in which the wooden midshipman gets into trouble

that spice of romance and love of the marvellous, of which there was a pretty strong infusion in the nature of young walter gay, and which the guardianship of his uncle, old solomon gills, had not very much weakened by the waters of stern practical experience, was the occasion of his attaching an uncommon and delightful interest to the adventure of florence with good mrs brown. he pampered and cherished it in his memory, especially that part of it with which he had been associated: until it became the spoiled child of his fancy, and took its own way, and did what it liked with it.

the recollection of those incidents, and his own share in them, may have been made the more captivating, perhaps, by the weekly dreamings of old sol and captain cuttle on sundays. hardly a sunday passed, without mysterious references being made by one or other of those worthy chums to richard whittington; and the latter gentleman had even gone so far as to purchase a ballad of considerable antiquity, that had long fluttered among many others, chiefly expressive of maritime sentiments, on a dead wall in the commercial road: which poetical performance set forth the courtship and nuptials of a promising young coal-whipper with a certain 'lovely peg,' the accomplished daughter of the master and part-owner of a newcastle collier. in this stirring legend, captain cuttle descried a profound metaphysical bearing on the case of walter and florence; and it excited him so much, that on very festive occasions, as birthdays and a few other non-dominical holidays, he would roar through the whole song in the little back parlour; making an amazing shake on the word pe-e-eg, with which every verse concluded, in compliment to the heroine of the piece.

but a frank, free-spirited, open-hearted boy, is not much given to analysing the nature of his own feelings, however strong their hold upon him: and walter would have found it difficult to decide this point. he had a great affection for the wharf where he had encountered florence, and for the streets (albeit not enchanting in themselves) by which they had come home. the shoes that had so often tumbled off by the way, he preserved in his own room; and, sitting in the little back parlour of an evening, he had drawn a whole gallery of fancy portraits of good mrs brown. it may be that he became a little smarter in his dress after that memorable occasion; and he certainly liked in his leisure time to walk towards that quarter of the town where mr dombey's house was situated, on the vague chance of passing little florence in the street. but the sentiment of all this was as boyish and innocent as could be. florence was very pretty, and it is pleasant to admire a pretty face. florence was defenceless and weak, and it was a proud thought that he had been able to render her any protection and assistance. florence was the most grateful little creature in the world, and it was delightful to see her bright gratitude beaming in her face. florence was neglected and coldly looked upon, and his breast was full of youthful interest for the slighted child in her dull, stately home.

thus it came about that, perhaps some half-a-dozen times in the course of the year, walter pulled off his hat to florence in the street, and florence would stop to shake hands. mrs wickam (who, with a characteristic alteration of his name, invariably spoke of him as 'young graves') was so well used to this, knowing the story of their acquaintance, that she took no heed of it at all. miss nipper, on the other hand, rather looked out for these occasions: her sensitive young heart being secretly propitiated by walter's good looks, and inclining to the belief that its sentiments were responded to.

in this way, walter, so far from forgetting or losing sight of his acquaintance with florence, only remembered it better and better. as to its adventurous beginning, and all those little circumstances which gave it a distinctive character and relish, he took them into account, more as a pleasant story very agreeable to his imagination, and not to be dismissed from it, than as a part of any matter of fact with which he was concerned. they set off florence very much, to his fancy; but not himself. sometimes he thought (and then he walked very fast) what a grand thing it would have been for him to have been going to sea on the day after that first meeting, and to have gone, and to have done wonders there, and to have stopped away a long time, and to have come back an admiral of all the colours of the dolphin, or at least a post-captain with epaulettes of insupportable brightness, and have married florence (then a beautiful young woman) in spite of mr dombey's teeth, cravat, and watch-chain, and borne her away to the blue shores of somewhere or other, triumphantly. but these flights of fancy seldom burnished the brass plate of dombey and son's offices into a tablet of golden hope, or shed a brilliant lustre on their dirty skylights; and when the captain and uncle sol talked about richard whittington and masters' daughters, walter felt that he understood his true position at dombey and son's, much better than they did.

so it was that he went on doing what he had to do from day to day, in a cheerful, pains-taking, merry spirit; and saw through the sanguine complexion of uncle sol and captain cuttle; and yet entertained a thousand indistinct and visionary fancies of his own, to which theirs were work-a-day probabilities. such was his condition at the pipchin period, when he looked a little older than of yore, but not much; and was the same light-footed, light-hearted, light-headed lad, as when he charged into the parlour at the head of uncle sol and the imaginary boarders, and lighted him to bring up the madeira.

'uncle sol,' said walter, 'i don't think you're well. you haven't eaten any breakfast. i shall bring a doctor to you, if you go on like this.'

'he can't give me what i want, my boy,' said uncle sol. 'at least he is in good practice if he can - and then he wouldn't.'

'what is it, uncle? customers?'

'ay,' returned solomon, with a sigh. 'customers would do.'

'confound it, uncle!' said walter, putting down his breakfast cup with a clatter, and striking his hand on the table: 'when i see the people going up and down the street in shoals all day, and passing and re-passing the shop every minute, by scores, i feel half tempted to rush out, collar somebody, bring him in, and make him buy fifty pounds' worth of instruments for ready money. what are you looking in at the door for? - ' continued walter, apostrophizing an old gentleman with a powdered head (inaudibly to him of course), who was staring at a ship's telescope with all his might and main. 'that's no use. i could do that. come in and buy it!'

the old gentleman, however, having satiated his curiosity, walked calmly away.

'there he goes!' said walter. 'that's the way with 'em all. but, uncle - i say, uncle sol' - for the old man was meditating and had not responded to his first appeal. 'don't be cast down. don't be out of spirits, uncle. when orders do come, they'll come in such a crowd, you won't be able to execute 'em.'

'i shall be past executing 'em, whenever they come, my boy,' returned solomon gills. 'they'll never come to this shop again, till i am out of t.'

'i say, uncle! you musn't really, you know!' urged walter. 'don't!'

old sol endeavoured to assume a cheery look, and smiled across the little table at him as pleasantly as he could.

'there's nothing more than usual the matter; is there, uncle?' said walter, leaning his elbows on the tea tray, and bending over, to speak the more confidentially and kindly. 'be open with me, uncle, if there is, and tell me all about it.'

'no, no, no,' returned old sol. 'more than usual? no, no. what should there be the matter more than usual?'

walter answered with an incredulous shake of his head. 'that's what i want to know,' he said, 'and you ask me! i'll tell you what, uncle, when i see you like this, i am quite sorry that i live with you.'

old sol opened his eyes involuntarily.

'yes. though nobody ever was happier than i am and always have been with you, i am quite sorry that i live with you, when i see you with anything in your mind.'

'i am a little dull at such times, i know,' observed solomon, meekly rubbing his hands.

'what i mean, uncle sol,' pursued walter, bending over a little more to pat him on the shoulder, 'is, that then i feel you ought to have, sitting here and pouring out the tea instead of me, a nice little dumpling of a wife, you know, - a comfortable, capital, cosy old lady, who was just a match for you, and knew how to manage you, and keep you in good heart. here am i, as loving a nephew as ever was (i am sure i ought to be!) but i am only a nephew, and i can't be such a companion to you when you're low and out of sorts as she would have made herself, years ago, though i'm sure i'd give any money if i could cheer you up. and so i say, when i see you with anything on your mind, that i feel quite sorry you haven't got somebody better about you than a blundering young rough-and-tough boy like me, who has got the will to console you, uncle, but hasn't got the way - hasn't got the way,' repeated walter, reaching over further yet, to shake his uncle by the hand.

'wally, my dear boy,' said solomon, 'if the cosy little old lady had taken her place in this parlour five and forty years ago, i never could have been fonder of her than i am of you.'

'i know that, uncle sol,' returned walter. 'lord bless you, i know that. but you wouldn't have had the whole weight of any uncomfortable secrets if she had been with you, because she would have known how to relieve you of 'em, and i don't.'

'yes, yes, you do,' returned the instrument-maker.

'well then, what's the matter, uncle sol?' said walter, coaxingly. 'come! what's the matter?'

solomon gills persisted that there was nothing the matter; and maintained it so resolutely, that his nephew had no resource but to make a very indifferent imitation of believing him.

'all i can say is, uncle sol, that if there is - '

'but there isn't,' said solomon.

'very well,, said walter. 'then i've no more to say; and that's lucky, for my time's up for going to business. i shall look in by-and-by when i'm out, to see how you get on, uncle. and mind, uncle! i'll never believe you again, and never tell you anything more about mr carker the junior, if i find out that you have been deceiving me!'

solomon gills laughingly defied him to find out anything of the kind; and walter, revolving in his thoughts all sorts of impracticable ways of making fortunes and placing the wooden midshipman in a position of independence, betook himself to the offices of dombey and son with a heavier countenance than he usually carried there.

there lived in those days, round the corner - in bishopsgate street without - one brogley, sworn broker and appraiser, who kept a shop where every description of second-hand furniture was exhibited in the most uncomfortable aspect, and under circumstances and in combinations the most completely foreign to its purpose. dozens of chairs hooked on to washing-stands, which with difficulty poised themselves on the shoulders of sideboards, which in their turn stood upon the wrong side of dining-tables, gymnastic with their legs upward on the tops of other dining-tables, were among its most reasonable arrangements. a banquet array of dish-covers, wine-glasses, and decanters was generally to be seen, spread forth upon the bosom of a four-post bedstead, for the entertainment of such genial company as half-a-dozen pokers, and a hall lamp. a set of window curtains with no windows belonging to them, would be seen gracefully draping a barricade of chests of drawers, loaded with little jars from chemists' shops; while a homeless hearthrug severed from its natural companion the fireside, braved the shrewd east wind in its adversity, and trembled in melancholy accord with the shrill complainings of a cabinet piano, wasting away, a string a day, and faintly resounding to the noises of the street in its jangling and distracted brain. of motionless clocks that never stirred a finger, and seemed as incapable of being successfully wound up, as the pecuniary affairs of their former owners, there was always great choice in mr brogley's shop; and various looking-glasses, accidentally placed at compound interest of reflection and refraction, presented to the eye an eternal perspective of bankruptcy and ruin.

mr brogley himself was a moist-eyed, pink-complexioned, crisp-haired man, of a bulky figure and an easy temper - for that class of caius marius who sits upon the ruins of other people's carthages, can keep up his spirits well enough. he had looked in at solomon's shop sometimes, to ask a question about articles in solomon's way of business; and walter knew him sufficiently to give him good day when they met in the street. but as that was the extent of the broker's acquaintance with solomon gills also, walter was not a little surprised when he came back in the course of the forenoon, agreeably to his promise, to find mr brogley sitting in the back parlour with his hands in his pockets, and his hat hanging up behind the door.

'well, uncle sol!' said walter. the old man was sitting ruefully on the opposite side of the table, with his spectacles over his eyes, for a wonder, instead of on his forehead. 'how are you now?'

solomon shook his head, and waved one hand towards the broker, as introducing him.

'is there anything the matter?' asked walter, with a catching in his breath.

'no, no. there's nothing the matter, said mr brogley. 'don't let it put you out of the way.' walter looked from the broker to his uncle in mute amazement. 'the fact is,' said mr brogley, 'there's a little payment on a bond debt - three hundred and seventy odd, overdue: and i'm in possession.'

'in possession!' cried walter, looking round at the shop.

'ah!' said mr brogley, in confidential assent, and nodding his head as if he would urge the advisability of their all being comfortable together. 'it's an execution. that's what it is. don't let it put you out of the way. i come myself, because of keeping it quiet and sociable. you know me. it's quite private.'

'uncle sol!' faltered walter.

'wally, my boy,' returned his uncle. 'it's the first time. such a calamity never happened to me before. i'm an old man to begin.' pushing up his spectacles again (for they were useless any longer to conceal his emotion), he covered his face with his hand, and sobbed aloud, and his tears fell down upon his coffee-coloured waistcoat.

'uncle sol! pray! oh don't!' exclaimed walter, who really felt a thrill of terror in seeing the old man weep. 'for god's sake don't do that. mr brogley, what shall i do?'

'i should recommend you looking up a friend or so,' said mr brogley, 'and talking it over.'

'to be sure!' cried walter, catching at anything. 'certainly! thankee. captain cuttle's the man, uncle. wait till i run to captain cuttle. keep your eye upon my uncle, will you, mr brogley, and make him as comfortable as you can while i am gone? don't despair, uncle sol. try and keep a good heart, there's a dear fellow!'

saying this with great fervour, and disregarding the old man's broken remonstrances, walter dashed out of the shop again as hard as he could go; and, having hurried round to the office to excuse himself on the plea of his uncle's sudden illness, set off, full speed, for captain cuttle's residence.

everything seemed altered as he ran along the streets. there were the usual entanglement and noise of carts, drays, omnibuses, waggons, and foot passengers, but the misfortune that had fallen on the wooden midshipman made it strange and new. houses and shops were different from what they used to be, and bore mr brogley's warrant on their fronts in large characters. the broker seemed to have got hold of the very churches; for their spires rose into the sky with an unwonted air. even the sky itself was changed, and had an execution in it plainly.

captain cuttle lived on the brink of a little canal near the india docks, where there was a swivel bridge which opened now and then to let some wandering monster of a ship come roaming up the street like a stranded leviathan. the gradual change from land to water, on the approach to captain cuttle's lodgings, was curious. it began with the erection of flagstaffs, as appurtenances to public-houses; then came slop-sellers' shops, with guernsey shirts, sou'wester hats, and canvas pantaloons, at once the tightest and the loosest of their order, hanging up outside. these were succeeded by anchor and chain-cable forges, where sledgehammers were dinging upon iron all day long. then came rows of houses, with little vane-surmounted masts uprearing themselves from among the scarlet beans. then, ditches. then, pollard willows. then, more ditches. then, unaccountable patches of dirty water, hardly to be descried, for the ships that covered them. then, the air was perfumed with chips; and all other trades were swallowed up in mast, oar, and block-making, and boatbuilding. then, the ground grew marshy and unsettled. then, there was nothing to be smelt but rum and sugar. then, captain cuttle's lodgings - at once a first floor and a top storey, in brig place - were close before you.

the captain was one of those timber-looking men, suits of oak as well as hearts, whom it is almost impossible for the liveliest imagination to separate from any part of their dress, however insignificant. accordingly, when walter knocked at the door, and the captain instantly poked his head out of one of his little front windows, and hailed him, with the hard glared hat already on it, and the shirt-collar like a sail, and the wide suit of blue, all standing as usual, walter was as fully persuaded that he was always in that state, as if the captain had been a bird and those had been his feathers.

'wal'r, my lad!'said captain cuttle. 'stand by and knock again. hard! it's washing day.'

walter, in his impatience, gave a prodigious thump with the knocker.

'hard it is!' said captain cuttle, and immediately drew in his head, as if he expected a squall.

nor was he mistaken: for a widow lady, with her sleeves rolled up to her shoulders, and her arms frothy with soap-suds and smoking with hot water, replied to the summons with startling rapidity. before she looked at walter she looked at the knocker, and then, measuring him with her eyes from head to foot, said she wondered he had left any of it.

'captain cuttle's at home, i know,' said walter with a conciliatory smile.

'is he?' replied the widow lady. 'in-deed!'

'he has just been speaking to me,' said walter, in breathless explanation.

'has he?' replied the widow lady. 'then p'raps you'll give him mrs macstinger's respects, and say that the next time he lowers himself and his lodgings by talking out of the winder she'll thank him to come down and open the door too.' mrs macstinger spoke loud, and listened for any observations that might be offered from the first floor.

'i'll mention it,' said walter, 'if you'll have the goodness to let me in, ma'am.'

for he was repelled by a wooden fortification extending across the doorway, and put there to prevent the little macstingers in their moments of recreation from tumbling down the steps.

'a boy that can knock my door down,' said mrs macstinger, contemptuously, 'can get over that, i should hope!' but walter, taking this as a permission to enter, and getting over it, mrs macstinger immediately demanded whether an englishwoman's house was her castle or not; and whether she was to be broke in upon by 'raff.' on these subjects her thirst for information was still very importunate, when walter, having made his way up the little staircase through an artificial fog occasioned by the washing, which covered the banisters with a clammy perspiration, entered captain cuttle's room, and found that gentleman in ambush behind the door.

'never owed her a penny, wal'r,' said captain cuttle, in a low voice, and with visible marks of trepidation on his countenance. 'done her a world of good turns, and the children too. vixen at times, though. whew!'

'i should go away, captain cuttle,' said walter.

'dursn't do it, wal'r,' returned the captain. 'she'd find me out, wherever i went. sit down. how's gills?'

the captain was dining (in his hat) off cold loin of mutton, porter, and some smoking hot potatoes, which he had cooked himself, and took out of a little saucepan before the fire as he wanted them. he unscrewed his hook at dinner-time, and screwed a knife into its wooden socket instead, with which he had already begun to peel one of these potatoes for walter. his rooms were very small, and strongly impregnated with tobacco-smoke, but snug enough: everything being stowed away, as if there were an earthquake regularly every half-hour.

'how's gills?' inquired the captain.

walter, who had by this time recovered his breath, and lost his spirits - or such temporary spirits as his rapid journey had given him - looked at his questioner for a moment, said 'oh, captain cuttle!' and burst into tears.

no words can describe the captain's consternation at this sight mrs macstinger faded into nothing before it. he dropped the potato and the fork - and would have dropped the knife too if he could - and sat gazing at the boy, as if he expected to hear next moment that a gulf had opened in the city, which had swallowed up his old friend, coffee-coloured suit, buttons, chronometer, spectacles, and all.

but when walter told him what was really the matter, captain cuttle, after a moment's reflection, started up into full activity. he emptied out of a little tin canister on the top shelf of the cupboard, his whole stock of ready money (amounting to thirteen pounds and half-a-crown), which he transferred to one of the pockets of his square blue coat; further enriched that repository with the contents of his plate chest, consisting of two withered atomies of tea-spoons, and an obsolete pair of knock-knee'd sugar-tongs; pulled up his immense double-cased silver watch from the depths in which it reposed, to assure himself that that valuable was sound and whole; re-attached the hook to his right wrist; and seizing the stick covered over with knobs, bade walter come along.

remembering, however, in the midst of his virtuous excitement, that mrs macstinger might be lying in wait below, captain cuttle hesitated at last, not without glancing at the window, as if he had some thoughts of escaping by that unusual means of egress, rather than encounter his terrible enemy. he decided, however, in favour of stratagem.

'wal'r,' said the captain, with a timid wink, 'go afore, my lad. sing out, "good-bye, captain cuttle," when you're in the passage, and shut the door. then wait at the corner of the street 'till you see me.

these directions were not issued without a previous knowledge of the enemy's tactics, for when walter got downstairs, mrs macstinger glided out of the little back kitchen, like an avenging spirit. but not gliding out upon the captain, as she had expected, she merely made a further allusion to the knocker, and glided in again.

some five minutes elapsed before captain cuttle could summon courage to attempt his escape; for walter waited so long at the street corner, looking back at the house, before there were any symptoms of the hard glazed hat. at length the captain burst out of the door with the suddenness of an explosion, and coming towards him at a great pace, and never once looking over his shoulder, pretended, as soon as they were well out of the street, to whistle a tune.

'uncle much hove down, wal'r?' inquired the captain, as they were walking along.

'i am afraid so. if you had seen him this morning, you would never have forgotten it.'

'walk fast, wal'r, my lad,' returned the captain, mending his pace; 'and walk the same all the days of your life. overhaul the catechism for that advice, and keep it!'

the captain was too busy with his own thoughts of solomon gills, mingled perhaps with some reflections on his late escape from mrs macstinger, to offer any further quotations on the way for walter's moral improvement they interchanged no other word until they arrived at old sol's door, where the unfortunate wooden midshipman, with his instrument at his eye, seemed to be surveying the whole horizon in search of some friend to help him out of his difficulty.

'gills!' said the captain, hurrying into the back parlour, and taking him by the hand quite tenderly. 'lay your head well to the wind, and we'll fight through it. all you've got to do,' said the captain, with the solemnity of a man who was delivering himself of one of the most precious practical tenets ever discovered by human wisdom, 'is to lay your head well to the wind, and we'll fight through it!'

old sol returned the pressure of his hand, and thanked him.

captain cuttle, then, with a gravity suitable to the nature of the occasion, put down upon the table the two tea-spoons and the sugar-tongs, the silver watch, and the ready money; and asked mr brogley, the broker, what the damage was.

'come! what do you make of it?' said captain cuttle.

'why, lord help you!' returned the broker; 'you don't suppose that property's of any use, do you?'

'why not?' inquired the captain.

'why? the amount's three hundred and seventy, odd,' replied the broker.

'never mind,' returned the captain, though he was evidently dismayed by the figures: 'all's fish that comes to your net, i suppose?'

'certainly,' said mr brogley. 'but sprats ain't whales, you know.'

the philosophy of this observation seemed to strike the captain. he ruminated for a minute; eyeing the broker, meanwhile, as a deep genius; and then called the instrument-maker aside.

'gills,' said captain cuttle, 'what's the bearings of this business? who's the creditor?'

'hush!' returned the old man. 'come away. don't speak before wally. it's a matter of security for wally's father - an old bond. i've paid a good deal of it, ned, but the times are so bad with me that i can't do more just now. i've foreseen it, but i couldn't help it. not a word before wally, for all the world.'

'you've got some money, haven't you?' whispered the captain.

'yes, yes - oh yes- i've got some,' returned old sol, first putting his hands into his empty pockets, and then squeezing his welsh wig between them, as if he thought he might wring some gold out of it; 'but i - the little i have got, isn't convertible, ned; it can't be got at. i have been trying to do something with it for wally, and i'm old fashioned, and behind the time. it's here and there, and - and, in short, it's as good as nowhere,' said the old man, looking in bewilderment about him.

he had so much the air of a half-witted person who had been hiding his money in a variety of places, and had forgotten where, that the captain followed his eyes, not without a faint hope that he might remember some few hundred pounds concealed up the chimney, or down in the cellar. but solomon gills knew better than that.

'i'm behind the time altogether, my dear ned,' said sol, in resigned despair, 'a long way. it's no use my lagging on so far behind it. the stock had better be sold - it's worth more than this debt - and i had better go and die somewhere, on the balance. i haven't any energy left. i don't understand things. this had better be the end of it. let 'em sell the stock and take him down,' said the old man, pointing feebly to the wooden midshipman, 'and let us both be broken up together.'

'and what d'ye mean to do with wal'r?'said the captain. 'there, there! sit ye down, gills, sit ye down, and let me think o' this. if i warn't a man on a small annuity, that was large enough till to-day, i hadn't need to think of it. but you only lay your head well to the wind,' said the captain, again administering that unanswerable piece of consolation, 'and you're all right!'

old sol thanked him from his heart, and went and laid it against the back parlour fire-place instead.

captain cuttle walked up and down the shop for some time, cogitating profoundly, and bringing his bushy black eyebrows to bear so heavily on his nose, like clouds setting on a mountain, that walter was afraid to offer any interruption to the current of his reflections. mr brogley, who was averse to being any constraint upon the party, and who had an ingenious cast of mind, went, softly whistling, among the stock; rattling weather-glasses, shaking compasses as if they were physic, catching up keys with loadstones, looking through telescopes, endeavouring to make himself acquainted with the use of the globes, setting parallel rulers astride on to his nose, and amusing himself with other philosophical transactions.

'wal'r!' said the captain at last. 'i've got it.'

'have you, captain cuttle?' cried walter, with great animation.

'come this way, my lad,' said the captain. 'the stock's the security. i'm another. your governor's the man to advance money.'

'mr dombey!' faltered walter.

the captain nodded gravely. 'look at him,' he said. 'look at gills. if they was to sell off these things now, he'd die of it. you know he would. we mustn't leave a stone unturned - and there's a stone for you.'

'a stone! - mr dombey!' faltered walter.

'you run round to the office, first of all, and see if he's there,' said captain cuttle, clapping him on the back. 'quick!'

walter felt he must not dispute the command - a glance at his uncle would have determined him if he had felt otherwise - and disappeared to execute it. he soon returned, out of breath, to say that mr dombey was not there. it was saturday, and he had gone to brighton.

'i tell you what, wal'r!' said the captain, who seemed to have prepared himself for this contingency in his absence. 'we'll go to brighton. i'll back you, my boy. i'll back you, wal'r. we'll go to brighton by the afternoon's coach.'

if the application must be made to mr dombey at all, which was awful to think of, walter felt that he would rather prefer it alone and unassisted, than backed by the personal influence of captain cuttle, to which he hardly thought mr dombey would attach much weight. but as the captain appeared to be of quite another opinion, and was bent upon it, and as his friendship was too zealous and serious to be trifled with by one so much younger than himself, he forbore to hint the least objection. cuttle, therefore, taking a hurried leave of solomon gills, and returning the ready money, the teaspoons, the sugar-tongs, and the silver watch, to his pocket - with a view, as walter thought, with horror, to making a gorgeous impression on mr dombey - bore him off to the coach-office, with- out a minute's delay, and repeatedly assured him, on the road, that he would stick by him to the last.

就年轻的沃尔特·盖伊的性格来说，他原本强烈地喜爱浪漫的情趣和向往奇异的事迹；在舅舅老所罗门·吉尔斯的监护下，严酷的生活经验的水流并没有把他的这种性格冲淡多少；这就是他对弗洛伦斯跟善良的布朗太太的奇遇兴致勃勃地怀着异乎寻常的兴趣的原因。他在记忆中纵容它，珍惜它，特别是与他有关的那一部分，后来它终于成了他想象中的一个惯坏了的孩子，可以自行其是，随心所欲了。

老所尔与卡特尔船长每个星期天聚会时都要做一次他们的美梦，这样一来，这些事情和他本人在其中的参与就更具有一种令人神魂颠倒的魅力。很少有哪一个星期天，这两位高尚的朋友中的这一位或那一位不神秘地提到理查德·惠廷顿的。卡特尔船长甚至还买了一本相当古老的叙事曲，它主要是反映海员们的思想感情的，它和许多其他的歌曲书籍一起，挂在商业路上的冷清的墙上，飘动着书页，已经好久了；这本诗歌作品叙述了一位有出息的给船上装煤的年轻人跟一位“可爱的佩格姑娘”之间求爱与结婚的故事；这位佩格姑娘是纽卡斯尔1一艘煤船的船长（他同时也是船主之一）的有才能的女儿，卡特尔船长从这个激动人心的传说中，看到它与沃尔特和弗洛伦斯的情况有一种意味深长的、形而上学的相似关系；它使他感到十分兴奋，每逢生日或其他非宗教节日的喜庆日子，他都会在小后客厅里放开嗓子，把这首歌从头到尾唱完。在唱到“佩——格”这个词的时候，他还发出了令人惊奇的颤音；每个诗句都是用这个赞美女主人公的词来结尾的。

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1纽卡斯尔（newcastle）：英国港市。

可是一位胸怀坦率、豁达大度、光明磊落的孩子并不很喜爱分析自己感情的性质，不论这种感情是多么强烈地支配着他；沃尔特要作出这样的判断也是困难的。他对他跟弗洛伦斯相遇的码头，对他们回家时经过的街道（虽然它们本身并没有令人销魂的地方）都怀着深厚的感情。他把那双在路上不时脱落的鞋子保存在他自己的房间里；有一天晚上他坐在小后客厅里，给想象中的善良的布朗太太画了肖像，画了整整一走廊。在那次值得纪念的事件发生以后，他的衣着也可能变得稍稍漂亮起来了；他在闲暇的时候，的确喜欢朝着董贝先生公馆坐落的那个市区走去，模模糊糊地希望在街上遇到小弗洛伦斯。可是所有这些思想感情都是孩子气的，天真烂漫的。弗洛伦斯是很漂亮的，爱慕漂亮的脸孔是件愉快的事情；弗洛伦斯是软弱无力，没有人保卫她的，想到他向她提供了保护与帮助是值得自豪的。弗洛伦斯是这世界上最感恩的小人儿，看到她脸上闪耀着热烈感激的光彩是使人高兴的。弗洛伦斯是被轻视和冷落的，他在心中对这位在她那沉闷、庄严的家中被看不起的孩子满怀着年轻人的兴趣。

沃尔特在街上脱下帽子向弗洛伦斯致意，弗洛伦斯则会停下来跟他握手，这样在一年当中发生过六、七次。威肯姆大嫂（她按照她悲观的性格来改变他的姓名，始终不变地把他叫做“年轻的格莱夫斯1”）知道他们相识的经历，对于这种情形已经十分习惯了，所以她对它丝毫也不注意。另一方面，尼珀姑娘是很盼望遇到这样的机会的，因为在她敏感的年轻的心灵中已对沃尔特英俊的外貌暗暗地产生了好感；她总爱相信，这种感情总是会得到回答的。

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1年轻的格莱夫斯（younggraves）：在英文中，graves一词的意义是坟墓。

因此，沃尔特非但没有忘记他跟弗洛伦斯的相识或模糊了它的印象，相反地，他记得愈来愈清楚了。至于它那传奇性的开始以及那些给予它别具一格的特色与兴味的细微情节，与其说他把它看成是与他有关的事实的一部分，倒不如说他把它们看成是很合乎他想象、决不会从他脑子中消失的有趣故事。在他看来，这些情节突出地衬托出弗洛伦斯，而不是他自己。有时他想（这时候他就走得很快），如果在他们第一次相遇之后的第二天他出去航海，在海上创造出奇迹，长久离别后回来的时候成了一位海军上将，全身服装像海豚那样闪耀着各种色彩，或者至少成了一位邮船船长，佩戴着闪闪发光、令人承受不住的肩章，然后不顾董贝先生的牙齿、领带和表链，与弗洛伦斯结婚（那时候她是一位美丽的年轻女人了），得意洋洋地把她带到某个有着蓝色海岸的地方去，那该是件多么美妙的事啊！可是这些奔放的幻想并没有把董贝父子公司营业所的铜牌擦亮成为一块金色希望的牌子或把灿烂的光辉照射到他们的肮脏的天窗上；当卡特尔船长与所尔舅舅谈论理查德·惠廷顿和他主人的女儿时，沃尔特觉得，他对他自己在董贝父子公司中真正的地位要比他们明白得多。

所以他一天天继续兴致勃勃、不辞劳苦、欢乐愉快地做着他应该做的事情，清楚地看到所尔舅舅和卡特尔船长充满希望的脸色，然而他自己却怀着上千种模糊不清、虚无缥缈的幻想；跟他的这些幻想相比，他们的幻想倒还存在着一些实现的可能性。这就是弗洛伦斯陪伴保罗到皮普钦那里去那段时间中他的情况；这时候他看上去比过去岁数大了一些，但大得不多，仍然是一位走路轻快、无忧无虑、不多思索的小伙子，就像他过去有一天在所尔舅舅和想象中的攻入敌船的船员们的前面，冲进客厅里的时候，以及当他给所尔舅舅照明去取那瓶马德拉白葡萄酒的时候一样。

“所尔舅舅，”沃尔特说道，“我觉得你身体不大好，你没有吃早饭。如果你再这样下去的话，那么我将给你请一位医生来。”

“他不能给我所需要的东西，我的孩子，”所尔舅舅说道，“如果他能的话，那么他至少有很好的经验——但他毕竟是不能给的。”

“你指什么，舅舅？是指顾客吗？”

“是的，”所罗门叹了一口气，回答道。“顾客就行。”

“真见鬼，舅舅！”沃尔特把他的早餐杯子卡嗒一声放下，在桌子上敲了一拳，说道，“当我看到人们整天一群群在街上走来走去，每分钟都有几十个人经过这个店铺的时候，我真想冲出去，扭住一个人的领口，拉他到店里来，一定让他拿出现钱，购买值五十镑的仪器。喂，您在门口看什

么？——”沃尔特继续说道，一边向一位头上撒了白粉的老先生喊道（他当然听不见），那老先生正在聚精会神地注视着一架船上用的望远镜。“那没有用，我也能那样看，进来把它买去吧！”

可是那位老先生满足了好奇心之后，不声不响地走开了。

“他走了！”沃尔特说道。“他们全都是这样。可是，舅舅——我说，所尔舅舅”——因为老人正在沉思，没有回答他第一次对他的招呼——“别垂头丧气，别没精打采，舅舅。当订货真来的时候，它们会大批大批地来，那时候你都没办法去完成它们的呢。”

“不论它们什么时候来，我都能全部完成的，我的孩子，”所罗门·吉尔斯回答道。“在我没有离开店铺之前，它们永远也不会到这里来了。”

“我说，舅舅！你真不应该这么说，你知道！”沃尔特劝说道。“别那么说了！”

老所尔努力装出一副高兴的神色，向桌子对面的他尽量愉快地微笑着。

“没有发生跟往常不同的什么事吧，是不是，舅舅？”沃尔特把两只胳膊肘支在茶盘上，身子向前弯过去，更加亲密、更加亲切地说道：“别对我瞒什么，舅舅，如果发生了什么事情，那么请把一切都告诉我。”

“没有，没有，没有，”老所尔回答道。“跟往常有什么不同的事吗？没有，没有，会发生跟往常不同的什么事情呢？”

沃尔特表示不大相信地摇摇头，作为回答。“这就是我想要知道的，”他说道，“可是你却问我！我将告诉你，舅舅，当我看到你这种样子的时候，我就会因为跟你住在一起而感到十分遗憾。”

老所尔不自觉地张开了眼睛。

“是的，虽然没有什么人能比我现在更幸福，而且我跟你在一起一直是幸福的，可是每当我看到你有什么心事的时候，我就会因为和你住在一起而感到十分遗憾。”

“我知道，我在这种时候有些沉闷，”所罗门温和地搓着手，说道。

“我想要说的是，所尔舅舅，”沃尔特把身子往前再弯过去一点，好拍拍他的肩膀，“这种时候我就觉得你应当有一位和善的、矮小的、胖乎乎的妻子，而不是我跟你坐在一起，给你倒茶；你知道，——她是一位贤惠的、能使你感到愉快的、和你情投意合的老太太，跟你正好相配；她知道怎样照顾你，让你心情舒畅。可是现在却是我在这里；我是一个很爱你的外甥（我相信我应当是！），可是我只是一个外甥；当你闷闷不乐，心绪不佳的时候，我就不能成为像她那样几年前就知道怎么做的伴侣了，虽然我相信，如果我能使你高兴起来，那么要我拿出多少钱来我都是愿意的。所以我说，每当我看到你有什么心事，而除了像我这样一个常常出漏子的粗鲁小伙子外，你没有一个更好的人在身旁的时候，我就感到很遗憾。我倒有意安慰安慰你，舅舅，可是我不知道该怎么办才好——不知道怎么办才好。”沃尔特重复说了一句，一边把身子向前再弯过去一些，好和他的舅舅握握手。

“沃利，我亲爱的孩子，”所罗门说道，“如果那位和我情投意合的、矮小的老太太在四十五年前就在这客厅里占据了她的位置，那么我也决不会像我现在这样喜欢你一样地喜欢她的。”

“我知道这一点，所尔舅舅，”沃尔特回答道。“上帝保佑你，我知道这一点。可是如果她跟你在一起，那么你有了不好对外人说的不称心的事情，你就不会承担它的全部负担了，因为她知道怎样让你把它们解脱掉的，而我就不知道了。”

“不，不，你知道的！”仪器制造商回答道。

“唔，那么发生了什么事情了呢，所尔舅舅？”沃尔特哄骗地说道。“说吧！发生了什么事情？”

所罗门·吉尔斯坚持说，没有发生什么事情，而且态度坚决，毫不改变，所以他的外甥没有法子，只好不太高明地假装相信他。

“我只想说一点，所尔舅舅，如果发生了什么——”

“可是没有发生什么，”所罗门说道。

“很好，”沃尔特说道。“那我就再也没有什么要说的了；巧得很，因为现在是我该去上班的时候了。我路过这里的时候，会顺便来看你的，看看你过得怎么样，舅舅。记住，舅舅！如果我发现你欺骗了我，那么我就再也不相信你了，再也不跟你讲低级职员卡克先生的事情了！”

所罗门·吉尔斯大笑着否认他能发现这样的事情；沃尔特脑子里盘旋着各种不切实际的发财致富的办法，好使木制海军军官候补生处于独立的地位，一边露出比平时更沉重的神色，向董贝父子公司的营业所走去。

在那些日子里，在比晓普斯盖特街的拐角上住着一位布罗格利先生，他是一位有许可证的经纪人和估价人，开设了一个店铺，店铺里离奇古怪地摆放着各种各样的旧家具，摆放和组合的方式都跟这些家具的用途完全不相称。几十张椅子钩挂在脸盆架上；脸盆架为难地在餐具柜的两侧保持住重心，以免倒下；餐具柜又支立在餐桌的不是恰当的一边；这些餐桌像做体操似地用脚顶住另一些餐桌的桌面；这些就是这些家具的最合理的安排。由盘盖、酒杯、圆酒瓶组成的宴席餐具通常散放在四柱的床架上，供它们的亲朋好友（如三、四副火钳和过道里的一盏灯）来享用。没有任何窗子属于它们的窗帘悬挂着，成了一张塞满小药瓶的五屉柜的遮护物；一块无家可归的炉边地毯离开它天然的伴侣炉子，在逆境中英勇地抵抗着刺骨的东风，它浑身哆嗦着，那忧伤的情调与一架钢琴的尖声怨诉倒很一致；那钢琴一天损失一根弦，正在消瘦下去，它那吵吵闹闹、精神错乱的脑袋对街上的喧声正作出微弱的反响。至于那指针永远停在一个地方、不会走动的钟表，似乎像他过去的主人的金钱状况一样，已经不能正常地运转了；这种钟表在布罗格利先生的店中经常是很多的，可以随意挑选；还有各种各样的镜子有时摆放得能使反映与折射出的形象比原形增大几倍，它们送入眼睛来的永远是一片破产与没落的景象。

布罗格利先生本人的眼睛经常是水汪汪的，脸孔是粉红色的，头发卷曲，块头很大，性格随和——因为凯乌斯·马略这样一类人是能够精神振作地坐在其他民族的迦太基的废墟上的1。他有时曾顺道到所罗门的店里来看看，问一问所罗门所经营的仪器方面的问题；沃尔特跟他熟了，在街上遇见时总要向他寒暄问好，然而这位经纪人与所罗门·吉尔斯也仅仅熟悉到这样的程度罢了，所以当沃尔特那天午前信守诺言，回到家中，看见布罗格利先生坐在后客厅里，双手插在衣袋中，帽子挂在门后的时候，感到相当惊奇。

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1凯乌斯·马略（caiusmarius，公元前157—86年），曾七次当选为古罗马的执政官，他指挥非洲的战争时，勇猛顽强，用兵如神。公元前88年，他被迫逃出罗马，历经艰险，逃到非洲，曾在迦太基的废墟中避难。迦太基（carthage）为古代著名大城市之一，相传为腓尼基人于公元前814年所建，今为突尼斯市郊区。

“唔，所尔舅舅！”沃尔特说道。那老人正沮丧地坐在桌子的另一边，眼镜居然很难得地戴在眼睛前面，而不是架在前额上。“你现在好吗？”

所罗门摇摇头，一只手向经纪人挥了挥，作为介绍他。

“发生什么事情了吗？”沃尔特屏息地问道。

“没有，没有，没有发生什么事情，”布罗格利先生说道。

“您别为这忧虑。”

沃尔特沉默而惊奇地把眼光从经纪人身上转移到他舅舅身上。

“事情是，”布罗格利先生说道，“这里有一张没有支付的票据。三百七十多镑，已经过期了。现在票据在我手里。”

“在您手里！”沃尔特往店铺里环视了一下，喊道。

“是的，”布罗格利先生用一种讲机密话的语气说道，同时点点头，仿佛他想劝告大家，每个人都应当觉得自己很好。“这是执行一件该办的事。事情仅仅如此而已。你别为这忧虑。我亲自到这里来，是因为我想悄悄地、和和气气地把这件事情了结了。您知道我，完全是私下的，一点也没有声张。”

“所尔舅舅！”沃尔特结结巴巴地说道。

“沃利，我的孩子，”他的舅舅回答道。“这是第一次。我从前从没有遇到过这样的不幸。我太老了，没法从头开始了。”他把眼镜又推到额上去（因为它已不能再掩盖他的情绪了），用一只手捂住脸孔，大声抽泣着，眼泪掉落在他的咖啡色的背心上。

“所尔舅舅！啊！请别这样！”沃尔特高声喊道；他看到老人哭泣，确实感到一阵恐怖。“看在上帝的分上，别这样！

布罗格利先生，我该怎么办？”

“我想建议您去找位朋友，”布罗格利先生说道，“跟他谈谈这件事情。”

“完全正确！”沃尔特急忙抓住一切机会，喊道。“当然该这么办！谢谢您。卡特尔船长就是我们所需要的人，舅舅。等着我，等我跑去找卡特尔船长。布罗格利先生，当我不在家的时候，请您照看一下我的舅舅，尽量安慰安慰他，好吗？不要灰心丧气，所尔舅舅。努力振作起精神，这才是个男子汉！”

沃尔特热情洋溢地说完了这些话，不顾老人上句不接下句地劝阻，迅猛地又冲出了店铺；他急忙跑到办公室，借口他舅舅突然病了，请求准假，然后火速地向卡特尔船长的住所进发。

当他沿着街道跑过去的时候，一切似乎都已改变了。像往常一样，手推车、大车、公共汽车、运货马车和行人混杂在一起，熙熙攘攘，发出了各种闹声，可是落到木制海军军官候补生身上的不幸使它们变得古怪与新奇。房屋与店铺跟它们平日的样子不同，正面有很大的字母写着布格罗利先生的付款通知单。这位经纪人似乎把教堂也掌握在手中了，因为它们的尖顶以一种不同寻常的气概升入了天空；甚至天空本身也改变了，也明显地参与了这件事情的执行。

卡特尔船长住在靠近印度造船厂的小运河的岸边；那里有一座旋桥，它不时旋开，让一些如同漫游巨怪般的船舰像搁浅了的海中怪兽一样，沿着街道冲游过去。当走向卡特尔船长住所的时候，从陆地到水上的逐步变化是奇妙有趣的。开始时是一些作为客栈附属物的旗杆高高耸立着；然后是现成服装店，店外悬挂着耿济岛1的黑色厚毛线衫，海员用的防水帽以及最紧窄和最宽松的帆布裤子。接着是生产锚和锚链的铁工厂，长柄的大铁锤整天叮叮当当地抡打着铁块。再下去是一排排房屋，房屋附近种植的红豆中间竖立着顶上有小风信标的桅杆。接下去是水沟，然后是截去树梢的柳树。再下去是更多的水沟。然后是一片片奇怪的脏水，由于上面有船，很难辨认出来。再下去，空气中散发着刨花的气味。所有其他行业都被制作桅、桨和滑车的行业和造船业排挤掉了。往下去，土地变得像沼泽一样低湿、泥泞，很不牢固。再下去，除了朗姆酒和糖的气味外，再也闻不到别的气味了。再往下，卡特尔船长的住所就近在您的眼前了。他住在二层楼，那是布里格广场上最高的一层。

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1耿济岛（isleofguernsey）：英国海峡中的一个岛。

船长是那些看去像木材的人们当中的一位，他们的衣服和身体好像是从一株橡树中一道砍削出来的，最活跃的想象力也几乎不可能把他们衣服中的任何一部分从身上分开，哪怕那是无关重要的一部分；因此，当沃尔特敲了门，船长立刻从他前面的小窗子当中的一个伸出头来招呼他的时候，他像平时一样，头上已经戴着那顶上了光的硬帽子，身上已经穿上那套蓝色的宽阔的外衣，还露出那像船帆一样的衬衫领子；沃尔特完全相信，他经常处于这种状态，仿佛船长是一只鸟，那些衣帽是他的羽毛似的。

“沃尔，我的孩子！”卡特尔船长说道。“做好准备，再敲一次。使劲敲，今天是洗衣服的日子。”

沃尔特急不可耐地用门环砰砰地猛敲着。

“很有劲！”卡特尔船长说道，然后立即把头缩了进去，仿佛他预料到一场夹带冰雹的暴风就要来临似的。

他没有错，因为一位寡居的太太以惊人的敏捷回答了这个召唤；她袖子卷到肩膀上，胳膊上沾满了肥皂泡，而且冒着雾腾腾的热气。她在看沃尔特之前先看了一下门环，然后用眼睛把他从头到脚打量了一下，说她很奇怪，门环居然还在门上，没有被他完全打落下来。

“就我所知，卡特尔船长在家里，”沃尔特和解地笑了一下，说道。

“他在家吗？”这位寡居的太太回答道。“原来——如此！”

“他刚才还跟我说话，”沃尔特急促地解释道。

“他跟您说话了吗？”寡居的太太回答道。“那么也许您可以向他转达麦克斯廷杰太太的敬意，告诉他，如果下一次要贬损他本人和他的住所的体面，从窗口对外讲话的话，那么就请他也下楼来开门，她将为此而感谢他。”麦克斯廷杰太太高声地说着，同时听听二层楼上对这会提出什么意见。

“夫人，”沃尔特说道，“如果您肯行个好，让我进去的话，那么我会对他说的。”

因为有一个木制的路障横放在门口，把他挡住了，那路障是为了防止小麦克斯廷杰在玩耍的时候，从台阶上滚下去而摆设在那里的。

“我希望，”麦克斯廷杰太太傲慢地说道，“一个能把我的门敲下的小子能够从这里跳过去。”可是当沃尔特以为这是允许他进去，因此跳了过去之后，麦克斯廷杰太太却立刻问道，一位英国妇女的家是不是她的堡垒？1它是不是可以容许“二流子”随意闯入？当沃尔特穿过洗衣服所形成的人造雾气（它使楼梯扶手粘粘糊糊，像出了汗似的），进到卡特尔船长的房间，看到这位先生正在门后埋伏着的时候，她仍纠缠不休地渴望在这两个问题上得到回答。

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1“一位英国男子的家是他的堡垒”（anenglishman′shouseishiscastle．）是英国法学家爱德华·科克爵士（siredwardcoke，1552—1634年，曾任民事法院的首席法官）在他的著作《英国法总论》（institutesofthelawsofengland）中所说的一句话，意为一位英国男子在他家中就处于法律威力所及的范围之外。麦克斯廷杰太太的问话就是从这句话引伸出来的。

“我从来不欠她一个便士，沃尔，”船长轻声说道，脸上仍明显地流露出恐怖的神色。“我对她和她的小孩子们做了许许多多的好事。可是有时她还是蛮不讲理。嘘！”

“我就要离开这里，卡特尔船长，”沃尔特说道。“别走，沃尔，”船长回答道。“我不论走到哪里，她都会把我找到的。请坐。吉尔斯好吗？”

船长戴着帽子，正在吃午饭：冷的羊腰子、黑啤酒和几个冒着热气的土豆。土豆是他自己煮的，他需要吃的时候，就从火炉前面的一只有柄的小平底锅中取出。吃饭的时候，他解下钩子，把一把小刀插进木制的插口里；他已经用这把小刀开始为沃尔特把一个土豆的皮剥去了。他的房间很小，充满了浓烈的吸烟草散发出的气味，但却十分温暖舒适。所有的东西都收藏了起来，仿佛这里每隔半小时就要发生一次地震似的。

“吉尔斯好吗？”船长问道。

沃尔特这时已经缓过气来，但却丧失了情绪——或者可以说是丧失了一种由于急速赶路而暂时振奋起来的情绪。他向问他的人望了一会儿，说道，“啊，卡特尔船长！”然后，就流出了眼泪。船长看到这种情景时的惊恐是不能用言语形容的。面对着这种情形，麦克斯廷杰太太已完全消失了。土豆和叉子从他手中掉下——如果可能的话，小刀也会掉下的——，他坐在那里凝视着这个孩子，仿佛他预料立刻就会听到，城里的土地已经裂开一个深坑，它已经把他的老朋友、他的咖啡色外衣、钮扣、精密计时表、眼镜以及一切都吞没了。

但是当沃尔特把事实真相告诉他之后，卡特尔船长沉思了片刻，就立刻非常活跃地行动起来。他从碗柜顶层隔板上的一个小锡罐中倒出他存有的全部现钱（总共是十三镑零半个克朗1），并把它们装进他的宽大的蓝色上衣的一个口袋中，接着他又把餐具箱子中所存有的东西充实到这个储藏所中。餐具箱子中所存有的是两只干瘪的、不像原形的茶匙和一副旧式的弯曲的方糖箱子。他又把他那只很大的、有双层外壳的银表从它安息的深处拉了出来，以便确信这个珍贵的物品完好无损；然后他把钩子重新拧紧到右腕上，拿起那根有好多节的手杖，嘱咐沃尔特动身。

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1克朗：旧时英国的硬币，一克朗等于五先令。

可是他在这种由于道德高尚而激发的兴奋中仍然记得，麦克斯廷杰太太可能在下面等待着，所以卡特尔船长最后犹豫起来，甚至还往窗子看了一眼，仿佛他脑子里闪出这样的念头：宁可从这个不寻常的出口逃走，也不要碰见他那个可怕的敌人；可是他决定采用计谋。

“沃尔，”船长胆怯地眨眨眼睛，说道，“你先走，我的孩子。当你走到走廊里的时候，你就大声喊道，‘再见，卡特尔船长，’再把门关上。然后你在街道拐角里等着我，直到我们见面为止。”

这些指示是预先知道敌人的策略才发出的，因为当沃尔特走下楼的时候，麦克斯廷杰太太像一个复仇的妖魔一样，从后面的小厨房中悄悄地溜了出来，但是没有像她原先期望的那样碰上船长，她只是再一次暗示了一下门环的事，就又悄悄地溜回厨房里去了。

大约过了五分钟光景，卡特尔船长才鼓起勇气来设法逃走；因为沃尔特在街道拐角等了好久，一直回头看看那座房屋，但却没有看到那顶上了光的硬帽子的任何影子。终于，船长像爆炸一样突然地冲出到门外，大步地向他走来，一次也没有回头去看；当他们一离开这条街的时候，他就假装吹口哨。

“舅舅的情绪很低沉吧，沃尔？”他们向前走去的时候，船长问道。

“我担心是这样。如果您今天早上看到他的话，那么您将永远忘不了他的那副神情。”

“快些走，沃尔，我的孩子，”船长加快步伐，回答道，“你这一辈子永远用这同样的步子走路。请查一下《教义问答》，并记住这句忠告。”

船长心中只顾想到所罗门·吉尔斯，也许也夹杂着他刚刚从麦克斯廷杰太太那里逃出来的回忆，所以没有再引用其他的话来帮助沃尔特来进一步完善他的德行。在他们到达老所尔的家门口之前，他们没有交谈其他的话；不幸的木制海军军官候补生手里拿着仪器在老所尔家的门口似乎正在向地平线眺望着，想要找一位朋友来帮助他摆脱困境。

“吉尔斯！”船长急忙跑到后客厅里，十分亲切地握着他的手。“昂起头来迎着风，我们将会战胜它。”船长像一个正在传达人类智慧所发现的最为宝贵、最切合实际的教义的人那样庄严地说道。“你应该做的一切，就是昂起头来迎着风，我们将会战胜它！”

老所尔紧紧地握着他的手，并且谢谢他。

然后卡特尔船长以在这种场合适宜的庄重的神态，在桌子上放下那两只茶匙，那副方糖箝子，那只银表和现钱，同时问经纪人布罗格利先生，需要偿付多少钱。

“听着，您看这些怎么样？”卡特尔船长问道。

“啊，上帝保佑您！”经纪人回答道；“难道您以为那些财产有什么用处吗？”

“为什么没有用处？”船长问道。

“为什么？总共是三百七十多镑，”经纪人回答道。

“不要紧，”船长回答道，虽然这个数字显然使他吃惊，“我想，跑进您网里来的都是鱼吧？”

“当然，”布罗格利先生说道。“但是您知道，西鲱鱼并不是鲸鱼。”

这句话的哲理似乎击中了船长。他沉思了一会儿；同时目不转睛地看着经纪人，像是在看一位思想深奥的天才似的。

然后他把仪器制造商叫到一旁。

“吉尔斯，”卡特尔船长说道，“这是什么样的一笔债务？

债权人是谁？”

“说轻一些！”老人回答道。“我们走开一些，别当着沃利的面说。这是为了给沃利的父亲担保而发生的事情。——一笔老债务。我已经偿付了好多，内德，可是我的日子过得很艰难，目前我不能再做什么了。我预见到这件事，可是我无能为力。无论如何，在沃利面前一句话也别说。”

“你有·一·些钱吧，是不是？”船长低声问道。

“是的，是的，——啊，是的。——我有一些，”老所尔回答道；他首先把手伸进两只空空的衣袋，然后用它们紧紧挤着他的威尔士假发，仿佛他以为他可以从那里挤出一些金子似的。“但是我，——我有一点钱是不能兑换成现钱的，内德；它是不能立刻拿来用的。我一直在想用它来给沃利做点什么事。可是我已过时了，落在时代后面了。这里那里都是钱，但同时——同时，总之，实际上等于什么地方都没有钱。”

老人手足无措地看着四周，说道。

他那样子很像是个神志恍惚的人，把钱藏在许多地方，但却忘记藏在哪里了，所以船长跟随着他的眼光，心里怀着一丝微弱的希望，也许他会记起来在上面的烟囱里或在下面的地窖里隐藏着几百镑。可是所罗门·吉尔斯心里很清楚，这是决不会发生的事情。

“我完全落在时代后面了，我亲爱的内德，”所尔万念俱灰地说道，“落后得很远了。我这样远远地落在它的后面是没有什么用处的。这些货物最好是卖掉——它的价值超过这笔债务——我最好是到一个什么地方去，死掉算了。我已经没有什么精力了。我不明白发生的事情，最好是让这告一结束。让他们把这些货物卖掉，并把他卸下来，”老人有气无力地指着木制海军军官候补生，说道，“让我们一起完蛋吧。”

“对沃尔特你打算怎么办呢？”船长问道。“好啦，好啦！请坐下，吉尔斯，请坐下，让我想一想这件事。如果我不是一位靠菲薄的年全过活的人（这年金要是积攒到今天将会是够大的一笔数字了），那么我现在就用不着想了。可是你只要昂起头来迎着风，”船长重新用这句无可辩驳的话来安慰他，“那么你就会一切都好的！”

老所尔由衷地感谢他，但他并没有昂起头来迎着风，而是走去把头靠在后客厅的壁炉上。

卡特尔船长在店铺里走来走去走了一些时候，深深地思考着，浓密的黑眉毛十分阴沉地低垂着，就像乌云笼罩在山峰上一样，因此沃尔特不敢去打断他的思路。布罗格利先生不愿意让这几个人过于紧张不安，同时他又是个足智多谋的人，所以就轻轻吹着口哨，在货物中间走来走去；他轻轻地敲敲睛雨表，又摇摇罗盘，仿佛这些罗盘是药水瓶似的；接着他又拿起带有天然磁石的钥匙，从望远镜里往外看，设法熟悉地球仪的用途，把平行规尺骑在鼻子上，又进行其他一些物理试验来开心取乐。

“沃尔！”船长终于说道。“我想到了！”

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