little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第131章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Not　so；　however；　Mr　Sparkler。　This　gentleman；　being　transfixed　at
the　same　moment　as　his　lady…mother；　could　not　by　any　means　unfix　himself
again；　but　stood　stiffly　staring　at　the　whole　position　with　Miss
Fanny　in　the　Foreground。　On　his　mother　saying；　'Edmund；　we　are　quite
ready；　will　you　give　me　your　arm？'　he　seemed；　by　the　motion　of　his　lips；
to　reply　with　some　remark　prehending　the　form　of　words　in　which　his
shining　talents　found　the　most　frequent　utterance；　but　he　relaxed　no
muscle。　So　fixed　was　his　figure；　that　it　would　have　been　matter　of　some
difficulty　to　bend　him　sufficiently　to　get　him　in　the　carriage…door；
if　he　had　not　received　the　timely　assistance　of　a　maternal　pull　from
within。　He　was　no　sooner　within　than　the　pad　of　the　little　window　in　the
back　of　the　chariot　disappeared；　and　his　eye　usurped　its　place。　There
it　remained　as　long　as　so　small　an　object　was　discernible；　and　probably
much　longer；　staring　（as　though　something　inexpressibly　surprising
should　happen　to　a　codfish）　like　an　ill…executed　eye　in　a　large　locket。

This　encounter　was　so　highly　agreeable　to　Miss　Fanny；　and　gave　her
so　much　to　think　of　with　triumph　afterwards；　that　it　softened　her
asperities　exceedingly。　When　the　procession　was　again　in　motion　next
day；　she　occupied　her　place　in　it　with　a　new　gaiety；　and　showed　such　a
flow　of　spirits　indeed；　that　Mrs　General　looked　rather　surprised。

Little　Dorrit　was　glad　to　be　found　no　fault　with；　and　to　see　that　Fanny
was　pleased；　but　her　part　in　the　procession　was　a　musing　part；　and　a
quiet　one。　Sitting　opposite　her　father　in　the　travelling…carriage；　and
recalling　the　old　Marshalsea　room；　her　present　existence　was　a　dream。
All　that　she　saw　was　new　and　wonderful；　but　it　was　not　real；　it　seemed
to　her　as　if　those　visions　of　mountains　and　picturesque　countries　might
melt　away　at　any　moment；　and　the　carriage；　turning　some　abrupt　corner；
bring　up　with　a　jolt　at　the　old　Marshalsea　gate。

To　have　no　work　to　do　was　strange；　but　not　half　so　strange　as　having
glided　into　a　corner　where　she　had　no　one　to　think　for；　nothing　to　plan
and　contrive；　no　cares　of　others　to　load　herself　with。　Strange　as　that
was；　it　was　far　stranger　yet　to　find　a　space　between　herself　and　her
father；　where　others　occupied　themselves　in　taking　care　of　him；　and
where　she　was　never　expected　to　be。　At　first；　this　was　so　much　more
unlike　her　old　experience　than　even　the　mountains　themselves；　that　she
had　been　unable　to　resign　herself　to　it；　and　had　tried　to　retain　her
old　place　about　him。　But　he　had　spoken　to　her　alone；　and　had　said　that
people……ha……people　in　an　exalted　position；　my　dear；　must　scrupulously
exact　respect　from　their　dependents；　and　that　for　her；　his　daughter；
Miss　Amy　Dorrit；　of　the　sole　remaining　branch　of　the　Dorrits　of
Dorsetshire；　to　be　known　to……hum……to　occupy　herself　in　fulfilling　the
functions　of……ha　hum……a　valet；　would　be　inpatible　with　that　respect。
Therefore；　my　dear；　he……ha……he　laid　his　parental　injunctions　upon
her；　to　remember　that　she　was　a　lady；　who　had　now　to　conduct　herself
with……hum……a　proper　pride；　and　to　preserve　the　rank　of　a　lady；
and　consequently　he　requested　her　to　abstain　from　doing　what　would
occasion……ha……unpleasant　and　derogatory　remarks。　She　had　obeyed　without
a　murmur。　Thus　it　had　been　brought　about　that　she　now　sat　in　her　corner
of　the　luxurious　carriage　with　her　little　patient　hands　folded　before
her；　quite　displaced　even　from　the　last　point　of　the　old　standing　ground
in　life　on　which　her　feet　had　lingered。

It　was　from　this　position　that　all　she　saw　appeared　unreal；　the　more
surprising　the　scenes；　the　more　they　resembled　the　unreality　of　her
own　inner　life　as　she　went　through　its　vacant　places　all　day　long。　The
gorges　of　the　Simplon；　its　enormous　depths　and　thundering　waterfalls；
the　wonderful　road；　the　points　of　danger　where　a　loose　wheel　or　a
faltering　horse　would　have　been　destruction；　the　descent　into　Italy；　the
opening　of　that　beautiful　land　as　the　rugged　mountain…chasm　widened　and
let　them　out　from　a　gloomy　and　dark　imprisonment……all　a　dream……only　the
old　mean　Marshalsea　a　reality。　Nay；　even　the　old　mean　Marshalsea　was
shaken　to　its　foundations　when　she　pictured　it　without　her　father。　She
could　scarcely　believe　that　the　prisoners　were　still　lingering　in　the
close　yard；　that　the　mean　rooms　were　still　every　one　tenanted；　and　that
the　turnkey　still　stood　in　the　Lodge　letting　people　in　and　out；　all　just
as　she　well　knew　it　to　be。

With　a　remembrance　of　her　father's　old　life　in　prison　hanging　about　her
like　the　burden　of　a　sorrowful　tune；　Little　Dorrit　would　wake　from　a
dream　of　her　birth…place　into　a　whole　day's　dream。　The　painted　room　in
which　she　awoke；　often　a　humbled　state…chamber　in　a　dilapidated　palace；
would　begin　it；　with　its　wild　red　autumnal　vine…leaves　overhanging　the
glass；　its　orange…trees　on　the　cracked　white　terrace　outside　the　window；
a　group　of　monks　and　peasants　in　the　little　street　below；　misery　and
magnificence　wrestling　with　each　other　upon　every　rood　of　ground　in
the　prospect；　no　matter　how　widely　diversified；　and　misery　throwing
magnificence　with　the　strength　of　fate。　To　this　would　succeed　a
labyrinth　of　bare　passages　and　pillared　galleries；　with　the　family
procession　already　preparing　in　the　quadrangle　below；　through　the
carriages　and　luggage　being　brought　together　by　the　servants　for　the
day's　journey。　Then　breakfast　in　another　painted　chamber；　damp…stained
and　of　desolate　proportions；　and　then　the　departure；　which；　to　her
timidity　and　sense　of　not　being　grand　enough　for　her　place　in　the
ceremonies；　was　always　an　uneasy　thing。　For　then　the　courier　（who
himself　would　have　been　a　foreign　gentleman　of　high　mark　in　the
Marshalsea）　would　present　himself　to　report　that　all　was　ready；　and　then
her　father's　valet　would　pompously　induct　him　into　his　travelling…cloak；
and　then　Fanny's　maid；　and　her　own　maid　（who　was　a　weight　on　Little
Dorrit's　mind……absolutely　made　her　cry　at　first；　she　knew　so　little
what　to　do　with　her）；　would　be　in　attendance；　and　then　her　brother's　man
would　plete　his　master's　equipment；　and　then　her　father　would　give
his　arm　to　Mrs　General；　and　her　uncle　would　give　his　to　her；　and；
escorted　by　the　landlord　and　Inn　servants；　they　would　swoop　down…stairs。
There；　a　crowd　would　be　collected　to　see　them　enter　their　carriages；
which；　amidst　much　bowing；　and　begging；　and　prancing；　and　lashing；　and
clattering；　they　would　do；　and　so　they　would　be　driven　madly　through
narrow　unsavoury　streets；　and　jerked　out　at　the　town　gate。

Among　the　day's　unrealities　would　be　roads　where　the　bright　red　vines
were　looped　and　garlanded　together　on　trees　for　many　miles；　woods　of
olives；　white　villages　and　towns　on　hill…sides；　lovely　without；　but
frightful　in　their　dirt　and　poverty　within；　crosses　by　the　way；　deep
blue　lakes　with　fairy　islands；　and　clustering　boats　with　awnings　of
bright　colours　and　sails　of　beautiful　forms；　vast　piles　of　building
mouldering　to　dust；　hanging…gardens　where　the　weeds　had　grown　so　strong
that　their　stems；　like　wedges　driven　home；　had　split　the　arch　and　rent
the　wall；　stone…terraced　lanes；　with　the　lizards　running　into　and　out
of　every　chink；　beggars　of　all　sorts　everywhere：　pitiful；　picturesque；
hungry；　merry；　children　beggars　and　aged　beggars。　Often　at
posting…houses　and　other　halting　places；　these　miserable　creatures　would
appear　to　her　the　only　realities　of　the　day；　and　many　a　time；　when　the
money　she　had　brought　to　give　them　was　all　given　away；　she　would　sit
with　her　folded　hands；　thoughtfully　looking　after　some　diminutive　girl
leading　her　grey　father；　as　if　the　sight　reminded　her　of　something　in
the　days　that　were　gone。

Again；　there　would　be　places　where　they　stayed　the　week　together　in
splendid　rooms；　had　banquets　every　day；　rode　out　among　heaps　of　wonders；
walked　through　miles　of　palaces；　and　rested　in　dark　corners　of　great
churches；　where　there　were　winking　lamps　of　gold　and　silver　among
pillars　and　arches；　kneeling　figures　dotted　about　at　confessionals　and
on　the　pavements；　where　there　was　the　mist　and　scent　of　incense；　where
there　were　pictures；　fantastic　images；　gaudy　altars；　great　heights　and
distances；　all　softly　lighted　throug