deeper shadows

mr carker the manager rose with the lark, and went out, walking in the summer day. his meditations - and he meditated with contracted brows while he strolled along - hardly seemed to soar as high as the lark, or to mount in that direction; rather they kept close to their nest upon the earth, and looked about, among the dust and worms. but there was not a bird in the air, singing unseen, farther beyond the reach of human eye than mr carker's thoughts. he had his face so perfectly under control, that few could say more, in distinct terms, of its expression, than that it smiled or that it pondered. it pondered now, intently. as the lark rose higher, he sank deeper in thought. as the lark poured out her melody clearer and stronger, he fell into a graver and profounder silence. at length, when the lark came headlong down, with an accumulating stream of song, and dropped among the green wheat near him, rippling in the breath of the morning like a river, he sprang up from his reverie, and looked round with a sudden smile, as courteous and as soft as if he had had numerous observers to propitiate; nor did he relapse, after being thus awakened; but clearing his face, like one who bethought himself that it might otherwise wrinkle and tell tales, went smiling on, as if for practice.

perhaps with an eye to first impressions, mr carker was very carefully and trimly dressed, that morning. though always somewhat formal, in his dress, in imitation of the great man whom he served, he stopped short of the extent of mr dombey's stiffness: at once perhaps because he knew it to be ludicrous, and because in doing so he found another means of expressing his sense of the difference and distance between them. some people quoted him indeed, in this respect, as a pointed commentary, and not a flattering one, on his icy patron - but the world is prone to misconstruction, and mr carker was not accountable for its bad propensity.

clean and florid: with his light complexion, fading as it were, in the sun, and his dainty step enhancing the softness of the turf: mr carker the manager strolled about meadows, and green lanes, and glided among avenues of trees, until it was time to return to breakfast. taking a nearer way back, mr carker pursued it, airing his teeth, and said aloud as he did so, 'now to see the second mrs dombey!'

he had strolled beyond the town, and re-entered it by a pleasant walk, where there was a deep shade of leafy trees, and where there were a few benches here and there for those who chose to rest. it not being a place of general resort at any hour, and wearing at that time of the still morning the air of being quite deserted and retired, mr carker had it, or thought he had it, all to himself. so, with the whim of an idle man, to whom there yet remained twenty minutes for reaching a destination easily able in ten, mr carker threaded the great boles of the trees, and went passing in and out, before this one and behind that, weaving a chain of footsteps on the dewy ground.

but he found he was mistaken in supposing there was no one in the grove, for as he softly rounded the trunk of one large tree, on which the obdurate bark was knotted and overlapped like the hide of a rhinoceros or some kindred monster of the ancient days before the flood, he saw an unexpected figure sitting on a bench near at hand, about which, in another moment, he would have wound the chain he was making.

it was that of a lady, elegantly dressed and very handsome, whose dark proud eyes were fixed upon the ground, and in whom some passion or struggle was raging. for as she sat looking down, she held a corner of her under lip within her mouth, her bosom heaved, her nostril quivered, her head trembled, indignant tears were on her cheek, and her foot was set upon the moss as though she would have crushed it into nothing. and yet almost the self-same glance that showed him this, showed him the self-same lady rising with a scornful air of weariness and lassitude, and turning away with nothing expressed in face or figure but careless beauty and imperious disdain.

a withered and very ugly old woman, dressed not so much like a gipsy as like any of that medley race of vagabonds who tramp about the country, begging, and stealing, and tinkering, and weaving rushes, by turns, or all together, had been observing the lady, too; for, as she rose, this second figure strangely confronting the first, scrambled up from the ground - out of it, it almost appeared - and stood in the way.

'let me tell your fortune, my pretty lady,' said the old woman, munching with her jaws, as if the death's head beneath her yellow skin were impatient to get out.

'i can tell it for myself,' was the reply.

'ay, ay, pretty lady; but not right. you didn't tell it right when you were sitting there. i see you! give me a piece of silver, pretty lady, and i'll tell your fortune true. there's riches, pretty lady, in your face.'

'i know,' returned the lady, passing her with a dark smile, and a proud step. 'i knew it before.

'what! you won't give me nothing?' cried the old woman. 'you won't give me nothing to tell your fortune, pretty lady? how much will you give me to tell it, then? give me something, or i'll call it after you!' croaked the old woman, passionately.

mr carker, whom the lady was about to pass close, slinking against his tree as she crossed to gain the path, advanced so as to meet her, and pulling off his hat as she went by, bade the old woman hold her peace. the lady acknowledged his interference with an inclination of the head, and went her way.

'you give me something then, or i'll call it after her!' screamed the old woman, throwing up her arms, and pressing forward against his outstretched hand. 'or come,' she added, dropping her voice suddenly, looking at him earnestly, and seeming in a moment to forget the object of her wrath, 'give me something, or i'll call it after you! '

'after me, old lady!' returned the manager, putting his hand in his pocket.

'yes,' said the woman, steadfast in her scrutiny, and holding out her shrivelled hand. 'i know!'

'what do you know?' demanded carker, throwing her a shilling. 'do you know who the handsome lady is?'

munching like that sailor's wife of yore, who had chestnuts in her lap, and scowling like the witch who asked for some in vain, the old woman picked the shilling up, and going backwards, like a crab, or like a heap of crabs: for her alternately expanding and contracting hands might have represented two of that species, and her creeping face, some half-a-dozen more: crouched on the veinous root of an old tree, pulled out a short black pipe from within the crown of her bonnet, lighted it with a match, and smoked in silence, looking fixedly at her questioner.

mr carker laughed, and turned upon his heel.

'good!' said the old woman. 'one child dead, and one child living: one wife dead, and one wife coming. go and meet her!'

in spite of himself, the manager looked round again, and stopped. the old woman, who had not removed her pipe, and was munching and mumbling while she smoked, as if in conversation with an invisible familiar, pointed with her finger in the direction he was going, and laughed.

'what was that you said, beldamite?' he demanded.

the woman mumbled, and chattered, and smoked, and still pointed before him; but remained silent muttering a farewell that was not complimentary, mr carker pursued his way; but as he turned out of that place, and looked over his shoulder at the root of the old tree, he could yet see the finger pointing before him, and thought he heard the woman screaming, 'go and meet her!'

preparations for a choice repast were completed, he found, at the hotel; and mr dombey, and the major, and the breakfast, were awaiting the ladies. individual constitution has much to do with the development of such facts, no doubt; but in this case, appetite carried it hollow over the tender passion; mr dombey being very cool and collected, and the major fretting and fuming in a state of violent heat and irritation. at length the door was thrown open by the native, and, after a pause, occupied by her languishing along the gallery, a very blooming, but not very youthful lady, appeared.

'my dear mr dombey,' said the lady, 'i am afraid we are late, but edith has been out already looking for a favourable point of view for a sketch, and kept me waiting for her. falsest of majors,' giving him her little finger, 'how do you do?'

'mrs skewton,' said mr dombey, 'let me gratify my friend carker:' mr dombey unconsciously emphasised the word friend, as saying "no really; i do allow him to take credit for that distinction:" 'by presenting him to you. you have heard me mention mr carker.'

'i am charmed, i am sure,' said mrs skewton, graciously.

mr carker was charmed, of course. would he have been more charmed on mr dombey's behalf, if mrs skewton had been (as he at first supposed her) the edith whom they had toasted overnight?

'why, where, for heaven's sake, is edith?' exclaimed mrs skewton, looking round. 'still at the door, giving withers orders about the mounting of those drawings! my dear mr dombey, will you have the kindness -

mr dombey was already gone to seek her. next moment he returned, bearing on his arm the same elegantly dressed and very handsome lady whom mr carker had encountered underneath the trees.

'carker - ' began mr dombey. but their recognition of each other was so manifest, that mr dombey stopped surprised.

'i am obliged to the gentleman,' said edith, with a stately bend, 'for sparing me some annoyance from an importunate beggar just now.'

'i am obliged to my good fortune,' said mr carker, bowing low, 'for the opportunity of rendering so slight a service to one whose servant i am proud to be.'

as her eye rested on him for an instant, and then lighted on the ground, he saw in its bright and searching glance a suspicion that he had not come up at the moment of his interference, but had secretly observed her sooner. as he saw that, she saw in his eye that her distrust was not without foundation.

'really,' cried mrs skewton, who had taken this opportunity of inspecting mr carker through her glass, and satisfying herself (as she lisped audibly to the major) that he was all heart; 'really now, this is one of the most enchanting coincidences that i ever heard of. the idea! my dearest edith, there is such an obvious destiny in it, that really one might almost be induced to cross one's arms upon one's frock, and say, like those wicked turks, there is no what's-his-name but thingummy, and what-you-may-call-it is his prophet!'

edith designed no revision of this extraordinary quotation from the koran, but mr dombey felt it necessary to offer a few polite remarks.

'it gives me great pleasure,' said mr dombey, with cumbrous gallantry, 'that a gentleman so nearly connected with myself as carker is, should have had the honour and happiness of rendering the least assistance to mrs granger.' mr dombey bowed to her. 'but it gives me some pain, and it occasions me to be really envious of carker;' he unconsciously laid stress on these words, as sensible that they must appear to involve a very surprising proposition; 'envious of carker, that i had not that honour and that happiness myself.' mr dombey bowed again. edith, saving for a curl of her lip, was motionless.

'by the lord, sir,' cried the major, bursting into speech at sight of the waiter, who was come to announce breakfast, 'it's an extraordinary thing to me that no one can have the honour and happiness of shooting all such beggars through the head without being brought to book for it. but here's an arm for mrs granger if she'll do j. b. the honour to accept it; and the greatest service joe can render you, ma'am, just now, is, to lead you into table!'

with this, the major gave his arm to edith; mr dombey led the way with mrs skewton; mrs carker went last, smiling on the party.

'i am quite rejoiced, mr carker,' said the lady-mother, at breakfast, after another approving survey of him through her glass, 'that you have timed your visit so happily, as to go with us to-day. it is the most enchanting expedition!'

'any expedition would be enchanting in such society,' returned carker; 'but i believe it is, in itself, full of interest.'

'oh!' cried mrs skewton, with a faded little scream of rapture, 'the castle is charming! - associations of the middle ages - and all that - which is so truly exquisite. don't you dote upon the middle ages, mr carker?'

'very much, indeed,' said mr carker.

'such charming times!' cried cleopatra. 'so full of faith! so vigorous and forcible! so picturesque! so perfectly removed from commonplace! oh dear! if they would only leave us a little more of the poetry of existence in these terrible days!'

mrs skewton was looking sharp after mr dombey all the time she said this, who was looking at edith: who was listening, but who never lifted up her eyes.

'we are dreadfully real, mr carker,' said mrs skewton; 'are we not?'

few people had less reason to complain of their reality than cleopatra, who had as much that was false about her as could well go to the composition of anybody with a real individual existence. but mr carker commiserated our reality nevertheless, and agreed that we were very hardly used in that regard.

'pictures at the castle, quite divine!' said cleopatra. 'i hope you dote upon pictures?'

'i assure you, mrs skewton,' said mr dombey, with solemn encouragement of his manager, 'that carker has a very good taste for pictures; quite a natural power of appreciating them. he is a very creditable artist himself. he will be delighted, i am sure, with mrs granger's taste and skill.'

'damme, sir!' cried major bagstock, 'my opinion is, that you're the admirable carker, and can do anything.'

'oh!' smiled carker, with humility, 'you are much too sanguine, major bagstock. i can do very little. but mr dombey is so generous in his estimation of any trivial accomplishment a man like myself may find it almost necessary to acquire, and to which, in his very different sphere, he is far superior, that - ' mr carker shrugged his shoulders, deprecating further praise, and said no more.

all this time, edith never raised her eyes, unless to glance towards her mother when that lady's fervent spirit shone forth in words. but as carker ceased, she looked at mr dombey for a moment. for a moment only; but with a transient gleam of scornful wonder on her face, not lost on one observer, who was smiling round the board.

mr dombey caught the dark eyelash in its descent, and took the opportunity of arresting it.

'you have been to warwick often, unfortunately?' said mr dombey.

'several times.'

'the visit will be tedious to you, i am afraid.'

'oh no; not at all.'

'ah! you are like your cousin feenix, my dearest edith,' said mrs skewton. 'he has been to warwick castle fifty times, if he has been there once; yet if he came to leamington to-morrow - i wish he would, dear angel! - he would make his fifty-second visit next day.'

'we are all enthusiastic, are we not, mama?' said edith, with a cold smile.

'too much so, for our peace, perhaps, my dear,' returned her mother; 'but we won't complain. our own emotions are our recompense. if, as your cousin feenix says, the sword wears out the what's-its-name

'the scabbard, perhaps,' said edith.

'exactly - a little too fast, it is because it is bright and glowing, you know, my dearest love.'

mrs skewton heaved a gentle sigh, supposed to cast a shadow on the surface of that dagger of lath, whereof her susceptible bosom was the sheath: and leaning her head on one side, in the cleopatra manner, looked with pensive affection on her darling child.

edith had turned her face towards mr dombey when he first addressed her, and had remained in that attitude, while speaking to her mother, and while her mother spoke to her, as though offering him her attention, if he had anything more to say. there was something in the manner of this simple courtesy: almost defiant, and giving it the character of being rendered on compulsion, or as a matter of traffic to which she was a reluctant party again not lost upon that same observer who was smiling round the board. it set him thinking of her as he had first seen her, when she had believed herself to be alone among the trees.

mr dombey having nothing else to say, proposed - the breakfast being now finished, and the major gorged, like any boa constrictor - that they should start. a barouche being in waiting, according to the orders of that gentleman, the two ladies, the major and himself, took their seats in it; the native and the wan page mounted the box, mr towlinson being left behind; and mr carker, on horseback, brought up the rear. mr carker cantered behind the carriage. at the distance of a hundred yards or so, and watched it, during all the ride, as if he were a cat, indeed, and its four occupants, mice. whether he looked to one side of the road, or to the other - over distant landscape, with its smooth undulations, wind-mills, corn, grass, bean fields, wild-flowers, farm-yards, hayricks, and the spire among the wood - or upwards in the sunny air, where butterflies were sporting round his head, and birds were pouring out their songs - or downward, where the shadows of the branches interlaced, and made a trembling carpet on the road - or onward, where the overhanging trees formed aisles and arches, dim with the softened light that steeped through leaves - one corner of his eye was ever on the formal head of mr dombey, addressed towards him, and the feather in the bonnet, drooping so neglectfully and scornfully between them; much as he had seen the haughty eyelids droop; not least so, when the face met that now fronting it. once, and once only, did his wary glance release these objects; and that was, when a leap over a low hedge, and a gallop across a field, enabled him to anticipate the carriage coming by the road, and to be standing ready, at the journey's end, to hand the ladies out. then, and but then, he met her glance for an instant in her first surprise; but when he touched her, in alighting, with his soft white hand, it overlooked him altogether as before.

mrs skewton was bent on taking charge of mr carker herself, and showing him the beauties of the castle. she was determined to have his arm, and the major's too. it would do that incorrigible creature: who was the most barbarous infidel in point of poetry: good to be in such company. this chance arrangement left mr dombey at liberty to escort edith: which he did: stalking before them through the apartments with a gentlemanly solemnity.

'those darling byegone times, mr carker,' said cleopatra, 'with their delicious fortresses, and their dear old dungeons, and their delightful places of torture, and their romantic vengeances, and their picturesque assaults and sieges, and everything that makes life truly charming! how dreadfully we have degenerated!'

'yes, we have fallen off deplorably,' said mr carker.

the peculiarity of their conversation was, that mrs skewton, in spite of her ecstasies, and mr carker, in spite of his urbanity, were both intent on watching mr dombey and edith. with all their conversational endowments, they spoke somewhat distractedly, and at random, in consequence.

'we have no faith left, positively,' said mrs skewton, advancing her shrivelled ear; for mr dombey was saying something to edith. 'we have no faith in the dear old barons, who were the most delightful creatures - or in the dear old priests, who were the most warlike of men - or even in the days of that inestimable queen bess, upon the wall there, which were so extremely golden. dear creature! she was all heart and that charming father of hers! i hope you dote on harry the eighth!'

'i admire him very much,' said carker.

'so bluff!' cried mrs skewton, 'wasn't he? so burly. so truly english. such a picture, too, he makes, with his dear little peepy eyes, and his benevolent chin!'

'ah, ma'am!' said carker, stopping short; 'but if you speak of pictures, there's a composition! what gallery in the world can produce the counterpart of that?'

as the smiling gentleman thus spake, he pointed through a doorway to where mr dombey and edith were standing alone in the centre of another room.

they were not interchanging a word or a look. standing together, arm in arm, they had the appearance of being more divided than if seas had rolled between them. there was a difference even in the pride of the two, that removed them farther from each other, than if one had been the proudest and the other the humblest specimen of humanity in all creation. he, self-important, unbending, formal, austere. she, lovely and graceful, in an uncommon degree, but totally regardless of herself and him and everything around, and spurning her own attractions with her haughty brow and lip, as if they were a badge or livery she hated. so unmatched were they, and opposed, so forced and linked together by a chain which adverse hazard and mischance had forged: that fancy might have imagined the pictures on the walls around them, startled by the unnatural conjunction, and observant of it in their several expressions. grim knights and warriors looked scowling on them. a churchman, with his hand upraised, denounced the mockery of such a couple coming to god's altar. quiet waters in landscapes, with the sun reflected in their depths, asked, if better means of escape were not at hand, was there no drowning left? ruins cried, 'look here, and see what we are, wedded to uncongenial time!' animals, opposed by nature, worried one another, as a moral to them. loves and cupids took to flight afraid, and martyrdom had no such torment in its painted history of suffering.

nevertheless, mrs skewton was so charmed by the sight to which mr carker invoked her attention, that she could not refrain from saying, half aloud, how sweet, how very full of soul it was! edith, overhearing, looked round, and flushed indignant scarlet to her hair.

'my dearest edith knows i was admiring her!' said cleopatra, tapping her, almost timidly, on the back with her parasol. 'sweet pet!'

again mr carker saw the strife he had witnessed so unexpectedly among the trees. again he saw the haughty languor and indifference come over it, and hide it like a cloud.

she did not raise her eyes to him; but with a slight peremptory motion of them, seemed to bid her mother come near. mrs skewton thought it expedient to understand the hint, and advancing quickly, with her two cavaliers, kept near her daughter from that time,

mr carker now, having nothing to distract his attention, began to discourse upon the pictures and to select the best, and point them out to mr dombey: speaking with his usual familiar recognition of mr dombey's greatness, and rendering homage by adjusting his eye-glass for him, or finding out the right place in his catalogue, or holding his stick, or the like. these services did not so much originate with mr carker, in truth, as with mr dombey himself, who was apt to assert his chieftainship by saying, with subdued authority, and in an easy way - for him - 'here, carker, have the goodness to assist me, will you?' which the smiling gentleman always did with pleasure.

they made the tour of the pictures, the walls, crow's nest, and so forth; and as they were still one little party, and the major was rather in the shade: being sleepy during the process of digestion: mr carker became communicative and agreeable. at first, he addressed himself for the most part to mrs skewton; but as that sensitive lady was in such ecstasies with the works of art, after the first quarter of an hour, that she could do nothing but yawn (they were such perfect inspirations, she observed as a reason for that mark of rapture), he transferred his attentions to mr dombey. mr dombey said little beyond an occasional 'very true, carker,' or 'indeed, carker,' but he tacitly encouraged carker to proceed, and inwardly approved of his behaviour very much: deeming it as well that somebody should talk, and thinking that his remarks, which were, as one might say, a branch of the parent establishment, might amuse mrs granger. mr carker, who possessed an excellent discretion, never took the liberty of addressing that lady, direct; but she seemed to listen, though she never looked at him; and once or twice, when he was emphatic in his peculiar humility, the twilight smile stole over her face, not as a light, but as a deep black shadow.

warwick castle being at length pretty well exhausted, and the major very much so: to say nothing of mrs skewton, whose peculiar demonstrations of delight had become very frequent indeed: the carriage was again put in requisition, and they rode to several admired points of view in the neighbourhood. mr dombey ceremoniously observed of one of these, that a sketch, however slight, from the fair hand of mrs granger, would be a remembrance to him of that agreeable day: though he wanted no artificial remembrance, he was sure (here mr dombey made another of his bows), which he must always highly value. withers the lean having edith's sketch-book under his arm, was immediately called upon by mrs skewton to produce the same: and the carriage stopped, that edith might make the drawing, which mr dombey was to put away among his treasures.

'but i am afraid i trouble you too much,' said mr dombey.

'by no means. where would you wish it taken from?' she answered, turning to him with the same enforced attention as before.

mr dombey, with another bow, which cracked the starch in his cravat, would beg to leave that to the artist.

'i would rather you chose for yourself,' said edith.

'suppose then,' said mr dombey, 'we say from here. it appears a good spot for the purpose, or - carker, what do you think?'

there happened to be in the foreground, at some little distance, a grove of trees, not unlike that in which mr carker had made his chain of footsteps in the morning, and with a seat under one tree, greatly resembling, in the general character of its situation, the point where his chain had broken.

'might i venture to suggest to mrs granger,' said carker, 'that that is an interesting - almost a curious - point of view?'

she followed the direction of his riding-whip with her eyes, and raised them quickly to his face. it was the second glance they had exchanged since their introduction; and would have been exactly like the first, but that its expression was plainer.

'will you like that?' said edith to mr dombey.

'i shall be charmed,' said mr dombey to edith.

therefore the carriage was driven to the spot where mr dombey was to be charmed; and edith, without moving from her seat, and opening her sketch-book with her usual proud indifference, began to sketch.

'my pencils are all pointless,' she said, stopping and turning them over.

'pray allow me,' said mr dombey. 'or carker will do it better, as he understands these things. carker, have the goodness to see to these pencils for mrs granger.

mr carker rode up close to the carriage-door on mrs granger's side, and letting the rein fall on his horse's neck, took the pencils from her hand with a smile and a bow, and sat in the saddle leisurely mending them. having done so, he begged to be allowed to hold them, and to hand them to her as they were required; and thus mr carker, with many commendations of mrs granger's extraordinary skill - especially in trees - remained - close at her side, looking over the drawing as she made it. mr dombey in the meantime stood bolt upright in the carriage like a highly respectable ghost, looking on too; while cleopatra and the major dallied as two ancient doves might do.

'are you satisfied with that, or shall i finish it a little more?' said edith, showing the sketch to mr dombey.

mr dombey begged that it might not be touched; it was perfection.

'it is most extraordinary,' said carker, bringing every one of his red gums to bear upon his praise. 'i was not prepared for anything so beautiful, and so unusual altogether.'

this might have applied to the sketcher no less than to the sketch; but mr carker's manner was openness itself - not as to his mouth alone, but as to his whole spirit. so it continued to be while the drawing was laid aside for mr dombey, and while the sketching materials were put up; then he handed in the pencils (which were received with a distant acknowledgment of his help, but without a look), and tightening his rein, fell back, and followed the carriage again.

thinking, perhaps, as he rode, that even this trivial sketch had been made and delivered to its owner, as if it had been bargained for and bought. thinking, perhaps, that although she had assented with such perfect readiness to his request, her haughty face, bent over the drawing, or glancing at the distant objects represented in it, had been the face of a proud woman, engaged in a sordid and miserable transaction. thinking, perhaps, of such things: but smiling certainly, and while he seemed to look about him freely, in enjoyment of the air and exercise, keeping always that sharp corner of his eye upon the carriage.

a stroll among the haunted ruins of kenilworth, and more rides to more points of view: most of which, mrs skewton reminded mr dombey, edith had already sketched, as he had seen in looking over her drawings: brought the day's expedition to a close. mrs skewton and edith were driven to their own lodgings; mr carker was graciously invited by cleopatra to return thither with mr dombey and the major, in the evening, to hear some of edith's music; and the three gentlemen repaired to their hotel to dinner.

the dinner was the counterpart of yesterday's, except that the major was twenty-four hours more triumphant and less mysterious. edith was toasted again. mr dombey was again agreeably embarrassed. and mr carker was full of interest and praise.

there were no other visitors at mrs skewton's. edith's drawings were strewn about the room, a little more abundantly than usual perhaps; and withers, the wan page, handed round a little stronger tea. the harp was there; the piano was there; and edith sang and played. but even the music was played by edith to mr dombey's order, as it were, in the same uncompromising way. as thus.

'edith, my dearest love,' said mrs skewton, half an hour after tea, 'mr dombey is dying to hear you, i know.'

'mr dombey has life enough left to say so for himself, mama, i have no doubt.'

'i shall be immensely obliged,' said mr dombey.

'what do you wish?'

'piano?' hesitated mr dombey.

'whatever you please. you have only to choose.

accordingly, she began with the piano. it was the same with the harp; the same with her singing; the same with the selection of the pieces that she sang and played. such frigid and constrained, yet prompt and pointed acquiescence with the wishes he imposed upon her, and on no one else, was sufficiently remarkable to penetrate through all the mysteries of picquet, and impress itself on mr carker's keen attention. nor did he lose sight of the fact that mr dombey was evidently proud of his power, and liked to show it.

nevertheless, mr carker played so well - some games with the major, and some with cleopatra, whose vigilance of eye in respect of mr dombey and edith no lynx could have surpassed - that he even heightened his position in the lady-mother's good graces; and when on taking leave he regretted that he would be obliged to return to london next morning, cleopatra trusted: community of feeling not being met with every day: that it was far from being the last time they would meet.

'i hope so,' said mr carker, with an expressive look at the couple in the distance, as he drew towards the door, following the major. 'i think so.'

mr dombey, who had taken a stately leave of edith, bent, or made some approach to a bend, over cleopatra's couch, and said, in a low voice:

'i have requested mrs granger's permission to call on her to-morrow morning - for a purpose - and she has appointed twelve o'clock. may i hope to have the pleasure of finding you at home, madam, afterwards?'

cleopatra was so much fluttered and moved, by hearing this, of course, incomprehensible speech, that she could only shut her eyes, and shake her head, and give mr dombey her hand; which mr dombey, not exactly knowing what to do with, dropped.

'dombey, come along!' cried the major, looking in at the door. 'damme, sir, old joe has a great mind to propose an alteration in the name of the royal hotel, and that it should be called the three jolly bachelors, in honour of ourselves and carker.' with this, the major slapped mr dombey on the back, and winking over his shoulder at the ladies, with a frightful tendency of blood to the head, carried him off.

mrs skewton reposed on her sofa, and edith sat apart, by her harp, in silence. the mother, trifling with her fan, looked stealthily at the daughter more than once, but the daughter, brooding gloomily with downcast eyes, was not to be disturbed.

thus they remained for a long hour, without a word, until mrs skewton's maid appeared, according to custom, to prepare her gradually for night. at night, she should have been a skeleton, with dart and hour-glass, rather than a woman, this attendant; for her touch was as the touch of death. the painted object shrivelled underneath her hand; the form collapsed, the hair dropped off, the arched dark eyebrows changed to scanty tufts of grey; the pale lips shrunk, the skin became cadaverous and loose; an old, worn, yellow, nodding woman, with red eyes, alone remained in cleopatra's place, huddled up, like a slovenly bundle, in a greasy flannel gown.

the very voice was changed, as it addressed edith, when they were alone again.

'why don't you tell me,' it said sharply, 'that he is coming here to-morrow by appointment?'

'because you know it,' returned edith, 'mother.'

the mocking emphasis she laid on that one word!

'you know he has bought me,' she resumed. 'or that he will, to-morrow. he has considered of his bargain; he has shown it to his friend; he is even rather proud of it; he thinks that it will suit him, and may be had sufficiently cheap; and he will buy to-morrow. god, that i have lived for this, and that i feel it!'

compress into one handsome face the conscious self-abasement, and the burning indignation of a hundred women, strong in passion and in pride; and there it hid itself with two white shuddering arms.

'what do you mean?' returned the angry mother. 'haven't you from a child - '

'a child!' said edith, looking at her, 'when was i a child? what childhood did you ever leave to me? i was a woman - artful, designing, mercenary, laying snares for men - before i knew myself, or you, or even understood the base and wretched aim of every new display i learnt you gave birth to a woman. look upon her. she is in her pride tonight'

and as she spoke, she struck her hand upon her beautiful bosom, as though she would have beaten down herself

'look at me,' she said, 'who have never known what it is to have an honest heart, and love. look at me, taught to scheme and plot when children play; and married in my youth - an old age of design - to one for whom i had no feeling but indifference. look at me, whom he left a widow, dying before his inheritance descended to him - a judgment on you! well deserved! - and tell me what has been my life for ten years since.'

'we have been making every effort to endeavour to secure to you a good establishment,' rejoined her mother. 'that has been your life. and now you have got it.'

'there is no slave in a market: there is no horse in a fair: so shown and offered and examined and paraded, mother, as i have been, for ten shameful years,' cried edith, with a burning brow, and the same bitter emphasis on the one word. 'is it not so? have i been made the bye-word of all kinds of men? have fools, have profligates, have boys, have dotards, dangled after me, and one by one rejected me, and fallen off, because you were too plain with all your cunning: yes, and too true, with all those false pretences: until we have almost come to be notorious? the licence of look and touch,' she said, with flashing eyes, 'have i submitted to it, in half the places of resort upon the map of england? have i been hawked and vended here and there, until the last grain of self-respect is dead within me, and i loathe myself? has been my late childhood? i had none before. do not tell me that i had, tonight of all nights in my life!'

'you might have been well married,' said her mother, 'twenty times at least, edith, if you had given encouragement enough.'

'no! who takes me, refuse that i am, and as i well deserve to be,' she answered, raising her head, and trembling in her energy of shame and stormy pride, 'shall take me, as this man does, with no art of mine put forth to lure him. he sees me at the auction, and he thinks it well to buy me. let him! when he came to view me - perhaps to bid - he required to see the roll of my accomplishments. i gave it to him. when he would have me show one of them, to justify his purchase to his men, i require of him to say which he demands, and i exhibit it. i will do no more. he makes the purchase of his own will, and with his own sense of its worth, and the power of his money; and i hope it may never disappoint him. i have not vaunted and pressed the bargain; neither have you, so far as i have been able to prevent you.

'you talk strangely to-night, edith, to your own mother.'

'it seems so to me; stranger to me than you,' said edith. 'but my education was completed long ago. i am too old now, and have fallen too low, by degrees, to take a new course, and to stop yours, and to help myself. the germ of all that purifies a woman's breast, and makes it true and good, has never stirred in mine, and i have nothing else to sustain me when i despise myself.' there had been a touching sadness in her voice, but it was gone, when she went on to say, with a curled lip, 'so, as we are genteel and poor, i am content that we should be made rich by these means; all i say is, i have kept the only purpose i have had the strength to form - i had almost said the power, with you at my side, mother - and have not tempted this man on.'

'this man! you speak,' said her mother, 'as if you hated him.'

'and you thought i loved him, did you not?' she answered, stopping on her way across the room, and looking round. 'shall i tell you,' she continued, with her eyes fixed on her mother, 'who already knows us thoroughly, and reads us right, and before whom i have even less of self-respect or confidence than before my own inward self; being so much degraded by his knowledge of me?'

'this is an attack, i suppose,' returned her mother coldly, 'on poor, unfortunate what's-his-name - mr carker! your want of self-respect and confidence, my dear, in reference to that person (who is very agreeable, it strikes me), is not likely to have much effect on your establishment. why do you look at me so hard? are you ill?'

edith suddenly let fall her face, as if it had been stung, and while she pressed her hands upon it, a terrible tremble crept over her whole frame. it was quickly gone; and with her usual step, she passed out of the room.

the maid who should have been a skeleton, then reappeared, and giving one arm to her mistress, who appeared to have taken off her manner with her charms, and to have put on paralysis with her flannel gown, collected the ashes of cleopatra, and carried them away in the other, ready for tomorrow's revivification.

经理卡克先生跟云雀一道起床，走出屋外，在夏天的晨光中散步。他在漫步闲游时，皱着眉头，沉思默想着；但是他的沉思似乎没有象云雀飞得那么高或者向着那个方向飞去；倒不如说它们一直待在地面老窠的附近，在尘土和虫子中间东寻西找，但是在看不见的高空中鸣叫的鸟儿，没有一只能飞得比卡克先生的思想更为遥远，更不是人的肉眼所能看到的。他完全控制住脸部的表情，因此人们除了能看出他是在微笑或他正在沉思外，很少有人能用清楚的语言来说明他的表情中还包含着一些什么内容。从他现在的表情来看，他正在聚精会神地深深思考着。云雀愈飞愈高，他的思想则愈陷愈深。云雀的曲调唱得愈来愈清脆，愈来愈嘹亮，他则沉浸在愈来愈庄严、愈来愈深切的沉默中。最后，云雀带着愈流愈急的急流般的歌声，头朝地猛冲下来，停落在他近旁一块在晨风中像河流般起着波浪的绿色麦田中，这时候他从他的遐想中惊醒过来，看看四周，突然彬彬有礼、和蔼可亲地微笑了一下，仿佛他面前有许多观众需要他去抚慰似的。他清醒以后，没有再陷入沉思，而是抹抹脸孔，好像唯恐不这样做，它就会起皱纹，泄露心中的秘密似的；他一边走一边微笑，仿佛在做练习一样。

也许是希望留下一个良好的初次印象，卡克先生这天早晨穿得很讲究，很整齐。虽然他的服装模仿他所服侍的那位伟大人物，经常带有几分谨严的特色，但他没有达到董贝先生那种拘束呆板的程度；这也许一方面是因为他知道那样未免滑稽可笑，另一方面是因为他觉得正好可以通过这另一种方式来表示他明白他们之间存在的差别与距离。确实，有些人认为，他在这一方面是他的冷若冰霜的恩主的确切的注释，而不是谄媚的注释。——但是世界上的人们总是爱歪曲事实，卡克先生不能对这种恶癖负责。

经理卡克先生衣着整洁，华丽；脸色苍白，仿佛在阳光下褪了色似的；他那优雅的步伐更显出了草皮的柔软；他在草地和绿色的小路上漫步闲游，并沿着林荫道静悄悄地走去，直到该回去吃早饭的时候。卡克先生选了一条近路回去，一边走一边让牙齿露出来透透风，并高声说道，“现在去见第二位董贝夫人啦！”

他已走出了城镇的地界之外，回去走的是一条令人愉快的道路，树叶茂盛的林木投下了深沉的荫影，间或可以看到几条长凳，人们可以随意坐下休息。这不是一个时时都有人前去观光的胜地；在这静悄悄的早晨，它显得十分荒凉、僻静。这个地方就只有卡克先生一个人，或者他认为就只有他一个人在领略这里的一切风光。卡克先生这时的心情很像是一个游手好闲的人，本来毫不费劲就可以在十分钟之内到达目的地的，却觉得还有二十分钟可以让他磨蹭，所以他在粗大的树干中间漫游，走进走出，从这株树的前面绕到那株树的后面，在有露水的地面上编织成一个脚步的链条。

可是他发现，他原以为这个小树林里没有其他任何人的想法错了，因为当他轻轻地绕过一株大树的树干（这株大树古老的树皮形成了好多木瘤和相互叠盖的鳞片，就像犀牛或大洪水以前古代某些类似怪物的皮一样）时，他出乎意料地看见一个人坐在近旁的一条长凳上，本来他准备沿着他走的链条方向绕过它的。

这是一位衣着优雅，长得十分漂亮的女士；她的高傲的黑眼睛正凝视着地面，心中似乎正迸发出某种激情或进行着某种斗争；因为，当她坐在那里看着地面的时候，她把下嘴唇的一角咬在嘴里，胸脯上下起伏，鼻孔翕动，脑袋颤抖，愤怒的眼泪流到脸颊上，一只脚践踏着苔藓，好像她要把它踩得粉碎似的；但是他刚一看到这个情景，这位女士就带着疲乏和厌倦的神色高傲地站了起来，离开了长凳，在她的脸孔和身形中表露出来的是对她自己的美貌毫不在意和藐视一切的傲慢态度。

这时一直在观察这位女士的还有一位皮肤干枯起皱、十分丑陋的老太婆；从她的衣着来看，与其像吉卜赛人，倒不如更像那些在全国各地漂泊，轮流或同时从事乞讨、偷窃、补锅、用灯芯草编筐，队伍极为混杂的流浪者当中的一个；因为，当这位女士站起来的时候，这位老太婆就从地上爬起来——几乎好像是从地底下爬起来似的——，奇怪地走到她的前面，并挡住她的道路。

“让我来给您算个命吧，漂亮的夫人，”老太婆说道，她的下巴一动一动地有力咀嚼着，仿佛她黄色皮肤下面的骷髅迫不及待地想要跳出来似的。

“我自己能算，”她回答道。

“哎呀，漂亮的夫人，您算得不对。您坐在那里的时候没有算对。我看着您！给我一块银币吧，漂亮的夫人，我会算出您真正的命运。从您的脸孔看，漂亮的夫人，财富正在等着您呢！”

“我知道，”那位女士苦笑了一下，并迈着高傲的步伐，从她的身边走过，“我早已知道这一点了。”

“怎么！您什么也不给我吗？”老太婆喊道，“我给您算了命，您却什么也不给我吗，漂亮的夫人？那么，我不给您算命，您要给我多少？您得给我点什么，要不我就在您背后叫喊！”老太婆气急败坏地用哭丧的声音喊道。

这位女士将要从卡克先生的身边走过；当她从斜对面向小路走来的时候，他就离开树，迎面走上前去；当她走过时，他脱下了帽子，命令老太婆住嘴，这位女士点了点头，感谢他的干预，然后继续向前走去。

“那么您给我一点什么吧，要不我就在她背后叫喊！”老太婆尖声喊道，一边举起胳膊，向前推开他伸出的手。“要不，您听着，”她接着说，但这时她却突然降低了声音，聚精会神地看着他，顷刻之间似乎忘掉了她愤怒的对象似的，“给我一点什么吧，要不我就在您背后叫喊！”

“在我背后叫喊，老婆子！”经理把手伸进衣袋，回答道。

“是的，”老太婆眼光直盯盯地没有离开他，并伸出她那皱巴巴的手，说道，“我知道！”

“你知道什么？”卡克抛给她一个先令，问道，“你知道这位漂亮的夫人是谁？”

老太婆就像古时候在膝盖上放着栗子的水手的妻子一样有力地咀嚼着，又像那要讨吃几个栗子而没有讨到的女巫一样怒目而视1；她捡起先令，又像一只螃蟹或一堆螃蟹（因为她那两只交替着一伸一缩的手可以代表两只螃蟹，她那蠕动着的脸孔又可以代表六只）一样退回来，蹲在一个满是木纹的老树根上，从帽顶里抽出一支短短的黑烟管，划了一支火柴，点着了它，默默地抽着烟，同时凝视着向她问话的人。卡克先生大笑着，转过了身子。

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1莎士比亚戏剧《麦克佩斯》第一幕第三场：

女巫甲：“一个水手的妻子坐在那儿吃栗子，啃呀啃呀啃呀地啃着。‘给我吃一点，’我说。‘滚开，妖巫！’那个吃鱼吃肉的贱人喊起来了。……”

“好吧！”老太婆说道，“一个孩子死了，一个孩子活着。一个老婆死了，一个老婆来了。去迎接她吧！”

经理不由自主地又回过头去，停住了脚步。老太婆没有从嘴里取出烟管，一边抽烟，一边有力地咀嚼着和嘟囔着，仿佛在跟一位看不见的亲友谈话似的，同时用指头指着他前进的方向，大笑着。

“你说些什么，疯子？”他问道。

老太婆闭着嘴用牙根咀嚼着，牙齿发出卡嗒卡嗒的响声，同时抽着烟，并依旧指着前方，但一句话也不说。卡克先生不怎么客气地说了声再见就继续向前走去；但是当他走到拐弯的地方，转过头去望到那个老树根时，他仍然看到那个指头指着前方，并觉得听到老太婆在尖声叫道：“去迎接她吧！”

他到旅馆时看到，一餐精美的宴席已经准备就绪；董贝先生、少校以及早餐都在等待着两位女士。无疑，个人的素质与这类事情的发展有很大关系；但是在目前的情况下，食欲完全超出于柔情之上。董贝先生很冷静、沉着，少校则非常激动和生气，他焦急不安，怒气冲冲。终于，门被本地人推开了；过了一段时间，一位花枝招展、但却不很年轻的夫人出现了；刚才那段时间就是她有气无力地慢慢走过走廊时占去的。

“我亲爱的董贝先生，”夫人说道，“我担心我们来迟了，但是伊迪丝一早就跑出去寻找一个景致优美的地方画画，让我一直在等着她。虚伪透顶的少校，”她向他伸出一个小指头，“你好吗？”

“斯丘顿夫人，”董贝先生说道，“请允许我来向您介绍一下我的朋友卡克，他将对此感到极为荣幸，”董贝先生不由自主地在“朋友”这个词上加重了语气，好像是要说，“并不是真的如此，我是允许他享受这份特殊光荣。您过去听我说到过卡克先生的。”

“真的，我高兴极了。”斯丘顿夫人彬彬有礼、和蔼可亲地说道。

卡克先生自然也高兴极了。如果斯丘顿夫人是（他最初以为她是）他们昨夜曾为她举杯祝酒的伊迪丝，他不是会为董贝先生感到更大的高兴吗？

“啊，我的天，伊迪丝在哪里？”斯丘顿夫人向四周看看，高声喊道。“她还在门口嘱咐威瑟斯把这些画镶嵌在什么镜框里的事呢！我亲爱的董贝先生，是不是劳驾您——”

董贝先生早已出去找她。不一会儿，他回来了，胳膊里挽着卡克先生在树下遇见的那位衣着优雅、长得十分漂亮的女士。

“卡克——”董贝先生开始说道；但是他们早已认识了，这一点是这么明显，董贝先生惊奇地停住了。

“我很感谢这位先生，”伊迪丝庄严地低下了头，说道，“他使我刚才摆脱了一个乞丐无休无止的讨厌纠缠。”

“我很感谢我的好运气，”卡克先生深深地鞠着躬，说道，“使我有机会向一个我自豪能成为她奴仆的人做了微不足道的一点小事。”

当她的眼光在他身上停了一刹那，随即又落到地上的时候，他在这明亮和敏锐的一瞥中看出一种怀疑：他并不是在进行干预的时候，刚刚到达那里，而是先前就在悄悄地观察她的。当他看出这一点的时候，她在他的眼光中看到：她的猜疑并不是没有根据的。

“真的，”斯丘顿夫人曾在这些时间中通过长柄眼镜细细观察卡克先生，并称心满意地说，他怀有一片善良的心意（她是对少校这么说的，虽然口齿不清，但仍能听得出来），“真的，这是我平生听到过的最美妙动人的巧合中的一个。想一想吧！我最亲爱的伊迪丝，这分明是命中注定的，真叫人想把两手交叉在胸前，像那些邪恶的土耳其人一样说，除了——那叫什么来的以外，那就没有——他叫什么名字——和你可以在他的预言者里称为什么的了！”

伊迪丝不屑校正这句引自可兰经、被引得非常可笑的引语，但董贝先生感到有必要说几句客气话。

“这使我感到万分高兴，”董贝先生很做作地向女士们献示殷勤，说道，“一位像卡克这样跟我本人关系这么密切的先生能光荣和幸福地给格兰杰夫人提供一点小小的帮助。”董贝先生向她鞠了一个躬，“但这使我感到有些痛苦，说真的，我妒嫉卡克，”他不知不觉地在这几个字上加重了语气，好像他知道这一定使人感到这是个很惊人的说法似的；“我妒嫉卡克，因为我本人不曾有那样的光荣和幸福。”董贝先生又鞠了一个躬。伊迪丝除了撇了一下嘴外，一动也不动。

“真的，先生，”少校看到侍者前来通知去吃早饭，就立刻打开了话匣子，喊道，“使我感到惊奇的是，没有一个人能光荣和幸福地用枪射穿这些乞丐的头而不被抓去讯问的。但是这里有一只胳膊愿意为格兰杰夫人效劳，如果她肯接受它，把这份光荣赐给乔·白的话；现在乔能为您作出的最大的效劳，夫人，就是领您到餐桌去！”

少校说了这些话，就把胳膊递给伊迪丝；董贝先生和斯丘顿夫人在前面领路；卡克先生走在最后，笑嘻嘻地望着这些人。

“我十分高兴，卡克先生，”母亲夫人吃早饭时通过她的长柄眼镜又对他赞赏地细细观察了一次之后，说道，“您这次访问，正巧碰上和我们今天一起出去游览。这是一次令人心醉神往的旅行！”

“跟这样一些高贵的人们在一起，不论到哪里去旅行，都是令人心醉神往的，”卡克回答道，“但我相信，这次旅行本身就是充满了兴趣的。”

“啊！”斯丘顿夫人显得欢天喜地而又有气无力地小声尖叫了一声，然后大声说道，“城堡是多么可爱啊！——使人联想起中世纪——以及所有这一类事情——真是优美极了。难道您不特别喜欢中世纪吗，卡克先生？”

“喜欢极了，确实是这样，”卡克先生说道。

“多么可爱的时代啊！”克利奥佩特拉喊道，“是那么充满了信仰！是那么生机蓬勃，气势磅礴！是那么美丽如画！是那么彻底地涤除了庸俗习气！啊，天啊！如果能为我们这可怕的时代只要稍微多留下一些诗意的话，那该多好啊！”

斯丘顿夫人在说这些话的时候，一直在敏锐地注视着董贝先生；董贝先生在看着伊迪丝；伊迪丝则在听着，但没有抬起眼睛。

“我们是可怕地真实，卡克先生，”斯丘顿夫人说道，“是不是？”

很少有人能比克利奥佩特拉有更少的理由抱怨他们的真实性了，因为凡是能进入任何一个真实存在的人的身体组成部分中去的虚假的东西，她身上都有了。1但是卡克先生仍对我们的真实性表示惋惜，并同意我们在这方面受到了很苛刻的待遇。

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1这里指斯丘顿夫人已衰老，身体中的许多器官已不能真正起作用了。

“城堡里的图画真是绝世佳作！”克利奥佩特拉说道，“我希望，您很喜欢图画吧？”

“您可以相信我，斯丘顿夫人，”董贝先生一本正经地鼓励着他的经理，说道，“卡克对图画有着很高的审美力，很有鉴赏图画的天赋才能，他本人还是一个很可称许的画家。我相信，他看到格兰杰夫人的绘画风格和技巧将会感到很高兴的。”

“他妈的，先生！”白格斯托克少校喊道，“我看，您这卡克真是了不起，什么都行！”

“哦！”卡克谦逊地微笑着说道，“您太夸奖我了，白格斯托克少校！我能做的事很少，可是董贝先生在评价像我这样的人也许感到几乎有必要获得的微不足道的技能时，总是这么宽宏大量，而他本人在完全不同的领域中是远远超出于我之上的——”卡克先生耸耸肩膀，表示请求他免去进一步的恭维，就没有再说别的话了。

在这些时间中，伊迪丝一直没有抬起眼睛，只有当她母亲在语言中闪发出热烈的情绪时，她才向那位老夫人看一眼。但是当卡克先生停止讲话的时候，她向董贝先生看了一秒钟。仅仅是一秒钟，但是在她的脸上却匆匆地掠过了一丝轻蔑的疑讶的表情，不过一位笑嘻嘻地坐在餐桌旁的人注意到它了。

当她低下黑色的眼睫毛时，董贝先生抓住时机，把她的眼光给捕捉住了。

“很遗憾，您过去常去沃里克吗？”董贝先生问道。

“去过几次。”

“我担心，这次参观您会觉得沉闷乏味吧。”

“哦不，一点也不。”

“啊，你就像你的表哥菲尼克斯，我最亲爱的伊迪丝，”斯丘顿夫人说道，“他到沃里克城堡去过一次，以后就又去了五十次。可是如果他明天到了莱明顿——我真希望他能来啊，亲爱的天使！——那么第二天他就会进行第五十二次参观了。”

“我们都是很热心的人，是不是，妈妈？”伊迪丝冷冷地微笑着说道。

“也许是过分热心了，使我们都不能安静下来了，我亲爱的，”母亲回答道，“但是我们不用抱怨。我们兴高采烈的情绪就是最好的报酬。就像你的表哥菲尼克斯所说的，如果剑磨破了——叫什么来的——”

“也许是鞘吧，”伊迪丝说。

“一点不错。——如果剑把鞘磨破得太快一点儿，你知道，我亲爱的，那是由于剑锃亮发光的缘故。”

斯丘顿夫人轻轻地叹了一口气，好像想要在这把锋利的剑的表面投下一个阴影，使它那锃亮的光芒暗淡一些似的；她的敏感的心就是这把剑的鞘；然后她仿效克利奥佩特拉的姿态，头歪向一边，沉思而又亲切地看着她的可爱的孩子。

当董贝先生第一次对伊迪丝说话的时候，伊迪丝把脸朝着他；以后当她跟母亲讲话的时候，以及当她母亲跟话讲话的时候，她都一直保持着这个姿态，好像如果他还有什么话要对她说，她就一直在对他显示出她的殷勤似的；在这纯粹出于礼貌的姿态中包含着一些几乎是对抗的东西，或者说是一项她无可奈何勉强参加的交易。这种情景同样被笑嘻嘻地坐在餐桌旁的那一个人注意到了。这使他想起了他第一次看到她时的情形，那时她以为树林里就只有她一个人。

董贝先生没有其他的话要说，就建议启程——这时早餐已经完毕，少校像蟒蛇一样，把肚子塞得饱饱的——。遵照董贝先生的嘱咐，一辆双马四轮大马车正在等待着；两位夫人，少校和他本人坐在马车里面；本地人和脸无血色的侍童登上车夫的座位，托林森先生留在家中；卡克先生骑着马，跟随在后面。

卡克先生与马车相距一百码左右，在后面让马慢跑着；在整个行程中他一直在注视着马车，仿佛他真的是只猫，马车里的四位乘客是耗子似的。不论他是看着道路的这一边还是看着那一边，——是看着远方的风景：波浪般起伏的丘冈、风车、谷物、青草、豆田、野花、农场、干草堆、树林上空的尖塔，——还是向上看着阳光灿烂的天空：蝴蝶正在他头的四周翩翩飞舞，鸟儿正在鸣唱着歌曲，——还是向下看着树枝的阴影相互交错，在路上形成了一条摇摇晃晃的地毯，——还是直看着前面：悬垂的树木形成了长廊和拱门，只有从树叶缝中渗透进来一点微弱的光线，因而阴暗不明，——不论他向哪里看，他的一只眼角总是一直注视着朝向他的董贝先生的拘板的头，注视着在他们中间旁若无人、目空一切地低垂着的女帽上的羽毛，那高傲的神态就跟他不久前他看到她低垂着眼皮时的神态一模一样，也跟她面对着现在坐在对面的人时的神态丝毫不差。有一次，也只有那一次，他留神的眼光离开了这些注视的对象；当时他跳过一道低矮的树篱，越过田野奔驰，以便能赶过马车，抢先站在旅途终点，把夫人们搀扶出来。那时，仅仅在那时，当她起初表示出惊讶时，他在瞬刻间碰到了她的眼光；但是当他用柔嫩的白手接她下车时，她跟先前一样，假装根本没有看见他。

斯丘顿夫人坚决要由她本人来照顾卡克先生，并向他指点城堡的美景。她决心要由他的胳膊挽着她，也由少校的胳膊挽着她走。对于那位不可救药的人物，那位在诗的领域中最不开化的野蛮人来说，他处在这样的伴侣中间是能得到益处的。这个偶然的安排使董贝先生可以随意护送伊迪丝。他也就这样做了。他以一个上流社会人士庄严的风度，高视阔步地在他们前面穿过城堡的各个宫殿。

“这些以往的岁月是多么美妙啊，卡克先生，”克利奥佩特拉说道，“这些雄伟壮丽的堡垒，这些可爱古老的地牢，这些有趣的拷问室，还有那情节离奇的复仇，美丽如画的袭击与围攻，以及所有使生活真正可爱的东西！我们现在已经堕落得多么可怕啊！”

“对，我们已经可悲地退化了，”卡克先生说道。

他们的谈话有一个特点，就是：斯丘顿夫人尽管大喜若狂，卡克先生尽管文雅有礼，他们两人却全都专心致志地注视着董贝先生和伊迪丝。虽然他们都善于交谈，但他们却都有些心不在焉，结果都是信口开河，东拉西扯。

“我们已完全失去了信仰，”斯丘顿夫人说道，一边把她的满是皱纹的耳朵向前凑近一些，因为董贝先生正在对伊迪丝说什么，“我们已失去对那些亲爱的老男爵的信仰，他们是最讨人喜欢的人物；我们也失去了对那些亲爱的老教士的信仰，他们是最好战的人们；甚至我们也已失去了对难以估价的女王贝斯1的时代的信仰——她就在那里的墙上——，那真是多么可贵的黄金时代啊！亲爱的人儿，她充满了善良的心意！还有她那可爱的父亲，我希望您非常喜爱哈里八世2吧！”

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1指英国女王伊利莎白一世（elizabeth1，公元1533—1603年，在位时间为1558—1603年，共45年）。

2指英国国王亨利八世（公元1491—1547年，在位时间为1509—1547年）。

“我十分钦佩他，”卡克说道。

“多么直率！”斯丘顿夫人喊道，“是不是？多么魁伟！是个真正的英国人。那可爱的眯缝着的小眼睛和那仁慈的下巴，构成了多么美的一幅肖像啊！”

“啊，夫人！”卡克突然停住，说道，“可是您既然谈到了图画，那您看前面就有一幅！世界上有哪一个画廊能陈列出这样的作品呢？”

这位笑嘻嘻的先生一边说，一边通过门口指着董贝先生和伊迪丝两人正站在另一间房间中间的地方。

他们没有交谈一句话，也没有交换一次眼光。他们胳膊挽着胳膊，但是如果海洋从他们中间滚滚流过，那么他们也不会比他们现在看去那么疏远。甚至他们两人的高傲也各有特色，互不相同，这一点使他们更加格格不入；如果一位是世界上最高傲的人，另一位是世界上最恭顺的人，那么他们也不至于像现在这么遥遥相隔。他，自负不凡，刚强不