in which timely provision is made for an emergency that will sometimes arise in the best-regulated families

'i shall never cease to congratulate myself,' said mrs chick,' on having said, when i little thought what was in store for us, - really as if i was inspired by something, - that i forgave poor dear fanny everything. whatever happens, that must always be a comfort to me!'

mrs chick made this impressive observation in the drawing-room, after having descended thither from the inspection of the mantua-makers upstairs, who were busy on the family mourning. she delivered it for the behoof of mr chick, who was a stout bald gentleman, with a very large face, and his hands continually in his pockets, and who had a tendency in his nature to whistle and hum tunes, which, sensible of the indecorum of such sounds in a house of grief, he was at some pains to repress at present.

'don't you over-exert yourself, loo,' said mr chick, 'or you'll be laid up with spasms, i see. right tol loor rul! bless my soul, i forgot! we're here one day and gone the next!'

mrs chick contented herself with a glance of reproof, and then proceeded with the thread of her discourse.

'i am sure,' she said, 'i hope this heart-rending occurrence will be a warning to all of us, to accustom ourselves to rouse ourselves, and to make efforts in time where they're required of us. there's a moral in everything, if we would only avail ourselves of it. it will be our own faults if we lose sight of this one.'

mr chick invaded the grave silence which ensued on this remark with the singularly inappropriate air of 'a cobbler there was;' and checking himself, in some confusion, observed, that it was undoubtedly our own faults if we didn't improve such melancholy occasions as the present.

'which might be better improved, i should think, mr c.,' retorted his helpmate, after a short pause, 'than by the introduction, either of the college hornpipe, or the equally unmeaning and unfeeling remark of rump-te-iddity, bow-wow-wow!' - which mr chick had indeed indulged in, under his breath, and which mrs chick repeated in a tone of withering scorn.

'merely habit, my dear,' pleaded mr chick.

'nonsense! habit!' returned his wife. 'if you're a rational being, don't make such ridiculous excuses. habit! if i was to get a habit (as you call it) of walking on the ceiling, like the flies, i should hear enough of it, i daresay.

it appeared so probable that such a habit might be attended with some degree of notoriety, that mr chick didn't venture to dispute the position.

'bow-wow-wow!' repeated mrs chick with an emphasis of blighting contempt on the last syllable. 'more like a professional singer with the hydrophobia, than a man in your station of life!'

'how's the baby, loo?' asked mr chick: to change the subject.

'what baby do you mean?' answered mrs chick.

'the poor bereaved little baby,' said mr chick. 'i don't know of any other, my dear.'

'you don't know of any other,'retorted mrs chick. 'more shame for you, i was going to say.

mr chick looked astonished.

'i am sure the morning i have had, with that dining-room downstairs, one mass of babies, no one in their senses would believe.'

'one mass of babies!' repeated mr chick, staring with an alarmed expression about him.

'it would have occurred to most men,' said mrs chick, 'that poor dear fanny being no more, - those words of mine will always be a balm and comfort to me,' here she dried her eyes; 'it becomes necessary to provide a nurse.'

'oh! ah!' said mr chick. 'toor-ru! - such is life, i mean. i hope you are suited, my dear.'

'indeed i am not,' said mrs chick; 'nor likely to be, so far as i can see, and in the meantime the poor child seems likely to be starved to death. paul is so very particular - naturally so, of course, having set his whole heart on this one boy - and there are so many objections to everybody that offers, that i don't see, myself, the least chance of an arrangement. meanwhile, of course, the child is - '

'going to the devil,' said mr chick, thoughtfully, 'to be sure.'

admonished, however, that he had committed himself, by the indignation expressed in mrs chick's countenance at the idea of a dombey going there; and thinking to atone for his misconduct by a bright suggestion, he added:

'couldn't something temporary be done with a teapot?'

if he had meant to bring the subject prematurely to a close, he could not have done it more effectually. after looking at him for some moments in silent resignation, mrs chick said she trusted he hadn't said it in aggravation, because that would do very little honour to his heart. she trusted he hadn't said it seriously, because that would do very little honour to his head. as in any case, he couldn't, however sanguine his disposition, hope to offer a remark that would be a greater outrage on human nature in general, we would beg to leave the discussion at that point.

mrs chick then walked majestically to the window and peeped through the blind, attracted by the sound of wheels. mr chick, finding that his destiny was, for the time, against him, said no more, and walked off. but it was not always thus with mr chick. he was often in the ascendant himself, and at those times punished louisa roundly. in their matrimonial bickerings they were, upon the whole, a well-matched, fairly-balanced, give-and-take couple. it would have been, generally speaking, very difficult to have betted on the winner. often when mr chick seemed beaten, he would suddenly make a start, turn the tables, clatter them about the ears of mrs chick, and carry all before him. being liable himself to similar unlooked for checks from mrs chick, their little contests usually possessed a character of uncertainty that was very animating.

miss tox had arrived on the wheels just now alluded to, and came running into the room in a breathless condition. 'my dear louisa,'said miss tox, 'is the vacancy still unsupplied?'

'you good soul, yes,' said mrs chick.

'then, my dear louisa,' returned miss tox, 'i hope and believe - but in one moment, my dear, i'll introduce the party.'

running downstairs again as fast as she had run up, miss tox got the party out of the hackney-coach, and soon returned with it under convoy.

it then appeared that she had used the word, not in its legal or business acceptation, when it merely expresses an individual, but as a noun of multitude, or signifying many: for miss tox escorted a plump rosy-cheeked wholesome apple-faced young woman, with an infant in her arms; a younger woman not so plump, but apple-faced also, who led a plump and apple-faced child in each hand; another plump and also apple-faced boy who walked by himself; and finally, a plump and apple-faced man, who carried in his arms another plump and apple-faced boy, whom he stood down on the floor, and admonished, in a husky whisper, to 'kitch hold of his brother johnny.'

'my dear louisa,' said miss tox, 'knowing your great anxiety, and wishing to relieve it, i posted off myself to the queen charlotte's royal married females,' which you had forgot, and put the question, was there anybody there that they thought would suit? no, they said there was not. when they gave me that answer, i do assure you, my dear, i was almost driven to despair on your account. but it did so happen, that one of the royal married females, hearing the inquiry, reminded the matron of another who had gone to her own home, and who, she said, would in all likelihood be most satisfactory. the moment i heard this, and had it corroborated by the matron - excellent references and unimpeachable character - i got the address, my dear, and posted off again.'

'like the dear good tox, you are!' said louisa.

'not at all,' returned miss tox. 'don't say so. arriving at the house (the cleanest place, my dear! you might eat your dinner off the floor), i found the whole family sitting at table; and feeling that no account of them could be half so comfortable to you and mr dombey as the sight of them all together, i brought them all away. this gentleman,' said miss tox, pointing out the apple-faced man, 'is the father. will you have the goodness to come a little forward, sir?'

the apple-faced man having sheepishly complied with this request, stood chuckling and grinning in a front row.

'this is his wife, of course,' said miss tox, singling out the young woman with the baby. 'how do you do, polly?'

'i'm pretty well, i thank you, ma'am,' said polly.

by way of bringing her out dexterously, miss tox had made the inquiry as in condescension to an old acquaintance whom she hadn't seen for a fortnight or so.

'i'm glad to hear it,' said miss tox. 'the other young woman is her unmarried sister who lives with them, and would take care of her children. her name's jemima. how do you do, jemima?'

'i'm pretty well, i thank you, ma'am,' returned jemima.

'i'm very glad indeed to hear it,' said miss tox. 'i hope you'll keep so. five children. youngest six weeks. the fine little boy with the blister on his nose is the eldest the blister, i believe,' said miss tox, looking round upon the family, 'is not constitutional, but accidental?'

the apple-faced man was understood to growl, 'flat iron.

'i beg your pardon, sir,' said miss tox, 'did you?

'flat iron,' he repeated.

'oh yes,' said miss tox. 'yes! quite true. i forgot. the little creature, in his mother's absence, smelt a warm flat iron. you're quite right, sir. you were going to have the goodness to inform me, when we arrived at the door that you were by trade a - '

'stoker,' said the man.

'a choker!' said miss tox, quite aghast.

'stoker,' said the man. 'steam ingine.'

'oh-h! yes!' returned miss tox, looking thoughtfully at him, and seeming still to have but a very imperfect understanding of his meaning.

'and how do you like it, sir?'

'which, mum?' said the man.

'that,' replied miss tox. 'your trade.'

'oh! pretty well, mum. the ashes sometimes gets in here;' touching his chest: 'and makes a man speak gruff, as at the present time. but it is ashes, mum, not crustiness.'

miss tox seemed to be so little enlightened by this reply, as to find a difficulty in pursuing the subject. but mrs chick relieved her, by entering into a close private examination of polly, her children, her marriage certificate, testimonials, and so forth. polly coming out unscathed from this ordeal, mrs chick withdrew with her report to her brother's room, and as an emphatic comment on it, and corroboration of it, carried the two rosiest little toodles with her. toodle being the family name of the apple-faced family.

mr dombey had remained in his own apartment since the death of his wife, absorbed in visions of the youth, education, and destination of his baby son. something lay at the bottom of his cool heart, colder and heavier than its ordinary load; but it was more a sense of the child's loss than his own, awakening within him an almost angry sorrow. that the life and progress on which he built such hopes, should be endangered in the outset by so mean a want; that dombey and son should be tottering for a nurse, was a sore humiliation. and yet in his pride and jealousy, he viewed with so much bitterness the thought of being dependent for the very first step towards the accomplishment of his soul's desire, on a hired serving-woman who would be to the child, for the time, all that even his alliance could have made his own wife, that in every new rejection of a candidate he felt a secret pleasure. the time had now come, however, when he could no longer be divided between these two sets of feelings. the less so, as there seemed to be no flaw in the title of polly toodle after his sister had set it forth, with many commendations on the indefatigable friendship of miss tox.

'these children look healthy,' said mr dombey. 'but my god, to think of their some day claiming a sort of relationship to paul!'

' but what relationship is there!' louisa began -

'is there!' echoed mr dombey, who had not intended his sister to participate in the thought he had unconsciously expressed. 'is there, did you say, louisa!'

'can there be, i mean - '

'why none,' said mr dombey, sternly. 'the whole world knows that, i presume. grief has not made me idiotic, louisa. take them away, louisa! let me see this woman and her husband.'

mrs chick bore off the tender pair of toodles, and presently returned with that tougher couple whose presence her brother had commanded.

'my good woman,' said mr dombey, turning round in his easy chair, as one piece, and not as a man with limbs and joints, 'i understand you are poor, and wish to earn money by nursing the little boy, my son, who has been so prematurely deprived of what can never be replaced. i have no objection to your adding to the comforts of your family by that means. so far as i can tell, you seem to be a deserving object. but i must impose one or two conditions on you, before you enter my house in that capacity. while you are here, i must stipulate that you are always known as - say as richards - an ordinary name, and convenient. have you any objection to be known as richards? you had better consult your husband.'

'well?' said mr dombey, after a pretty long pause. 'what does your husband say to your being called richards?'

as the husband did nothing but chuckle and grin, and continually draw his right hand across his mouth, moistening the palm, mrs toodle, after nudging him twice or thrice in vain, dropped a curtsey and replied 'that perhaps if she was to be called out of her name, it would be considered in the wages.'

'oh, of course,' said mr dombey. 'i desire to make it a question of wages, altogether. now, richards, if you nurse my bereaved child, i wish you to remember this always. you will receive a liberal stipend in return for the discharge of certain duties, in the performance of which, i wish you to see as little of your family as possible. when those duties cease to be required and rendered, and the stipend ceases to be paid, there is an end of all relations between us. do you understand me?'

mrs toodle seemed doubtful about it; and as to toodle himself, he had evidently no doubt whatever, that he was all abroad.

'you have children of your own,' said mr dombey. 'it is not at all in this bargain that you need become attached to my child, or that my child need become attached to you. i don't expect or desire anything of the kind. quite the reverse. when you go away from here, you will have concluded what is a mere matter of bargain and sale, hiring and letting: and will stay away. the child will cease to remember you; and you will cease, if you please, to remember the child.'

mrs toodle, with a little more colour in her cheeks than she had had before, said 'she hoped she knew her place.'

'i hope you do, richards,' said mr dombey. 'i have no doubt you know it very well. indeed it is so plain and obvious that it could hardly be otherwise. louisa, my dear, arrange with richards about money, and let her have it when and how she pleases. mr what's-your name, a word with you, if you please!'

thus arrested on the threshold as he was following his wife out of the room, toodle returned and confronted mr dombey alone. he was a strong, loose, round-shouldered, shuffling, shaggy fellow, on whom his clothes sat negligently: with a good deal of hair and whisker, deepened in its natural tint, perhaps by smoke and coal-dust: hard knotty hands: and a square forehead, as coarse in grain as the bark of an oak. a thorough contrast in all respects, to mr dombey, who was one of those close-shaved close-cut moneyed gentlemen who are glossy and crisp like new bank-notes, and who seem to be artificially braced and tightened as by the stimulating action of golden showerbaths.

'you have a son, i believe?' said mr dombey.

'four on 'em, sir. four hims and a her. all alive!'

'why, it's as much as you can afford to keep them!' said mr dombey.

'i couldn't hardly afford but one thing in the world less, sir.'

'what is that?'

'to lose 'em, sir.'

'can you read?' asked mr dombey.

'why, not partick'ler, sir.'

'write?'

'with chalk, sir?'

'with anything?'

'i could make shift to chalk a little bit, i think, if i was put to it,' said toodle after some reflection.

'and yet,' said mr dombey, 'you are two or three and thirty, i suppose?'

'thereabouts, i suppose, sir,' answered toodle, after more reflection

'then why don't you learn?' asked mr dombey.

'so i'm a going to, sir. one of my little boys is a going to learn me, when he's old enough, and been to school himself.'

'well,' said mr dombey, after looking at him attentively, and with no great favour, as he stood gazing round the room (principally round the ceiling) and still drawing his hand across and across his mouth. 'you heard what i said to your wife just now?'

'polly heerd it,' said toodle, jerking his hat over his shoulder in the direction of the door, with an air of perfect confidence in his better half. 'it's all right.'

'but i ask you if you heard it. you did, i suppose, and understood it?' pursued mr dombey.

'i heerd it,' said toodle, 'but i don't know as i understood it rightly sir, 'account of being no scholar, and the words being - ask your pardon - rayther high. but polly heerd it. it's all right.'

'as you appear to leave everything to her,' said mr dombey, frustrated in his intention of impressing his views still more distinctly on the husband, as the stronger character, 'i suppose it is of no use my saying anything to you.'

'not a bit,' said toodle. 'polly heerd it. she's awake, sir.'

'i won't detain you any longer then,' returned mr dombey, disappointed. 'where have you worked all your life?'

'mostly underground, sir, 'till i got married. i come to the level then. i'm a going on one of these here railroads when they comes into full play.'

as he added in one of his hoarse whispers, 'we means to bring up little biler to that line,' mr dombey inquired haughtily who little biler was.

'the eldest on 'em, sir,' said toodle, with a smile. 'it ain't a common name. sermuchser that when he was took to church the gen'lm'n said, it wam't a chris'en one, and he couldn't give it. but we always calls him biler just the same. for we don't mean no harm. not we.

'do you mean to say, man,' inquired mr dombey; looking at him with marked displeasure, 'that you have called a child after a boiler?'

'no, no, sir,' returned toodle, with a tender consideration for his mistake. 'i should hope not! no, sir. arter a biler sir. the steamingine was a'most as good as a godfather to him, and so we called him biler, don't you see!'

as the last straw breaks the laden camel's back, this piece of information crushed the sinking spirits of mr dombey. he motioned his child's foster-father to the door, who departed by no means unwillingly: and then turning the key, paced up and down the room in solitary wretchedness.

it would be harsh, and perhaps not altogether true, to say of him that he felt these rubs and gratings against his pride more keenly than he had felt his wife's death: but certainly they impressed that event upon him with new force, and communicated to it added weight and bitterness. it was a rude shock to his sense of property in his child, that these people - the mere dust of the earth, as he thought them - should be necessary to him; and it was natural that in proportion as he felt disturbed by it, he should deplore the occurrence which had made them so. for all his starched, impenetrable dignity and composure, he wiped blinding tears from his eyes as he paced up and down his room; and often said, with an emotion of which he would not, for the world, have had a witness, 'poor little fellow!'

it may have been characteristic of mr dombey's pride, that he pitied himself through the child. not poor me. not poor widower, confiding by constraint in the wife of an ignorant hind who has been working 'mostly underground' all his life, and yet at whose door death had never knocked, and at whose poor table four sons daily sit - but poor little fellow!

those words being on his lips, it occurred to him - and it is an instance of the strong attraction with which his hopes and fears and all his thoughts were tending to one centre - that a great temptation was being placed in this woman's way. her infant was a boy too. now, would it be possible for her to change them?

though he was soon satisfied that he had dismissed the idea as romantic and unlikely - though possible, there was no denying - he could not help pursuing it so far as to entertain within himself a picture of what his condition would be, if he should discover such an imposture when he was grown old. whether a man so situated would be able to pluck away the result of so many years of usage, confidence, and belief, from the impostor, and endow a stranger with it?

but it was idle speculating thus. it couldn't happen. in a moment afterwards he determined that it could, but that such women were constantly observed, and had no opportunity given them for the accomplishment of such a design, even when they were so wicked as to entertain it. in another moment, he was remembering how few such cases seemed to have ever happened. in another moment he was wondering whether they ever happened and were not found out.

as his unusual emotion subsided, these misgivings gradually melted away, though so much of their shadow remained behind, that he was constant in his resolution to look closely after richards himself, without appearing to do so. being now in an easier frame of mind, he regarded the woman's station as rather an advantageous circumstance than otherwise, by placing, in itself, a broad distance between her and the child, and rendering their separation easy and natural. thence he passed to the contemplation of the future glories of dombey and son, and dismissed the memory of his wife, for the time being, with a tributary sigh or two.

meanwhile terms were ratified and agreed upon between mrs chick and richards, with the assistance of miss tox; and richards being with much ceremony invested with the dombey baby, as if it were an order, resigned her own, with many tears and kisses, to jemima. glasses of wine were then produced, to sustain the drooping spirits of the family; and miss tox, busying herself in dispensing 'tastes' to the younger branches, bred them up to their father's business with such surprising expedition, that she made chokers of four of them in a quarter of a minute.

'you'll take a glass yourself, sir, won't you?' said miss tox, as toodle appeared.

'thankee, mum,' said toodle, 'since you are suppressing.'

'and you're very glad to leave your dear good wife in such a comfortable home, ain't you, sir?'said miss tox, nodding and winking at him stealthily.

'no, mum,' said toodle. 'here's wishing of her back agin.'

polly cried more than ever at this. so mrs chick, who had her matronly apprehensions that this indulgence in grief might be prejudicial to the little dombey ('acid, indeed,' she whispered miss tox), hastened to the rescue.

'your little child will thrive charmingly with your sister jemima, richards,' said mrs chick; 'and you have only to make an effort - this is a world of effort, you know, richards - to be very happy indeed. you have been already measured for your mourning, haven't you, richards?'

'ye - es, ma'am,' sobbed polly.

'and it'll fit beautifully. i know,' said mrs chick, 'for the same young person has made me many dresses. the very best materials, too!'

'lor, you'll be so smart,' said miss tox, 'that your husband won't know you; will you, sir?'

'i should know her,' said toodle, gruffly, 'anyhows and anywheres.'

toodle was evidently not to be bought over.

'as to living, richards, you know,' pursued mrs chick, 'why, the very best of everything will be at your disposal. you will order your little dinner every day; and anything you take a fancy to, i'm sure will be as readily provided as if you were a lady.'

'yes to be sure!' said miss tox, keeping up the ball with great sympathy. 'and as to porter! - quite unlimited, will it not, louisa?'

'oh, certainly!' returned mrs chick in the same tone. 'with a little abstinence, you know, my dear, in point of vegetables.'

'and pickles, perhaps,' suggested miss tox.

'with such exceptions,' said louisa, 'she'll consult her choice entirely, and be under no restraint at all, my love.'

'and then, of course, you know,' said miss tox, 'however fond she is of her own dear little child - and i'm sure, louisa, you don't blame her for being fond of it?'

'oh no!' cried mrs chick, benignantly.

'still,' resumed miss tox, 'she naturally must be interested in her young charge, and must consider it a privilege to see a little cherub connected with the superior classes, gradually unfolding itself from day to day at one common fountain- is it not so, louisa?'

'most undoubtedly!' said mrs chick. 'you see, my love, she's already quite contented and comfortable, and means to say goodbye to her sister jemima and her little pets, and her good honest husband, with a light heart and a smile; don't she, my dear?'

'oh yes!' cried miss tox. 'to be sure she does!'

notwithstanding which, however, poor polly embraced them all round in great distress, and coming to her spouse at last, could not make up her mind to part from him, until he gently disengaged himself, at the close of the following allegorical piece of consolation:

'polly, old 'ooman, whatever you do, my darling, hold up your head and fight low. that's the only rule as i know on, that'll carry anyone through life. you always have held up your head and fought low, polly. do it now, or bricks is no longer so. god bless you, polly! me and j'mima will do your duty by you; and with relating to your'n, hold up your head and fight low, polly, and you can't go wrong!'

fortified by this golden secret, folly finally ran away to avoid any more particular leave-taking between herself and the children. but the stratagem hardly succeeded as well as it deserved; for the smallest boy but one divining her intent, immediately began swarming upstairs after her - if that word of doubtful etymology be admissible - on his arms and legs; while the eldest (known in the family by the name of biler, in remembrance of the steam engine) beat a demoniacal tattoo with his boots, expressive of grief; in which he was joined by the rest of the family.

a quantity of oranges and halfpence thrust indiscriminately on each young toodle, checked the first violence of their regret, and the family were speedily transported to their own home, by means of the hackney-coach kept in waiting for that purpose. the children, under the guardianship of jemima, blocked up the window, and dropped out oranges and halfpence all the way along. mr toodle himself preferred to ride behind among the spikes, as being the mode of conveyance to which he was best accustomed.

在管理得极好的家庭中有时是会发生这种突然事件的

“我说过，”奇克夫人说道，“对可怜的亲爱的范妮我一切都宽恕了，这一点我将永远感到庆幸；那时候我根本没有预料到将会发生什么事情，那时候我确实仿佛是得到了什么灵感似的。不论怎么样，这句话对我来说永远是一个安慰！”

奇克夫人这些令人难忘的话是她在楼上监视女衣裁缝忙着给这个家庭缝制丧服之后，下到客厅里的时候说的。她发表这些意见是为了点拨奇克先生而说给他听的。奇克先生是一位肥壮的、秃顶的先生，脸很大，两只手老插在衣袋里，生性爱吹口哨和哼曲子；他知道，在一个沉浸在悲痛气氛的家庭里发出这种声音是不合礼节的，所以现在正竭力克制着自己。

“别操劳过度了，路，”奇克先生说道，“要不然你就会发生痉挛而卧床不起了！托鲁鲁！托鲁鲁！哎呀，我忘了！我们今天还在这个世界上，明天就可能一命呜呼了！”

奇克夫人责备地看了他一眼，也就罢了，然后接着刚才的话头，继续说下去。

“说实在的，”她说道，“我希望，发生了这件令人伤心的事情，对我们大家来说将是个警告：我们必须习惯于振作起精神，而且当需要的时候，我们就必须及时作出努力。只要我们善于吸取，从每一件事情中都可以吸取教训。如果我们现在看不到这个教训的话，那么这将是我们自己的过错。”

在这番议论发表之后，随之而来的是肃静无声，但奇克先生哼了一个非常不适宜的曲子《有一个补鞋匠》，因此就把它打破了；他有些慌乱地纠正了自己之后说，如果我们不利用这种悲伤的机会来吸取一些教训的话，那么这将无疑是我们自己的过错。

“我想，奇克先生，”他的妻子在短时间的沉默之后，回答道，“如果你不去哼《学院号角》或不去哼‘拉姆特伊迪替，波乌乌’之类同样没有意义、没有感情的曲调的话，那么就可以更好地利用这个机会了。”——奇克先生确实压低了嗓子哼着那些曲调取乐，奇克夫人则用无比轻蔑的声调重复地哼着它们。

“这不过是习惯罢了，我亲爱的，”奇克先生辩护道。

“胡扯！习惯！”他的妻子回答道，“如果你是个有理性的动物，你就别作出这样可笑的辩解。习惯！如果我得了一个像你所说的习惯，像苍蝇一样在天花板上走来走去，那么我想我对这就会听够了。”

看来这个习惯很可能在一定程度上会带来不好的名声，所以奇克先生不敢再进行争辩。

“婴孩怎么样了，路？”奇克先生改变话题，说道。

“你说的是哪个婴孩？”奇克夫人反问道，“说实在的，头脑健全的人谁也不会相信，今天早上我在楼下餐厅里见到了一大群婴孩。”

“一大群婴孩？”奇克先生重复道，一边露出惊慌的神色，张大眼睛，向四周环视着。

“大多数的男子都会想到，”奇克夫人说道，“因为可怜的亲爱的范妮已经不在了，这样就有必要去物色一个奶妈。”

“哦！啊！”奇克先生说道，“托—鲁—我要说，这就是生活。我希望你已物色到一个中意的，我亲爱的。”

“我确实没有物色到一个中意的，”奇克夫人说道，“照我看，也不大可能物色到了。当然，在这期间，这孩子——”

“将见鬼去了，”奇克先生若有所思地说道，“一定的。”

可是奇克夫人一听见他们董贝家里的一个人竟会去到那里去时，脸上露出的愤怒的神色警告他，他已犯了一个大错误。为了补救他的过失，他就提出了一个巧妙的建议，说道：

“难道不能临时用茶壶来喂奶吗？”

如果他有意赶快结束这个话题的话，那么他不可能比这取得更大的成功了。奇克夫人默不作声，无可奈何地看了他一会儿之后，辚辚的车轮声吸引了她的注意，她就威风凛凛地走到窗前，通过百叶窗向外窥视。奇克先生觉得现在命运跟他作对，于是不再说什么，就走出房间去了。不过奇克先生的情况并不总是这样的。他常常占据优势，在这种时候他就严厉地惩罚路易莎。他们在夫妻争吵中总的来说是旗鼓相当，势均力敌，针锋相对的一对。一般说来，很难打赌说，谁一定会赢。时常当奇克先生似乎已被打败了的时候，他会突然发动反攻，扭转局势，在奇克夫人的耳边耀武扬威，终于大获全胜。由于他本人同样也可能遭到奇克夫人的突然袭击，所以他们的小吵小闹通常具有变化不定的特色。这是很富有生气的。

托克斯小姐乘着我们刚刚提到的车子来到，气喘吁吁地跑进房间。

“我亲爱的路易莎，”托克斯小姐说道，“是不是还没有找到奶妈？”

“还没有呢，我的好人儿，”奇克夫人说道。

“那么，我亲爱的路易莎，”托克斯小姐回答道，“我希望，并且相信——不过，等一会儿，我亲爱的，我将把当事人，介绍给您。”

托克斯小姐像跑上楼来一样快地跑下楼去，把当事人从出租马车中扶出，并立刻护送着回到楼上。

原来她并不是按照法律上或商业上的意义来使用当事人这个词（在这种场合，这个词只表示一个人），而是把它作为一个群体名词来使用的，也就是说，它是表示许多人的。因为托克斯小姐护送来的是：一位肥胖的、脸颊红润的、身体健全的、脸长得像苹果一样的年轻女人，手中抱着一个婴孩；一位不那么肥胖，但脸也像苹果一样的年纪较轻的女人，她每只手中牵着一个肥胖的、脸像苹果一样的孩子；另外一位肥胖的、脸也像苹果一样的男孩子，他自己走路；最后，一位肥胖的、脸像苹果一样的男子，他手中抱着另一个肥胖的、脸像苹果一样的男孩子；他把这男孩子放到地上，用干哑的声音低声吩咐道；“抓住约翰尼哥哥。”

“我亲爱的路易莎，”托克斯小姐说道，“我知道您万分焦急，并希望让您放心，所以我就急匆匆地动身到夏洛特皇后的皇家已婚妇女收容所去（您已忘记它了），问她们那里有没有合适的人？他们说，她们那里没有；当她们这样回答我的时候，亲爱的，说真的，我都几乎要为您陷于绝望了。可是碰巧皇家已婚妇女收容所里的一个人听到我提出的问题，就向所长提醒说，有一位现在已经回家的女人十之八九是能满足要求的。我听了这些话，从所长那里又得到证实——她有极好的推荐信，又有无可指责的品格——，于是就立刻查得了地址，我亲爱的，我又急匆匆地出发了。”

“您一向是这样热心、善良，我亲爱的托克斯！”路易莎说道。

“哪里，”托克斯小姐回答道。“别这么说。我到达了她的家（那是极为干净的地方，我亲爱的！您可以在地板上吃饭），发现全家人正坐桌边；我觉得我向您和董贝先生不管怎么说，也远不如让你们亲眼看一看他们全家人更能使你们放心，所以我就把他们全都带来了。这位先生，”托克斯小姐指着那位脸像苹果一样的男子说，“是父亲。劳驾您能往前站一点儿，好吗，先生？”

那位脸像苹果一样的男子羞怯地听从了这个请求，站在第一排，露出牙齿，吃吃地笑着。

“这当然是他的妻子罗，”托克斯小姐指着那位抱婴孩的女人，说道，“您好吗，波利？”

“我很好，谢谢您，夫人，”波利说道。

为了巧妙地介绍她，托克斯小姐发问的时候，就仿佛是对待一位她只有两个星期没见面的老熟人似的。

“听您这么说我感到很高兴，”托克斯小姐说道，“另外那一位姑娘是她还没有出嫁的妹妹，她跟他们住在一起，照看她的孩子。她的名字叫杰迈玛。您好吗，杰迈玛？”

“我很好，谢谢您，夫人，”杰迈玛回答道。

“听您这么说我感到很高兴，”托克斯小姐说道，“我希望您将一直和现在一样。五个孩子。最小的只六个星期。那个可爱的、鼻子上有一个水疱的小男孩是最大的孩子。我想那水疱，”托克斯小姐向全家人看了一眼，说道，“不是由于体质上的原因，而是由于意外事故产生的吧？”

只听见那位脸像苹果一样的男子粗声粗气地说道，“熨斗”。

“对不起，先生，我没听清楚，”托克斯小姐说道，“您是说？——”

“熨斗，”他重复说道。

“啊对了，”托克斯小姐说道，“对了，完全正确。我忘记了。这小家伙当他母亲不在的时候，去闻了一下发烫的熨斗。您说得一点也不错，先生。当我们到达这个房屋门口的时候，承蒙您的好意，您正要告诉我，您的职业是——”

“司炉。”

“杀骡？”托克斯小姐十分吃惊地说道。

“司炉，”那男子说道，“蒸汽机。”

“啊，是的！”托克斯小姐答道，一边若有所思地望着他，似乎还很不完全了解他的意思。

“您喜欢它吗，先生？”

“什么，夫人？”那男子问道。

“就是那，”托克斯小姐回答道，“您的职业。”

“啊，挺喜欢的，夫人。灰有时跑进这里，”他指一指胸膛，“它使人的声音粗哑，就像我现在这样。但这是由于灰，而不是由于脾气粗暴造成的。”

这个回答似乎没有使托克斯小姐听得更明白，因此她觉得难于把这个话题继续谈下去。但是奇克夫人这时帮了她的忙，她对波利、她的孩子们、她的结婚证书、推荐书等等进行了仔细的审查。波利安全无恙地通过了这个严峻的考验之后，奇克夫人就离开客厅，到她哥哥的房间去，向他报告；为了使好的报告有一个生动的注释和有力的证明，她把脸颊最红润的两位小图德尔一道带了去。脸像苹果一样的这一家人姓图德尔。

董贝先生自从妻子逝世以后一直没有走出他自己的房间，而在专心一意地幻想着他的还是婴孩的儿子的青年、教育与今后的前程。有个什么东西压在他的冷淡的心底，比它通常的分量更重，也更冷；但这主要是他感觉到他的儿子遭受了损失，倒不是他感觉到他自己遭受了损失；这种感觉在他心中引起了一种几乎是愤怒的懊丧。他寄托着这样重大希望的一个人的生命与发展竟在一开始的时候就由于缺少这样区区一位小人物而遭到危险；董贝父子公司竟会由于一位奶妈的缘故而摇摇欲坠，这是件令人痛苦的屈辱的事情。他怀着高傲与妒嫉的心情，十分苦恼地想到，完成他所怀抱的理想的第一步竟取决于一位被雇佣的女仆人，这位女仆人对他的孩子来说将暂时成为一切，甚至是他通过结婚，使他自己的妻子所能做到的一切，因此每当一位新的候选人被拒绝的时候，他心里都会暗暗地感到高兴。然而现在，他不能再在这两种不同的感情中徘徊不决的时候来到了，特别是，当他妹妹一边对托克斯小姐的不知疲倦的友谊说了许多称赞的话，报告了波利·图德尔所具备的条件，从这些条件中似乎找不到什么缺点的时候，就更需要他作出决定了。

“这些孩子看去是健康的，”董贝先生说道，“但是想一想他们有朝一日要求来跟保罗攀扯什么亲戚关系吧！把他们领走，路易莎，让我看看这位女人和她的丈夫。”

奇克夫人把这两位皮肤娇嫩的图德尔领走，按照她哥哥的吩咐，很快又把两位皮肤粗糙一些的图德尔领回来。

“您这位善良的女人，”董贝先生说道，他整个身体在安乐椅子中转动着，好像他没有四肢与关节似的，“我知道您家境清寒，希望给这个小男孩，我的儿子喂奶来挣点钱，这孩子过早地被夺去了永远也不能代替的人。我不反对您采用这种方法使您的家庭富裕一些。根据我的判断，您似乎是一位合适的对象。但是在您到我的家里担任这个职务之前，我必须向您提出一两条您必须遵守的条件。当您在我家里的时候，我必须规定大家一直用一个普通的、便于称呼的姓，比方说理查兹来称呼您。您反对大家管您叫理查兹吗？您最好跟您丈夫商量一下。”

由于她的丈夫除了咧开嘴吃吃地笑，并不断地伸出右手捂着嘴，使手掌潮湿一些之外，什么话也没有说，图德尔大嫂用胳膊肘轻轻地推了他两三次也是徒劳无效，因此她就行了个屈膝礼，回答道，如果在这里需要改换个姓来称呼她的话，那么在给她定工资的时候，请把这一点也考虑进去。“当然，”董贝先生说道，“我希望把这完全作为一个工资问题来考虑。现在，理查兹，如果您要给我这个失去母亲的孩子当奶妈的话，那么我希望您永远记住下面的一些话：您在履行了一定的职责之后，将会领到一笔丰厚的报酬；在您担任职务期间，我希望您尽量少去看望您的家庭。当不再需要您履行这些职责，不再向您支付报酬的时候，我们之间的一切关系就都结束了。您明白我的话了吗？”

图德尔大嫂似乎对这有些疑问，至于图德尔本人，他显然没有丝毫疑问，因为他根本莫名其妙。

“您有您自己的孩子，”董贝先生说，“在我们的这个交易中，您根本不需要爱上我的孩子。我的孩子也不需要爱上您。我不希望，也不愿意看见这一类事情。恰恰相反，当您离开这里的时候，您就结束了这纯粹是买与卖、雇佣与辞退的交易关系，然后您就到别的地方去住。孩子就不再记得您。您如果愿意，也可以不再记得孩子。”

图德尔大嫂的脸颊比先前更红了一些，说，她希望她明白自己的身份。

“我希望您明白，理查兹，”董贝先生说道，“我毫不怀疑，您清清楚楚地明白这一点。确实，这是明明白白，显而易见的事情，不可能是相反的情况。路易莎，我亲爱的，请你把有关钱的事情跟理查兹安排一下，让她在她认为合适的时候和按她愿意的方式领去。您这位叫什么的先生，如果您愿意，我想跟您谈一两句话。”

当图德尔跟着他的妻子正要走出房间的时候，他就这样在门口被喊住了。他走回来，单独面对着董贝先生。他是个身强力壮、自由散漫、后背驼曲、行动笨拙、毛发蓬松的人，他的衣服随随便便地搭在身上；头发和连鬓胡子又长又密，也许由于烟与煤粉的关系，比自然的颜色更为浓黑；手上长着厚茧和好多疖疤；方方的前额，上面的纹理就像树皮一样粗糙。他与董贝先生在所有方面都形成了鲜明的对照：董贝先生是位胡子刮得干干净净、头发剪得整整齐齐、钱财富有的上流社会人士，像崭新的钞票一样富有光泽，清脆有声；他似乎经过黄金淋浴这个使人激励精神的行动之后，已经被人为地绷紧和振奋起来了。

“我想您有一个儿子吧？”董贝先生问道。

“有四个，先生。四个小子，一个闺女，全都活着！”

“唔，您把他们全养下来了，总算还经受得起！”董贝先生说道。

“在这世界上我有一件事经受不起，先生。”

“什么事？”

“失去他们，先生。”

“您能念书吗？”董贝先生问道。

“唔，勉勉强强能念一点儿，先生。”

“写字呢？”

“用粉笔吗，先生？”

“不论用什么。”

“我想，如果非要我写不行的话，那么我也能用粉笔对付着写一点儿，”图德尔沉思了一会儿，说道。

“不过，”董贝先生说道，“我想，您今年已有三十二、三岁了吧？”

“我想，大概是这么个岁数，先生，”图德尔比刚才沉思得长久一些之后，说道。

“那么您为什么不学习呢？”董贝先生问道。

“是的，我准备学，先生。我有一个小男孩，等他长大上学以后，他将会教我。”

“唔，”董贝先生聚精会神地对他注视之后说道；他对他没有产生很大的好感，因为他站在那里，眼睛在房间里四处张望（主要是在天花板上溜来溜去），同时依旧不时抽出手来捂着嘴巴哈气。

“我刚才对您妻子说的话，您听到了吗？”

“波利听到了，”图德尔把帽子越过肩膀朝门口的方向猛地一挥，露出对他那口子完全信任的神气。“一切都很好。”

“既然看来您一切都由她作主，”董贝先生原以为丈夫是家庭中更有力的人物，本打算把他的意见对他说得更加明确，以便加深他的印象，但却没有成功，就说道，“我想用不着再对您说什么了。”

“什么也不用说，”图德尔说道，“波利听到了。她没有打盹儿，先生。”

“这么说，我不想再留您了，”董贝先生失望地回答道。

“您过去在哪里工作？”

“过去大部分时间是在地下，先生，直到我结婚以后才到地面上来。这里修建了铁路，通车以后我就在一条铁路上工作。”

就像最后一根稻草把满负重载的骆驼的背压断一样，图德尔曾经在地下工作过的这个信息使董贝先生的情绪再也支撑不下去了。他向他儿子奶妈的丈夫指了指房门，于是图德尔没有一点不愿意的样子，离开了这个房间。然后，董贝先生把钥匙转了一下，锁上了门，独自一人在房间里可怜地踱着步子。虽然他古板和固执地保持着尊严与镇静，可是他还是抹去了使他眼睛变得模糊的泪水，怀着他决不愿意在别人面前显露出来的情绪，不时说道，“可怜的小家伙！”

董贝先生通过他的孩子来可怜自己，这可能是他高傲的特色。不是“可怜的我！”，不是“可怜的鳏夫！”——这个鳏夫迫不得已，只好去信赖一位乡巴佬的妻子，这位乡巴佬毫无知识，过去“大部分时间是在地下”工作，可是死神却从没有去叩过他的门，他的四个孩子们每天都坐在他的贫穷的餐桌旁——，而是“可怜的小家伙！”

当他嘴里正说着这几个字的时候，他心里想到，在这位女人的道路上正摆着一个巨大的诱惑物，她的婴孩也是一个男孩。她是不是可能把他们相互调换一下呢？——这一个例子正好说明：有一个强大的吸引力正把他的希望与恐惧以及他的全部思想都吸引到一个中心。

虽然不久他就认为这是个荒唐古怪、不大可能（当然不可否认，也有可能）的想法，把它打消了，因而心里也安定下来了，可是他却情不自禁地沿着这个思路继续想下去，以至于在心中构思出这样一幅图景：如果当他年老的时候发现了这样一个骗局的话，那么他将会是怎样一种状况呢？在这种情况下，一个人是不是能把由于多年相处所产生的信任与宠爱从这个冒名顶替者的身上除去，然后把它们倾注到一位陌生人的身上呢？

当他这不寻常的情绪平息下来之后，这些顾虑也就逐渐消散了，虽然也留下了好些阴影，因此他决定不让别人看出，由他亲自来密切监视理查兹。当他现在心情比较轻松一些的时候，他认为这女人的社会地位反而是一种有利的情况，因为它本身在她与孩子之间就隔开了一道宽阔的距离，因此他们今后相互疏远将会是容易和自然的。

在同一段时间内，在托克斯小姐的帮助下，奇克夫人与理查兹达成并签订了协议；在隆重的仪式下，婴孩董贝像一枚勋章似地授给了理查兹；她又伴随着许多眼泪与亲吻，把她自己的婴孩交托给杰迈玛。在这之后，端来了一杯杯的酒，用来支撑这家人的低沉的情绪。

“您喝一杯好吗，先生？”当图德尔回来之后，托克斯小姐说道。

“谢谢您，夫人，”图德尔说道，“既然您非要我喝不可。”

“您把您亲爱的善良的妻子留在这么舒适的家庭里，您很高兴吧，先生？”托克斯小姐偷偷地向他点点头，眨巴眨巴眼睛。

“不，夫人，”图德尔说道，“我喝这杯酒，祝她早些重新回到家里来。”

波利听到这话，哭得更厉害了。奇克夫人有她当家庭主妇的忧虑，生怕这样放纵地悲伤会对小董贝不利（“真酸，”

她对托克斯小姐说道），所以急忙进行抢救。

“在您的妹妹杰迈玛的照料下，您的小孩一定会很可爱地茁壮成长的，理查兹，”奇克夫人说道，“只是您必须作出努力，使自己高高兴兴才是；理查兹，您知道，这是个必须作出努力的世界。您已经量过您丧服的尺寸了吧，是不是，理查兹？”

“是—是的，夫人，”波利抽抽嗒嗒地哭着。

“您穿起来一定很漂亮，我知道，”奇克夫人说道，“这位年轻人给我做过许多衣服。这是用最好的布料做的！”

“天主啊，您将会漂漂亮亮，”托克斯小姐说道，“您的丈夫都将会认不出您来了，是不是，先生？”

“我一定认得出她，”图德尔态度生硬地说道，“不论在什么情况下，也不论在什么地方。”

图德尔显然是收买不了的。

“至于您的生活，理查兹，您知道，”奇克夫人继续说道，“所有最好的东西都将供您随便使用。您每天定您自己的饭菜；毫无疑问，您想要什么，什么就会立刻提供到您的面前，仿佛您是一位贵夫人似的。”

“是的，确实是这样！”托克斯小姐怀着极大的同情，接过话头，继续说下去，“至于黑啤酒，那数量是无限的，是不是，路易莎？”

“啊，当然的！”奇克夫人用同样的声调回答道。“您知道，我亲爱的，只是蔬菜的数量稍稍有些节制。”

“也许还有酸菜，”托克斯小姐提示道。

“除了这些例外，”路易莎说道，“她完全可以按照自己的口味来选择食物，丝毫没有限制，我亲爱的。”

“然后，当然，您知道，”托克斯小姐说道，“不论她对自己亲生的小孩子是多么喜爱——毫无疑问，路易莎，您不会责怪她喜爱他吧？”

“啊，不会！”奇克夫人仁慈地喊道。

“可是，”托克斯小姐继续说道，“她自然应该关心现在交给她抚养的年幼的孩子，应该认为，眼看着一个与上流社会密切联系着的小天使一天天地从一个共同的源泉中吸取养料，成长起来，这是一种特殊的荣幸；是不是这样，路易莎？”

“完全不错！”奇克夫人说道，“您看，我亲爱的，她已经很满意、很安心了，现在正怀着轻松的心情，露出微笑，想要跟她的妹妹杰迈玛和她的小宝贝们，还有她的善良的、诚实的丈夫告别呢，是不是，我亲爱的？”

“啊，是的！”托克斯小姐喊道，“当然是的！”

可是尽管这样，可怜的波利还是十分悲痛地和他们一一拥抱；最后，为了避免她和孩子们更加恋恋不舍地告别，她跑开了。可是这个策略没有取得应有的成功；因为第二个最小的孩子看穿了她的意图，立即开始手脚全都着地地跟着她往楼上爬（如果可以使用这个语源有疑义的词的话）；最大的孩子（大家在家中都管他叫拜勒1，来纪念蒸汽机）用靴子在地上咚咚地敲出疯狂般的响声来表示悲伤；家中其他的人也一起参加到他的行动中去。

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1拜勒（biler）：为boiler（锅炉）的误读。

许许多多的桔子和半便士不加区别地塞到了每个小图德尔的手中，这抑制了他们头一阵迸发出来的极度悲痛；一辆专门为了这个目的等待着的出租马车很快就把全家人送往他们的家中。一路上，在杰迈玛的守护下，孩子们拥挤在车窗口，把桔子和半便士往外扔。图德尔先生宁肯乘坐在火车后面的道钉中间（这是他极为习惯的运输方式），而不愿意像现在这样乘坐在马车中。