dombey sat in the corner of the darkened room in the great arm-chair by the bedside, and son lay tucked up warm in a little basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new.

dombey was about eight-and-forty years of age. son about eight-and-forty minutes. dombey was rather bald, rather red, and though a handsome well-made man, too stern and pompous in appearance, to be prepossessing. son was very bald, and very red, and though (of course) an undeniably fine infant, somewhat crushed and spotty in his general effect, as yet. on the brow of dombey, time and his brother care had set some marks, as on a tree that was to come down in good time - remorseless twins they are for striding through their human forests, notching as they go - while the countenance of son was crossed with a thousand little creases, which the same deceitful time would take delight in smoothing out and wearing away with the flat part of his scythe, as a preparation of the surface for his deeper operations.

dombey, exulting in the long-looked-for event, jingled and jingled the heavy gold watch-chain that depended from below his trim blue coat, whereof the buttons sparkled phosphorescently in the feeble rays of the distant fire. son, with his little fists curled up and clenched, seemed, in his feeble way, to be squaring at existence for having come upon him so unexpectedly.

'the house will once again, mrs dombey,' said mr dombey, 'be not only in name but in fact dombey and son;' and he added, in a tone of luxurious satisfaction, with his eyes half-closed as if he were reading the name in a device of flowers, and inhaling their fragrance at the same time; 'dom-bey and son!'

the words had such a softening influence, that he appended a term of endearment to mrs dombey's name (though not without some hesitation, as being a man but little used to that form of address): and said, 'mrs dombey, my - my dear.'

a transient flush of faint surprise overspread the sick lady's face as she raised her eyes towards him.

'he will be christened paul, my - mrs dombey - of course.'

she feebly echoed, 'of course,' or rather expressed it by the motion of her lips, and closed her eyes again.

'his father's name, mrs dombey, and his grandfather's! i wish his grandfather were alive this day! there is some inconvenience in the necessity of writing junior,' said mr dombey, making a fictitious autograph on his knee; 'but it is merely of a private and personal complexion. it doesn't enter into the correspondence of the house. its signature remains the same.' and again he said 'dombey and son, in exactly the same tone as before.

those three words conveyed the one idea of mr dombey's life. the earth was made for dombey and son to trade in, and the sun and moon were made to give them light. rivers and seas were formed to float their ships; rainbows gave them promise of fair weather; winds blew for or against their enterprises; stars and planets circled in their orbits, to preserve inviolate a system of which they were the centre. common abbreviations took new meanings in his eyes, and had sole reference to them. a. d. had no concern with anno domini, but stood for anno dombei - and son.

he had risen, as his father had before him, in the course of life and death, from son to dombey, and for nearly twenty years had been the sole representative of the firm. of those years he had been married, ten - married, as some said, to a lady with no heart to give him; whose happiness was in the past, and who was content to bind her broken spirit to the dutiful and meek endurance of the present. such idle talk was little likely to reach the ears of mr dombey, whom it nearly concerned; and probably no one in the world would have received it with such utter incredulity as he, if it had reached him. dombey and son had often dealt in hides, but never in hearts. they left that fancy ware to boys and girls, and boarding-schools and books. mr dombey would have reasoned: that a matrimonial alliance with himself must, in the nature of things, be gratifying and honourable to any woman of common sense. that the hope of giving birth to a new partner in such a house, could not fail to awaken a glorious and stirring ambition in the breast of the least ambitious of her sex. that mrs dombey had entered on that social contract of matrimony: almost necessarily part of a genteel and wealthy station, even without reference to the perpetuation of family firms: with her eyes fully open to these advantages. that mrs dombey had had daily practical knowledge of his position in society. that mrs dombey had always sat at the head of his table, and done the honours of his house in a remarkably lady-like and becoming manner. that mrs dombey must have been happy. that she couldn't help it.

or, at all events, with one drawback. yes. that he would have allowed. with only one; but that one certainly involving much. with the drawback of hope deferred. that hope deferred, which, (as the scripture very correctly tells us, mr dombey would have added in a patronising way; for his highest distinct idea even of scripture, if examined, would have been found to be; that as forming part of a general whole, of which dombey and son formed another part, it was therefore to be commended and upheld) maketh the heart sick. they had been married ten years, and until this present day on which mr dombey sat jingling and jingling his heavy gold watch-chain in the great arm-chair by the side of the bed, had had no issue.

- to speak of; none worth mentioning. there had been a girl some six years before, and the child, who had stolen into the chamber unobserved, was now crouching timidly, in a corner whence she could see her mother's face. but what was a girl to dombey and son! in the capital of the house's name and dignity, such a child was merely a piece of base coin that couldn't be invested - a bad boy - nothing more.

mr dombey's cup of satisfaction was so full at this moment, however, that he felt he could afford a drop or two of its contents, even to sprinkle on the dust in the by-path of his little daughter.

so he said, 'florence, you may go and look at your pretty brother, if you like, i daresay. don't touch him!'

the child glanced keenly at the blue coat and stiff white cravat, which, with a pair of creaking boots and a very loud ticking watch, embodied her idea of a father; but her eyes returned to her mother's face immediately, and she neither moved nor answered.

'her insensibility is as proof against a brother as against every thing else,' said mr dombey to himself he seemed so confirmed in a previous opinion by the discovery, as to be quite glad of it'

next moment, the lady had opened her eyes and seen the child; and the child had run towards her; and, standing on tiptoe, the better to hide her face in her embrace, had clung about her with a desperate affection very much at variance with her years.

'oh lord bless me!' said mr dombey, rising testily. 'a very illadvised and feverish proceeding this, i am sure. please to ring there for miss florence's nurse. really the person should be more care-'

'wait! i - had better ask doctor peps if he'll have the goodness to step upstairs again perhaps. i'll go down. i'll go down. i needn't beg you,' he added, pausing for a moment at the settee before the fire, 'to take particular care of this young gentleman, mrs - '

'blockitt, sir?' suggested the nurse, a simpering piece of faded gentility, who did not presume to state her name as a fact, but merely offered it as a mild suggestion.

'of this young gentleman, mrs blockitt.'

'no, sir, indeed. i remember when miss florence was born - '

'ay, ay, ay,' said mr dombey, bending over the basket bedstead, and slightly bending his brows at the same time. 'miss florence was all very well, but this is another matter. this young gentleman has to accomplish a destiny. a destiny, little fellow!' as he thus apostrophised the infant he raised one of his hands to his lips, and kissed it; then, seeming to fear that the action involved some compromise of his dignity, went, awkwardly enough, away.

doctor parker peps, one of the court physicians, and a man of immense reputation for assisting at the increase of great families, was walking up and down the drawing-room with his hands behind him, to the unspeakable admiration of the family surgeon, who had regularly puffed the case for the last six weeks, among all his patients, friends, and acquaintances, as one to which he was in hourly expectation day and night of being summoned, in conjunction with doctor parker pep.

'well, sir,' said doctor parker peps in a round, deep, sonorous voice, muffled for the occasion, like the knocker; 'do you find that your dear lady is at all roused by your visit?'

'stimulated as it were?' said the family practitioner faintly: bowing at the same time to the doctor, as much as to say, 'excuse my putting in a word, but this is a valuable connexion.'

mr dombey was quite discomfited by the question. he had thought so little of the patient, that he was not in a condition to answer it. he said that it would be a satisfaction to him, if doctor parker peps would walk upstairs again.

'good! we must not disguise from you, sir,' said doctor parker peps, 'that there is a want of power in her grace the duchess - i beg your pardon; i confound names; i should say, in your amiable lady. that there is a certain degree of languor, and a general absence of elasticity, which we would rather - not -

'see,' interposed the family practitioner with another inclination of the head.

'quite so,' said doctor parker peps,' which we would rather not see. it would appear that the system of lady cankaby - excuse me: i should say of mrs dombey: i confuse the names of cases - '

'so very numerous,' murmured the family practitioner - 'can't be expected i'm sure - quite wonderful if otherwise - doctor parker peps's west-end practice - '

'thank you,' said the doctor, 'quite so. it would appear, i was observing, that the system of our patient has sustained a shock, from which it can only hope to rally by a great and strong - '

'and vigorous,' murmured the family practitioner.

'quite so,' assented the doctor - 'and vigorous effort. mr pilkins here, who from his position of medical adviser in this family - no one better qualified to fill that position, i am sure.'

'oh!' murmured the family practitioner. '"praise from sir hubert stanley!"'

'you are good enough,' returned doctor parker peps, 'to say so. mr pilkins who, from his position, is best acquainted with the patient's constitution in its normal state (an acquaintance very valuable to us in forming our opinions in these occasions), is of opinion, with me, that nature must be called upon to make a vigorous effort in this instance; and that if our interesting friend the countess of dombey - i beg your pardon; mrs dombey - should not be - '

'able,' said the family practitioner.

'to make,' said doctor parker peps.

'that effort,' said the family practitioner.

'successfully,' said they both together.

'then,' added doctor parker peps, alone and very gravely, a crisis might arise, which we should both sincerely deplore.'

with that, they stood for a few seconds looking at the ground. then, on the motion - made in dumb show - of doctor parker peps, they went upstairs; the family practitioner opening the room door for that distinguished professional, and following him out, with most obsequious politeness.

to record of mr dombey that he was not in his way affected by this intelligence, would be to do him an injustice. he was not a man of whom it could properly be said that he was ever startled, or shocked; but he certainly had a sense within him, that if his wife should sicken and decay, he would be very sorry, and that he would find a something gone from among his plate and furniture, and other household possessions, which was well worth the having, and could not be lost without sincere regret. though it would be a cool,. business-like, gentlemanly, self-possessed regret, no doubt.

his meditations on the subject were soon interrupted, first by the rustling of garments on the staircase, and then by the sudden whisking into the room of a lady rather past the middle age than otherwise but dressed in a very juvenile manner, particularly as to the tightness of her bodice, who, running up to him with a kind of screw in her face and carriage, expressive of suppressed emotion, flung her arms around his neck, and said, in a choking voice,

'my dear paul! he's quite a dombey!'

'well, well!' returned her brother - for mr dombey was her brother - 'i think he is like the family. don't agitate yourself, louisa.'

'it's very foolish of me,' said louisa, sitting down, and taking out her pocket~handkerchief, 'but he's - he's such a perfect dombey!'

mr dombey coughed.

'it's so extraordinary,' said louisa; smiling through her tears, which indeed were not overpowering, 'as to be perfectly ridiculous. so completely our family. i never saw anything like it in my life!'

'but what is this about fanny, herself?' said mr dombey. 'how is fanny?'

'my dear paul,' returned louisa, 'it's nothing whatever. take my word, it's nothing whatever. there is exhaustion, certainly, but nothing like what i underwent myself, either with george or frederick. an effort is necessary. that's all. if dear fanny were a dombey! - but i daresay she'll make it; i have no doubt she'll make it. knowing it to be required of her, as a duty, of course she'll make it. my dear paul, it's very weak and silly of me, i know, to be so trembly and shaky from head to foot; but i am so very queer that i must ask you for a glass of wine and a morsel of that cake.'

mr dombey promptly supplied her with these refreshments from a tray on the table.

'i shall not drink my love to you, paul,' said louisa: 'i shall drink to the little dombey. good gracious me! - it's the most astonishing thing i ever knew in all my days, he's such a perfect dombey.'

quenching this expression of opinion in a short hysterical laugh which terminated in tears, louisa cast up her eyes, and emptied her glass.

'i know it's very weak and silly of me,' she repeated, 'to be so trembly and shaky from head to foot, and to allow my feelings so completely to get the better of me, but i cannot help it. i thought i should have fallen out of the staircase window as i came down from seeing dear fanny, and that tiddy ickle sing.' these last words originated in a sudden vivid reminiscence of the baby.

they were succeeded by a gentle tap at the door.

'mrs chick,' said a very bland female voice outside, 'how are you now, my dear friend?'

'my dear paul,' said louisa in a low voice, as she rose from her seat, 'it's miss tox. the kindest creature! i never could have got here without her! miss tox, my brother mr dombey. paul, my dear, my very particular friend miss tox.'

the lady thus specially presented, was a long lean figure, wearing such a faded air that she seemed not to have been made in what linen-drapers call 'fast colours' originally, and to have, by little and little, washed out. but for this she might have been described as the very pink of general propitiation and politeness. from a long habit of listening admiringly to everything that was said in her presence, and looking at the speakers as if she were mentally engaged in taking off impressions of their images upon her soul, never to part with the same but with life, her head had quite settled on one side. her hands had contracted a spasmodic habit of raising themselves of their own accord as in involuntary admiration. her eyes were liable to a similar affection. she had the softest voice that ever was heard; and her nose, stupendously aquiline, had a little knob in the very centre or key-stone of the bridge, whence it tended downwards towards her face, as in an invincible determination never to turn up at anything.

miss tox's dress, though perfectly genteel and good, had a certain character of angularity and scantiness. she was accustomed to wear odd weedy little flowers in her bonnets and caps. strange grasses were sometimes perceived in her hair; and it was observed by the curious, of all her collars, frills, tuckers, wristbands, and other gossamer articles - indeed of everything she wore which had two ends to it intended to unite - that the two ends were never on good terms, and wouldn't quite meet without a struggle. she had furry articles for winter wear, as tippets, boas, and muffs, which stood up on end in rampant manner, and were not at all sleek. she was much given to the carrying about of small bags with snaps to them, that went off like little pistols when they were shut up; and when full-dressed, she wore round her neck the barrenest of lockets, representing a fishy old eye, with no approach to speculation in it. these and other appearances of a similar nature, had served to propagate the opinion, that miss tox was a lady of what is called a limited independence, which she turned to the best account. possibly her mincing gait encouraged the belief, and suggested that her clipping a step of ordinary compass into two or three, originated in her habit of making the most of everything.

'i am sure,' said miss tox, with a prodigious curtsey, 'that to have the honour of being presented to mr dombey is a distinction which i have long sought, but very little expected at the present moment. my dear mrs chick - may i say louisa!'

mrs chick took miss tox's hand in hers, rested the foot of her wine-glass upon it, repressed a tear, and said in a low voice, 'god bless you!'

'my dear louisa then,' said miss tox, 'my sweet friend, how are you now?'

'better,' mrs chick returned. 'take some wine. you have been almost as anxious as i have been, and must want it, i am sure.'

mr dombey of course officiated, and also refilled his sister's glass, which she (looking another way, and unconscious of his intention) held straight and steady the while, and then regarded with great astonishment, saying, 'my dear paul, what have you been doing!'

'miss tox, paul,' pursued mrs chick, still retaining her hand, 'knowing how much i have been interested in the anticipation of the event of to-day, and how trembly and shaky i have been from head to foot in expectation of it, has been working at a little gift for fanny, which i promised to present. miss tox is ingenuity itself.'

'my dear louisa,' said miss tox. 'don't say so.

'it is only a pincushion for the toilette table, paul,' resumed his sister; 'one of those trifles which are insignificant to your sex in general, as it's very natural they should be - we have no business to expect they should be otherwise - but to which we attach some interest.

'miss tox is very good,' said mr dombey.

'and i do say, and will say, and must say,' pursued his sister, pressing the foot of the wine-glass on miss tox's hand, at each of the three clauses, 'that miss tox has very prettily adapted the sentiment to the occasion. i call "welcome little dombey" poetry, myself!'

'is that the device?' inquired her brother.

'that is the device,' returned louisa.

'but do me the justice to remember, my dear louisa,' said miss toxin a tone of low and earnest entreaty, 'that nothing but the - i have some difficulty in expressing myself - the dubiousness of the result would have induced me to take so great a liberty: "welcome, master dombey," would have been much more congenial to my feelings, as i am sure you know. but the uncertainty attendant on angelic strangers, will, i hope, excuse what must otherwise appear an unwarrantable familiarity.' miss tox made a graceful bend as she spoke, in favour of mr dombey, which that gentleman graciously acknowledged. even the sort of recognition of dombey and son, conveyed in the foregoing conversation, was so palatable to him, that his sister, mrs chick - though he affected to consider her a weak good-natured person - had perhaps more influence over him than anybody else.

'my dear paul,' that lady broke out afresh, after silently contemplating his features for a few moments, 'i don't know whether to laugh or cry when i look at you, i declare, you do so remind me of that dear baby upstairs.'

'well!' said mrs chick, with a sweet smile, 'after this, i forgive fanny everything!'

it was a declaration in a christian spirit, and mrs chick felt that it did her good. not that she had anything particular to forgive in her sister-in-law, nor indeed anything at all, except her having married her brother - in itself a species of audacity - and her having, in the course of events, given birth to a girl instead of a boy: which, as mrs chick had frequently observed, was not quite what she had expected of her, and was not a pleasant return for all the attention and distinction she had met with.

mr dombey being hastily summoned out of the room at this moment, the two ladies were left alone together. miss tox immediately became spasmodic.

'i knew you would admire my brother. i told you so beforehand, my dear,' said louisa. miss tox's hands and eyes expressed how much. 'and as to his property, my dear!'

'ah!' said miss tox, with deep feeling. 'im-mense!'

'but his deportment, my dear louisa!' said miss tox. 'his presence! his dignity! no portrait that i have ever seen of anyone has been half so replete with those qualities. something so stately, you know: so uncompromising: so very wide across the chest: so upright! a pecuniary duke of york, my love, and nothing short of it!' said miss tox. 'that's what i should designate him.'

'why, my dear paul!' exclaimed his sister, as he returned, 'you look quite pale! there's nothing the matter?'

'i am sorry to say, louisa, that they tell me that fanny - '

'now, my dear paul,' returned his sister rising, 'don't believe it. do not allow yourself to receive a turn unnecessarily. remember of what importance you are to society, and do not allow yourself to be worried by what is so very inconsiderately told you by people who ought to know better. really i'm surprised at them.'

'i hope i know, louisa,' said mr dombey, stiffly, 'how to bear myself before the world.'

'nobody better, my dear paul. nobody half so well. they would be ignorant and base indeed who doubted it.'

'ignorant and base indeed!' echoed miss tox softly.

'but,' pursued louisa, 'if you have any reliance on my experience, paul, you may rest assured that there is nothing wanting but an effort on fanny's part. and that effort,' she continued, taking off her bonnet, and adjusting her cap and gloves, in a business-like manner, 'she must be encouraged, and really, if necessary, urged to make. now, my dear paul, come upstairs with me.'

mr dombey, who, besides being generally influenced by his sister for the reason already mentioned, had really faith in her as an experienced and bustling matron, acquiesced; and followed her, at once, to the sick chamber.

the lady lay upon her bed as he had left her, clasping her little daughter to her breast. the child clung close about her, with the same intensity as before, and never raised her head, or moved her soft cheek from her mother's face, or looked on those who stood around, or spoke, or moved, or shed a tear.

'restless without the little girl,' the doctor whispered mr dombey. 'we found it best to have her in again.'

'can nothing be done?' asked mr dombey.

the doctor shook his head. 'we can do no more.'

the windows stood open, and the twilight was gathering without.

the scent of the restoratives that had been tried was pungent in the room, but had no fragrance in the dull and languid air the lady breathed.

there was such a solemn stillness round the bed; and the two medical attendants seemed to look on the impassive form with so much compassion and so little hope, that mrs chick was for the moment diverted from her purpose. but presently summoning courage, and what she called presence of mind, she sat down by the bedside, and said in the low precise tone of one who endeavours to awaken a sleeper:

'fanny! fanny!'

there was no sound in answer but the loud ticking of mr dombey's watch and doctor parker peps's watch, which seemed in the silence to be running a race.

'fanny, my dear,' said mrs chick, with assumed lightness, 'here's mr dombey come to see you. won't you speak to him? they want to lay your little boy - the baby, fanny, you know; you have hardly seen him yet, i think - in bed; but they can't till you rouse yourself a little. don't you think it's time you roused yourself a little? eh?'

she bent her ear to the bed, and listened: at the same time looking round at the bystanders, and holding up her finger.

'eh?' she repeated, 'what was it you said, fanny? i didn't hear you.'

no word or sound in answer. mr dombey's watch and dr parker peps's watch seemed to be racing faster.

'now, really, fanny my dear,' said the sister-in-law, altering her position, and speaking less confidently, and more earnestly, in spite of herself, 'i shall have to be quite cross with you, if you don't rouse yourself. it's necessary for you to make an effort, and perhaps a very great and painful effort which you are not disposed to make; but this is a world of effort you know, fanny, and we must never yield, when so much depends upon us. come! try! i must really scold you if you don't!'

the race in the ensuing pause was fierce and furious. the watches seemed to jostle, and to trip each other up.

'fanny!' said louisa, glancing round, with a gathering alarm. 'only look at me. only open your eyes to show me that you hear and understand me; will you? good heaven, gentlemen, what is to be done!'

the two medical attendants exchanged a look across the bed; and the physician, stooping down, whispered in the child's ear. not having understood the purport of his whisper, the little creature turned her perfectly colourless face and deep dark eyes towards him; but without loosening her hold in the least

the whisper was repeated.

'mama!' said the child.

the little voice, familiar and dearly loved, awakened some show of consciousness, even at that ebb. for a moment, the closed eye lids trembled, and the nostril quivered, and the faintest shadow of a smile was seen.

'mama!' cried the child sobbing aloud. 'oh dear mama! oh dear mama!'

the doctor gently brushed the scattered ringlets of the child, aside from the face and mouth of the mother. alas how calm they lay there; how little breath there was to stir them!

thus, clinging fast to that slight spar within her arms, the mother drifted out upon the dark and unknown sea that rolls round all the world.

在一间光线被遮暗了的房间的角落里，董贝坐在床边一张大扶手椅子上；他的儿子被包裹得暖和和的，躺在一个小摇篮里；这个小摇篮被考虑周到地放在紧靠着壁炉前面的一条矮矮的长靠椅上，仿佛他的体质和松饼相似，需要趁着他很新鲜的时候，把他烤成棕色。

董贝大约四十八岁。他的儿子出世大约四十八分钟。董贝的头稍稍有些秃，脸色稍稍有些红；虽然他是一位外貌漂亮、身材匀称的男子，可是神色过分严厉与傲慢，因此不能使人产生好感。他的儿子的头很秃，脸色很红；虽然他当然不可否认地是一个可爱的婴孩，可是看上去有些皱巴巴的，身上斑斑点点。时间和他的兄弟操劳——他们是一对残酷无情的孪生兄弟；当大踏步穿过人类森林的时候，他们一边走，一边砍伐——已经在董贝的前额上留下了一些痕迹，就像在一株在适当的时候要被砍倒的树上留下痕迹一样；他的儿子的脸上则被纵横交错地布满了上千道细小的的皱纹；同样是这个爱欺诈人的时间，他将用他大镰刀扁平的一面把这些皱纹抚平、消除，准备好一个表面，好让他在上面进行更深入的操作。

这桩盼望已久的大事终于来临，董贝感到兴高采烈；他玩弄着悬挂在他的整洁的蓝上衣下面的沉甸甸的金表链，让它发出了叮零叮零的响声；在远处炉火的微弱光线中，上衣钮扣像磷火一样闪烁着亮光。他的儿子紧握着卷曲的小拳头，似乎凭他那微弱的气力，正在向这突然降临到他身上的生命摆好进攻的架势。

“董贝夫人，”董贝先生说道，“我们的公司将再一次成为名副其实的董贝父子公司，而不是徒有虚名的了；董——贝父子！”

这几个字具有一种使他变得温柔起来的影响力，所以他在董贝夫人的名字后面又加上了一个表示亲爱的称呼（虽然他并不是没有经过一些迟疑才说出的，因为他毕竟是一位不习惯采用这种称呼方式的人），说道，“董贝夫人，我的——

我的亲爱的。”

那位有病的夫人抬起眼睛望他的时候，脸上片刻间泛起了由于微感惊讶而产生的红晕。

“在给他施洗礼的时候将给他命名为保罗，我的——董贝夫人——，当然是这样。”

她有气无力地重复说了“当然是这样”，或者更确切地说，只是动了动嘴唇，并没有发出声音，然后又闭上了眼睛。

“这是他爸爸的名字，董贝夫人，也是他爷爷的名字！我真但愿他爷爷能活到今天就好了！”然后他又用刚才同样的声调，说道，“董贝父子”。

这四个字表达了董贝先生生活中唯一的思想。土地创造出来是为了给董贝父子去经营商业的；太阳与月亮创造出来是为了给他们亮光。河流与海洋是为了运载他们的商船而形成的；彩虹向他们预示良好的气候；刮风对他们的企业有利或不利；星星和行星沿着轨道运行，是为了保存一个以他们为中心的神圣不可侵犯的体系。普通的缩略语在他的眼中有了新的意义，而且只和他们有关系：a．d与annodomini（公元）无关，而只是代表annodombei－andson（董贝父子纪元）。

在生与死的过程中，他跟他父亲先前一样，曾经从儿子上升为董贝；在这之后的近20年中，他是这个公司的唯一的代表。在这20年中，他结婚已有10年。有人说，他是跟一位没有把心交给他的女士结了婚，这位女士过去曾经有过幸福，后来安心让那颗破碎了的心对现状逆来顺受，安守本分。这种流言蜚语与董贝先生密切有关，因此不大可能传到他的耳朵里；如果真的传到了，那么世界上大概没有第二个人能像他那样对它完全不相信的。董贝父子公司经常经营皮革生意，但却从来不经营心的生意。他们把这个花俏的商品让给青年男女、寄宿学校和书籍去打交道了。董贝先生可能会这样来推断事理：任何一位具有常识、和他本人结婚的妇女，理所当然地一定会觉得心满意足，光彩体面；给这样一个公司生下一个新的合伙人的希望，即使在她们当中最没有野心的女性的心中也必定会唤起那光荣得意、兴奋激动的抱负来；董贝夫人签订了那份婚约就意味着她几乎必然就会成为那个高贵的、富有的家庭的一员，且不提她给那个家庭传宗接代的事了，因此她一定会完全看到这些好处；董贝夫人曾经从日常生活经验中认识到他的社会地位；董贝夫人经常坐在他的餐桌的首席，并以出色的贵夫人的风度，十分得体地履行了家庭主妇的职责；董贝夫人一定一直是幸福的，她不可能不这样。

不过，也有美中不足的地方。对了。这个缺点他是会承认的。就只有这一个缺点；但是这一个缺点却确实关系重大。他们已经结婚十年，但是直到今天，董贝先生坐在床边的大扶手椅子上，玩弄着他的沉甸甸的金表链，让它发出了叮零叮零的响声之前，他们还没有后嗣。

——没有值得一提的后嗣。大约在六年以前，他们有了一个女儿；这个孩子没有被人觉察，已经偷偷地溜进了这个房间，现在正战战兢兢地蹲在一个角落里；她从那里可以望得见她妈妈的脸孔。可是对董贝父子公司来说，一个女儿算得了什么呢！在公司的声望与尊严的资本中，这样一个孩子只不过是一枚不能用来投资的劣币——一个坏孩子——，如此而已。

然而，董贝先生这时杯子里却装满了称心满意的酒，装得很满很满，因此他甚至可以把其中的一两滴洒到他的小女儿的小径中的尘土上。

所以他说道，“弗洛伦斯，我想，如果你喜欢的话，你可以去看看你漂亮的小弟弟嘛。可别去碰他！”

女孩子朝着蓝色的上衣和笔挺的白色领带敏锐地看了一眼，这两件东西加上一双走起来格吱格吱响的长靴和一只滴答滴答走得很响的表，构成了他对父亲的概念；但是她的眼睛立刻又回到了她母亲的脸上；她没有移动，也没有回答。

不一会儿，夫人张开了眼睛，看到了女孩子；女孩子向她跑过去，然后踮起脚跟，好让脸部尽量藏到她的怀抱中，一边悲观绝望地、而又满怀深情地紧紧抱着她，女孩子的这种感情与她的年龄是很不相称的。

“啊，天主保佑我！”董贝先生急躁地站起来，说道，“这真是十分鲁莽、十分冒失的行动！也许我最好去请佩普斯大夫，劳驾他再到楼上来一趟。我就下去。我就下去。”他走到壁炉前的长靠椅边，停了片刻，又补充说道，“我想用不着我请求您，要格外小心地照看好这位年轻的先生吧，您这位——”

“布洛基特太太，先生？”护士提示道，她是一位爱装出假笑，门第已经衰微的女人；她不敢把她的姓名当作事实来陈述，而只是把它当作一个可供考虑的建议提出来。

“照看好这位年轻的先生，布洛基特太太。”

“是的，先生，当然的。我记得弗洛伦斯小姐出生的时候——”

“是的，是的，是的，”董贝先生向那个摇篮弯下身去，同时稍稍皱了一下眉头，说道，“弗洛伦斯小姐那时一切都很好，但这却是另外一码事。这位年轻的先生是命中注定要去完成一番伟大事业的。命中注定的伟大事业呵，小家伙！”当他向婴孩这样打了招呼的时候，他把他的一只手举到唇边，吻了吻它；然后，似乎害怕这个动作有损于他的尊严，就很不自然地走开了。

帕克·佩普斯大夫是宫廷医生当中的一位，在帮助重要家族增添人口方面享有很大的声誉，现在正把双手抄在背后，在客厅里走来走去；家庭医生对他的钦佩是无法用言语形容的；在过去的六个星期中，他一直在他的病人、朋友和熟人中吹嘘现在的这个病例，说他日日夜夜、时时刻刻都等待着和帕克·佩普斯大夫一起被请去进行会诊。

“唔，先生，”帕克·佩普斯大夫说道，他那清晰、深沉、洪亮的声音这时候像被布蒙住的门铃一样，减弱了；“您去看您亲爱的夫人时，您是否发现她被惊醒了？”

“她是否好像受到了刺激？”家庭医生轻声说道，同时向帕克·佩普斯大夫鞠丁个躬，好像是说，“请原谅我插了一句话，不过这是个有价值的补充。”

董贝先生被这个问题问得很为难。他在这之前很少想到过病人，所以不知道该怎么回答才好。他说，如果帕克·佩普斯大夫肯再上楼去看看的话，那么他将十分感激。

“好！我们不应当向您掩饰真情，先生，”帕克·佩普斯大夫说道，“公爵夫人——请原谅，我把姓名给混淆了；我是想说，您的和蔼可亲的夫人缺乏精力；有一定程度的虚弱，总的说来，没有灵活应变的能力，这是我们所不愿意——”

“看到的，”家庭医生插嘴道，同时又低了一下头。

“完全不错，”帕克·佩普斯大夫说道，“这是我们所不愿意看到的。看来，坎卡贝夫人的体质，对不起，我是想说董贝夫人的体质，我把病人的姓名给混淆了。”

“病人很多很多，”家庭医生低声说道，“确实，不可能指望他把他们的姓名全都记得清清楚楚——否则倒是不可思议的了——，帕克·佩普斯大夫在伦敦西区1的业务——”

“谢谢您，”大夫说道，“完全不错。我是说，看来，我们病人的体质经受了一次冲击，要希望恢复元气就只有作出很大的、有力的——”

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1伦敦西区（weat－end）：伦敦西部地区，其中有很好的公园、花园、宫殿、贵族住宅、议会及政府机构等。

“和劲头十足的，”家庭医生低声说道。

“完全不错，”大夫同意道，“和劲头十足的努力才行。皮尔金斯先生担任这个家庭的医疗顾问——，毫无疑问，没有什么人能比他更有资格担任这个职务的了。”

“啊！”家庭医生低声说道，“这是休伯特·斯坦利爵士的夸奖呢1！”

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1指诚实的夸奖。休伯特·斯坦利爵士（sirhubertstanley）是18世纪英国戏剧作家托马斯·莫顿（thomasmorton，1764—1838年）的喜剧《伤心的治疗》（acurefortheheartache）中的一个人物。

“您这么说真太客气了，”帕克·佩普斯大夫说道，“皮尔金斯先生由于担任这个职务，对病人正常状态下的体质是最为了解的（这种了解对我们在这种情况下作出诊断是十分宝贵的）；他和我一致的意见是，在目前的情况下，需要求助于生命力来作出劲头十足的努力；如果我们这位有趣的朋友董贝伯爵夫人——请原谅，董贝夫人真的不——”

“能，”家庭医生说道。

“成功地作出那样的努力的话，”帕克·佩普斯大夫说道，“那么就会出现危急的局面，那是我们两人都会衷心悲痛的。”

说完之后，他们站在那里向地上看了几秒钟。然后，帕克·佩普斯大夫默不作声地做了个手势之后，他们上了楼；家庭医生巴巴结结、毕恭毕敬地为那位杰出的专家开了房门，然后跟随在他后面。

如果说董贝先生听到这个消息并不感到忧伤的话，那对他是不公道的。可以恰当地说，他不是那种会惊慌失措或感情激动的人；但他内心总是有感觉的；如果他的妻子生了病、倒下去了的话，那么他是会感到很不愉快的；他会觉得从他的盘子、家具和其他家庭用品中间不见了一个什么东西，而这东西是很值得有的，丢弃它不能不使他感到由衷的惋惜；然而这无疑是冷淡的、照例行事的、绅士式的沉着克制的惋惜。

不久，首先是楼梯上窸窸窣窣的衣服声，然后是一位夫人突然急急忙忙地走进了房间，把他在这个问题上的沉思打断了。这位夫人已经过了中年，但却穿着得十分年轻，特别是胸衣绷得紧紧的，更显得这样；她的面容和姿态中露出一副紧张的神气，说明她正抑制着内心十分激动的情绪；她跑到他跟前，急忙伸出胳膊，搂住他的脖子，透不过气来地发出声音，说道：

“我亲爱的保罗！他真正是我们董贝家里的人哪！”

“唔，唔！”她的哥哥回答道，——因为董贝先生是她的哥哥——“我觉得他·确·实·是像我们家里的人。你别太激动了，路易莎。”

“我是很傻，”路易莎坐下，掏出一块手绢，说道，“不过，不过，他是这么完完全全地是我们董贝家里的人呵！我这一辈子还从没有见到过像这样的事！”

“可是范妮本人呢？”董贝先生问道，“范妮怎么样了？”

“我亲爱的保罗，”路易莎回答道，“什么问题也没有。请相信我的话，什么问题也没有。当然，她筋疲力竭了，不过根本不能跟我生乔治或弗雷德里克的时候相比。必须作出努力。那样就行，没有别的了。如果亲爱的范妮像我们董贝家里的人的话！——不过我想她将会作出努力的；我毫不怀疑，她将会作出努力的。她知道，我们要求她尽这个责任，因此她当然是会作出努力的。我亲爱的保罗，我从头到脚都在哆嗦、摇晃，我知道，我这样是很软弱很傻气的，可是我头昏眼花得厉害，因此我得求你给我一杯酒和一小块饼才行。当我下楼来看到亲爱的范妮和那个小东西的时候，我想我一定要从楼梯的窗口摔到外面去了。”她最后讲到小东西那几个字时，仿佛是回忆起那个小婴孩就在眼前而说出来的。

在这之后，听到了轻轻的敲门声。

“奇克夫人，”门外一个很温柔的女性的声音说道，“您好吗，我亲爱的朋友？”

“我亲爱的保罗，”路易莎从坐位上站起来，低声说道，“这是托克斯小姐。她是一位善良的人儿！没有她我怎么也到不了这里！托克斯小姐，这是我的哥哥董贝先生。保罗，我亲爱的，这是我最要好的朋友托克斯小姐。”

被这样作了特别介绍的女士是一位身材细长、消瘦的人，姿容衰败，仿佛她当初不是用亚麻布商人所说的“经久不褪色”的染料染成，而是被逐渐洗去了颜色似的。要不是这一点，她真可以称得上是殷勤与礼貌的鲜丽化身了。她长期以来养成一个习惯，就是对当面对她所说的一切，她都令人钦佩地热心听着，而且看着说话的人，仿佛她心里正在把他的形象刻印在她的心灵上，直到生命停止之前永远也不与它分离似的；由于这样一种习惯，她的头这时已经歪向一边。她的手得了一种痉挛性的习惯，仿佛出于情不自禁的钦佩而会自动地举起来。她的眼睛也容易受到类似的影响。她的声音是最温柔悦耳的；她的鼻子是个很大的鹰钩鼻，在鼻梁的正中间长着一个小小的肉瘤，鼻子从这里往脸上伸下去，仿佛它已下定了不可动摇的决心，不论在什么情况下也决不再翘起来似的。

托克斯小姐的衣服虽然完全合乎上流社会的风格，质料也是好的，但却有些难看和单薄。她习惯在有带的软帽上和便帽上装饰一些奇怪的、枯萎了的小花。在她的头发中间有时还可以看到一些奇怪的草。那些富于好奇心的人注意到，她的衣领、褶边、围巾、袖口以及其他轻而薄的物品——实际上她所穿的凡是两端可以连接起来的一切东西——，这两端的关系从来都不和好，它们一相遇决不会没有一番搏斗的。她在冬天穿着毛皮的物品——如斗篷、围巾、手筒——，那些毛全都暴怒似地根根竖立，一点也不光滑柔软。她十分喜欢携带有按扣的小袋子，当把袋子合上的时候，按扣就像小手枪一样劈啪直响。当她穿礼服的时候，她在脖子上挂了一个极为质朴的小金盒，它的形状是一只没有光泽、看不出有任何神情的老眼睛。这些以及其他类似的一些现象使得一种看法流传开来：托克斯小姐是一位所谓资产有限的女士，她把这点资产充分利用了。她用小步走路的步态可能更促使人们相信这一点，并且使人觉得，她把普通跨度的一步分成两步或三步，就起因于她有充分利用一切事物的习惯。

“这是真的，”托克斯小姐行了一个不同寻常的屈膝礼，说道，“有幸被介绍给董贝先生认识，这是我久已盼望得到的光荣，可是我千万没有料想到就在现在。我亲爱的奇克夫人——

我是否可以称您为路易莎？”

奇克夫人把托克斯小姐的手握在她的手里，把酒杯的底座放在她的手上，并忍住一滴眼泪，低声说道，“上帝保佑您！”

“我亲爱的路易莎，”托克斯小姐说道，“我可爱的朋友，您现在觉得怎么样了？”

“好些了，”奇克夫人回答道，“喝点酒吧。您一直几乎跟我一样焦急不安，毫无疑问，一定需要喝点酒了。”

董贝先生自然尽了东道主的情谊。

“保罗，”奇克夫人仍旧握着她的手，继续说道，“托克斯小姐知道我一直万分关怀地期待着今天这件事情，她就忙着给范妮做了一个小礼物，我答应把它送给她。这只不过是一个可以摆在梳妆台上的针插，保罗，但是我说，我将要说，我必须说，托克斯小姐所表达的感情十分美妙地适合当前的情况。‘欢迎小董贝’，我说，这是一首诗！”

“这是针插上的题词吗？”她的哥哥问道。

“这是针插上的题词，”路易莎回答道。

“不过，您得记住下面的情形，这对我才是公道的，我亲爱的路易莎，”托克斯小姐用低沉的、恳切的、请求的声调说道，“只是由于——我表达我的思想有些困难——只是由于最后是男是女当时不能肯定，这才使我很冒昧地采用了这样的题词。‘欢迎您，董贝少爷！’这才更确切地符合我的感情，我相信您是知道的。不过，我希望，这天使般新来的客人的不确定性，能成为原谅我的理由，否则那就会显得是不谅解我的冒昧了。”托克斯小姐说时向董贝先生优雅地鞠了一个躬，董贝先生和蔼亲切地还了礼。甚至在上面谈话中对董贝父子公司所表示的敬意也很投合他的心意，因此虽然他爱把他的妹妹奇克夫人看作是个软弱的、性格善良的人，但她对他的影响也许比任何人都更大。

“好啦，”奇克夫人亲切地微笑了一下，说道，“在这之后，我对范妮一切都宽恕了！”

这是按照基督精神所作的一项声明，奇克夫人说了以后觉得心情轻松了。并不是她有什么具体的事情需要宽恕她的嫂子，确实也没有任何事情需要她宽恕的，只有一个例外，就是她嫁给了她的哥哥——这件事情本身是大胆无礼的——，而且随着时间的推移，又生了一个女孩子，而不是男孩子；奇克夫人常常提起这件事，说这完全不符合她的期望，也不是她这位嫂子对她所受到的一切厚待与光荣所应作出的令人愉快的报答。

董贝先生这时被急忙请求离开，房间里只剩下两位女士在一起。托克斯小姐立刻痉挛起来。

“我早知道您会仰慕我哥哥的。我以前跟您说过，我亲爱的，”路易莎说道。

托克斯小姐的手和眼睛表示出她是多么仰慕。

“至于他的财产，我亲爱的！”

“啊！”托克斯小姐怀着深切的感情说道。

“大得——不得了！”

“啊，他的品行，我亲爱的路易莎！”托克斯小姐说道，“他的仪表！他的尊严！我这一生中所见到过的肖像没有一个能完全具备这些优美的品质，一半也没有。多么庄严，您知道，多么坚决，胸膛是多么宽阔，身躯是多么挺直！他是一位财力雄厚的约克郡1公爵，我亲爱的，不比约克郡公爵欠缺什么！”托克斯小姐说道。“我要这样称呼他。”

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1约克郡（yorkshire）：英格兰北部的一个郡。

“你怎么了，我亲爱的保罗！”他妹妹看到他回来的时候，高声喊道，“你的脸色这么苍白！没出什么事吧？”

“我很遗憾地告诉你，路易莎，他们告诉我，范妮——”

“啊，我亲爱的保罗！”他的妹妹站起来，说道，“别相信它！如果你觉得我的经验可靠的话，那么，保罗，你尽可以放心，只要范妮作出努力就行；”她有条有理地脱下软帽，整整便帽和手套，继续说道，“应该鼓励她作出那个努力；真的，如果必要的话，那就应该强迫她作出那个努力。我亲爱的保罗，现在请跟我一起上楼去。”

董贝先生除了由于前面所说的理由一般受他的妹妹的影响外，还把她当作一位有经验的和能干的主妇，真正相信她，所以默默地同意，立刻跟着她到病人的房间里去。

他的夫人就像他离开她时那样躺在床上，把她的小女儿紧紧地抱在怀中。这个女孩子怀着跟先前一样强烈的感情，紧紧地抱着她，从不抬起头，或把脸颊从她妈妈的脸上移开，或看看站在周围的人们，或说句话，或移动身子，或掉一滴眼泪。

“没有小女孩在身边她就烦躁不安，”大夫对董贝先生低声说道，“因此我们觉得最好还是让她重新进来。”

病床周围一片深沉的寂静；两位医生似乎十分同情而又很少希望地看着这个失去知觉的人，因此奇克夫人一时忘掉了她到这里来的目的，可是她立刻鼓起勇气，并像她所说的，镇静下来，在床边坐下，并用一个竭力想要唤醒一位睡眠者的人的那种同样低微的声调，喊道：

“范妮！范妮！”

没有回答的声音，而只有董贝先生的表和帕克·佩普斯大夫的表的滴嗒滴嗒走得很响的声音。这两只表似乎正在寂静中赛跑。

“范妮，我亲爱的，”奇克夫人假装出轻松愉快的语气，说道，“董贝先生到这里来看您了。您是不是要跟他讲话？他们想把您的小男孩放到床上——范妮，您知道，就是那个小娃娃，我想您还没有看到过他吧！不过，他们不能放，除非您把精神稍稍振作起来一些才行。您是不是认为，这该是您把精神振作起来一些的时候了？嗯？”

她把耳朵凑近床上听着，一边向四周站着的人环视着，并举起一个指头。

“嗯？”她重复说道，“您说什么，范妮？我听不见。”

没有一个字，也没有一个声音回答。董贝先生的表与帕克·佩普斯大夫的表似乎跑得更快了。

“啊，真的，我亲爱的范妮，”她的小姑子说道；她改变了姿势，不由自主地说得不很有信心，但却更认真了，“如果您不振作起精神的话，那么我就不得不跟您生气了。您有必要作出努力，也许是您不愿作出的很大的、很痛苦的努力；可是您知道，这是个需要作出努力的世界呀，范妮；当这么多的事情取决于我们的时候，我们应该永不退让。来吧，试一试吧！如果您不试的话，那么我真的一定要骂您了！”

在随即而来的沉寂中，两只表的赛跑是猛烈的、狂暴的。

它们似乎在相互推撞，相互绊倒对方。

“范妮！”路易莎怀着愈益增长的恐怖，环视四周，说道，“只要看我一下就行。只要张开您的眼睛表示一下您听到了我的话，明白了我的话就行，好不好？我的天呀，先生们，现在该怎么办呢！”

两位医生隔着床交换了一下眼光。家庭医生弯下身子，在女孩子的耳旁轻声地说了一些什么。小女孩子没有听懂他耳语的意思，向他转过她的毫无血色的面孔和凹陷的、乌黑的眼睛，但丝毫没有放松她的拥抱。

家庭医生又把他的耳语重复了一次。

“妈妈！”女孩子说道。

这熟悉的、受到热烈喜爱的孩子的声音把甚至是那么奄奄一息的知觉也唤醒过来，稍稍地显示了一下。片刻间，闭合的眼睑颤动了一下，鼻孔翕动了一下，还可以看到那极为微弱的笑影。

“妈妈！”女孩子大声地抽泣着，喊道。“啊，亲爱的妈妈！

啊，亲爱的妈妈！”

大夫轻轻地把女孩子散乱的长卷发从母亲的脸上和嘴上拂开。啊，它们是多么安静地躺在那里，呼吸是多么微弱，它不能把它们吹动了！

就这样，母亲用她的胳膊紧紧地抱住那根不结实的圆材，在环绕全世界的黑暗的、未知的海洋上漂流出去了。