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第84章

little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第84章

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cottage; and got out and walked on and peeped in at the door; and there;
as usual; was the tiny woman spinning at her wheel; and she looked at
the Princess; and the Princess looked at her。'

'Like trying to stare one another out;' said Maggy。 'Please go on;
Little Mother。'

'The Princess was such a wonderful Princess that she had the power of
knowing secrets; and she said to the tiny woman; Why do you keep it
there? This showed her directly that the Princess knew why she lived
all alone by herself spinning at her wheel; and she kneeled down at
the Princess's feet; and asked her never to betray her。 So the Princess
said; I never will betray you。 Let me see it。 So the tiny woman closed
the shutter of the cottage window and fastened the door; and trembling
from head to foot for fear that any one should suspect her; opened a
very secret place and showed the Princess a shadow。'

'Lor!' said Maggy。 'It was the shadow of Some one who had gone by long
before: of Some one who had gone on far away quite out of reach; never;
never to e back。 It was bright to look at; and when the tiny woman
showed it to the Princess; she was proud of it with all her heart; as
a great; great treasure。 When the Princess had considered it a little
while; she said to the tiny woman; And you keep watch over this every
day? And she cast down her eyes; and whispered; Yes。 Then the Princess
said; Remind me why。 To which the other replied; that no one so good and
kind had ever passed that way; and that was why in the beginning。 She
said; too; that nobody missed it; that nobody was the worse for it; that
Some one had gone on; to those who were expecting him……'

'Some one was a man then?' interposed Maggy。

Little Dorrit timidly said Yes; she believed so; and resumed:

'……Had gone on to those who were expecting him; and that this
remembrance was stolen or kept back from nobody。 The Princess made
answer; Ah! But when the cottager died it would be discovered there。 The
tiny woman told her No; when that time came; it would sink quietly into
her own grave; and would never be found。'

'Well; to be sure!' said Maggy。 'Go on; please。'

'The Princess was very much astonished to hear this; as you may suppose;
Maggy。' ('And well she might be;' said Maggy。)

'So she resolved to watch the tiny woman; and see what came of it。 Every
day she drove in her beautiful carriage by the cottage…door; and there
she saw the tiny woman always alone by herself spinning at her wheel;
and she looked at the tiny woman; and the tiny woman looked at her。 At
last one day the wheel was still; and the tiny woman was not to be seen。
When the Princess made inquiries why the wheel had stopped; and where
the tiny woman was; she was informed that the wheel had stopped because
there was nobody to turn it; the tiny woman being dead。'

('They ought to have took her to the Hospital;' said Maggy; and then
she'd have got over it。')

'The Princess; after crying a very little for the loss of the tiny
woman; dried her eyes and got out of her carriage at the place where
she had stopped it before; and went to the cottage and peeped in at the
door。 There was nobody to look at her now; and nobody for her to look
at; so she went in at once to search for the treasured shadow。 But there
was no sign of it to be found anywhere; and then she knew that the tiny
woman had told her the truth; and that it would never give anybody any
trouble; and that it had sunk quietly into her own grave; and that she
and it were at rest together。

'That's all; Maggy。'

The sunset flush was so bright on Little Dorrit's face when she came
thus to the end of her story; that she interposed her hand to shade it。

'Had she got to be old?' Maggy asked。

'The tiny woman?' 'Ah!'

'I don't know;' said Little Dorrit。 'But it would have been just the
same if she had been ever so old。'

'Would it raly!' said Maggy。 'Well; I suppose it would though。' And sat
staring and ruminating。

She sat so long with her eyes wide open; that at length Little Dorrit;
to entice her from her box; rose and looked out of window。 As she
glanced down into the yard; she saw Pancks e in and leer up with the
corner of his eye as he went by。

'Who's he; Little Mother?' said Maggy。 She had joined her at the window
and was leaning on her shoulder。 'I see him e in and out often。'

'I have heard him called a fortune…teller;' said Little Dorrit。 'But I
doubt if he could tell many people even their past or present fortunes。'

'Couldn't have told the Princess hers?' said Maggy。

Little Dorrit; looking musingly down into the dark valley of the prison;
shook her head。

'Nor the tiny woman hers?' said Maggy。

'No;' said Little Dorrit; with the sunset very bright upon her。 'But let
us e away from the window。'




CHAPTER 25。 Conspirators and Others


The private residence of Mr Pancks was in Pentonville; where he lodged
on the second…floor of a professional gentleman in an extremely small
way; who had an inner…door within the street door; poised on a spring
and starting open with a click like a trap; and who wrote up in the
fan…light; RUGG; GENERAL AGENT; ACCOUNTANT; DEBTS RECOVERED。

This scroll; majestic in its severe simplicity; illuminated a little
slip of front garden abutting on the thirsty high…road; where a few
of the dustiest of leaves hung their dismal heads and led a life of
choking。 A professor of writing occupied the first…floor; and enlivened
the garden railings with glass…cases containing choice examples of what
his pupils had been before six lessons and while the whole of his young
family shook the table; and what they had bee after six lessons
when the young family was under restraint。 The tenancy of Mr Pancks was
limited to one airy bedroom; he covenanting and agreeing with Mr Rugg
his landlord; that in consideration of a certain scale of payments
accurately defined; and on certain verbal notice duly given; he should
be at liberty to elect to share the Sunday breakfast; dinner; tea; or
supper; or each or any or all of those repasts or meals of Mr and Miss
Rugg (his daughter) in the back…parlour。

Miss Rugg was a lady of a little property which she had acquired;
together with much distinction in the neighbourhood; by having her
heart severely lacerated and her feelings mangled by a middle…aged baker
resident in the vicinity; against whom she had; by the agency of Mr
Rugg; found it necessary to proceed at law to recover damages for a
breach of promise of marriage。 The baker having been; by the counsel for
Miss Rugg; witheringly denounced on that occasion up to the full amount
of twenty guineas; at the rate of about eighteen…pence an epithet; and
having been cast in corresponding damages; still suffered occasional
persecution from the youth of Pentonville。 But Miss Rugg; environed by
the majesty of the law; and having her damages invested in the public
securities; was regarded with consideration。

In the society of Mr Rugg; who had a round white visage; as if all his
blushes had been drawn out of him long ago; and who had a ragged yellow
head like a worn…out hearth broom; and in the society of Miss Rugg; who
had little nankeen spots; like shirt buttons; all over her face; and
whose own yellow tresses were rather scrubby than luxuriant; Mr Pancks
had usually dined on Sundays for some few years; and had twice a week;
or so; enjoyed an evening collation of bread; Dutch cheese; and porter。
Mr Pancks was one of the very few marriageable men for whom Miss Rugg
had no terrors; the argument with which he reassured himself being
twofold; that is to say; firstly; 'that it wouldn't do twice;' and
secondly; 'that he wasn't worth it。' Fortified within this double
armour; Mr Pancks snorted at Miss Rugg on easy terms。

Up to this time; Mr Pancks had transacted little or no business at his
quarters in Pentonville; except in the sleeping line; but now that he
had bee a fortune…teller; he was often closeted after midnight
with Mr Rugg in his little front…parlour office; and even after those
untimely hours; burnt tallow in his bed…room。 Though his duties as his
proprietor's grubber were in no wise lessened; and though that service
bore no gre

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