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little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第68部分

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Fanny took out her handkerchief; and rather angrily wiped her eyes。 'I
was not born where you were; you know; Amy; and perhaps that makes a
difference。 My dear child; when we get rid of Uncle; you shall know all
about it。 We'll drop him at the cook's shop where he is going to dine。'

They walked on with him until they came to a dirty shop window in a
dirty street; which  of hot meats;
vegetables; and puddings。 But glimpses were to be caught of a roast leg
of pork bursting into tears of sage and onion in a metal reservoir full
of gravy; of an unctuous piece of roast beef and blisterous Yorkshire
pudding; bubbling hot in a similar receptacle; of a stuffed fillet of
veal in rapid cut; of a ham in a perspiration with the pace it was going
at; of a shallow tank of baked potatoes glued together by their own
richness; of a truss or two of boiled greens; and other substantial
delicacies。 Within; were a few wooden partitions; behind which such
customers as found it more convenient to take away their dinners in
stomachs than in their hands; Packed their purchases in solitude。 Fanny
opening her reticule; as they surveyed these things; produced from that
repository a shilling and handed it to Uncle。 Uncle; after not looking
at it a little while; divined its object; and muttering 'Dinner? Ha!
Yes; yes; yes!' slowly vanished from them into the mist。

'Now; Amy;' said her sister; 'e with me; if you are not too tired to
walk to Harley Street; Cavendish Square。'

The air with which she threw off this distinguished address and the toss
she gave to her new bon (which was more gauzy than serviceable); made
her sister wonder; however; she expressed her readiness to go to Harley
Street; and thither they directed their steps。 Arrived at that grand
destination; Fanny singled out the handsomest house; and knocking at the
door; inquired for Mrs Merdle。 The footman who opened the door; although
he had powder on his head and was backed up by two other footmen
likewise powdered; not only admitted Mrs Merdle to be at home; but asked
Fanny to walk in。 Fanny walked in; taking her sister with her; and they
went up…stairs with powder going before and powder stopping behind;
and were left in a spacious semicircular drawing…room; one of several
drawing…rooms; where there was a parrot on the outside of a golden cage
holding on by its beak; with its scaly legs in the air; and putting
itself into many strange upside…down postures。 This peculiarity has been
observed in birds of quite another feather; climbing upon golden wires。

The room was far more splendid than anything Little Dorrit had ever
imagined; and would have been splendid and costly in any eyes。 She
looked in amazement at her sister and would have asked a question;
but that Fanny with a warning frown pointed to a curtained doorway of
munication with another room。 The curtain shook next moment; and a
lady; raising it with a heavily ringed hand; dropped it behind her again
as she entered。

The lady was not young and fresh from the hand of Nature; but was young
and fresh from the hand of her maid。 She had large unfeeling handsome
eyes; and dark unfeeling handsome hair; and a broad unfeeling handsome
bosom; and was made the most of in every particular。 Either because she
had a cold; or because it suited her face; she wore a rich white
fillet tied over her head and under her chin。 And if ever there were
an unfeeling handsome chin that looked as if; for certain; it had never
been; in familiar parlance; 'chucked' by the hand of man; it was the
chin curbed up so tight and close by that laced bridle。

'Mrs Merdle;' said Fanny。 'My sister; ma'am。'

'I am glad to see your sister; Miss Dorrit。 I did not remember that you
had a sister。'

'I did not mention that I had;' said Fanny。

'Ah!' Mrs Merdle curled the little finger of her left hand as who should
say; 'I have caught you。 I know you didn't!' All her action was usually
with her left hand because her hands were not a pair; and left being
much the whiter and plumper of the two。 Then she added: 'Sit down;' and
posed herself voluptuously; in a nest of crimson and gold cushions;
on an ottoman near the parrot。

'Also professional?' said Mrs Merdle; looking at Little Dorrit through
an eye…glass。

Fanny answered No。 'No;' said Mrs Merdle; dropping her glass。 'Has not a
professional air。 Very pleasant; but not professional。'

'My sister; ma'am;' said Fanny; in whom there was a singular mixture
of deference and hardihood; 'has been asking me to tell her; as between
sisters; how I came to have the honour of knowing you。 And as I had
engaged to call upon you once more; I thought I might take the liberty
of bringing her with me; when perhaps you would tell her。 I wish her to
know; and perhaps you will tell her?' 'Do you think; at your sister's
age……' hinted Mrs Merdle。

'She is much older than she looks;' said Fanny; 'almost as old as I am。'

'Society;' said Mrs Merdle; with another curve of her little finger;
'is so difficult to explain to young persons (indeed is so difficult to
explain to most persons); that I am glad to hear that。

I wish Society was not so arbitrary; I wish it was not so
exacting……Bird; be quiet!'

The parrot had given a most piercing shriek; as if its name were Society
and it asserted its right to its exactions。

'But;' resumed Mrs Merdle; 'we must take it as we find it。 We know it is
hollow and conventional and worldly and very shocking; but unless we
are Savages in the Tropical seas (I should have been charmed to be one
myself……most delightful life and perfect climate; I am told); we
must consult it。 It is the mon lot。 Mr Merdle is a most extensive
merchant; his transactions are on the vastest scale; his wealth and
influence are very great; but even he……Bird; be quiet!'

The parrot had shrieked another shriek; and it filled up the sentence so
expressively that Mrs Merdle was under no necessity to end it。

'Since your sister begs that I would terminate our personal
acquaintance;' she began again; addressing Little Dorrit; 'by relating
the circumstances that are much to her credit; I cannot object to ply
 sure。 I have a son (I was first married extremely
young) of two or three…and…twenty。'

Fanny set her lips; and her eyes looked half triumphantly at her sister。

'A son of two or three…and…twenty。 He is a little gay; a thing Society
is accustomed to in young men; and he is very impressible。 Perhaps he
inherits that misfortune。 I am very impressible myself; by nature。 The
weakest of creatures……my feelings are touched in a moment。'

She said all this; and everything else; as coldly as a woman of snow;
quite forgetting the sisters except at odd times; and apparently
addressing some abstraction of Society; for whose behoof; too; she
occasionally arranged her dress; or the position of her figure upon
the ottoman。

'So he is very impressible。 Not a misfortune in our natural state I dare
say; but we are not in a natural state。 Much to be lamented; no doubt;
particularly by myself; who am a child of nature if I could but show it;
but so it is。 Society suppresses us and dominates us……Bird; be quiet!'
The parrot had broken into a violent fit of laughter; after twisting
divers bars of his cage with his crooked bill; and licking them with his
black tongue。

'It is quite unnecessary to say to a person of your good sense; wide
range of experience; and cultivated feeling;' said Mrs Merdle from her
nest of crimson and gold……and there put up her glass to refresh her
memory as to whom she was addressing;……'that the stage sometimes has
a fascination for young men of that class of character。 In saying the
stage; I mean the people on it of the female sex。 Therefore; when I
heard that my son was supposed to be fascinated by a dancer; I knew what
that usually meant in Society; and confided in her being a dancer at the
Opera; where young men moving in Society are usually fascinated。'

She passed her white hands over one another; observant of the sisters
now; and the rings upon her fingers grated against each other with a
hard sound。

'As your sister will tell you; when I found what the theatre was I was
much surprised and much distres
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