got　the　upper　hand。
Everybody　was　walking　about　St　Peter's　and　the　Vatican　on　somebody
else's　cork　legs；　and　straining　every　visible　object　through　somebody
else's　sieve。　Nobody　said　what　anything　was；　but　everybody　said　what　the
Mrs　Generals；　Mr　Eustace；　or　somebody　else　said　it　was。　The　whole　body
of　travellers　seemed　to　be　a　collection　of　voluntary　human　sacrifices；
bound　hand　and　foot；　and　delivered　over　to　Mr　Eustace　and　his
attendants；　to　have　the　entrails　of　their　intellects　arranged　according
to　the　taste　of　that　sacred　priesthood。　Through　the　rugged　remains
of　temples　and　tombs　and　palaces　and　senate　halls　and　theatres　and
amphitheatres　of　ancient　days；　hosts　of　tongue…tied　and　blindfolded
moderns　were　carefully　feeling　their　way；　incessantly　repeating　Prunes
and　Prism　in　the　endeavour　to　set　their　lips　according　to　the　received
form。　Mrs　General　was　in　her　pure　element。　Nobody　had　an　opinion。　There
was　a　formation　of　surface　going　on　around　her　on　an　amazing　scale；　and
it　had　not　a　flaw　of　courage　or　honest　free　speech　in　it。

Another　modification　of　Prunes　and　Prism　insinuated　itself　on　Little
Dorrit's　notice　very　shortly　after　their　arrival。　They　received　an　early
visit　from　Mrs　Merdle；　who　led　that　extensive　department　of　life　in　the
Eternal　City　that　winter；　and　the　skilful　manner　in　which　she　and　Fanny
fenced　with　one　another　on　the　occasion；　almost　made　her　quiet　sister
wink；　like　the　glittering　of　small…swords。

'So　delighted；'　said　Mrs　Merdle；　'to　resume　an　acquaintance　so
inauspiciously　begun　at　Martigny。'

'At　Martigny；　of　course；'　said　Fanny。　'Charmed；　I　am　sure！'

'I　understand；'　said　Mrs　Merdle；　'from　my　son　Edmund　Sparkler；　that
he　has　already　improved　that　chance　occasion。　He　has　returned　quite
transported　with　Venice。'

'Indeed？'　returned　the　careless　Fanny。　'Was　he　there　long？'

'I　might　refer　that　question　to　Mr　Dorrit；'　said　Mrs　Merdle；　turning　the
bosom　towards　that　gentleman；　'Edmund　having　been　so　much　indebted　to
him　for　rendering　his　stay　agreeable。'

'Oh；　pray　don't　speak　of　it；'　returned　Fanny。　'I　believe　Papa　had　the
pleasure　of　inviting　Mr　Sparkler　twice　or　thrice；……but　it　was　nothing。
We　had　so　many　people　about　us；　and　kept　such　open　house；　that　if　he　had
that　pleasure；　it　was　less　than　nothing。'

'Except；　my　dear；'　said　Mr　Dorrit；　'except……ha……as　it　afforded　me
unusual　gratification　to……hum……show　by　any　means；　however　slight　and
worthless；　the……ha；　hum……high　estimation　in　which；　in……ha……mon　with
the　rest　of　the　world；　I　hold　so　distinguished　and　princely　a　character
as　Mr　Merdle's。'

The　bosom　received　this　tribute　in　its　most　engaging　manner。　'Mr
Merdle；'　observed　Fanny；　as　a　means　of　dismissing　Mr　Sparkler　into　the
background；　'is　quite　a　theme　of　Papa's；　you　must　know；　Mrs　Merdle。'

'I　have　been……ha……disappointed；　madam；'　said　Mr　Dorrit；　'to　understand
from　Mr　Sparkler　that　there　is　no　great……hum……probability　of　Mr　Merdle's
ing　abroad。'

'Why；　indeed；'　said　Mrs　Merdle；　'he　is　so　much　engaged　and　in　such
request；　that　I　fear　not。　He　has　not　been　able　to　get　abroad　for　years。
You；　Miss　Dorrit；　I　believe　have　been　almost　continually　abroad　for　a
long　time。'

'Oh　dear　yes；'　drawled　Fanny；　with　the　greatest　hardihood。　'An　immense
number　of　years。'

'So　I　should　have　inferred；'　said　Mrs　Merdle。

'Exactly；'　said　Fanny。

'I　trust；　however；'　resumed　Mr　Dorrit；　'that　if　I　have　not
the……hum……great　advantage　of　being　known　to　Mr　Merdle　on　this　side
of　the　Alps　or　Mediterranean；　I　shall　have　that　honour　on　returning　to
England。　It　is　an　honour　I　particularly　desire　and　shall　particularly
esteem。'　'Mr　Merdle；'　said　Mrs　Merdle；　who　had　been　looking　admiringly
at　Fanny　through　her　eye…glass；　'will　esteem　it；　I　am　sure；　no　less。'

Little　Dorrit；　still　habitually　thoughtful　and　solitary　though　no　longer
alone；　at　first　supposed　this　to　be　mere　Prunes　and　Prism。　But　as　her
father　when　they　had　been　to　a　brilliant　reception　at　Mrs　Merdle's；
harped　at　their　own　family　breakfast…table　on　his　wish　to　know　Mr
Merdle；　with　the　contingent　view　of　benefiting　by　the　advice　of　that
wonderful　man　in　the　disposal　of　his　fortune；　she　began　to　think　it　had
a　real　meaning；　and　to　entertain　a　curiosity　on　her　own　part　to　see　the
shining　light　of　the　time。




CHAPTER　8。　The　Dowager　Mrs　Gowan　is　reminded　that　　　　　'It　Never　Does'


While　the　waters　of　Venice　and　the　ruins　of　Rome　were　sunning　themselves
for　the　pleasure　of　the　Dorrit　family；　and　were　daily　being　sketched
out　of　all　earthly　proportion；　lineament；　and　likeness；　by　travelling
pencils　innumerable；　the　firm　of　Doyce　and　Clennam　hammered　away　in
Bleeding　Heart　Yard；　and　the　vigorous　clink　of　iron　upon　iron　was　heard
there　through　the　working　hours。

The　younger　partner　had；　by　this　time；　brought　the　business　into　sound
trim；　and　the　elder；　left　free　to　follow　his　own　ingenious　devices；　had
done　much　to　enhance　the　character　of　the　factory。　As　an　ingenious　man；
he　had　necessarily　to　encounter　every　discouragement　that　the　ruling
powers　for　a　length　of　time　had　been　able　by　any　means　to　put　in　the　way
of　this　class　of　culprits；　but　that　was　only　reasonable　self…defence　in
the　powers；　since　How　to　do　it　must　obviously　be　regarded　as　the　natural
and　mortal　enemy　of　How　not　to　do　it。　In　this　was　to　be　found　the　basis
of　the　wise　system；　by　tooth　and　nail　upheld　by　the　Circumlocution
Office；　of　warning　every　ingenious　British　subject　to　be　ingenious
at　his　peril：　of　harassing　him；　obstructing　him；　inviting　robbers　（by
making　his　remedy　uncertain；　and　expensive）　to　plunder　him；　and　at　the
best　of　confiscating　his　property　after　a　short　term　of　enjoyment；　as
though　invention　were　on　a　par　with　felony。　The　system　had　uniformly
found　great　favour　with　the　Barnacles；　and　that　was　only　reasonable；
too；　for　one　who　worthily　invents　must　be　in　earnest；　and　the　Barnacles
abhorred　and　dreaded　nothing　half　so　much。　That　again　was　very
reasonable；　since　in　a　country　suffering　under　the　affliction　of　a　great
amount　of　earnestness；　there　might；　in　an　exceeding　short　space　of　time；
be　not　a　single　Barnacle　left　sticking　to　a　post。

Daniel　Doyce　faced　his　condition　with　its　pains　and　penalties　attached
to　it；　and　soberly　worked　on　for　the　work's　sake。　Clennam　cheering　him
with　a　hearty　co…operation；　was　a　moral　support　to　him；　besides　doing
good　service　in　his　business　relation。　The　concern　prospered；　and　the
partners　were　fast　friends。　But　Daniel　could　not　forget　the　old　design
of　so　many　years。　It　was　not　in　reason　to　be　expected　that　he　should；　if
he　could　have　lightly　forgotten　it；　he　could　never　have　conceived　it；
or　had　the　patience　and　perseverance　to　work　it　out。　So　Clennam　thought；
when　he　sometimes　observed　him　of　an　evening　looking　over　the　models　and
drawings；　and　consoling　himself　by　muttering　with　a　sigh　as　he　put　them
away　again；　that　the　thing　was　as　true　as　it　ever　was。

To　show　no　sympathy　with　so　much　endeavour；　and　so　much　disappointment；
would　have　been　to　fail　in　what　Clennam　regarded　as　among　the　implied
obligations　of　his　partnership。　A　revival　of　the　passing　interest　in
the　subject　which　had　been　by　chance　awakened　at　the　door　of　the
Circumlocution　Office；　originated　in　this　feeling。　He　asked　his　partner
to　explain　the　invention　to　him；　'having　a　lenient　consideration；'　he
stipulated；　'for　my　being　no　workman；　Doyce。'

'No　workman？'　said　Doyce。　'You　would　have　been　a　thorough　workman　if　you
had　given　yourself　to　it。　You　have　as　good　a　head　for　understanding　such
things　as　I　have　met　with。'

'A　totally　uneducated　one；　I　am　sorry　to　add；'　said　Clennam。

'I　don't　know　that；'　returned　Doyce；　'and　I　wouldn't　have　you　say
that。　No　man　of　sense　who　has　been　generally　improved；　and　has　improved
himself；　can　be　called　quite　uneducated　as　to　anything。　I　don't
particularly　favour　mysteries。　I　would　as　soon；　on　a　fair　and　clear
explanation；　be　judged　by　one　class　of　man　as　another；　provided　he　had
the　qualification　I　have　named。'

'At　a