little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第87章

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and　perating　him　with　a　sense　of　the　appalling　difficulties　of　the
Anglo…Saxon　tongue。

It　was　in　this　stage　of　his　progress；　and　in　about　the　third　week　of　his
occupation；　that　Mr　Pancks's　fancy　became　attracted　by　the　little　man。
Mounting　to　his　attic；　attended　by　Mrs　Plornish　as　interpreter；　he　found
Mr　Baptist　with　no　furniture　but　his　bed　on　the　ground；　a　table；　and　a
chair；　carving　with　the　aid　of　a　few　simple　tools；　in　the　blithest　way
possible。

'Now；　old　chap；'　said　Mr　Pancks；　'pay　up！'

He　had　his　money　ready；　folded　in　a　scrap　of　paper；　and　laughingly
handed　it　in；　then　with　a　free　action；　threw　out　as　many　fingers　of　his
right　hand　as　there　were　shillings；　and　made　a　cut　crosswise　in　the　air
for　an　odd　sixpence。

'Oh！'　said　Mr　Pancks；　watching　him；　wonderingly。　'That's　it；　is　it？
You're　a　quick　customer。　It's　all　right。　I　didn't　expect　to　receive　it；
though。'

Mrs　Plornish　here　interposed　with　great　condescension；　and　explained　to
Mr　Baptist。　'E　please。　E　glad　get　money。'

The　little　man　smiled　and　nodded。　His　bright　face　seemed　unmonly
attractive　to　Mr　Pancks。　'How's　he　getting　on　in　his　limb？'　he　asked　Mrs
Plornish。

'Oh；　he's　a　deal　better；　sir；'　said　Mrs　Plornish。　'We　expect　next　week
he'll　be　able　to　leave　off　his　stick　entirely。'　（The　opportunity
being　too　favourable　to　be　lost；　Mrs　Plornish　displayed　her　great
acplishment　by　explaining　with　pardonable　pride　to　Mr　Baptist；　'E　ope
you　leg　well　soon。'）

'He's　a　merry　fellow；　too；'　said　Mr　Pancks；　admiring　him　as　if　he　were　a
mechanical　toy。　'How　does　he　live？'

'Why；　sir；'　rejoined　Mrs　Plornish；　'he　turns　out　to　have　quite　a　power
of　carving　them　flowers　that　you　see　him　at　now。'　（Mr　Baptist；　watching
their　faces　as　they　spoke；　held　up　his　work。　Mrs　Plornish　interpreted　in
her　Italian　manner；　on　behalf　of　Mr　Pancks；　'E　please。　Double　good！'）

'Can　he　live　by　that？'　asked　Mr　Pancks。　'He　can　live　on　very　little；
sir；　and　it　is　expected　as　he　will　be　able；　in　time；　to　make　a　very　good
living。　Mr　Clennam　got　it　him　to　do；　and　gives　him　odd　jobs　besides　in
at　the　Works　next　door……makes　'em　for　him；　in　short；　when　he　knows　he
wants　'em。'

'And　what　does　he　do　with　himself；　now；　when　he　ain't　hard　at　it？'　said
Mr　Pancks。

'Why；　not　much　as　yet；　sir；　on　accounts　I　suppose　of　not　being　able　to
walk　much；　but　he　goes　about　the　Yard；　and　he　chats　without　particular
understanding　or　being　understood；　and　he　plays　with　the　children；
and　he　sits　in　the　sun……he'll　sit　down　anywhere；　as　if　it　was　an
arm…chair……and　he'll　sing；　and　he'll　laugh！'

'Laugh！'　echoed　Mr　Pancks。　'He　looks　to　me　as　if　every　tooth　in　his　head
was　always　laughing。'

'But　whenever　he　gets　to　the　top　of　the　steps　at　t'other　end　of　the
Yard；'　said　Mrs　Plornish；　'he'll　peep　out　in　the　curiousest　way！　So　that
some　of　us　thinks　he's　peeping　out　towards　where　his　own　country　is；　and
some　of　us　thinks　he's　looking　for　somebody　he　don't　want　to　see；　and
some　of　us　don't　know　what　to　think。'

Mr　Baptist　seemed　to　have　a　general　understanding　of　what　she　said；　or
perhaps　his　quickness　caught　and　applied　her　slight　action　of　peeping。
In　any　case　he　closed　his　eyes　and　tossed　his　head　with　the　air　of　a　man
who　had　sufficient　reasons　for　what　he　did；　and　said　in　his　own　tongue；
it　didn't　matter。　Altro！

'What's　Altro？'　said　Pancks。

'Hem！　It's　a　sort　of　a　general　kind　of　expression；　sir；'　said　Mrs
Plornish。

'Is　it？'　said　Pancks。　'Why；　then　Altro　to　you；　old　chap。　Good　afternoon。
Altro！'

Mr　Baptist　in　his　vivacious　way　repeating　the　word　several　times；　Mr
Pancks　in　his　duller　way　gave　it　him　back　once。　From　that　time　it　became
a　frequent　custom　with　Pancks　the　gipsy；　as　he　went　home　jaded　at　night；
to　pass　round　by　Bleeding　Heart　Yard；　go　quietly　up　the　stairs；　look　in
at　Mr　Baptist's　door；　and；　finding　him　in　his　room；　to　say；　'Hallo；　old
chap！　Altro！'　To　which　Mr　Baptist　would　reply　with　innumerable　bright
nods　and　smiles；　'Altro；　signore；　altro；　altro；　altro！'　After　this
highly　condensed　conversation；　Mr　Pancks　would　go　his　way　with　an
appearance　of　being　lightened　and　refreshed。




CHAPTER　26。　Nobody's　State　of　Mind


If　Arthur　Clennam　had　not　arrived　at　that　wise　decision　firmly　to
restrain　himself　from　loving　Pet；　he　would　have　lived　on　in　a　state　of
much　perplexity；　involving　difficult　struggles　with　his　own　heart。　Not
the　least　of　these　would　have　been　a　contention；　always　waging　within
it；　between　a　tendency　to　dislike　Mr　Henry　Gowan；　if　not　to　regard
him　with　positive　repugnance；　and　a　whisper　that　the　inclination　was
unworthy。　A　generous　nature　is　not　prone　to　strong　aversions；　and　is
slow　to　admit　them　even　dispassionately；　but　when　it　finds　ill…will
gaining　upon　it；　and　can　discern　between…whiles　that　its　origin　is　not
dispassionate；　such　a　nature　bees　distressed。

Therefore　Mr　Henry　Gowan　would　have　clouded　Clennam's　mind；　and　would
have　been　far　oftener　present　to　it　than　more　agreeable　persons　and
subjects　but　for　the　great　prudence　of　his　decision　aforesaid。　As　it
was；　Mr　Gowan　seemed　transferred　to　Daniel　Doyce's　mind；　at　all　events；
it　so　happened　that　it　usually　fell　to　Mr　Doyce's　turn；　rather　than
to　Clennam's；　to　speak　of　him　in　the　friendly　conversations　they　held
together。　These　were　of　frequent　occurrence　now；　as　the　two　partners
shared　a　portion　of　a　roomy　house　in　one　of　the　grave　old…fashioned　City
streets；　lying　not　far　from　the　Bank　of　England；　by　London　Wall。

Mr　Doyce　had　been　to　Twickenham　to　pass　the　day。　Clennam　had　excused
himself。　Mr　Doyce　was　just　e　home。　He　put　in　his　head　at　the　door　of
Clennam's　sitting…room　to　say　Good　night。

'e　in；　e　in！'　said　Clennam。

'I　saw　you　were　reading；'　returned　Doyce；　as　he　entered；　'and　thought
you　might　not　care　to　be　disturbed。'

But　for　the　notable　resolution　he　had　made；　Clennam　really　might　not
have　known　what　he　had　been　reading；　really　might　not　have　had　his　eyes
upon　the　book　for　an　hour　past；　though　it　lay　open　before　him。　He　shut
it　up；　rather　quickly。

'Are　they　well？'　he　asked。

'Yes；'　said　Doyce；　'they　are　well。　They　are　all　well。'

Daniel　had　an　old　workmanlike　habit　of　carrying　his　pocket…handkerchief
in　his　hat。　He　took　it　out　and　wiped　his　forehead　with　it；　slowly
repeating；　'They　are　all　well。　Miss　Minnie　looking　particularly　well；　I
thought。'

'Any　pany　at　the　cottage？'

'No；　no　pany。'　'And　how　did　you　get　on；　you　four？'　asked　Clennam
gaily。

'There　were　five　of　us；'　returned　his　partner。　'There　was
What's…his…name。　He　was　there。'　'Who　is　he？'　said　Clennam。

'Mr　Henry　Gowan。'

'Ah；　to　be　sure！'　cried　Clennam　with　unusual　vivacity；　'Yes！……I　forgot
him。'

'As　I　mentioned；　you　may　remember；'　said　Daniel　Doyce；　'he　is　always
there　on　Sunday。'

'Yes；　yes；'　returned　Clennam；　'I　remember　now。'

Daniel　Doyce；　still　wiping　his　forehead；　ploddingly　repeated。　'Yes。　He
was　there；　he　was　there。　Oh　yes；　he　was　there。　And　his　dog。　He　was　there
too。'

'Miss　Meagles　is　quite　attached　to……the……dog；'　observed　Clennam。

'Quite　so；'　assented　his　partner。　'More　attached　to　the　dog　than　I　am　to
the　man。'

'You　mean　Mr……？'

'I　mean　Mr　Gowan；　most　decidedly；'　said　Daniel　Doyce。

There　was　a　gap　in　the　conversation；　which　Clennam　devoted　to　winding　up
his　watch。

'Perhaps　you　are　a　little　hasty　in　your　judgment；'　he　said。　'Our
judgments……I　am　supposing　a　general　case……'

'Of　course；'　said　Doyce。

'Are　so　liable　to　be　influenced　by　many　considerations；　which；　almost
without　our　knowing　it；　are　unfair；　that　it　is　necessary　to　keep　a　guard
upon　them。　For　instance；　Mr……'

'Gowan；'　quietly　said　Doyce；　upon　whom　the　utterance　of　the　name　almost
always　devolved。

'Is　young　and　handsome；　easy　and　quick；　has　talent；　and　has　seen　a
good　deal　of　various　kinds　of　life。　It　might　be　difficult　to　give　an
unselfish　reason　for　being　prepossessed　against　him。'

'Not　difficult　for　me；　I　think；　Clennam；'　returned　his　partner。　'I　see
him　bringing　present　anxiety；　and；　I　fear；　future　sorrow；　into　my　old
friend's　house。　I　see　him　wearing　deeper　lines　into　my　old　friend's
face；　the　nearer　he　draws　to；　and　the　oftener　he　looks　at；　the　face
of　his　daughter。　In　short；　I　see　him　with　a　　about　the