little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第86章

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Young　John　losing　his　uncollected　eye　in　mists　of　meditation。　When　Mr
Pancks；　who　supported　the　character　of　chief　conspirator；　had　pleted
his　extracts；　he　looked　them　over；　corrected　them；　put　up　his　note…book；
and　held　them　like　a　hand　at　cards。

'Now；　there's　a　churchyard　in　Bedfordshire；'　said　Pancks。　'Who　takes
it？'

'I'll　take　it；　sir；'　returned　Mr　Rugg；　'if　no　one　bids。'

Mr　Pancks　dealt　him　his　card；　and　looked　at　his　hand　again。

'Now；　there's　an　Enquiry　in　York；'　said　Pancks。　'Who　takes　it？'

'I'm　not　good　for　York；'　said　Mr　Rugg。

'Then　perhaps；'　pursued　Pancks；　'you'll　be　so　obliging；　John　Chivery？'
Young　John　assenting；　Pancks　dealt　him　his　card；　and　consulted　his　hand
again。

'There's　a　Church　in　London；　I　may　as　well　take　that。　And　a　Family
Bible；　I　may　as　well　take　that；　too。　That's　two　to　me。　Two　to　me；'
repeated　Pancks；　breathing　hard　over　his　cards。　'Here's　a　Clerk　at
Durham　for　you；　John；　and　an　old　seafaring　gentleman　at　Dunstable　for
you；　Mr　Rugg。　Two　to　me；　was　it？　Yes；　two　to　me。　Here's　a　Stone；　three
to　me。　And　a　Still…born　Baby；　four　to　me。　And　all；　for　the　present；
told。'　When　he　had　thus　disposed　of　his　cards；　all　being　done　very
quietly　and　in　a　suppressed　tone；　Mr　Pancks　puffed　his　way　into　his　own
breast…pocket　and　tugged　out　a　canvas　bag；　from　which；　with　a　sparing
hand；　he　told　forth　money　for　travelling　expenses　in　two　little
portions。　'Cash　goes　out　fast；'　he　said　anxiously；　as　he　pushed　a
portion　to　each　of　his　male　panions；　'very　fast。'

'I　can　only　assure　you；　Mr　Pancks；'　said　Young　John；　'that　I　deeply
regret　my　circumstances　being　such　that　I　can't　afford　to　pay　my　own
charges；　or　that　it's　not　advisable　to　allow　me　the　time　necessary　for
my　doing　the　distances　on　foot；　because　nothing　would　give　me　greater
satisfaction　than　to　walk　myself　off　my　legs　without　fee　or　reward。'

This　young　man's　disinterestedness　appeared　so　very　ludicrous　in
the　eyes　of　Miss　Rugg；　that　she　was　obliged　to　effect　a　precipitate
retirement　from　the　pany；　and　to　sit　upon　the　stairs　until　she　had
had　her　laugh　out。　Meanwhile　Mr　Pancks；　looking；　not　without　some　pity；
at　Young　John；　slowly　and　thoughtfully　twisted　up　his　canvas　bag　as　if
he　were　wringing　its　neck。　The　lady；　returning　as　he　restored　it　to　his
pocket；　mixed　rum　and　water　for　the　party；　not　forgetting　her　fair　self；
and　handed　to　every　one　his　glass。　When　all　were　supplied；　Mr　Rugg　rose；
and　silently　holding　out　his　glass　at　arm's　length　above　the　centre　of
the　table；　by　that　gesture　invited　the　other　three　to　add　theirs；　and　to
unite　in　a　general　conspiratorial　clink。　The　ceremony　was　effective　up
to　a　certain　point；　and　would　have　been　wholly　so　throughout；　if　Miss
Rugg；　as　she　raised　her　glass　to　her　lips　in　pletion　of　it；　had　not
happened　to　look　at　Young　John；　when　she　was　again　so　overe　by　the
contemptible　icality　of　his　disinterestedness　as　to　splutter　some
ambrosial　drops　of　rum　and　water　around；　and　withdraw　in　confusion。

Such　was　the　dinner　without　precedent；　given　by　Pancks　at　Pentonville；
and　such　was　the　busy　and　strange　life　Pancks　led。　The　only　waking
moments　at　which　he　appeared　to　relax　from　his　cares；　and　to　recreate
himself　by　going　anywhere　or　saying　anything　without　a　pervading　object；
were　when　he　showed　a　dawning　interest　in　the　lame　foreigner　with　the
stick；　down　Bleeding　Heart　Yard。

The　foreigner；　by　name　John　Baptist　Cavalletto……they　called　him　Mr
Baptist　in　the　Yard……was　such　a　chirping；　easy；　hopeful　little　fellow；
that　his　attraction　for　Pancks　was　probably　in　the　force　of　contrast。
Solitary；　ost　necessary　words
of　the　only　language　in　which　he　could　municate　with　the　people　about
him；　he　went　with　the　stream　of　his　fortunes；　in　a　brisk　way　that　was
new　in　those　parts。　With　little　to　eat；　and　less　to　drink；　and　nothing
to　wear　but　what　he　wore　upon　him；　or　had　brought　tied　up　in　one　of　the
smallest　bundles　that　ever　were　seen；　he　put　as　bright　a　face　upon　it　as
if　he　were　in　the　most　flourishing　circumstances　when　he　first　hobbled
up　and　down　the　Yard；　humbly　propitiating　the　general　good…will　with　his
white　teeth。

It　was　uphill　work　for　a　foreigner；　lame　or　sound；　to　make　his　way　with
the　Bleeding　Hearts。　In　the　first　place；　they　were　vaguely　persuaded
that　every　foreigner　had　a　knife　about　him；　in　the　second；　they　held　it
to　be　a　sound　constitutional　national　axiom　that　he　ought　to　go　home　to
his　own　country。　They　never　thought　of　inquiring　how　many　of　their　own
countrymen　would　be　returned　upon　their　hands　from　divers　parts　of　the
world；　if　the　principle　were　generally　recognised；　they　considered　it
particularly　and　peculiarly　British。　In　the　third　place；　they　had　a
notion　that　it　was　a　sort　of　Divine　visitation　upon　a　foreigner　that　he
was　not　an　Englishman；　and　that　all　kinds　of　calamities　happened　to
his　country　because　it　did　things　that　England　did　not；　and　did　not　do
things　that　England　did。　In　this　belief；　to　be　sure；　they　had　long　been
carefully　trained　by　the　Barnacles　and　Stiltstalkings；　who　were　always
proclaiming　to　them；　officially；　that　no　country　which　failed　to　submit
itself　to　those　two　large　families　could　possibly　hope　to　be　under　the
protection　of　Providence；　and　who；　when　they　believed　it；　disparaged
them　in　private　as　the　most　prejudiced　people　under　the　sun。

This；　therefore；　might　be　called　a　political　position　of　the　Bleeding
Hearts；　but　they　entertained　other　objections　to　having　foreigners
in　the　Yard。　They　believed　that　foreigners　were　always　badly　off；　and
though　they　were　as　ill　off　themselves　as　they　could　desire　to　be；
that　did　not　diminish　the　force　of　the　objection。　They　believed　that
foreigners　were　dragooned　and　bayoed；　and　though　they　certainly　got
their　own　skulls　promptly　fractured　if　they　showed　any　ill…humour；　still
it　was　with　a　blunt　instrument；　and　that　didn't　count。　They　believed
that　foreigners　were　always　immoral；　and　though　they　had　an　occasional
assize　at　home；　and　now　and　then　a　divorce　case　or　so；　that　had　nothing
to　do　with　it。　They　believed　that　foreigners　had　no　independent　spirit；
as　never　being　escorted　to　the　poll　in　droves　by　Lord　Decimus　Tite
Barnacle；　with　colours　flying　and　the　tune　of　Rule　Britannia　playing。
Not　to　be　tedious；　they　had　many　other　beliefs　of　a　similar　kind。

Against　these　obstacles；　the　lame　foreigner　with　the　stick　had　to　make
head　as　well　as　he　could；　not　absolutely　single…handed；　because　Mr
Arthur　Clennam　had　remended　him　to　the　Plornishes　（he　lived　at　the
top　of　the　same　house）；　but　still　at　heavy　odds。　However；　the　Bleeding
Hearts　were　kind　hearts；　and　when　they　saw　the　little　fellow　cheerily
limping　about　with　a　good…humoured　face；　doing　no　harm；　drawing　no
knives；　mitting　no　outrageous　immoralities；　living　chiefly　on
farinaceous　and　milk　diet；　and　playing　with　Mrs　Plornish's　children　of
an　evening；　they　began　to　think　that　although　he　could　never　hope　to　be
an　Englishman；　still　it　would　be　hard　to　visit　that　affliction　on　his
head。　They　began　to　acmodate　themselves　to　his　level；　calling　him　'Mr
Baptist；'　but　treating　him　like　a　baby；　and　laughing　immoderately　at　his
lively　gestures　and　his　childish　English……more；　because　he　didn't　mind
it；　and　laughed　too。　They　spoke　to　him　in　very　loud　voices　as　if　he
were　stone　deaf。　They　constructed　sentences；　by　way　of　teaching　him　the
language　in　its　purity；　such　as　were　addressed　by　the　savages　to　Captain
Cook；　or　by　Friday　to　Robinson　Crusoe。　Mrs　Plornish　was　particularly
ingenious　in　this　art；　and　attained　so　much　celebrity　for　saying　'Me　ope
you　leg　well　soon；'　that　it　was　considered　in　the　Yard　but　a　very　short
remove　indeed　from　speaking　Italian。　Even　Mrs　Plornish　herself　began　to
think　that　she　had　a　natural　call　towards　that　language。　As　he　became
more　popular；　household　objects　were　brought　into　requisition　for　his
instruction　in　a　copious　vocabulary；　and　whenever　he　appeared　in　the
Yard　ladies　would　fly　out　at　their　doors　crying　'Mr　Baptist……tea…pot！'
'Mr　Baptist……dust…pan！'　'Mr　Baptist……flour…dredger！'　'Mr
Baptist……coffee…biggin！'　At　the　same　time　exhibiting　those　articles；
and　perating　him　with　a　sense　of　the　appalling　difficulties　of　the
Anglo…Saxon　tongu