little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第160章

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innumerable　fixes。'

'Fixes？'　repeated　Lord　Decimus；　with　a　majestic　pausing　and　pondering
on　the　word　that　made　the　bashful　Member　shut　his　eyes　quite　tight。
'Fixes？'

'A　very　perplexing　business　indeed；'　observed　Mr　Tite　Barnacle；　with　an
air　of　grave　resentment。

'What；'　said　Lord　Decimus；　'was　the　character　of　his　business；　what　was
the　nature　of　these……a……Fixes；　Ferdinand？'

'Oh；　it's　a　good　story；　as　a　story；'　returned　that　gentleman；　'as　good
a　thing　of　its　kind　as　need　be。　This　Mr　Dorrit　（his　name　is　Dorrit）　had
incurred　a　responsibility　to　us；　ages　before　the　fairy　came　out　of
the　Bank　and　gave　him　his　fortune；　under　a　bond　he　had　signed　for　the
performance　of　a　contract　which　was　not　at　all　performed。　He　was　a
partner　in　a　house　in　some　large　way……spirits；　or　buttons；　or　wine；　or
blacking；　or　oatmeal；　or　woollen；　or　pork；　or　hooks　and　eyes；　or　iron；
or　treacle；　or　shoes；　or　something　or　other　that　was　wanted　for　troops；
or　seamen；　or　somebody……and　the　house　burst；　and　we　being　among
the　creditors；　detainees　were　lodged　on　the　part　of　the　Crown　in　a
scientific　manner；　and　all　the　rest　Of　it。　When　the　fairy　had　appeared
and　he　wanted　to　pay　us　off；　Egad　we　had　got　into　such　an　exemplary
state　of　checking　and　counter…checking；　signing　and　counter…signing；
that　it　was　six　months　before　we　knew　how　to　take　the　money；　or　how　to
give　a　receipt　for　it。　It　was　a　triumph　of　public　business；'　said　this
handsome　young　Barnacle；　laughing　heartily；　'You　never　saw　such　a　lot　of
forms　in　your　life。　〃Why；〃　the　attorney　said　to　me　one　day；　〃if　I　wanted
this　office　to　give　me　two　or　three　thousand　pounds　instead　of　take　it；
I　couldn't　have　more　trouble　about　it。〃　〃You　are　right；　old　fellow；〃
I　told　him；　〃and　in　future　you'll　know　that　we　have　something　to　do
here。〃'　The　pleasant　young　Barnacle　finished　by　once　more　laughing
heartily。　He　was　a　very　easy；　pleasant　fellow　indeed；　and　his　manners
were　exceedingly　winning。

Mr　Tite　Barnacle's　view　of　the　business　was　of　a　less　airy　character。　He
took　it　ill　that　Mr　Dorrit　had　troubled　the　Department　by　wanting　to
pay　the　money；　and　considered　it　a　grossly　informal　thing　to　do　after　so
many　years。　But　Mr　Tite　Barnacle　was　a　buttoned…up　man；　and　consequently
a　weighty　one。　All　buttoned…up　men　are　weighty。　All　buttoned…up　men　are
believed　in。　Whether　or　no　the　reserved　and　never…exercised　power　of
unbuttoning；　fascinates　mankind；　whether　or　no　wisdom　is　supposed　to
condense　and　augment　when　buttoned　up；　and　to　evaporate　when　unbuttoned；
it　is　certain　that　the　man　to　whom　importance　is　accorded　is　the
buttoned…up　man。　Mr　Tite　Barnacle　never　would　have　passed　for　half　his
current　value；　unless　his　coat　had　been　always　buttoned…up　to　his　white
cravat。

'May　I　ask；'　said　Lord　Decimus；　'if　Mr　Darrit……or　Dorrit……has　any
family？'

Nobody　else　replying；　the　host　said；　'He　has　two　daughters；　my　lord。'

'Oh！　you　are　acquainted　with　him？'　asked　Lord　Decimus。

'Mrs　Merdle　is。　Mr　Sparkler　is；　too。　In　fact；'　said　Mr　Merdle；　'I　rather
believe　that　one　of　the　young　ladies　has　made　an　impression　on　Edmund
Sparkler。　He　is　susceptible；　and……I……think……the　conquest……'　Here　Mr
Merdle　stopped；　and　looked　at　the　table…cloth；　as　he　usually　did　when　he
found　himself　observed　or　listened　to。

Bar　was　unmonly　pleased　to　find　that　the　Merdle　family；　and　this
family；　had　already　been　brought　into　contact。　He　submitted；　in　a　low
voice　across　the　table　to　Bishop；　that　it　was　a　kind　of　analogical
illustration　of　those　physical　laws；　in　virtue　of　which　Like　flies　to
Like。　He　regarded　this　power　of　attraction　in　wealth　to　draw　wealth
to　it；　as　something　remarkably　interesting　and　curious……something
indefinably　allied　to　the　loadstone　and　gravitation。　Bishop；　who
had　ambled　back　to　earth　again　when　the　present　theme　was　broached；
acquiesced。　He　said　it　was　indeed　highly　important　to　Society　that　one
in　the　trying　situation　of　unexpectedly　finding　himself　invested　with　a
power　for　good　or　for　evil　in　Society；　should　bee；　as　it　were；　merged
in　the　superior　power　of　a　more　legitimate　and　more　gigantic　growth；　the
influence　of　which　（as　in　the　case　of　our　friend　at　whose　board　we　sat）
was　habitually　exercised　in　harmony　with　the　best　interests　of　Society。

Thus；　instead　of　two　rival　and　contending　flames；　a　larger　and　a　lesser；
each　burning　with　a　lurid　and　uncertain　glare；　we　had　a　blended　and　a
softened　light　whose　genial　ray　diffused　an　equable　warmth　throughout
the　land。　Bishop　seemed　to　like　his　own　way　of　putting　the　case　very
much；　and　rather　dwelt　upon　it；　Bar；　meanwhile　（not　to　throw　away　a
jury…man）；　making　a　show　of　sitting　at　his　feet　and　feeding　on　his
precepts。

The　dinner　and　dessert　being　three　hours　long；　the　bashful　Member　cooled
in　the　shadow　of　Lord　Decimus　faster　than　he　warmed　with　food　and　drink；
and　had　but　a　chilly　time　of　it。　Lord　Decimus；　like　a　tall　tower　in　a
flat　country；　seemed　to　project　himself　across　the　table…cloth；　hide　the
light　from　the　honourable　Member；　cool　the　honourable　Member's　marrow；
and　give　him　a　woeful　idea　of　distance。　When　he　asked　this　unfortunate
traveller　to　take　wine；　he　enpassed　his　faltering　steps　with　the
gloomiest　of　shades；　and　when　he　said；　'Your　health　sir！'　all　around　him
was　barrenness　and　desolation。

At　length　Lord　Decimus；　with　a　coffee…cup　in　his　hand；　began　to　hover
about　among　the　pictures；　and　to　cause　an　interesting　speculation　to
arise　in　all　minds　as　to　the　probabilities　of　his　ceasing　to　hover；　and
enabling　the　smaller　birds　to　flutter　up…stairs；　which　could　not　be
done　until　he　had　urged　his　noble　pinions　in　that　direction。　After　some
delay；　and　several　stretches　of　his　wings　which　came　to　nothing；　he
soared　to　the　drawing…rooms。

And　here　a　difficulty　arose；　which　always　does　arise　when　two　people
are　specially　brought　together　at　a　dinner　to　confer　with　one　another。
Everybody　（except　Bishop；　who　had　no　suspicion　of　it）　knew　perfectly
well　that　this　dinner　had　been　eaten　and　drunk；　specifically　to　the　end
that　Lord　Decimus　and　Mr　Merdle　should　have　five　minutes'　conversation
together。　The　opportunity　so　elaborately　prepared　was　now　arrived；　and
it　seemed　from　that　moment　that　no　mere　human　ingenuity　could　so　much　as
get　the　two　chieftains　into　the　same　room。　Mr　Merdle　and　his　noble　guest
persisted　in　prowling　about　at　opposite　ends　of　the　perspective。　It　was
in　vain　for　the　engaging　Ferdinand　to　bring　Lord　Decimus　to　look　at　the
bronze　horses　near　Mr　Merdle。　Then　Mr　Merdle　evaded；　and　wandered　away。
It　was　in　vain　for　him　to　bring　Mr　Merdle　to　Lord　Decimus　to　tell　him
the　history　of　the　unique　Dresden　vases。　Then　Lord　Decimus　evaded　and
wandered　away；　while　he　was　getting　his　man　up　to　the　mark。

'Did　you　ever　see　such　a　thing　as　this？'　said　Ferdinand　to　Bar　when　he
had　been　baffled　twenty　times。

'Often；'　returned　Bar。

'Unless　I　butt　one　of　them　into　an　appointed　corner；　and　you　butt　the
other；'　said　Ferdinand；'it　will　not　e　off　after　all。'

'Very　good；'　said　Bar。　'I'll　butt　Merdle；　if　you　like；　but　not　my　lord。'

Ferdinand　laughed；　in　the　midst　of　his　vexation。　'Confound　them　both！'
said　he；　looking　at　his　watch。　'I　want　to　get　away。　Why　the　deuce　can't
they　e　together！　They　both　know　what　they　want　and　mean　to　do。　Look
at　them！'

They　were　still　looming　at　opposite　ends　of　the　perspective；　each　with
an　absurd　pretence　of　not　having　the　other　on　his　mind；　which　could　not
have　been　more　transparently　ridiculous　though　his　real　mind　had　been
chalked　on　his　back。　Bishop；　who　had　just　now　made　a　third　with　Bar　and
Ferdinand；　but　whose　innocence　had　again　cut　him　out　of　the　subject　and
washed　him　in　sweet　oil；　was　seen　to　approach　Lord　Decimus　and　glide
into　conversation。

'I　must　get　Merdle's　doctor　to　catch　and　secure　him；　I　suppose；'　said
Ferdinand；　'and　then　I　must　lay　hold　of　my　illustrious　kinsman；　and
decoy　him　if　I　can……drag　him　if　I　can't……to　the　conference。'

'Since　you　do　me　the　honour；'　said　Bar；　with　his　slyest　smile；　to　ask
for　my　poor　aid；　it　shall　be　yours　with　the　greatest　pleasure。　I　don't
think　this　is　to　be　done　by　one　man。　But　if　you　will　undertake　to　pen
my　lord　into　that　furthest　drawing…room　where