shadows of the past and future

'your most obedient, sir,' said the major. 'damme, sir, a friend of my friend dombey's is a friend of mine, and i'm glad to see you!'

'i am infinitely obliged, carker,' explained mr dombey, 'to major bagstock, for his company and conversation. 'major bagstock has rendered me great service, carker.'

mr carker the manager, hat in hand, just arrived at leamington, and just introduced to the major, showed the major his whole double range of teeth, and trusted he might take the liberty of thanking him with all his heart for having effected so great an improvement in mr dombey's looks and spirits'

'by gad, sir,' said the major, in reply, 'there are no thanks due to me, for it's a give and take affair. a great creature like our friend dombey, sir,' said the major, lowering his voice, but not lowering it so much as to render it inaudible to that gentleman, 'cannot help improving and exalting his friends. he strengthens and invigorates a man, sir, does dombey, in his moral nature.'

mr carker snapped at the expression. in his moral nature. exactly. the very words he had been on the point of suggesting.

'but when my friend dombey, sir,' added the major, 'talks to you of major bagstock, i must crave leave to set him and you right. he means plain joe, sir - joey b. - josh. bagstock - joseph- rough and tough old j., sir. at your service.'

mr carker's excessively friendly inclinations towards the major, and mr carker's admiration of his roughness, toughness, and plainness, gleamed out of every tooth in mr carker's head.

'and now, sir,' said the major, 'you and dombey have the devil's own amount of business to talk over.'

'by no means, major,' observed mr dombey.

'dombey,' said the major, defiantly, 'i know better; a man of your mark - the colossus of commerce - is not to be interrupted. your moments are precious. we shall meet at dinner-time. in the interval, old joseph will be scarce. the dinner-hour is a sharp seven, mr carker.'

with that, the major, greatly swollen as to his face, withdrew; but immediately putting in his head at the door again, said:

'i beg your pardon. dombey, have you any message to 'em?'

mr dombey in some embarrassment, and not without a glance at the courteous keeper of his business confidence, entrusted the major with his compliments.

'by the lord, sir,' said the major, 'you must make it something warmer than that, or old joe will be far from welcome.'

'regards then, if you will, major,' returned mr dombey.

'damme, sir,' said the major, shaking his shoulders and his great cheeks jocularly: 'make it something warmer than that.'

'what you please, then, major,' observed mr dombey.

'our friend is sly, sir, sly, sir, de-vilish sly,' said the major, staring round the door at carker. 'so is bagstock.' but stopping in the midst of a chuckle, and drawing himself up to his full height, the major solemnly exclaimed, as he struck himself on the chest, 'dombey! i envy your feelings. god bless you!' and withdrew.

'you must have found the gentleman a great resource,' said carker, following him with his teeth.

'very great indeed,' said mr dombey.

'he has friends here, no doubt,' pursued carker. 'i perceive, from what he has said, that you go into society here. do you know,' smiling horribly, 'i am so very glad that you go into society!'

mr dombey acknowledged this display of interest on the part of his second in command, by twirling his watch-chain, and slightly moving his head.

'you were formed for society,' said carker. 'of all the men i know, you are the best adapted, by nature and by position, for society. do you know i have been frequently amazed that you should have held it at arm's length so long!'

'i have had my reasons, carker. i have been alone, and indifferent to it. but you have great social qualifications yourself, and are the more likely to have been surprised.'

'oh! i!' returned the other, with ready self-disparagement. 'it's quite another matter in the case of a man like me. i don't come into comparison with you.'

mr dombey put his hand to his neckcloth, settled his chin in it, coughed, and stood looking at his faithful friend and servant for a few moments in silence.

'i shall have the pleasure, carker,' said mr dombey at length: making as if he swallowed something a little too large for his throat: 'to present you to my - to the major's friends. highly agreeable people.'

'ladies among them, i presume?' insinuated the smooth manager.

'they are all - that is to say, they are both - ladies,' replied mr dombey.

'only two?' smiled carker.

'they are only two. i have confined my visits to their residence, and have made no other acquaintance here.'

'sisters, perhaps?' quoth carker.

'mother and daughter,' replied mr dombey.

as mr dombey dropped his eyes, and adjusted his neckcloth again, the smiling face of mr carker the manager became in a moment, and without any stage of transition, transformed into a most intent and frowning face, scanning his closely, and with an ugly sneer. as mr dombey raised his eyes, it changed back, no less quickly, to its old expression, and showed him every gum of which it stood possessed.

'you are very kind,' said carker, 'i shall be delighted to know them. speaking of daughters, i have seen miss dombey.'

there was a sudden rush of blood to mr dombey's face.

'i took the liberty of waiting on her,' said carker, 'to inquire if she could charge me with any little commission. i am not so fortunate as to be the bearer of any but her - but her dear love.'

wolf's face that it was then, with even the hot tongue revealing itself through the stretched mouth, as the eyes encountered mr dombey's!

'what business intelligence is there?' inquired the latter gentleman, after a silence, during which mr carker had produced some memoranda and other papers.

'there is very little,' returned carker. 'upon the whole we have not had our usual good fortune of late, but that is of little moment to you. at lloyd's, they give up the son and heir for lost. well, she was insured, from her keel to her masthead.'

'carker,' said mr dombey, taking a chair near him, 'i cannot say that young man, gay, ever impressed me favourably

'nor me,' interposed the manager.

'but i wish,' said mr dombey, without heeding the interruption, 'he had never gone on board that ship. i wish he had never been sent out.

'it is a pity you didn't say so, in good time, is it not?' retorted carker, coolly. 'however, i think it's all for the best. i really, think it's all for the best. did i mention that there was something like a little confidence between miss dombey and myself?'

'no,' said mr dombey, sternly.

'i have no doubt,' returned mr carker, after an impressive pause, 'that wherever gay is, he is much better where he is, than at home here. if i were, or could be, in your place, i should be satisfied of that. i am quite satisfied of it myself. miss dombey is confiding and young - perhaps hardly proud enough, for your daughter - if she have a fault. not that that is much though, i am sure. will you check these balances with me?'

mr dombey leaned back in his chair, instead of bending over the papers that were laid before him, and looked the manager steadily in the face. the manager, with his eyelids slightly raised, affected to be glancing at his figures, and to await the leisure of his principal. he showed that he affected this, as if from great delicacy, and with a design to spare mr dombey's feelings; and the latter, as he looked at him, was cognizant of his intended consideration, and felt that but for it, this confidential carker would have said a great deal more, which he, mr dombey, was too proud to ask for. it was his way in business, often. little by little, mr dombey's gaze relaxed, and his attention became diverted to the papers before him; but while busy with the occupation they afforded him, he frequently stopped, and looked at mr carker again. whenever he did so, mr carker was demonstrative, as before, in his delicacy, and impressed it on his great chief more and more.

while they were thus engaged; and under the skilful culture of the manager, angry thoughts in reference to poor florence brooded and bred in mr dombey's breast, usurping the place of the cold dislike that generally reigned there; major bagstock, much admired by the old ladies of leamington, and followed by the native, carrying the usual amount of light baggage, straddled along the shady side of the way, to make a morning call on mrs skewton. it being midday when the major reached the bower of cleopatra, he had the good fortune to find his princess on her usual sofa, languishing over a cup of coffee, with the room so darkened and shaded for her more luxurious repose, that withers, who was in attendance on her, loomed like a phantom page.

'what insupportable creature is this, coming in?' said mrs skewton, 'i cannot hear it. go away, whoever you are!'

'you have not the heart to banish j. b., ma'am!' said the major halting midway, to remonstrate, with his cane over his shoulder.

'oh it's you, is it? on second thoughts, you may enter,' observed cleopatra.

the major entered accordingly, and advancing to the sofa pressed her charming hand to his lips.

'sit down,' said cleopatra, listlessly waving her fan, 'a long way off. don't come too near me, for i am frightfully faint and sensitive this morning, and you smell of the sun. you are absolutely tropical.'

'by george, ma'am,' said the major, 'the time has been when joseph bagstock has been grilled and blistered by the sun; then time was, when he was forced, ma'am, into such full blow, by high hothouse heat in the west indies, that he was known as the flower. a man never heard of bagstock, ma'am, in those days; he heard of the flower - the flower of ours. the flower may have faded, more or less, ma'am,' observed the major, dropping into a much nearer chair than had been indicated by his cruel divinity, 'but it is a tough plant yet, and constant as the evergreen.'

here the major, under cover of the dark room, shut up one eye, rolled his head like a harlequin, and, in his great self-satisfaction, perhaps went nearer to the confines of apoplexy than he had ever gone before.

'where is mrs granger?' inquired cleopatra of her page.

withers believed she was in her own room.

'very well,' said mrs skewton. 'go away, and shut the door. i am engaged.'

as withers disappeared, mrs skewton turned her head languidly towards the major, without otherwise moving, and asked him how his friend was.

'dombey, ma'am,' returned the major, with a facetious gurgling in his throat, 'is as well as a man in his condition can be. his condition is a desperate one, ma'am. he is touched, is dombey! touched!' cried the major. 'he is bayonetted through the body.'

cleopatra cast a sharp look at the major, that contrasted forcibly with the affected drawl in which she presently said:

'major bagstock, although i know but little of the world, - nor can i really regret my experience, for i fear it is a false place, full of withering conventionalities: where nature is but little regarded, and where the music of the heart, and the gushing of the soul, and all that sort of thing, which is so truly poetical, is seldom heard, - i cannot misunderstand your meaning. there is an allusion to edith - to my extremely dear child,' said mrs skewton, tracing the outline of her eyebrows with her forefinger, 'in your words, to which the tenderest of chords vibrates excessively.'

'bluntness, ma'am,' returned the major, 'has ever been the characteristic of the bagstock breed. you are right. joe admits it.'

'and that allusion,' pursued cleopatra, 'would involve one of the most - if not positively the most - touching, and thrilling, and sacred emotions of which our sadly-fallen nature is susceptible, i conceive.'

the major laid his hand upon his lips, and wafted a kiss to cleopatra, as if to identify the emotion in question.

'i feel that i am weak. i feel that i am wanting in that energy, which should sustain a mama: not to say a parent: on such a subject,' said mrs skewton, trimming her lips with the laced edge of her pocket-handkerchief; 'but i can hardly approach a topic so excessively momentous to my dearest edith without a feeling of faintness. nevertheless, bad man, as you have boldly remarked upon it, and as it has occasioned me great anguish:' mrs skewton touched her left side with her fan: 'i will not shrink from my duty.'

the major, under cover of the dimness, swelled, and swelled, and rolled his purple face about, and winked his lobster eye, until he fell into a fit of wheezing, which obliged him to rise and take a turn or two about the room, before his fair friend could proceed.

'mr dombey,' said mrs skewton, when she at length resumed, 'was obliging enough, now many weeks ago, to do us the honour of visiting us here; in company, my dear major, with yourself. i acknowledge - let me be open - that it is my failing to be the creature of impulse, and to wear my heart as it were, outside. i know my failing full well. my enemy cannot know it better. but i am not penitent; i would rather not be frozen by the heartless world, and am content to bear this imputation justly.'

mrs skewton arranged her tucker, pinched her wiry throat to give it a soft surface, and went on, with great complacency.

'it gave me (my dearest edith too, i am sure) infinite pleasure to receive mr dombey. as a friend of yours, my dear major, we were naturally disposed to be prepossessed in his favour; and i fancied that i observed an amount of heart in mr dombey, that was excessively refreshing.'

'there is devilish little heart in dombey now, ma'am,' said the major.

'wretched man!' cried mrs skewton, looking at him languidly, 'pray be silent.'

'j. b. is dumb, ma'am,' said the major.

'mr dombey,' pursued cleopatra, smoothing the rosy hue upon her cheeks, 'accordingly repeated his visit; and possibly finding some attraction in the simplicity and primitiveness of our tastes - for there is always a charm in nature - it is so very sweet - became one of our little circle every evening. little did i think of the awful responsibility into which i plunged when i encouraged mr dombey - to -

'to beat up these quarters, ma'am,' suggested major bagstock.

'coarse person! 'said mrs skewton, 'you anticipate my meaning, though in odious language.

here mrs skewton rested her elbow on the little table at her side, and suffering her wrist to droop in what she considered a graceful and becoming manner, dangled her fan to and fro, and lazily admired her hand while speaking.

'the agony i have endured,' she said mincingly, 'as the truth has by degrees dawned upon me, has been too exceedingly terrific to dilate upon. my whole existence is bound up in my sweetest edith; and to see her change from day to day - my beautiful pet, who has positively garnered up her heart since the death of that most delightful creature, granger - is the most affecting thing in the world.'

mrs skewton's world was not a very trying one, if one might judge of it by the influence of its most affecting circumstance upon her; but this by the way.

'edith,' simpered mrs skewton, 'who is the perfect pearl of my life, is said to resemble me. i believe we are alike.'

'there is one man in the world who never will admit that anyone resembles you, ma'am,' said the major; 'and that man's name is old joe bagstock.'

cleopatra made as if she would brain the flatterer with her fan, but relenting, smiled upon him and proceeded:

'if my charming girl inherits any advantages from me, wicked one!': the major was the wicked one: 'she inherits also my foolish nature. she has great force of character - mine has been said to be immense, though i don't believe it - but once moved, she is susceptible and sensitive to the last extent. what are my feelings when i see her pining! they destroy me.

the major advancing his double chin, and pursing up his blue lips into a soothing expression, affected the profoundest sympathy.

'the confidence,' said mrs skewton, 'that has subsisted between us - the free development of soul, and openness of sentiment - is touching to think of. we have been more like sisters than mama and child.'

'j. b.'s own sentiment,' observed the major, 'expressed by j. b. fifty thousand times!'

'do not interrupt, rude man!' said cleopatra. 'what are my feelings, then, when i find that there is one subject avoided by us! that there is a what's-his-name - a gulf - opened between us. that my own artless edith is changed to me! they are of the most poignant description, of course.'

the major left his chair, and took one nearer to the little table.

'from day to day i see this, my dear major,' proceeded mrs skewton. 'from day to day i feel this. from hour to hour i reproach myself for that excess of faith and trustfulness which has led to such distressing consequences; and almost from minute to minute, i hope that mr dombey may explain himself, and relieve the torture i undergo, which is extremely wearing. but nothing happens, my dear major; i am the slave of remorse - take care of the coffee-cup: you are so very awkward - my darling edith is an altered being; and i really don't see what is to be done, or what good creature i can advise with.'

major bagstock, encouraged perhaps by the softened and confidential tone into which mrs skewton, after several times lapsing into it for a moment, seemed now to have subsided for good, stretched out his hand across the little table, and said with a leer,

'advise with joe, ma'am.'

'then, you aggravating monster,' said cleopatra, giving one hand to the major, and tapping his knuckles with her fan, which she held in the other: 'why don't you talk to me? you know what i mean. why don't you tell me something to the purpose?'

the major laughed, and kissed the hand she had bestowed upon him, and laughed again immensely.

'is there as much heart in mr dombey as i gave him credit for?' languished cleopatra tenderly. 'do you think he is in earnest, my dear major? would you recommend his being spoken to, or his being left alone? now tell me, like a dear man, what would you advise.'

'shall we marry him to edith granger, ma'am?' chuckled the major, hoarsely.

'mysterious creature!' returned cleopatra, bringing her fan to bear upon the major's nose. 'how can we marry him?'

'shall we marry him to edith granger, ma'am, i say?' chuckled the major again.

mrs skewton returned no answer in words, but smiled upon the major with so much archness and vivacity, that that gallant officer considering himself challenged, would have imprinted a kiss on her exceedingly red lips, but for her interposing the fan with a very winning and juvenile dexterity. it might have been in modesty; it might have been in apprehension of some danger to their bloom.

'dombey, ma'am,' said the major, 'is a great catch.'

'oh, mercenary wretch!' cried cleopatra, with a little shriek, 'i am shocked.'

'and dombey, ma'am,' pursued the major, thrusting forward his head, and distending his eyes, 'is in earnest. joseph says it; bagstock knows it; j. b. keeps him to the mark. leave dombey to himself, ma'am. dombey is safe, ma'am. do as you have done; do no more; and trust to j. b. for the end.'

'you really think so, my dear major?' returned cleopatra, who had eyed him very cautiously, and very searchingly, in spite of her listless bearing.

'sure of it, ma'am,' rejoined the major. 'cleopatra the peerless, and her antony bagstock, will often speak of this, triumphantly, when sharing the elegance and wealth of edith dombey's establishment. dombey's right-hand man, ma'am,' said the major, stopping abruptly in a chuckle, and becoming serious, 'has arrived.'

'this morning?' said cleopatra.

'this morning, ma'am,' returned the major. 'and dombey's anxiety for his arrival, ma'am, is to be referred - take j. b.'s word for this; for joe is devilish sly' - the major tapped his nose, and screwed up one of his eyes tight: which did not enhance his native beauty - 'to his desire that what is in the wind should become known to him' without dombey's telling and consulting him. for dombey is as proud, ma'am,' said the major, 'as lucifer.'

'a charming quality,' lisped mrs skewton; 'reminding one of dearest edith.'

'well, ma'am,' said the major. 'i have thrown out hints already, and the right-hand man understands 'em; and i'll throw out more, before the day is done. dombey projected this morning a ride to warwick castle, and to kenilworth, to-morrow, to be preceded by a breakfast with us. i undertook the delivery of this invitation. will you honour us so far, ma'am?' said the major, swelling with shortness of breath and slyness, as he produced a note, addressed to the honourable mrs skewton, by favour of major bagstock, wherein hers ever faithfully, paul dombey, besought her and her amiable and accomplished daughter to consent to the proposed excursion; and in a postscript unto which, the same ever faithfully paul dombey entreated to be recalled to the remembrance of mrs granger.

'hush!' said cleopatra, suddenly, 'edith!'

the loving mother can scarcely be described as resuming her insipid and affected air when she made this exclamation; for she had never cast it off; nor was it likely that she ever would or could, in any other place than in the grave. but hurriedly dismissing whatever shadow of earnestness, or faint confession of a purpose, laudable or wicked, that her face, or voice, or manner: had, for the moment, betrayed, she lounged upon the couch, her most insipid and most languid self again, as edith entered the room.

edith, so beautiful and stately, but so cold and so repelling. who, slightly acknowledging the presence of major bagstock, and directing a keen glance at her mother, drew back the from a window, and sat down there, looking out.

'my dearest edith,' said mrs skewton, 'where on earth have you been? i have wanted you, my love, most sadly.'

'you said you were engaged, and i stayed away,' she answered, without turning her head.

'it was cruel to old joe, ma'am,' said the major in his gallantry.

'it was very cruel, i know,' she said, still looking out - and said with such calm disdain, that the major was discomfited, and could think of nothing in reply.

'major bagstock, my darling edith,' drawled her mother, 'who is generally the most useless and disagreeable creature in the world: as you know - '

'it is surely not worthwhile, mama,' said edith, looking round, 'to observe these forms of speech. we are quite alone. we know each other.'

the quiet scorn that sat upon her handsome face - a scorn that evidently lighted on herself, no less than them - was so intense and deep, that her mother's simper, for the instant, though of a hardy constitution, drooped before it.

'my darling girl,' she began again.

'not woman yet?' said edith, with a smile.

'how very odd you are to-day, my dear! pray let me say, my love, that major bagstock has brought the kindest of notes from mr dombey, proposing that we should breakfast with him to-morrow, and ride to warwick and kenilworth. will you go, edith?'

'will i go!' she repeated, turning very red, and breathing quickly as she looked round at her mother.

'i knew you would, my own, observed the latter carelessly. 'it is, as you say, quite a form to ask. here is mr dombey's letter, edith.'

'thank you. i have no desire to read it,' was her answer.

'then perhaps i had better answer it myself,' said mrs skewton, 'though i had thought of asking you to be my secretary, darling.' as edith made no movement, and no answer, mrs skewton begged the major to wheel her little table nearer, and to set open the desk it contained, and to take out pen and paper for her; all which congenial offices of gallantry the major discharged, with much submission and devotion.

'your regards, edith, my dear?' said mrs skewton, pausing, pen in hand, at the postscript.

'what you will, mama,' she answered, without turning her head, and with supreme indifference.

mrs skewton wrote what she would, without seeking for any more explicit directions, and handed her letter to the major, who receiving it as a precious charge, made a show of laying it near his heart, but was fain to put it in the pocket of his pantaloons on account of the insecurity of his waistcoat the major then took a very polished and chivalrous farewell of both ladies, which the elder one acknowledged in her usual manner, while the younger, sitting with her face addressed to the window, bent her head so slightly that it would have been a greater compliment to the major to have made no sign at all, and to have left him to infer that he had not been heard or thought of.

'as to alteration in her, sir,' mused the major on his way back; on which expedition - the afternoon being sunny and hot - he ordered the native and the light baggage to the front, and walked in the shadow of that expatriated prince: 'as to alteration, sir, and pining, and so forth, that won't go down with joseph bagstock, none of that, sir. it won't do here. but as to there being something of a division between 'em - or a gulf as the mother calls it - damme, sir, that seems true enough. and it's odd enough! well, sir!' panted the major, 'edith granger and dombey are well matched; let 'em fight it out! bagstock backs the winner!'

the major, by saying these latter words aloud, in the vigour of his thoughts, caused the unhappy native to stop, and turn round, in the belief that he was personally addressed. exasperated to the last degree by this act of insubordination, the major (though he was swelling with enjoyment of his own humour, at the moment of its occurrence instantly thrust his cane among the native's ribs, and continued to stir him up, at short intervals, all the way to the hotel.

nor was the major less exasperated as he dressed for dinner, during which operation the dark servant underwent the pelting of a shower of miscellaneous objects, varying in size from a boot to a hairbrush, and including everything that came within his master's reach. for the major plumed himself on having the native in a perfect state of drill, and visited the least departure from strict discipline with this kind of fatigue duty. add to this, that he maintained the native about his person as a counter-irritant against the gout, and all other vexations, mental as well as bodily; and the native would appear to have earned his pay - which was not large.

at length, the major having disposed of all the missiles that were convenient to his hand, and having called the native so many new names as must have given him great occasion to marvel at the resources of the english language, submitted to have his cravat put on; and being dressed, and finding himself in a brisk flow of spirits after this exercise, went downstairs to enliven 'dombey' and his right-hand man.

dombey was not yet in the room, but the right-hand man was there, and his dental treasures were, as usual, ready for the major.

'well, sir!' said the major. 'how have you passed the time since i had the happiness of meeting you? have you walked at all?'

'a saunter of barely half an hour's duration,' returned carker. 'we have been so much occupied.'

'business, eh?' said the major.

'a variety of little matters necessary to be gone through,' replied carker. 'but do you know - this is quite unusual with me, educated in a distrustful school, and who am not generally disposed to be communicative,' he said, breaking off, and speaking in a charming tone of frankness - 'but i feel quite confidential with you, major bagstock.'

'you do me honour, sir,' returned the major. 'you may be.'

'do you know, then,' pursued carker, 'that i have not found my friend - our friend, i ought rather to call him - '

'meaning dombey, sir?' cried the major. 'you see me, mr carker, standing here! j. b.?'

he was puffy enough to see, and blue enough; and mr carker intimated the he had that pleasure.

'then you see a man, sir, who would go through fire and water to serve dombey,' returned major bagstock.

mr carker smiled, and said he was sure of it. 'do you know, major,' he proceeded: 'to resume where i left off' that i have not found our friend so attentive to business today, as usual?'

'no?' observed the delighted major.

'i have found him a little abstracted, and with his attention disposed to wander,' said carker.

'by jove, sir,' cried the major, 'there's a lady in the case.'

'indeed, i begin to believe there really is,' returned carker; 'i thought you might be jesting when you seemed to hint at it; for i know you military men -

the major gave the horse's cough, and shook his head and shoulders, as much as to say, 'well! we are gay dogs, there's no denying.' he then seized mr carker by the button-hole, and with starting eyes whispered in his ear, that she was a woman of extraordinary charms, sir. that she was a young widow, sir. that she was of a fine family, sir. that dombey was over head and ears in love with her, sir, and that it would be a good match on both sides; for she had beauty, blood, and talent, and dombey had fortune; and what more could any couple have? hearing mr dombey's footsteps without, the major cut himself short by saying, that mr carker would see her tomorrow morning, and would judge for himself; and between his mental excitement, and the exertion of saying all this in wheezy whispers, the major sat gurgling in the throat and watering at the eyes, until dinner was ready.

the major, like some other noble animals, exhibited himself to great advantage at feeding-time. on this occasion, he shone resplendent at one end of the table, supported by the milder lustre of mr dombey at the other; while carker on one side lent his ray to either light, or suffered it to merge into both, as occasion arose.

during the first course or two, the major was usually grave; for the native, in obedience to general orders, secretly issued, collected every sauce and cruet round him, and gave him a great deal to do, in taking out the stoppers, and mixing up the contents in his plate. besides which, the native had private zests and flavours on a side-table, with which the major daily scorched himself; to say nothing of strange machines out of which he spirited unknown liquids into the major's drink. but on this occasion, major bagstock, even amidst these many occupations, found time to be social; and his sociality consisted in excessive slyness for the behoof of mr carker, and the betrayal of mr dombey's state of mind.

'dombey,' said the major, 'you don't eat; what's the matter?'

'thank you,' returned the gentleman, 'i am doing very well; i have no great appetite today.'

'why, dombey, what's become of it?' asked the major. 'where's it gone? you haven't left it with our friends, i'll swear, for i can answer for their having none to-day at luncheon. i can answer for one of 'em, at least: i won't say which.'

then the major winked at carker, and became so frightfully sly, that his dark attendant was obliged to pat him on the back, without orders, or he would probably have disappeared under the table.

in a later stage of the dinner: that is to say, when the native stood at the major's elbow ready to serve the first bottle of champagne: the major became still slyer.

'fill this to the brim, you scoundrel,' said the major, holding up his glass. 'fill mr carker's to the brim too. and mr dombey's too. by gad, gentlemen,' said the major, winking at his new friend, while mr dombey looked into his plate with a conscious air, 'we'll consecrate this glass of wine to a divinity whom joe is proud to know, and at a distance humbly and reverently to admire. edith,' said the major, 'is her name; angelic edith!'

'to angelic edith!' cried the smiling carker.

'edith, by all means,' said mr dombey.

the entrance of the waiters with new dishes caused the major to be slyer yet, but in a more serious vein. 'for though among ourselves, joe bagstock mingles jest and earnest on this subject, sir,' said the major, laying his finger on his lips, and speaking half apart to carker, 'he holds that name too sacred to be made the property of these fellows, or of any fellows. not a word!, sir' while they are here!'

this was respectful and becoming on the major's part, and mr dombey plainly felt it so. although embarrassed in his own frigid way, by the major's allusions, mr dombey had no objection to such rallying, it was clear, but rather courted it. perhaps the major had been pretty near the truth, when he had divined that morning that the great man who was too haughty formally to consult with, or confide in his prime minister, on such a matter, yet wished him to be fully possessed of it. let this be how it may, he often glanced at mr carker while the major plied his light artillery, and seemed watchful of its effect upon him.

but the major, having secured an attentive listener, and a smiler who had not his match in all the world - 'in short, a devilish intelligent and able fellow,' as he often afterwards declared - was not going to let him off with a little slyness personal to mr dombey. therefore, on the removal of the cloth, the major developed himself as a choice spirit in the broader and more comprehensive range of narrating regimental stories, and cracking regimental jokes, which he did with such prodigal exuberance, that carker was (or feigned to be) quite exhausted with laughter and admiration: while mr dombey looked on over his starched cravat, like the major's proprietor, or like a stately showman who was glad to see his bear dancing well.

when the major was too hoarse with meat and drink, and the display of his social powers, to render himself intelligible any longer, they adjourned to coffee. after which, the major inquired of mr carker the manager, with little apparent hope of an answer in the affirmative, if he played picquet.

'yes, i play picquet a little,' said mr carker.

'backgammon, perhaps?' observed the major, hesitating.

'yes, i play backgammon a little too,' replied the man of teeth.

'carker plays at all games, i believe,' said mr dombey, laying himself on a sofa like a man of wood, without a hinge or a joint in him; 'and plays them well.'

in sooth, he played the two in question, to such perfection, that the major was astonished, and asked him, at random, if he played chess.

'yes, i play chess a little,' answered carker. 'i have sometimes played, and won a game - it's a mere trick - without seeing the board.'

'by gad, sir!' said the major, staring, 'you are a contrast to dombey, who plays nothing.'

'oh! he!' returned the manager. 'he has never had occasion to acquire such little arts. to men like me, they are sometimes useful. as at present, major bagstock, when they enable me to take a hand with you.'

it might be only the false mouth, so smooth and wide; and yet there seemed to lurk beneath the humility and subserviency of this short speech, a something like a snarl; and, for a moment, one might have thought that the white teeth were prone to bite the hand they fawned upon. but the major thought nothing about it; and mr dombey lay meditating with his eyes half shut, during the whole of the play, which lasted until bed-time.

by that time, mr carker, though the winner, had mounted high into the major's good opinion, insomuch that when he left the major at his own room before going to bed, the major as a special attention, sent the native - who always rested on a mattress spread upon the ground at his master's door - along the gallery, to light him to his room in state.

there was a faint blur on the surface of the mirror in mr carker's chamber, and its reflection was, perhaps, a false one. but it showed, that night, the image of a man, who saw, in his fancy, a crowd of people slumbering on the ground at his feet, like the poor native at his master's door: who picked his way among them: looking down, maliciously enough: but trod upon no upturned face - as yet.

“我是您最顺从的仆人，先生，”少校说道，“他妈的，先生，我的朋友董贝先生的朋友就是我的朋友。我很高兴见到您。”

“卡克，”董贝先生解释道，“白格斯托克少校陪同我游览，跟我交谈，我对他无限感激。白格斯托克少校给我帮了很大的忙，卡克。”

经理卡克先生手中握着帽子，刚刚到达莱明顿，并刚刚被介绍给少校；他向少校显露出上下两排的全部牙齿，说他相信，他能不揣冒昧地衷心感谢他在改善董贝先生的神色和精神上取得了十分显著的效果。

“说实在的，先生，”少校回答道，“用不着感谢我，因为这是件双方相互受益的事情。像我们的朋友董贝这样一位伟大的人物，先生，”少校放低了嗓门说道，但是没有低到使那位先生听不到，“他总是在无意之间就能促使他的朋友进步，变得高尚起来的，先生；他——董贝先生增强和激励着一个人的道德本性。”

卡克先生对这些话连声赞同。他增强和激励着一个人的道德本性，正是这样！这正是他就要脱口说出的话。

“但是，先生，”少校接着说道，“当我的朋友董贝跟您谈到白格斯托克少校时，我却必须恳求允许我把他和您纠正纠正。他指的是直率的乔，先生——乔埃·白——乔希·白格斯托克——约瑟夫——粗鲁和坚强的老乔，先生。我愿为您效劳。”

卡克先生对少校极为友好的态度，以及卡克先生对他粗鲁、坚强和直率的赞赏，都从卡克先生的每颗牙齿中闪现出来。

“现在，先生，”少校说道，“您和董贝有好多好多的事情要商量啦。”

“不，不，少校，”董贝先生说道。

“董贝，”少校坚决不同意地说道，“我很明白，像您这样杰出的人物——商业界的巨子，是不应该受到打扰的。您的每一秒钟都是宝贵的。我们吃晚饭的时候再见吧。在这段时间里，老约瑟夫就避开了。卡克先生，吃晚饭的时间是七点正。”

少校说完这些话之后，脸上露出极为扬扬得意的表情，离开了。但他立即又在门口探进头来说：

“请原谅，董贝，您有什么话需要我转告她们的？”

董贝先生有点不好意思，向那位殷勤有礼、掌握了他的商业秘密的人稍稍看了一眼，然后拜托少校向她们转致他的问候。

“哎呀，先生”少校说，“您得说点更热情的话才好呢，要不老乔就不会受到热烈的欢迎了。”

“那么，少校，就请向她们转致我的敬意吧！”董贝先生回答道。

“他妈的，先生，”少校滑稽地摇晃着他的肩膀和肥厚的双颊，说道，“您得表示更热情一些才好呵。”

“那么，少校，您爱说什么就说什么吧，”董贝先生说道。

“我们的朋友是狡猾的，先生，狡猾的，魔鬼一般的狡猾，”少校在门口转过头来直盯着卡克，说道，“白格斯托克也是这样，”但是少校在吃吃笑着的中间停了下来，伸直了身子，拍拍胸膛，庄重地说道，“董贝，我真羡慕您的感情，上帝保佑您！”然后他离开了。

“您一定觉得这位先生是一位很能开心解闷的人，”卡克先生在他的身后露出牙齿，说道。

“确实是这样，”董贝先生说道。

“他在这里无疑是有朋友的，”卡克先生继续说道，“我从他的话中知道，您在这里经常参加社交活动；您可知道，”他令人讨厌地微笑着，“您经常参加社交活动，我真是高兴极了。”

董贝先生捻转着表链子，并轻轻地摇晃着脑袋，对这位地位仅次于他的助手所显示的关心表示感谢。

“您生来就是属于社会的人，”卡克说道，“在我所认识的人们当中，从性格和地位来说，您都是最适合于进入社会开展活动的。您可知道，您过去竟这么长久地和社会保持着一定距离，我一直感到惊奇！”

“我有我的理由，卡克。我是个独立门户，不求助于他人的人，所以我对社会漠不关心，但是您本人是位有出色社交才能的人，因此就更容易感到惊奇了。”

“哦，我！”那一位敏捷地用自我贬低的口吻回答道，“像我这样的人那是完全另外一码事。我根本不能和您相比。”

董贝先生把手伸向领带，下巴缩在里面，咳嗽了一声，然后站在那里，向他忠实的朋友和奴仆默默地看了几秒钟。

“卡克，”董贝先生终于说道，他这时的表情就仿佛是咽下对他的喉咙有些过大的什么东西似的，“我将高兴把您介绍给我的——介绍给少校的朋友们。她们是很使人感到愉快的人们。”

“我想他们当中也有女士吧，”圆滑的经理旁敲侧击地问道。

“他们全是，——就是说，她们两人全是女士，”董贝先生回答道。

“只有两人吗？”卡克笑嘻嘻地问道。

“只有两人。我在这里只是到她们的住所里去拜访过，没有结识其他什么人。”

“也许是姐妹俩吧？”卡克问道。

“母亲和女儿，”董贝先生回答道。

董贝先生低下眼睛，又把领带整整好，这时候经理卡克先生笑嘻嘻的脸容，没有经过任何过渡阶段，突然一下子转变成目不转睛、皱眉蹙额的脸容，眼光全神贯注地细细观察着董贝先生的脸，并露出丑恶的讥笑。当董贝先生抬起眼睛的时候，卡克先生的脸孔又以同样敏捷的速度恢复了原来的表情，向他露出全部牙床。

“谢谢您的好意，”卡克说道，“我将高兴认识她们。说到女儿，使我想起，我见到过董贝小姐呢。”

血流突然涌上了董贝先生的脸。

“我冒昧地去看望了她，”卡克说道，“问她有什么事要交我办的，可是很不幸，除了——除了她的亲切的爱之外，我没能给她带来别的东西。”

这真像狼一般的脸孔啊！当他的眼光碰到了董贝先生的眼光时，从他张开的嘴巴中甚至可以看到那火热的舌头！

“公司里的业务情况怎么样？”那一位先生沉默了一会儿之后问道；在沉默的时间中，卡克先生取出了一些便函和其他文件、票据。

“生意很清淡，”卡克回答道，“总的来说，我们最近运气不像往常那样好，不过这对于您来说没什么要紧。劳埃德商船协会1认为‘儿子和继承人’已经沉没了。幸好它从龙骨到桅顶都是保了险的。”

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1劳埃德商船协会：伦敦当时经营海上保险业和船舶检查注册的一个团体。

“卡克，”董贝先生把一把椅子移近身边，说道，“我不能说那位年轻人盖伊曾给我留下好印象。”

“也没有给我留下好印象，”经理插话道。

“可是，”董贝先生没有注意到他的插话，继续说道，“我真愿他当初没有乘这条船，当初没有派他去就好了。”

“真可惜，您当初没早讲，是吧？”卡克冷冷地回答道，“不过，我想，到头来这倒会是件好事。我确实认为，到头来这倒会是件好事。我跟您说过没有，董贝小姐与我本人相互间还有着一点类似信任的关系呢？”

“没有，”董贝先生严厉地说道。

“我毫不怀疑，”卡克在一段令人难忘的沉默之后继续说道，“不论盖伊现在在什么地方，他待在那个地方总比在这里待在家中要好得多。如果我处在，或者能处在您的地位的话，我将对这种情况感到满意。我本人是很满意的。董贝小姐年轻，轻信，如果她有什么缺点的话，那就是，作为您的女儿，也许还不够高傲。当然，这算不了什么。您跟我核对一下这些帐目好吗？”

董贝先生没有弯下身子去看那些摊在面前的帐单，而是往后仰靠在椅子中，目不转睛地看着这位经理的脸。经理眼皮稍稍抬起一点，假装看着数字，而不去催促他的老板。他毫不掩饰他是出于对董贝先生体帖入微和有意不伤害他的感情才假装成这样子的；董贝先生坐在那里看着他的时候，明白他是有意关照他；他觉得，如果不是为了这一点，这位深受他信任的卡克本会说出更多更多的话的，但是董贝先生太高傲了，他不会请求他说。他在业务上也经常这样。董贝先生的眼光逐渐松弛下来，他的注意力开始转移到面前的票据上面；但是他在埋头研究的过程中经常停下来，重新看着卡克先生；每当他这样做的时候；卡克先生就像先前一样，表露出他的殷勤，给他的老板留下了愈来愈深刻的印象。

他们就这样忙着业务；在经理的巧妙的引导下，董贝先生心中对可怜的弗洛伦斯产生和滋长着愤怒的思想，它正取代着往常对她冷酷的厌恶；就正在这些时候，被莱明顿老太太们所称颂的白格斯托克少校，正沿着街道有荫影的一边迈着步子，去向斯丘顿夫人进行一次上午的拜访；本地人手里拿着那些通常的随身用品，跟随在他后面；当少校到达克利奥佩特拉的闺房时，正是中午，所以他幸运地看到他的女王像平时一样坐在沙发上，有气无力地面对着一杯咖啡；为了使她能得到舒适的休息，房间被窗帘遮蔽得十分阴暗，在她身旁侍候的威瑟斯就像一个侍童的幽灵一样，朦胧不明地浮现出身形。

“什么讨厌的东西进来了？”斯丘顿夫人说道，“我不能容忍它。不管你是谁，快滚开！”

“夫人，您不会忍心把乔·白撵走的！”少校在中途停下，抗议道，手杖挂在他的肩膀上。

“啊，是你呀，是吗？好吧，我改变主意，可以让你进来。”

克利奥佩特拉说道。

于是，少校就走进来，到了沙发旁边，把她可爱的手压到他的嘴唇上。

“坐吧，”克利奥佩特拉没精打采地摇着扇子，说道，“坐得远些，不要太挨近我，因为今天下午我虚弱得要命，感觉非常灵敏。你身上有一股太阳气。你简直就跟从热带跑来的人一样。”

“确实，夫人，”少校说道，“过去有一段时候，约瑟夫·白格斯托克曾经被太阳炙烤过，烫出过水泡；那时候，夫人，在西印度群岛温室般炎热的气温下，他不由得不茁壮成长；当时大家都以花这个外号来称呼他。在那些日子里，夫人，谁也不知道白格斯托克，但大家都知道花——我们的花。花现在多少有些枯萎了，夫人，”少校说道，一边坐到一张椅子里，他比他残酷的神所指定的那张椅子要近好多，“可是它仍然是一株顽强的植物，就像常绿树一样四季长青。”

这时少校在房间黑暗光线的掩护下，闭上一只眼睛，像哑剧中的丑角一样摇晃着脑袋，他在扬扬得意之中也许比过去任何时候都更接近于中风的边缘。

“格兰杰夫人在哪里？”克利奥佩特拉问她的童仆。

威瑟斯说，他猜想她在她自己的房间里。

“很好，”斯丘顿夫人说道，“你出去吧，把门关上，我有事。”

威瑟斯走开以后，斯丘顿夫人身体没有移动，只是有气无力地把头转向少校，问他，他的朋友怎么样？

“夫人，”少校喉咙里滑稽地发出咕嘟咕嘟的声音，回答道，“就一个处在他这种境况中的人来说，董贝总算还不错。夫人，他目前的情况已到了危急万分的地步。他神魂颠倒了！董贝，他已经神魂颠倒了！”少校喊道，“他已经被刺伤得体无完肤了。”

克利奥佩特拉向少校敏锐地看了一眼，这和她接着讲话时假装的慢声慢气形成了鲜明的对照。

“白格斯托克少校，虽然我对世界了解得很少，（我对我缺乏经验并不真正感到遗憾，因为我担心这世界是个虚伪的地方，充满了使人难受的陈规旧习；这里，大自然受到轻视，也很少听到心的音乐，心灵的表露，以及所有那些富于真正诗意的东西），可是我不会误会你话中的含意。你的话是暗指伊迪丝——我无比亲爱的孩子。”斯丘顿夫人用食指沿着眉毛移动着，说道，“你的这些话使最温柔的心弦在有力地颤动！”

“夫人，”少校回答道，“坦率一直是白格斯托克家族的特点。您的话说对了。乔承认这一点。”

“你所暗指的这一点，”克利奥佩特拉继续说道，“将会涉及我们可悲地堕落的本性很容易产生的那最令人感动的、最惊心动魄的和最神圣的情感，至少也是这些最优美的情感中的一种。”

少校把手放到嘴唇上，向克利奥佩特拉送去一个飞吻，仿佛要指明这正是她所谈到的情感。

“我觉得我虚弱无力。我觉得我缺乏在这种时刻应该能支持住一位母亲——不说是一个家长的精力，”斯丘顿夫人用她手绢饰有花边的边缘抹了抹嘴唇，说道，“但是在谈到这个对我最亲爱的伊迪丝非常重要的问题时，我不能不感觉到要昏过去似的。不过话说回来，坏家伙，既然你已经大胆地提到了它，既然它已经造成我极度的痛苦，”斯丘顿夫人用扇子触了触她的左胁，“我将不会逃避我的责任。”

少校在阴暗光线的掩护下，踌躇满志，得意扬扬，来回摇晃着他那发青的脸，并眨着龙虾眼，直到后来他呼哧呼哧地一阵阵喘起气来，因此在他的女朋友能继续说话之前，他不得不站起身来，在房间里转了一、两圈。

“董贝先生十分客气，”斯丘顿夫人终于恢复了说话能力之后，说道，“好多个星期之前跟你，我亲爱的少校，一道到这里来拜访我们，使我们感到光荣之至。我承认——请允许我坦率地说——，我是个易受冲动的人，可以说，我的心就好像亮在外面似的。我对我的弱点知道得清清楚楚。我的敌人也不能比我知道得更清楚。可是我并不后悔；我宁肯不要被冰冷无情的世界冻僵，对这责怪我倒是心安理得，处之泰然的。”

斯丘顿夫人整了整领子，捏了捏瘦削的喉咙，使它表面光滑些，然后十分扬扬自得地继续说道：

“我接待董贝先生感到无比高兴（我相信，我最亲爱的伊迪丝也一样）。作为你的一个朋友，我亲爱的少校，我们很自然地事先就对他产生了好感。我觉得，我看到董贝先生充满了善良的心意，这是使人极能振奋精神的。”

“董贝先生现在什么心也没有了，夫人，”少校说道。

“坏蛋！”斯丘顿夫人没精打采地看着他说，“请别吱声！”

“乔·白一个字也不说了，夫人，”少校说道。

“董贝先生后来就不断到这里来拜访，”克利奥佩特拉揉平脸颊上的红粉，继续说道，“也许是发现我们纯朴和自然的风格中有什么吸引力吧——因为在自然中总是有一种魅力的——它是很引人入胜的——，他成了我们每天晚上小小聚会中的一员。当初我决没想到我会背负起这可怕的责任，那时候我鼓励董贝先生——”

“上这里来随便串串门，夫人，”白格斯托克少校提示说。

“粗野的人！”斯丘顿夫人说，“你猜对了我的意思，但使用了讨厌的语言。”

这时斯丘顿夫人把胳膊肘搁在身边的一张小桌子上，用她认为优美和合适的姿态垂下手腕，悬吊着扇子来回摆动，一边说话一边赞赏着她自己的手。

“当我逐渐明白真相的时候，”她装腔作势地说道，“我所忍受过的痛苦真是太可怕了，我不想去细细说它；我的整个一生都跟我最亲爱的伊迪丝紧密地联系在一起；我美丽的宝贝孩子，自从那极讨人喜欢的人儿格兰杰死去以后，她简直把心也给掩藏起来了；看到她的容颜一天天地改变，真是世界上最令人伤心的事情。”

如果人们从那最伤心的痛苦对斯丘顿夫人所产生的影响来判断的话，那么她的世界并不是很难于忍受的，不过这只是顺便说说而已。

“人们都说，”斯丘顿夫人傻笑着说道，“我生活中十全十美的的珍珠伊迪丝像我。我相信，我们确实是相像的。”

“世界上有一个人永远也不会承认有谁能像你，夫人，”少校说，“这个人的名字就是老乔·白格斯托克。”

克利奥佩特拉装着要用扇子打破马屁精的脑袋，但却又发了慈悲心，对他微笑着，继续说道：

“如果我迷人的女儿继承了我的什么优点的话，坏东西！”坏东西是指少校，“那么她也继承了我的傻脾气。她有着强烈的性格——人们说我的性格也是很强烈的，虽然我不相信——，但是她一旦被感动了，她是极容易动心和敏感的。当我看到她憔悴下去的时候，我的心情是什么滋味啊！它简直要毁了我。”

少校向前伸出他的双下巴，表示安慰地噘着发青的嘴唇，假装出极为深切的同情。

“我们之间存在的信任：心灵的自由发展和思想感情的尽情倾吐，”斯丘顿夫人说道，“想起来真是动人。我们像是姐妹俩，而不像妈妈和女儿。”

“乔·白就有这样的看法，”少校说道，“乔·白已讲过五万次了！”

“别插嘴，粗鲁的人！”克利奥佩特拉说，“当我发现有一个问题我们避开不谈的时候，我的心情是什么滋味啊！在我们中间悬隔着一道——该叫什么——鸿沟。我的天真朴实的伊迪丝要变成我的模样了！自然，这是最沉痛难忍的心情。”

少校离开他的椅子，坐到挨近小桌子的那一张中。

“一天又一天，我看到了这一点，我亲爱的少校，”斯丘顿夫人继续说道，“一天又一天，我感觉到了这一点。一小时又一小时，我责备自己，过分的信任，过分的无猜无疑，它已造成了如此痛苦的结果；差不多一分钟又一分钟，我希望董贝先生会自己来解释，并解除我遭受的痛苦，这痛苦真使我精疲力竭。但是什么也没有发生，我亲爱的少校。我深深地悔恨——小心别打破咖啡杯子，你这笨手笨脚的人——我最亲爱的伊迪丝是个已经改变了的人；我实在不知道该怎么办，也不知道我可以跟哪位好人商量。”

斯丘顿夫人曾经好多次采用，现在终于完全采用了温柔和信任的语气，白格斯托克少校也许受到这种语气的鼓励，就把手伸过小桌子，斜眼看着说道：

“跟乔商量吧，夫人。”

“既然这样，你这讨厌的怪物，”克利奥佩特拉把一只手递给少校，用另一只手中拿着的扇子轻轻地敲打他的指节，说道，“你为什么不跟我谈谈？你知道我指的是什么。为什么你不跟我谈谈这方面的事？”

少校哈哈大笑，吻了吻她伸给他的手，又连连不停地哈哈大笑。

“董贝先生是不是像我所认为的心地真诚善良的人？”有气无力的克利奥佩特拉亲切地说道，“你认为他是真心实意的吗？我亲爱的少校？你认为需要跟他说说还是听他自便？现在请告诉我，亲爱的人，你的意见怎么样？”

“我们要不要让他去跟伊迪丝·格兰杰结婚呢，夫人？”少校声音嘶哑地吃吃笑道。

“莫名其妙的东西！”克利奥佩特拉举起扇子去打少校的鼻子，说道，“我们怎么能让他去结婚？”

“我说，夫人，我们要不要让他去跟伊迪丝·格兰杰结婚？”少校又吃吃地笑道。

斯丘顿夫人没有答话，而是十分调皮、十分快活地向少校微笑着；这位好色的军官认为这是对自己的挑引，本想在她非常红的嘴唇上印上一个亲吻的，可是她却以十分可爱的、少女般的敏捷劲儿，用扇子挡住了。她这么做，也许是由于羞怯，但也许是由于她害怕嘴唇上涂染上的色泽会受到损害。

“夫人，”少校说道，“董贝是个人人想开采的金矿。”

“啊，你这满身铜臭的势利小人！”克利奥佩特拉轻轻地尖声喊道，“真叫我毛骨悚然。”

“夫人，”少校伸长脖子，睁大眼睛，继续说道，“董贝是真心实意的。约瑟夫这样说；白格斯托克知道这一点。乔·白正把他引到这一步。听凭董贝自己去吧，夫人。董贝是稳能到手的。你就跟过去一样行事好了，不要别的。请相信乔·白会把事情办到底的。”

“你真的这样想吗，我亲爱的少校？”克利奥佩特拉问道。她虽然是一副没精打采的姿态，但却很机警、很敏锐地逼视着他。

“绝对是真的，夫人，”少校回答道，“世上无双的克利奥佩特拉和她的安东尼·白格斯托克在伊迪丝·董贝富丽堂皇的公馆中享受财富时，将会经常得意扬扬地谈到这一点。夫人，董贝的左右手，”少校在吃吃的笑声中突然停住，一本正经地说道，“已经到这里来了。”

“今天早上？”克利奥佩特拉问道。

“今天早上，夫人，”少校回答道，“董贝曾经焦急地等待着他的来到，夫人，这说明了——请相信乔·白的话，因为乔是魔鬼般狡猾的人，”少校轻轻地敲打着自己的鼻子，并眯缝着一只眼睛，这并没有改善他天生的美容，“这说明了董贝希望他得知这个消息，不用他告诉他或跟他商量。因为，夫人，”少校说，“董贝就跟魔王一样骄傲。”

“这是个可爱的性格，”斯丘顿夫人吐字不清地说道，“它使人想起了我最亲爱的伊迪丝。”

“唔，夫人，”少校说，“我已经作出了一些暗示，那位左右手明白了，我将再作出一些暗示，直到那天来到为止。董贝今天早上建议明天乘车到沃里克城堡1和凯尼尔沃思2去游览，动身之前先跟我们一起吃早饭。我是替他来送请柬的。您肯不肯赏光，夫人？”少校说，当他取出一张短笺时，他脸上扬扬得意，露出狡猾的神气，气都喘不过来；这张短笺是烦请白格斯托克少校转交给尊敬的斯丘顿夫人的；在这张短笺中，她的永远忠实的保罗·董贝恳求她和她和蔼可亲的、多才多艺的女儿同意参加这次建议中的游览。在附言中，这同一位永远忠实的保罗·董贝请求她向格兰杰夫人转致他的问候。

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1沃里克（warwick）：英格兰沃里克郡的一个城镇，以古城堡著名；该城堡规模宏大，结构完整，收藏有精美绘画和兵器。

2凯尼尔沃思（kenilworth）：也是英格兰沃里克郡的一个城镇。

“别说话！”克利奥佩特拉突然说道，“伊迪丝！”

这位可爱的母亲在发出这个惊叫声之后又重新装出那副没有精神、装腔作势的神态，这种情景简直是不可能描写的；因为她从来没有抛开过这个神态，大概除了坟墓之外，不论在其他任何地方她都不想，也不可能抛开这个神态的。但是她在脸孔、声音或神态中曾经在片刻间暴露出她曾经认真怀有一种目的或微弱地承认她怀有那个目的（不论这目的是高尚的或邪恶的），而当伊迪丝走进房间的时候，她就急急忙忙地驱除掉她曾一时暴露出的所有这些神色的任何阴影，懒洋洋地斜靠在长沙发上，又是原先那极为没精打采和有气无力的神态。

伊迪丝十分美丽和庄严，但却又十分冷淡和拒人于千里之外。她对白格斯托克少校几乎没打招呼，向母亲敏锐地看了一眼之后，把一个窗子的窗帘拉开，在窗前坐下，望着外面。

“我最亲爱的伊迪丝，”斯丘顿夫人说道，“你这些时候待在哪里？我多么想看到你呀，我亲爱的。”

“你刚才说你有事，所以我就没进来，”她头也不回地回答道。

“这对老乔太残酷无情了，夫人，”少校以他特有的殷勤说道。

“是很残酷无情，我知道，”她仍然望着外面，说道，说话时不动声色，十分傲慢；少校十分狼狈，想不出什么话来回答。

“我亲爱的伊迪丝，”她的母亲慢声慢气地说道，“你知道，白格斯托克少校总的来说，是世界上最没用、最讨厌的人——”

“妈妈，完全不必采用这种讲话方式，”伊迪丝回过头来说道，“这里就我们三个人。我们彼此了解。”

她俊俏的脸上平平静静地显露出的轻蔑表情（对她自己的轻蔑显然并不比对他们的少）十分强烈和深刻，因此她母亲原先发出的傻笑，尽管是习惯性的，也不得不在这种表情前顷刻间从唇边消失了。

“我亲爱的女儿，”她又开始说道。

“还不是个女人吗？”伊迪丝微笑着说道。

“你今天多么古怪，我亲爱的！请让我说，我的宝贝，白格斯托克少校替董贝先生送来了十分客气的请柬，建议我们明天和他一起吃早饭，然后乘车去沃里克和肯尼尔沃思。你去吗，伊迪丝？”

“我去吗！”她重复着说道，她回过头来看母亲时，脸孔涨得通红，并急促地呼吸着。

“我