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little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第18部分

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him by the shoulders and shove him out。'

He had been there five or six months; when he came running to this
turnkey one forenoon to tell him; breathless and pale; that his wife was
ill。

'As anybody might a known she would be;' said the turnkey。

'We intended;' he returned; 'that she should go to a country lodging
only to…morrow。 What am I to do! Oh; good heaven; what am I to do!'

'Don't waste your time in clasping your hands and biting your fingers;'
responded the practical turnkey; taking him by the elbow; 'but e
along with me。'

The turnkey conducted him……trembling from head to foot; and constantly
crying under his breath; What was he to do! while his irresolute fingers
bedabbled the tears upon his face……up one of the mon staircases in
the prison to a door on the garret story。 Upon which door the turnkey
knocked with the handle of his key。

'e in!' cried a voice inside。

The turnkey; opening the door; disclosed in a wretched; ill…smelling
little room; two hoarse; puffy; red…faced personages seated at a
rickety table; playing at all…fours; smoking pipes; and drinking brandy。
'Doctor;' said the turnkey; 'here's a gentleman's wife in want of you
without a minute's loss of time!'

The doctor's friend was in the positive degree of hoarseness; puffiness;
red…facedness; all…fours; tobacco; dirt; and brandy; the doctor in
the parative……hoarser; puffier; more red…faced; more all…fourey;
tobaccoer; dirtier; and brandier。 The doctor was amazingly shabby; in
a torn and darned rough…weather sea…jacket; out at elbows and eminently
short of buttons (he had been in his time the experienced surgeon
carried by a passenger ship); the dirtiest white trousers conceivable by
mortal man; carpet slippers; and no visible linen。 'Childbed?' said
the doctor。 'I'm the boy!' With that the doctor took a b from the
chimney…piece and stuck his hair upright……which appeared to be his
way of washing himself……produced a professional chest or case; of most
abject appearance; from the cupboard where his cup and saucer and coals
were; settled his chin in the frowsy wrapper round his neck; and became
a ghastly medical scarecrow。

The doctor and the debtor ran down…stairs; leaving the turnkey to return
to the lock; and made for the debtor's room。 All the ladies in the
prison had got hold of the news; and were in the yard。 Some of them
had already taken possession of the two children; and were hospitably
carrying them off; others were offering loans of little forts from
their own scanty store; others were sympathising with the greatest
volubility。 The gentlemen prisoners; feeling themselves at a
disadvantage; had for the most part retired; not to say sneaked;
to their rooms; from the open windows of which some of them now
plimented the doctor with whistles as he passed below; while others;
with several stories between them; interchanged sarcastic references to
the prevalent excitement。

It was a hot summer day; and the prison rooms were baking between the
high walls。 In the debtor's confined chamber; Mrs Bangham; charwoman and
messenger; who was not a prisoner (though she had been once); but
was the popular medium of munication with the outer world; had
volunteered her services as fly…catcher and general attendant。 The walls
and ceiling were blackened with flies。 Mrs Bangham; expert in sudden
device; with one hand fanned the patient with a cabbage leaf; and with
the other set traps of vinegar and sugar in gallipots; at the same time
enunciating sentiments of an encouraging and congratulatory nature;
adapted to the occasion。

'The flies trouble you; don't they; my dear?' said Mrs Bangham。 'But
p'raps they'll take your mind off of it; and do you good。 What between
the buryin ground; the grocer's; the waggon…stables; and the paunch
trade; the Marshalsea flies gets very large。 P'raps they're sent as a
consolation; if we only know'd it。 How are you now; my dear? No better?
No; my dear; it ain't to be expected; you'll be worse before you're
better; and you know it; don't you? Yes。 That's right! And to think of
a sweet little cherub being born inside the lock! Now ain't it pretty;
ain't THAT something to carry you through it pleasant? Why; we ain't
had such a thing happen here; my dear; not for I couldn't name the time
when。 And you a crying too?' said Mrs Bangham; to rally the patient more
and more。 'You! Making yourself so famous! With the flies a falling into
the gallipots by fifties! And everything a going on so well! And here if
there ain't;' said Mrs Bangham as the door opened; 'if there ain't your
dear gentleman along with Dr Haggage! And now indeed we ARE plete; I
THINK!'

The doctor was scarcely the kind of apparition to inspire a patient
with a sense of absolute pleteness; but as he presently delivered the
opinion; 'We are as right as we can be; Mrs Bangham; and we shall
e out of this like a house afire;' and as he and Mrs Bangham took
possession of the poor helpless pair; as everybody else and anybody else
had always done; the means at hand were as good on the whole as better
would have been。 The special feature in Dr Haggage's treatment of the
case; was his determination to keep Mrs Bangham up to the mark。 As thus:

'Mrs Bangham;' said the doctor; before he had been there twenty minutes;
'go outside and fetch a little brandy; or we shall have you giving in。'

'Thank you; sir。 But none on my accounts;' said Mrs Bangham。

'Mrs Bangham;' returned the doctor; 'I am in professional attendance
on this lady; and don't choose to allow any discussion on your part。 Go
outside and fetch a little brandy; or I foresee that you'll break down。'

'You're to be obeyed; sir;' said Mrs Bangham; rising。 'If you was to put
your own lips to it; I think you wouldn't be the worse; for you look but
poorly; sir。'

'Mrs Bangham;' returned the doctor; 'I am not your business; thank you;
but you are mine。 Never you mind ME; if you please。 What you have got to
do; is; to do as you are told; and to go and get what I bid you。'

Mrs Bangham submitted; and the doctor; having administered her
potion; took his own。 He repeated the treatment every hour; being very
determined with Mrs Bangham。 Three or four hours passed; the flies
fell into the traps by hundreds; and at length one little life; hardly
stronger than theirs; appeared among the multitude of lesser deaths。

'A very nice little girl indeed;' said the doctor; 'little; but
well…formed。 Halloa; Mrs Bangham! You're looking queer! You be off;
ma'am; this minute; and fetch a little more brandy; or we shall have you
in hysterics。'

By this time; the rings had begun to fall from the debtor's irresolute
hands; like leaves from a wintry tree。 Not one was left upon them that
night; when he put something that chinked into the doctor's greasy palm。
In the meantime Mrs Bangham had been out on an errand to a neighbouring
establishment decorated with three golden balls; where she was very well
known。

'Thank you;' said the doctor; 'thank you。 Your good lady is quite
posed。 Doing charmingly。'

'I am very happy and very thankful to know it;' said the debtor; 'though
I little thought once; that……'

'That a child would be born to you in a place like this?' said the
doctor。 'Bah; bah; sir; what does it signify? A little more elbow…room
is all we want here。 We are quiet here; we don't get badgered here;
there's no knocker here; sir; to be hammered at by creditors and bring a
man's heart into his mouth。 Nobody es here to ask if a man's at
home; and to say he'll stand on the door mat till he is。 Nobody writes
threatening letters about money to this place。 It's freedom; sir; it's
freedom! I have had to…day's practice at home and abroad; on a march;
and aboard ship; and I'll tell you this: I don't know that I have ever
pursued it under such quiet circumstances as here this day。 Elsewhere;
people are restless; worried; hurried about; anxious respecting one
thing; anxious respecting another。 Nothing of the kind here; sir。 We
have done all that……we know the worst of it; we have got to the bottom;
we can't fall; and what have we found? Peace。 That's the word for
it。 Peace。' With this profession of faith; the doctor; who was a
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