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little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第140部分

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to the feet of his mistress。

'You furious brute;' said Gowan; striking him with his foot again。 'You
shall do penance for this。' And he struck him again; and yet again。

'O; pray don't punish him any more;' cried Little Dorrit。 'Don't hurt
him。 See how gentle he is!' At her entreaty; Gowan spared him; and he
deserved her intercession; for truly he was as submissive; and as sorry;
and as wretched as a dog could be。

It was not easy to recover this shock and make the visit unrestrained;
even though Fanny had not been; under the best of circumstances; the
least trifle in the way。 In such further munication as passed among
them before the sisters took their departure; Little Dorrit fancied it
was revealed to her that Mr Gowan treated his wife; even in his very
fondness; too much like a beautiful child。 He seemed so unsuspicious of
the depths of feeling which she knew must lie below that surface; that
she doubted if there could be any such depths in himself。 She wondered
whether his want of earnestness might be the natural result of his want
of such qualities; and whether it was with people as with ships; that;
in too shallow and rocky waters; their anchors had no hold; and they
drifted anywhere。

He attended them down the staircase; jocosely apologising for the
poor quarters to which such poor fellows as himself were limited; and
remarking that when the high and mighty Barnacles; his relatives; who
would be dreadfully ashamed of them; presented him with better; he would
live in better to oblige them。 At the water's edge they were saluted by
Blandois; who looked white enough after his late adventure; but who made
very light of it notwithstanding;……laughing at the mention of Lion。

Leaving the two together under the scrap of vine upon the causeway;
Gowan idly scattering the leaves from it into the water; and Blandois
lighting a cigarette; the sisters were paddled away in state as they had
e。 They had not glided on for many minutes; when Little Dorrit became
aware that Fanny was more showy in manner than the occasion appeared to
require; and; looking about for the cause through the window and through
the open door; saw another gondola evidently in waiting on them。

As this gondola attended their progress in various artful ways;
sometimes shooting on a…head; and stopping to let them pass; sometimes;
when the way was broad enough; skimming along side by side with them;
and sometimes following close astern; and as Fanny gradually made no
disguise that she was playing off graces upon somebody within it; of
whom she at the same time feigned to be unconscious; Little Dorrit at
length asked who it was?

To which Fanny made the short answer; 'That gaby。'

'Who?' said Little Dorrit。

'My dear child;' returned Fanny (in a tone suggesting that before her
Uncle's protest she might have said; You little fool; instead); 'how
slow you are! Young Sparkler。'

She lowered the window on her side; and; leaning back and resting her
elbow on it negligently; fanned herself with a rich Spanish fan of black
and gold。 The attendant gondola; having skimmed forward again; with some
swift trace of an eye in the window; Fanny laughed coquettishly and
said; 'Did you ever see such a fool; my love?'

'Do you think he means to follow you all the way?' asked Little Dorrit。

'My precious child;' returned Fanny; 'I can't possibly answer for what
an idiot in a state of desperation may do; but I should think it highly
probable。 It's not such an enormous distance。 All Venice would scarcely
be that; I imagine; if he's dying for a glimpse of me。'

'And is he?' asked Little Dorrit in perfect simplicity。

'Well; my love; that really is an ae to answer;'
said her sister。 'I believe he is。 You had better ask Edward。 He tells
Edward he is; I believe。 I understand he makes a perfect spectacle of
himself at the Casino; and that sort of places; by going on about me。
But you had better ask Edward if you want to know。'

'I wonder he doesn't call;' said Little Dorrit after thinking a moment。

'My dear Amy; your wonder will soon cease; if I am rightly informed。
I should not be at all surprised if he called to…day。 The creature has
only been waiting to get his courage up; I suspect。'

'Will you see him?'

'Indeed; my darling;' said Fanny; 'that's just as it may happen。 Here he
is again。 Look at him。 O; you simpleton!'

Mr Sparkler had; undeniably; a weak appearance; with his eye in the
window like a knot in the glass; and no reason on earth for stopping his
bark suddenly; except the real reason。

'When you asked me if I will see him; my dear;' said Fanny; almost as
well posed in the graceful indifference of her attitude as Mrs Merdle
herself; 'what do you mean?' 'I mean;' said Little Dorrit……'I think I
rather mean what do you mean; dear Fanny?'

Fanny laughed again; in a manner at once condescending; arch; and
affable; and said; putting her arm round her sister in a playfully
affectionate way:

'Now tell me; my little pet。 When we saw that woman at Martigny; how
did you think she carried it off? Did you see what she decided on in a
moment?'

'No; Fanny。'

'Then I'll tell you; Amy。 She settled with herself; now I'll never
refer to that meeting under such different circumstances; and I'll never
pretend to have any idea that these are the same girls。 That's her way
out of a difficulty。 What did I tell you when we came away from Harley
Street that time? She is as insolent and false as any woman in the
world。 But in the first capacity; my love; she may find people who can
match her。'

A significant turn of the Spanish fan towards Fanny's bosom; indicated
with great expression where one of these people was to be found。

'Not only that;' pursued Fanny; 'but she gives the same charge to
Young Sparkler; and doesn't let him e after me until she has got it
thoroughly into his most ridiculous of all ridiculous noddles (for one
really can't call it a head); that he is to pretend to have been first
struck with me in that Inn Yard。'

'Why?' asked Little Dorrit。

'Why? Good gracious; my love!' (again very much in the tone of You
stupid little creature) 'how can you ask? Don't you see that I may have
bee a rather desirable match for a noddle? And don't you see that she
puts the deception upon us; and makes a pretence; while she shifts it
from her own shoulders (very good shoulders they are too; I must say);'
observed Miss Fanny; glancing placently at herself; 'of considering
our feelings?'

'But we can always go back to the plain truth。'

'Yes; but if you please we won't;' retorted Fanny。 'No; I am not going
to have that done; Amy。 The pretext is none of mine; it's hers; and she
shall have enough of it。'

In the triumphant exaltation of her feelings; Miss Fanny; using her
Spanish fan with one hand; squeezed her sister's waist with the other;
as if she were crushing Mrs Merdle。

'No;' repeated Fanny。 'She shall find me go her way。 She took it; and
I'll follow it。 And; with the blessing of fate and fortune; I'll go on
improving that woman's acquaintance until I have given her maid;
before her eyes; things from my dressmaker's ten times as handsome and
expensive as she once gave me from hers!'

Little Dorrit was silent; sensible that she was not to be heard on
any question affecting the family dignity; and unwilling to lose to no
purpose her sister's newly and unexpectedly restored favour。 She could
not concur; but she was silent。 Fanny well knew what she was thinking
of; so well; that she soon asked her。

Her reply was; 'Do you mean to encourage Mr Sparkler; Fanny?'

'Encourage him; my dear?' said her sister; smiling contemptuously; 'that
depends upon what you call encourage。 No; I don't mean to encourage him。
But I'll make a slave of him。'

Little Dorrit glanced seriously and doubtfully in her face; but Fanny
was not to be so brought to a check。 She furled her fan of black and
gold; and used it to tap her sister's nose; with the air of a proud
beauty and a great spirit; who toyed with and playfully instructed a
homely panion。

'I shall make him fetch and carry; my dear; and I shall make him subject
to me。 And if I don't make his mother subject to 
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