little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第195章
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The moment he was gone; Arthur released Mrs Finching: with some
difficulty; by reason of that lady misunderstanding his intentions; and
making arrangements with a view to tightening instead of slackening。
'Affery; speak to me now!'
'Don't touch me; Arthur!' she cried; shrinking from him。 'Don't e
near me。 He'll see you。 Jeremiah will。 Don't。'
'He can't see me;' returned Arthur; suiting the action to the word; 'if
I blow the candle out。'
'He'll hear you;' cried Affery。
'He can't hear me;' returned Arthur; suiting the action to the words
again; 'if I draw you into this black closet; and speak here。
Why do you hide your face?'
'Because I am afraid of seeing something。'
'You can't be afraid of seeing anything in this darkness; Affery。'
'Yes I am。 Much more than if it was light。'
'Why are you afraid?'
'Because the house is full of mysteries and secrets; because it's full
of whisperings and counsellings; because it's full of noises。 There
never was such a house for noises。 I shall die of 'em; if Jeremiah don't
strangle me first。 As I expect he will。'
'I have never heard any noises here; worth speaking of。'
'Ah! But you would; though; if you lived in the house; and was obliged
to go about it as I am;' said Affery; 'and you'd feel that they was so
well worth speaking of; that you'd feel you was nigh bursting through
not being allowed to speak of 'em。 Here's Jeremiah! You'll get me
killed。'
'My good Affery; I solemnly declare to you that I can see the light of
the open door on the pavement of the hall; and so could you if you would
uncover your face and look。'
'I durstn't do it;' said Affery; 'I durstn't never; Arthur。 I'm always
blind…folded when Jeremiah an't a looking; and sometimes even when he
is。'
'He cannot shut the door without my seeing him;' said Arthur。 'You are
as safe with me as if he was fifty miles away。'
('I wish he was!' cried Affery。)
'Affery; I want to know what is amiss here; I want some light thrown
on the secrets of this house。' 'I tell you; Arthur;' she interrupted;
'noises is the secrets; rustlings and stealings about; tremblings;
treads overhead and treads underneath。'
'But those are not all the secrets。'
'I don't know;' said Affery。 'Don't ask me no more。 Your old sweetheart
an't far off; and she's a blabber。'
His old sweetheart; being in fact so near at hand that she was then
reclining against him in a flutter; a very substantial angle of
forty…five degrees; here interposed to assure Mistress Affery with
greater earnestness than directness of asseveration; that what she heard
should go no further; but should be kept inviolate; 'if on no other
account on Arthur's……sensible of intruding in being too familiar Doyce
and Clennam's。'
'I make an imploring appeal to you; Affery; to you; one of the few
agreeable early remembrances I have; for my mother's sake; for your
husband's sake; for my own; for all our sakes。 I am sure you can tell me
something connected with the ing here of this man; if you will。'
'Why; then I'll tell you; Arthur;' returned Affery……'Jeremiah's ing!'
'No; indeed he is not。 The door is open; and he is standing outside;
talking。'
'I'll tell you then;' said Affery; after listening; 'that the first time
he ever e he heard the noises his own self。 〃What's that?〃 he said to
me。 〃I don't know what it is;〃 I says to him; catching hold of him;
〃but I have heard it over and over again。〃 While I says it; he stands a
looking at me; all of a shake; he do。'
'Has he been here often?'
'Only that night; and the last night。'
'What did you see of him on the last night; after I was gone?'
'Them two clever ones had him all alone to themselves。 Jeremiah e
a dancing at me sideways; after I had let you out (he always es a
dancing at me sideways when he's going to hurt me); and he said to me;
〃Now; Affery;〃 he said; 〃I am a ing behind you; my woman; and a going
to run you up。〃 So he took and squeezed the back of my neck in his hand;
till it made me open MY mouth; and then he pushed me before him to bed;
squeezing all the way。 That's what he calls running me up; he do。 Oh;
he's a wicked one!'
'And did you hear or see no more; Affery?'
'Don't I tell you I was sent to bed; Arthur! Here he is!'
'I assure you he is still at the door。 Those whisperings and
counsellings; Affery; that you have spoken of。 What are they?'
'How should I know? Don't ask me nothing about 'em; Arthur。 Get away!'
'But my dear Affery; unless I can gain some insight into these hidden
things; in spite of your husband and in spite of my mother; ruin will
e of it。'
'Don't ask me nothing;' repeated Affery。 'I have been in a dream for
ever so long。 Go away; go away!'
'You said that before;' returned Arthur。 'You used the same expression
that night; at the door; when I asked you what was going on here。 What
do you mean by being in a dream?'
'I an't a going to tell you。 Get away! I shouldn't tell you; if you was
by yourself; much less with your old sweetheart here。'
It was equally vain for Arthur to entreat; and for Flora to protest。
Affery; who had been trembling and struggling the whole time; turned a
deaf ear to all adjuration; and was bent on forcing herself out of the
closet。
'I'd sooner scream to Jeremiah than say another word! I'll call out to
him; Arthur; if you don't give over speaking to me。 Now here's the very
last word I'll say afore I call to him……If ever you begin to get the
better of them two clever ones your own self (you ought to it; as I told
you when you first e home; for you haven't been a living here long
years; to be made afeared of your life as I have); then do you get the
better of 'em afore my face; and then do you say to me; Affery tell your
dreams! Maybe; then I'll tell 'em!'
The shutting of the door stopped Arthur from replying。 They glided into
the places where Jeremiah had left them; and Clennam; stepping forward
as that old gentleman returned; informed him that he had accidentally
extinguished the candle。 Mr Flintwinch looked on as he re…lighted it at
the lamp in the hall; and preserved a profound taciturnity respecting
the person who had been holding him in conversation。 Perhaps his
irascibility demanded pensation for some tediousness that the visitor
had expended on him; however that was; he took such umbrage at seeing
his wife with her apron over her head; that he charged at her; and
taking her veiled nose between his thumb and finger; appeared to throw
the whole screw…power of his person into the wring he gave it。
Flora; now permanently heavy; did not release Arthur from the survey of
the house; until it had extended even to his old garret bedchamber。 His
thoughts were otherwise occupied than with the tour of inspection; yet
he took particular notice at the time; as he afterwards had occasion to
remember; of the airlessness and closeness of the house; that they left
the track of their footsteps in the dust on the upper floors; and that
there was a resistance to the opening of one room door; which occasioned
Affery to cry out that somebody was hiding inside; and to continue to
believe so; though somebody was sought and not discovered。 When they at
last returned to his mother's room; they found her shading her face
with her muffled hand; and talking in a low voice to the Patriarch as he
stood before the fire; whose blue eyes; polished head; and silken locks;
turning towards them as they came in; imparted an inestimable value and
inexhaustible love of his species to his remark:
'So you have been seeing the premises; seeing the
premises……premises……seeing the premises!'
it was not in itself a jewel of benevolence or wisdom; yet he made it an
exemplar of both that one would have liked to have a copy of。
CHAPTER 24。 The Evening of a Long Day
That illustrious man and great national ornament; Mr Merdle; continued
his shining course。 It began to be widely understood that one who had
done society the admirable service of making so much money out of it;
could not be suffered to remain a moner。 A barocy was spoken of
with confidence; a peerage our had it
that Mr Merdle had set his golden face against a barocy; that h