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little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第16部分

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and sent them down again……placing the act to her credit; no doubt; in
her Eternal Day…Book。

This refection of oysters was not presided over by Affery; but by the
girl who had appeared when the bell was rung; the same who had been in
the dimly…lighted room last night。 Now that he had an opportunity of
observing her; Arthur found that her diminutive figure; small features;
and slight spare dress; gave her the appearance of being much younger
than she was。 A woman; probably of not less than two…and…twenty; she
might have been passed in the street for little more than half that
age。 Not that her face was very youthful; for in truth there was more
consideration and care in it than naturally belonged to her utmost
years; but she was so little and light; so noiseless and shy; and
appeared so conscious of being out of place among the three hard elders;
that she had all the manner and much of the appearance of a subdued
child。

In a hard way; and in an uncertain way that fluctuated between patronage
and putting down; the sprinkling from a watering…pot and hydraulic
pressure; Mrs Clennam showed an interest in this dependent。 Even in the
moment of her entrance; upon the violent ringing of the bell; when the
mother shielded herself with that singular action from the son; Mrs
Clennam's eyes had had some individual recognition in them; which seemed
reserved for her。 As there are degrees of hardness in the hardest metal;
and shades of colour in black itself; so; even in the asperity of Mrs
Clennam's demeanour towards all the rest of humanity and towards Little
Dorrit; there was a fine gradation。

Little Dorrit let herself out to do needlework。 At so much a day……or at
so little……from eight to eight; Little Dorrit was to be hired。 Punctual
to the moment; Little Dorrit appeared; punctual to the moment; Little
Dorrit vanished。 What became of Little Dorrit between the two eights was
a mystery。

Another of the moral phenomena of Little Dorrit。 Besides her
consideration money; her daily contract included meals。 She had an
extraordinary repugnance to dining in pany; would never do so; if
it were possible to escape。 Would always plead that she had this bit of
work to begin first; or that bit of work to finish first; and would; of
a certainty; scheme and plan……not very cunningly; it would seem; for she
deceived no one……to dine alone。 Successful in this; happy in carrying
off her plate anywhere; to make a table of her lap; or a box; or the
ground; or even as was supposed; to stand on tip…toe; dining moderately
at a mantel…shelf; the great anxiety of Little Dorrit's day was set at
rest。

It was not easy to make out Little Dorrit's face; she was so retiring;
plied her needle in such removed corners; and started away so scared if
encountered on the stairs。 But it seemed to be a pale transparent face;
quick in expression; though not beautiful in feature; its soft hazel
eyes excepted。 A delicately bent head; a tiny form; a quick little pair
of busy hands; and a shabby dress……it must needs have been very shabby
to look at all so; being so neat……were Little Dorrit as she sat at work。

For these particulars or generalities concerning Little Dorrit; Mr
Arthur was indebted in the course of the day to his own eyes and to Mrs
Affery's tongue。 If Mrs Affery had had any will or way of her own; it
would probably have been unfavourable to Little Dorrit。 But as 'them two
clever ones'……Mrs Affery's perpetual reference; in whom her personality
was swallowed up……were agreed to accept Little Dorrit as a matter of
course; she had nothing for it but to follow suit。 Similarly; if the
two clever ones had agreed to murder Little Dorrit by candlelight; Mrs
Affery; being required to hold the candle; would no doubt have done it。

In the intervals of roasting the partridge for the invalid chamber; and
preparing a baking…dish of beef and pudding for the dining…room; Mrs
Affery made the munications above set forth; invariably putting
her head in at the door again after she had taken it out; to enforce
resistance to the two clever ones。 It appeared to have bee a perfect
passion with Mrs Flintwinch; that the only son should be pitted against
them。

In the course of the day; too; Arthur looked through the whole house。
Dull and dark he found it。 The gaunt rooms; deserted for years upon
years; seemed to have settled down into a gloomy lethargy from which
nothing could rouse them again。 The furniture; at once spare and
lumbering; hid in the rooms rather than furnished them; and there was
no colour in all the house; such colour as had ever been there; had long
ago started away on lost sunbeams……got itself absorbed; perhaps; into
flowers; butterflies; plumage of birds; precious stones; what not。 There
was not one straight floor from the foundation to the roof; the ceilings
were so fantastically clouded by smoke and dust; that old women might
have told fortunes in them better than in grouts of tea; the dead…cold
hearths showed no traces of having ever been warmed but in heaps of soot
that had tumbled down the chimneys; and eddied about in little
dusky whirlwinds when the doors were opened。 In what had once been
a drawing…room; there were a pair of meagre mirrors; with dismal
processions of black figures carrying black garlands; walking round
the frames; but even these were short of heads and legs; and one
undertaker…like Cupid had swung round on its own axis and got upside
down; and another had fallen off altogether。 The room Arthur Clennam's
deceased father had occupied for business purposes; when he first
remembered him; was so unaltered that he might have been imagined still
to keep it invisibly; as his visible relict kept her room up…stairs;
Jeremiah Flintwinch still going between them negotiating。 His picture;
dark and gloomy; earnestly speechless on the wall; with the eyes
intently looking at his son as they had looked when life departed from
them; seemed to urge him awfully to the task he had attempted; but as
to any yielding on the part of his mother; he had now no hope; and as to
any other means of setting his distrust at rest; he had abandoned hope a
long time。

Down in the cellars; as up in the bed…chambers; old objects that he well
remembered were changed by age and decay; but were still in their
old places; even to empty beer…casks hoary with cobwebs; and empty
wine…bottles with fur and fungus choking up their throats。 There; too;
among unusual bottle…racks and pale slants of light from the yard above;
was the strong room stored with old ledgers; which had as musty and
corrupt a smell as if they were regularly balanced; in the dead small
hours; by a nightly resurrection of old book…keepers。

The baking…dish was served up in a penitential manner on a shrunken
cloth at an end of the dining…table; at two o'clock; when he dined with
Mr Flintwinch; the new partner。 Mr Flintwinch informed him that his
mother had recovered her equanimity now; and that he need not fear her
again alluding to what had passed in the morning。 'And don't you lay
offences at your father's door; Mr Arthur;' added Jeremiah; 'once for
all; don't do it! Now; we have done with the subject。'

Mr Flintwinch had been already rearranging and dusting his own
particular little office; as if to do honour to his accession to new
dignity。 He resumed this occupation when he was replete with beef; had
sucked up all the gravy in the baking…dish with the flat of his knife;
and had drawn liberally on a barrel of small beer in the scullery。 Thus
refreshed; he tucked up his shirt…sleeves and went to work again; and Mr
Arthur; watching him as he set about it; plainly saw that his father's
picture; or his father's grave; would be as municative with him as
this old man。

'Now; Affery; woman;' said Mr Flintwinch; as she crossed the hall。 'You
hadn't made Mr Arthur's bed when I was up there last。 Stir yourself。
Bustle。'

But Mr Arthur found the house so blank and dreary; and was so unwilling
to assist at another implacable consignment of his mother's enemies
(perhaps himself among them) to mortal disfigurement and immortal ruin;
that he announced his intention of lodging at the coffee…house where he
had left
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