housewarming

many succeeding days passed in like manner; except that there were numerous visits received and paid, and that mrs skewton held little levees in her own apartments, at which major bagstock was a frequent attendant, and that florence encountered no second look from her father, although she saw him every day. nor had she much communication in words with her new mama, who was imperious and proud to all the house but her - florence could not but observe that - and who, although she always sent for her or went to her when she came home from visiting, and would always go into her room at night, before retiring to rest, however late the hour, and never lost an opportunity of being with her, was often her silent and thoughtful companion for a long time together.

florence, who had hoped for so much from this marriage, could not help sometimes comparing the bright house with the faded dreary place out of which it had arisen, and wondering when, in any shape, it would begin to be a home; for that it was no home then, for anyone, though everything went on luxuriously and regularly, she had always a secret misgiving. many an hour of sorrowful reflection by day and night, and many a tear of blighted hope, florence bestowed upon the assurance her new mama had given her so strongly, that there was no one on the earth more powerless than herself to teach her how to win her father's heart. and soon florence began to think - resolved to think would be the truer phrase - that as no one knew so well, how hopeless of being subdued or changed her father's coldness to her was, so she had given her this warning, and forbidden the subject in very compassion. unselfish here, as in her every act and fancy, florence preferred to bear the pain of this new wound, rather than encourage any faint foreshadowings of the truth as it concerned her father; tender of him, even in her wandering thoughts. as for his home, she hoped it would become a better one, when its state of novelty and transition should be over; and for herself, thought little and lamented less.

if none of the new family were particularly at home in private, it was resolved that mrs dombey at least should be at home in public, without delay. a series of entertainments in celebration of the late nuptials, and in cultivation of society, were arranged, chiefly by mr dombey and mrs skewton; and it was settled that the festive proceedings should commence by mrs dombey's being at home upon a certain evening, and by mr and mrs dombey's requesting the honour of the company of a great many incongruous people to dinner on the same day.

accordingly, mr dombey produced a list of sundry eastern magnates who were to be bidden to this feast on his behalf; to which mrs skewton, acting for her dearest child, who was haughtily careless on the subject, subjoined a western list, comprising cousin feenix, not yet returned to baden-baden, greatly to the detriment of his personal estate; and a variety of moths of various degrees and ages, who had, at various times, fluttered round the light of her fair daughter, or herself, without any lasting injury to their wings. florence was enrolled as a member of the dinner-party, by edith's command - elicited by a moment's doubt and hesitation on the part of mrs skewton; and florence, with a wondering heart, and with a quick instinctive sense of everything that grated on her father in the least, took her silent share in the proceedings of the day.

the proceedings commenced by mr dombey, in a cravat of extraordinary height and stiffness, walking restlessly about the drawing-room until the hour appointed for dinner; punctual to which, an east india director,' of immense wealth, in a waistcoat apparently constructed in serviceable deal by some plain carpenter, but really engendered in the tailor's art, and composed of the material called nankeen, arrived and was received by mr dombey alone. the next stage of the proceedings was mr dombey's sending his compliments to mrs dombey, with a correct statement of the time; and the next, the east india director's falling prostrate, in a conversational point of view, and as mr dombey was not the man to pick him up, staring at the fire until rescue appeared in the shape of mrs skewton; whom the director, as a pleasant start in life for the evening, mistook for mrs dombey, and greeted with enthusiasm.

the next arrival was a bank director, reputed to be able to buy up anything - human nature generally, if he should take it in his head to influence the money market in that direction - but who was a wonderfully modest-spoken man, almost boastfully so, and mentioned his 'little place' at kingston-upon-thames, and its just being barely equal to giving dombey a bed and a chop, if he would come and visit it. ladies, he said, it was not for a man who lived in his quiet way to take upon himself to invite - but if mrs skewton and her daughter, mrs dombey, should ever find themselves in that direction, and would do him the honour to look at a little bit of a shrubbery they would find there, and a poor little flower-bed or so, and a humble apology for a pinery, and two or three little attempts of that sort without any pretension, they would distinguish him very much. carrying out his character, this gentleman was very plainly dressed, in a wisp of cambric for a neckcloth, big shoes, a coat that was too loose for him, and a pair of trousers that were too spare; and mention being made of the opera by mrs skewton, he said he very seldom went there, for he couldn't afford it. it seemed greatly to delight and exhilarate him to say so: and he beamed on his audience afterwards, with his hands in his pockets, and excessive satisfaction twinkling in his eyes.

now mrs dombey appeared, beautiful and proud, and as disdainful and defiant of them all as if the bridal wreath upon her head had been a garland of steel spikes put on to force concession from her which she would die sooner than yield. with her was florence. when they entered together, the shadow of the night of the return again darkened mr dombey's face. but unobserved; for florence did not venture to raise her eyes to his, and edith's indifference was too supreme to take the least heed of him.

the arrivals quickly became numerous. more directors, chairmen of public companies, elderly ladies carrying burdens on their heads for full dress, cousin feenix, major bagstock, friends of mrs skewton, with the same bright bloom on their complexion, and very precious necklaces on very withered necks. among these, a young lady of sixty-five, remarkably coolly dressed as to her back and shoulders, who spoke with an engaging lisp, and whose eyelids wouldn't keep up well, without a great deal of trouble on her part, and whose manners had that indefinable charm which so frequently attaches to the giddiness of youth. as the greater part of mr dombey's list were disposed to be taciturn, and the greater part of mrs dombey's list were disposed to be talkative, and there was no sympathy between them, mrs dombey's list, by magnetic agreement, entered into a bond of union against mr dombey's list, who, wandering about the rooms in a desolate manner, or seeking refuge in corners, entangled themselves with company coming in, and became barricaded behind sofas, and had doors opened smartly from without against their heads, and underwent every sort of discomfiture.

when dinner was announced, mr dombey took down an old lady like a crimson velvet pincushion stuffed with bank notes, who might have been the identical old lady of threadneedle street, she was so rich, and looked so unaccommodating; cousin feenix took down mrs dombey; major bagstock took down mrs skewton; the young thing with the shoulders was bestowed, as an extinguisher, upon the east india director; and the remaining ladies were left on view in the drawing-room by the remaining gentlemen, until a forlorn hope volunteered to conduct them downstairs, and those brave spirits with their captives blocked up the dining-room door, shutting out seven mild men in the stony-hearted hall. when all the rest were got in and were seated, one of these mild men still appeared, in smiling confusion, totally destitute and unprovided for, and, escorted by the butler, made the complete circuit of the table twice before his chair could be found, which it finally was, on mrs dombey's left hand; after which the mild man never held up his head again.

now, the spacious dining-room, with the company seated round the glittering table, busy with their glittering spoons, and knives and forks, and plates, might have been taken for a grown-up exposition of tom tiddler's ground, where children pick up gold and silver.' mr dombey, as tiddler, looked his character to admiration; and the long plateau of precious metal frosted, separating him from mrs dombey, whereon frosted cupids offered scentless flowers to each of them, was allegorical to see.

cousin feenix was in great force, and looked astonishingly young. but he was sometimes thoughtless in his good humour - his memory occasionally wandering like his legs - and on this occasion caused the company to shudder. it happened thus. the young lady with the back, who regarded cousin feenix with sentiments of tenderness, had entrapped the east india director into leading her to the chair next him; in return for which good office, she immediately abandoned the director, who, being shaded on the other side by a gloomy black velvet hat surmounting a bony and speechless female with a fan, yielded to a depression of spirits and withdrew into himself. cousin feenix and the young lady were very lively and humorous, and the young lady laughed so much at something cousin feenix related to her, that major bagstock begged leave to inquire on behalf of mrs skewton (they were sitting opposite, a little lower down), whether that might not be considered public property.

'why, upon my life,' said cousin feenix, 'there's nothing in it; it really is not worth repeating: in point of fact, it's merely an anecdote of jack adams. i dare say my friend dombey;' for the general attention was concentrated on cousin feenix; 'may remember jack adams, jack adams, not joe; that was his brother. jack - little jack - man with a cast in his eye, and slight impediment in his speech - man who sat for somebody's borough. we used to call him in my parliamentary time w. p. adams, in consequence of his being warming pan for a young fellow who was in his minority. perhaps my friend dombey may have known the man?'

mr dombey, who was as likely to have known guy fawkes, replied in the negative. but one of the seven mild men unexpectedly leaped into distinction, by saying he had known him, and adding - 'always wore hessian boots!'

'exactly,' said cousin feenix, bending forward to see the mild man, and smile encouragement at him down the table. 'that was jack. joe wore - '

'tops!' cried the mild man, rising in public estimation every instant.

'of course,' said cousin feenix, 'you were intimate with em?'

'i knew them both,' said the mild man. with whom mr dombey immediately took wine.

'devilish good fellow, jack!' said cousin feenix, again bending forward, and smiling.

'excellent,' returned the mild man, becoming bold on his success. 'one of the best fellows i ever knew.'

'no doubt you have heard the story?' said cousin feenix.

'i shall know,' replied the bold mild man, 'when i have heard your ludship tell it.' with that, he leaned back in his chair and smiled at the ceiling, as knowing it by heart, and being already tickled.

'in point of fact, it's nothing of a story in itself,' said cousin feenix, addressing the table with a smile, and a gay shake of his head, 'and not worth a word of preface. but it's illustrative of the neatness of jack's humour. the fact is, that jack was invited down to a marriage - which i think took place in berkshire?'

'shropshire,' said the bold mild man, finding himself appealed to.

'was it? well! in point of fact it might have been in any shire,' said cousin feenix. 'so my friend being invited down to this marriage in anyshire,' with a pleasant sense of the readiness of this joke, 'goes. just as some of us, having had the honour of being invited to the marriage of my lovely and accomplished relative with my friend dombey, didn't require to be asked twice, and were devilish glad to be present on so interesting an occasion. - goes - jack goes. now, this marriage was, in point of fact, the marriage of an uncommonly fine girl with a man for whom she didn't care a button, but whom she accepted on account of his property, which was immense. when jack returned to town, after the nuptials, a man he knew, meeting him in the lobby of the house of commons, says, "well, jack, how are the ill-matched couple?" "ill-matched," says jack "not at all. it's a perfectly and equal transaction. she is regularly bought, and you may take your oath he is as regularly sold!"'

in his full enjoyment of this culminating point of his story, the shudder, which had gone all round the table like an electric spark, struck cousin feenix, and he stopped. not a smile occasioned by the only general topic of conversation broached that day, appeared on any face. a profound silence ensued; and the wretched mild man, who had been as innocent of any real foreknowledge of the story as the child unborn, had the exquisite misery of reading in every eye that he was regarded as the prime mover of the mischief.

mr dombey's face was not a changeful one, and being cast in its mould of state that day, showed little other apprehension of the story, if any, than that which he expressed when he said solemnly, amidst the silence, that it was 'very good.' there was a rapid glance from edith towards florence, but otherwise she remained, externally, impassive and unconscious.

through the various stages of rich meats and wines, continual gold and silver, dainties of earth, air, fire, and water, heaped-up fruits, and that unnecessary article in mr dombey's banquets - ice- the dinner slowly made its way: the later stages being achieved to the sonorous music of incessant double knocks, announcing the arrival of visitors, whose portion of the feast was limited to the smell thereof. when mrs dombey rose, it was a sight to see her lord, with stiff throat and erect head, hold the door open for the withdrawal of the ladies; and to see how she swept past him with his daughter on her arm.

mr dombey was a grave sight, behind the decanters, in a state of dignity; and the east india director was a forlorn sight near the unoccupied end of the table, in a state of solitude; and the major was a military sight, relating stories of the duke of york to six of the seven mild men (the ambitious one was utterly quenched); and the bank director was a lowly sight, making a plan of his little attempt at a pinery, with dessert-knives, for a group of admirers; and cousin feenix was a thoughtful sight, as he smoothed his long wristbands and stealthily adjusted his wig. but all these sights were of short duration, being speedily broken up by coffee, and the desertion of the room.

there was a throng in the state-rooms upstairs, increasing every minute; but still mr dombey's list of visitors appeared to have some native impossibility of amalgamation with mrs dombey's list, and no one could have doubted which was which. the single exception to this rule perhaps was mr carker, who now smiled among the company, and who, as he stood in the circle that was gathered about mrs dombey - watchful of her, of them, his chief, cleopatra and the major, florence, and everything around - appeared at ease with both divisions of guests, and not marked as exclusively belonging to either.

florence had a dread of him, which made his presence in the room a nightmare to her. she could not avoid the recollection of it, for her eyes were drawn towards him every now and then, by an attraction of dislike and distrust that she could not resist. yet her thoughts were busy with other things; for as she sat apart - not unadmired or unsought, but in the gentleness of her quiet spirit - she felt how little part her father had in what was going on, and saw, with pain, how ill at ease he seemed to be, and how little regarded he was as he lingered about near the door, for those visitors whom he wished to distinguish with particular attention, and took them up to introduce them to his wife, who received them with proud coldness, but showed no interest or wish to please, and never, after the bare ceremony of reception, in consultation of his wishes, or in welcome of his friends, opened her lips. it was not the less perplexing or painful to florence, that she who acted thus, treated her so kindly and with such loving consideration, that it almost seemed an ungrateful return on her part even to know of what was passing before her eyes.

happy florence would have been, might she have ventured to bear her father company, by so much as a look; and happy florence was, in little suspecting the main cause of his uneasiness. but afraid of seeming to know that he was placed at any did advantage, lest he should be resentful of that knowledge; and divided between her impulse towards him, and her grateful affection for edith; she scarcely dared to raise her eyes towards either. anxious and unhappy for them both, the thought stole on her through the crowd, that it might have been better for them if this noise of tongues and tread of feet had never come there, - if the old dulness and decay had never been replaced by novelty and splendour, - if the neglected child had found no friend in edith, but had lived her solitary life, unpitied and forgotten.

mrs chick had some such thoughts too, but they were not so quietly developed in her mind. this good matron had been outraged in the first instance by not receiving an invitation to dinner. that blow partially recovered, she had gone to a vast expense to make such a figure before mrs dombey at home, as should dazzle the senses of that lady, and heap mortification, mountains high, on the head of mrs skewton.

'but i am made,' said mrs chick to mr chick, 'of no more account than florence! who takes the smallest notice of me? no one!'

'no one, my dear,' assented mr chick, who was seated by the side of mrs chick against the wall, and could console himself, even there, by softly whistling.

'does it at all appear as if i was wanted here?' exclaimed mrs chick, with flashing eyes.

'no, my dear, i don't think it does,' said mr chic

'paul's mad!' said mrs chic

mr chick whistled.

'unless you are a monster, which i sometimes think you are,' said mrs chick with candour, 'don't sit there humming tunes. how anyone with the most distant feelings of a man, can see that mother-in-law of paul's, dressed as she is, going on like that, with major bagstock, for whom, among other precious things, we are indebted to your lucretia tox

'my lucretia tox, my dear!' said mr chick, astounded.

'yes,' retorted mrs chick, with great severity, 'your lucretia tox - i say how anybody can see that mother-in-law of paul's, and that haughty wife of paul's, and these indecent old frights with their backs and shoulders, and in short this at home generally, and hum - ' on which word mrs chick laid a scornful emphasis that made mr chick start, 'is, i thank heaven, a mystery to me!

mr chick screwed his mouth into a form irreconcilable with humming or whistling, and looked very contemplative.

'but i hope i know what is due to myself,' said mrs chick, swelling with indignation, 'though paul has forgotten what is due to me. i am not going to sit here, a member of this family, to be taken no notice of. i am not the dirt under mrs dombey's feet, yet - not quite yet,' said mrs chick, as if she expected to become so, about the day after to-morrow. 'and i shall go. i will not say (whatever i may think) that this affair has been got up solely to degrade and insult me. i shall merely go. i shall not be missed!'

mrs chick rose erect with these words, and took the arm of mr chick, who escorted her from the room, after half an hour's shady sojourn there. and it is due to her penetration to observe that she certainly was not missed at all.

but she was not the only indignant guest; for mr dombey's list (still constantly in difficulties) were, as a body, indignant with mrs dombey's list, for looking at them through eyeglasses, and audibly wondering who all those people were; while mrs dombey's list complained of weariness, and the young thing with the shoulders, deprived of the attentions of that gay youth cousin feenix (who went away from the dinner-table), confidentially alleged to thirty or forty friends that she was bored to death. all the old ladies with the burdens on their heads, had greater or less cause of complaint against mr dombey; and the directors and chairmen coincided in thinking that if dombey must marry, he had better have married somebody nearer his own age, not quite so handsome, and a little better off. the general opinion among this class of gentlemen was, that it was a weak thing in dombey, and he'd live to repent it. hardly anybody there, except the mild men, stayed, or went away, without considering himself or herself neglected and aggrieved by mr dombey or mrs dombey; and the speechless female in the black velvet hat was found to have been stricken mute, because the lady in the crimson velvet had been handed down before her. the nature even of the mild men got corrupted, either from their curdling it with too much lemonade, or from the general inoculation that prevailed; and they made sarcastic jokes to one another, and whispered disparagement on stairs and in bye-places. the general dissatisfaction and discomfort so diffused itself, that the assembled footmen in the hall were as well acquainted with it as the company above. nay, the very linkmen outside got hold of it, and compared the party to a funeral out of mourning, with none of the company remembered in the will. at last, the guests were all gone, and the linkmen too; and the street, crowded so long with carriages, was clear; and the dying lights showed no one in the rooms, but mr dombey and mr carker, who were talking together apart, and mrs dombey and her mother: the former seated on an ottoman; the latter reclining in the cleopatra attitude, awaiting the arrival of her maid. mr dombey having finished his communication to carker, the latter advanced obsequiously to take leave.

'i trust,' he said, 'that the fatigues of this delightful evening will not inconvenience mrs dombey to-morrow.'

'mrs dombey,' said mr dombey, advancing, 'has sufficiently spared herself fatigue, to relieve you from any anxiety of that kind. i regret to say, mrs dombey, that i could have wished you had fatigued yourself a little more on this occasion.

she looked at him with a supercilious glance, that it seemed not worth her while to protract, and turned away her eyes without speaking.

'i am sorry, madam,' said mr dombey, 'that you should not have thought it your duty -

she looked at him again.

'your duty, madam,' pursued mr dombey, 'to have received my friends with a little more deference. some of those whom you have been pleased to slight to-night in a very marked manner, mrs dombey, confer a distinction upon you, i must tell you, in any visit they pay you.

'do you know that there is someone here?' she returned, now looking at him steadily.

'no! carker! i beg that you do not. i insist that you do not,' cried mr dombey, stopping that noiseless gentleman in his withdrawal. 'mr carker, madam, as you know, possesses my confidence. he is as well acquainted as myself with the subject on which i speak. i beg to tell you, for your information, mrs dombey, that i consider these wealthy and important persons confer a distinction upon me:' and mr dombey drew himself up, as having now rendered them of the highest possible importance.

'i ask you,' she repeated, bending her disdainful, steady gaze upon him, 'do you know that there is someone here, sir?'

'i must entreat,' said mr carker, stepping forward, 'i must beg, i must demand, to be released. slight and unimportant as this difference is - '

mrs skewton, who had been intent upon her daughter's face, took him up here.

'my sweetest edith,' she said, 'and my dearest dombey; our excellent friend mr carker, for so i am sure i ought to mention him - '

mr carker murmured, 'too much honour.'

' - has used the very words that were in my mind, and that i have been dying, these ages, for an opportunity of introducing. slight and unimportant! my sweetest edith, and my dearest dombey, do we not know that any difference between you two - no, flowers; not now.

flowers was the maid, who, finding gentlemen present, retreated with precipitation.

'that any difference between you two,' resumed mrs skewton, 'with the heart you possess in common, and the excessively charming bond of feeling that there is between you, must be slight and unimportant? what words could better define the fact? none. therefore i am glad to take this slight occasion - this trifling occasion, that is so replete with nature, and your individual characters, and all that - so truly calculated to bring the tears into a parent's eyes - to say that i attach no importance to them in the least, except as developing these minor elements of soul; and that, unlike most mamas-in-law (that odious phrase, dear dombey!) as they have been represented to me to exist in this i fear too artificial world, i never shall attempt to interpose between you, at such a time, and never can much regret, after all, such little flashes of the torch of what's-his-name - not cupid, but the other delightful creature.

there was a sharpness in the good mother's glance at both her children as she spoke, that may have been expressive of a direct and well-considered purpose hidden between these rambling words. that purpose, providently to detach herself in the beginning from all the clankings of their chain that were to come, and to shelter herself with the fiction of her innocent belief in their mutual affection, and their adaptation to each other.

'i have pointed out to mrs dombey,' said mr dombey, in his most stately manner, 'that in her conduct thus early in our married life, to which i object, and which, i request, may be corrected. carker,' with a nod of dismissal, 'good-night to you!'

mr carker bowed to the imperious form of the bride, whose sparkling eye was fixed upon her husband; and stopping at cleopatra's couch on his way out, raised to his lips the hand she graciously extended to him, in lowly and admiring homage.

if his handsome wife had reproached him, or even changed countenance, or broken the silence in which she remained, by one word, now that they were alone (for cleopatra made off with all speed), mr dombey would have been equal to some assertion of his case against her. but the intense, unutterable, withering scorn, with which, after looking upon him, she dropped her eyes, as if he were too worthless and indifferent to her to be challenged with a syllable - the ineffable disdain and haughtiness in which she sat before him - the cold inflexible resolve with which her every feature seemed to bear him down, and put him by - these, he had no resource against; and he left her, with her whole overbearing beauty concentrated on despising him.

was he coward enough to watch her, an hour afterwards, on the old well staircase, where he had once seen florence in the moonlight, toiling up with paul? or was he in the dark by accident, when, looking up, he saw her coming, with a light, from the room where florence lay, and marked again the face so changed, which he could not subdue?

but it could never alter as his own did. it never, in its uttermost pride and passion, knew the shadow that had fallen on his, in the dark corner, on the night of the return; and often since; and which deepened on it now, as he looked up.

接连许多天都在相似的情况下过去了。所不同的是：他们在这段时间里曾接待了很多来访的客人，也出外访问了很多人；斯丘顿夫人在她自己的房间里举行小小的接见，白格斯托克少校是经常的参加者；弗洛伦斯虽然每天都看到父亲，但却没有再遇见他投来的眼光。她跟她的新妈妈也没有交谈得很多，新妈妈除了对她一人之外，对屋子里所有其他的人都威严、傲慢（弗洛伦斯不能不注意到这一点）；虽然她从外面访问回来以后经常派人来请弗洛伦斯或到弗洛伦斯那里去；在她睡觉之前，不论时间多么晚，她总经常跑到弗洛伦斯房间里去，不放过跟她在一起的任何机会；可是当她们两人在一起的时候，她经常是长时间地坐在那里，默默无言，在沉思着。

对这次结婚曾经抱有很多希望的弗洛伦斯有时情不自禁地把这座富丽堂皇的公馆跟它的前身——过去那座暗淡、凄凉的老房屋加以比较。心中纳闷：不论房屋的形式如何，究竟到什么时候它才开始可以称为一个家呢？因为她经常暗自忧虑：虽然一切都安排得奢华、舒适，进行得井井有条，可是没有一个人感到这是一个家。弗洛伦斯日日夜夜悲伤地思考了许多小时，并由于希望破灭而流出了许多眼泪；她时常研究着她的新妈妈对她所做出的有力的断言：世界上没有一个人能比她更没有能力教她怎样去赢得父亲的欢心。不久，弗洛伦斯开始想——更正确地说，是打定主意去想——，她的新妈妈比任何人都清楚，要使她父亲减轻或改变对她的冷淡是多么没有希望，所以才出于怜悯向她提出了那个警告：禁止谈到这个问题。弗洛伦斯就像她每个行动和思想中所表现的那样，不是一个自私的人，她这时宁肯忍受这个新创伤的痛苦，也不愿意把关于她父亲的真情的微弱的预感更深一层地想下去；甚至在她浮思漫想中想到他的时候，她对他也还是怀着亲切的感情。至于他的家，她希望当一切安排就绪，新生活走上轨道以后，它将会变得好起来；至于她自己，她想得很少，悲伤得更少。

如果说新家庭的成员中没有一个人私下里感到真正是在自己家里一样的话，那么有一点已经作出了决定：董贝夫人至少应当毫不迟延地在家里举行招待会，在众人面前表现为真正在自己家里一样1。为了庆贺新婚和加强社会联系，主要由董贝先生和斯丘顿夫人安排了一系列款待项目；决定庆贺活动首先由董贝夫人在一个晚上在家里举行招待会，接见客人，并由董贝先生和夫人在同一天晚上举行宴会，邀请许多各种各样的人们参加。

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1英文athome这个短语有几个意义。一个意义是：像在自己家里一样毫无拘束；另一个意义是在家里举行招待会。狄更斯在这里一语双关地使用了这个短语。

因此，董贝先生开列了一份坐在宴席东边的豪富们的名单，并以他的名义邀请他们光临这次宴会；由于伊迪丝傲慢地对这事毫不关心，所以由斯丘顿夫人代表她的最亲爱的女儿补充了一份坐在宴席西边的宾客的名单，其中包括菲尼克斯表哥（他还没有回到巴登—巴登，但动产已遭到了很大的损失）；还有其他各种等级和年龄的人们，他们曾经像飞蛾一样在不同的时间中在她漂亮的女儿或她本人的亮光周围振翼飞舞，而没有严重损坏翅膀。根据伊迪丝的嘱咐，弗洛伦斯被列为参加这次宴会的一位成员，斯丘顿夫人对此曾疑惑或犹豫了片刻；弗洛伦斯对刺激她父亲的任何事情有着本能的敏感，所以怀着奇妙的心情，默默无言地参加了这天的庆宴。

董贝先生佩了一条非常长、浆得非常硬的领带，在庆祝活动开始的时候，在客厅里不停地走来走去，直到举行宴会的预定时间到来为止。东印度公司的董事准时来到，董贝先生只一个人迎接了他；他是一位大富豪，他的背心表面上看去好像是由普通木匠用耐用的松木板做成的，但实际上是由缝纫师用一种叫做南京本色棉布的材料缝制成的。庆祝活动的下一步是董贝先生派人去向董贝夫人致意，准确地指明现在的时间；在这之后，从谈话的角度来说，东印度公司的董事可说已生命垂危、奄奄一息了，一直注视着炉火的董贝先生不能使他起死回生，直到斯丘顿夫人前来搭救，他的生命才有了转机；这位董事把她误会为董贝夫人，热情地向她问候，这是他在这天晚上复活过来的愉快的起点。

第二位到达的是银行董事；他以具有全部收买任何东西的能力而闻名——如果他认为能影响金融市场的话，那么他通常就收买人性——，但是他是言语非常谦逊的人，谦逊得几乎到了夸张的程度；他谈到他在泰晤士河1旁金斯敦那里的“寒舍”，如果董贝先生肯去访问的话，那么它可以勉强地为他提供一张床和一盘排骨。至于夫人们，他说，像他这样一个过着平静生活的人向她们发出邀请是不合适的，但是如果斯丘顿夫人和她的女儿董贝夫人将来什么时候顺便去到那一带地方，肯赏光去看一看那里一点点灌木丛、一个可怜的小花坛、一个滥竽充数的菠萝温室和两、三种诸如此类、没有什么值得夸赞的尝试的话，那么他将感到不胜荣幸之至。这位先生衣着十分简朴，充分体现出他谦逊的性格：他用一段纤细的麻纱白葛充当领饰，他的鞋子很大，外套太肥大，裤子又太窄小；当斯丘顿夫人谈到歌剧的时候，他说他很少上剧院去，因为他出不起买票的钱。这个回答似乎使他感到极大的高兴和兴奋，后来他把手放在衣袋里，笑逐颜开地看着他的听众，眼睛闪着亮光，流露出极大满足的神气。

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1泰晤士河：英国南部最重要的河流，全长336公里，经牛津、伦敦等重要城市，东流注入北海。

这时董贝夫人来到了，姿容美丽，神态高傲；她目空一切，蔑视他们所有的人，仿佛她头上新娘的花冠是钢针穿成的圆环，戴在她头上的目的是为了要逼迫她让步，而她却宁肯死去也不肯屈服。和她在一起的是弗洛伦斯。当她们一道走进来的时候，董贝先生脸上又笼罩上一层跟他回家来那天晚上同样的阴影，但是没有被人察觉，因为弗洛伦斯不敢抬起眼睛去看他，伊迪丝则冷淡到了无以复加的地步，根本就不会去注意他。

来到的客人很快地增加了好多。又有一些公司的董事、总经理，还有穿着盛装、头上戴着沉甸甸的节庆饰物的老夫人们，菲尼克斯表哥，白格斯托克少校，以及斯丘顿夫人的朋友们。斯丘顿夫人的朋友们跟她一样，脸上涂得鲜红、十分枯瘦的脖子上戴着贵重的项链。在这当中，有一位六十五岁，但打扮得十分年轻的夫人，衣服穿得惊人的单薄，背和肩膀大部分裸露在外面；她说话的时候，吐字不清，吸引了人们的注意；她的眼皮需要她费很大的劲才能支撑起来；她的举止中具有一种难以形容的魅力，那是在轻浮的年轻人身上才时常可以看到的。由于董贝先生名单上的大部分客人沉默寡言，董贝夫人名单上的大部分客人则喜爱说话，他们相互之间不存在相同的地方，所以董贝夫人名单上的客人由于磁性一致的作用，就结成同盟，反对董贝先生名单上的客人。董贝先生名单上的客人们孤孤单单地在房间里走来走去，或者为了躲藏在角落里，就跟新进来的人相互碰撞，或者隐蔽在沙发后面，成了行路的障碍，当门猛地一下从外面向里推开的时候，他们的头就被门碰上，并遭受种种不快。

当仆人前来通报宴席已经摆好了的时候，董贝先生搀扶着一位老夫人下餐厅去，这位老夫人很像是一个塞满了钞票的、深红色的丝绒的针插，她可能真的就是针线街的老太太1，因为她是那么有钱，看上去又那么不肯通融；菲尼克斯表哥搀扶着董贝夫人；白格斯托克少校搀扶着斯丘顿夫人；袒露着肩膀、打扮得十分年轻的夫人，作为使其他女士们相形见绌的佼佼者，赏给了东印度公司的董事，其余的夫人们留在客厅里被其余的先生们观赏，直到一些敢于冒险的勇士们自告奋勇，把她们护送下去为止；这些勇士们和他们的俘虏们把餐厅的门口堵塞得水泄不通，有位懦怯的男子就被阻留在冷酷无情的门厅中。当所有的人都已进去就座的时候，这些懦怯的客人当中还有一位发窘地露着笑容，依旧束手无策，没有得到安排，直到后来，在男管家的陪同下，绕着桌子整整转了两圈，才找到了他的座位；最后发现，他的座位是在董贝夫人的左手；这位懦怯的客人入座之后，就再也没有抬起头来过。

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1针线街的老太太：英格兰银行的谑称。英格兰银行位于伦敦针线街；17世纪时有一家缝纫商行建在这条街上，因此这条街就得到了这个名称。

客人们围坐在闪闪发光的餐桌四周，忙碌不停地使用着闪闪发光的匙子、刀叉、盘子。这时候，这宽阔的餐厅可以看作是孩子们捡拾金银的汤姆·蒂德勒地段1的放大的场景。董贝先生美满地扮演了蒂德勒的角色。把他跟董贝夫人隔开的贵金属雕花托盘，上面画着有着霜状表面的丘比德向他们两人递送去没有香气的花朵，使人看了觉得含有讽喻的意味。

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1汤姆·蒂德勒地段：指不属于任何人的地段，特别指两个国家之间的中立地区；在这一地带找到的一切，归找得者私有。据此，有一种同名的儿童游戏，内容是到汤姆·蒂德勒地段的宝山去捡金银，捡到的金银就归自己所有。

菲尼克斯表哥精神饱满，情绪活跃，看上去惊人的年轻。可是他在兴高采烈的时候，有时说话缺乏考虑——他的脑子跟他的腿一样，有时不听指挥，偏离了正道——，这天晚上他竟使得参加宴会的人们打了个冷战。情况是这样发生的：那位后背袒露、打扮得很年轻的夫人对菲尼克斯表哥脉脉含情，于是耍了个圈套，让东印度公司的董事陪送她到挨近菲尼克斯表哥的座位上；她一入座之后，立即把董事撇在一旁，作为对他忠诚效劳的报答。董事的另一旁是一位皮包骨头、默默无言、拿着一把扇子的女士，她戴的一顶阴沉的黑丝绒的帽子挡着他的荫，他就只好垂头丧气，孤零零地坐在那里。菲尼克斯表哥和打扮得很年轻的夫人兴致勃勃，谈笑风生；打扮得很年轻的夫人听了菲尼克斯表哥跟她讲的一个什么故事，扬声大笑，白格斯托克少校就代表斯丘顿夫人（他们在挨近桌子的另一端，对面坐着）请求允许他问一下，是不是可以把这故事讲出来，让大家都来欣赏欣赏。

“啊，以我的生命发誓，”菲尼克斯表哥说道，“这没有什么特别的东西，它确实不值得再说一遍，事实上这只不过是杰克·亚当斯的一段轶事。我想，我的朋友董贝（因为这时在座的人注意力都集中在菲尼克斯表哥身上）可能记得杰克·亚当斯，是杰克·亚当斯，不是乔——乔是他的哥哥。杰克——小杰克——眼睛有点斜视，说话有点结巴——，他是代表一个有议员选举权的城市的。我当下院议员的时候，我们都管他叫暖床器亚当斯，因为他曾经当过一个年轻人未成年前的就职代理人1，也许我的朋友董贝知道这个人吧。”

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1英文warmingpan有两个意义，一为暖床器，一为年轻人未成年前的就职代理人。这里是诙谐地使用了双关语。

董贝先生只可能知道盖伊·福克斯1，所以作了否定的答复。可是出人意料之外，那七个懦怯的客人当中的一位引人注目地说道，他认识他，还补充说，“他经常穿黑森士兵的长靴！2”

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1盖伊·福克斯（guyfawkes）：英国历史中1605年11月5日火药阴谋案中的主犯，企图炸死议员及英王詹姆士一世。

2黑森士兵的长靴：黑森是德国西南部的一个州。黑森士兵穿的长靴，膝前有精致、优美的饰穗。

“一点不错，”菲尼克斯表哥说道，一边向前探出身子去看看这位懦怯的人，对坐在桌子最下端的他笑嘻嘻地表示鼓励，“这是杰克。乔穿的是——”

“长筒靴！”那位懦怯的人喊道；他在众人心目中的地位每一秒钟都在提高。

“当然，”菲尼克斯表哥说道，“您跟他们很熟吧？”

“我认识他们两人，”那位懦怯的人说道。董贝先生立刻和他碰了杯。

“这杰克真是个非常好的人”，菲尼克斯表哥又笑嘻嘻地向前探出身子，说道。

“好极了，”那位懦怯的人回答道，他由于取得成功，因而胆子大起来了，“他是我所认识的最好的人当中的一个。”

“毫无疑问，您已经听到这个故事了？”菲尼克斯表哥问道。

“现在还不敢说，”这位胆子大起来的懦怯的人回答道，“听您阁下说了才知道。”他一边说，一边仰靠在椅背上，望着天花板微笑着，好像他熟记这个故事，早已被逗乐了。

“事实上，这件事本身根本算不了什么故事，”菲尼克斯表哥笑嘻嘻地对着全桌的客人，快活地摇摇头，说道，“用不着一句开场白。但是这说明了杰克灵巧的机智。事情是这样的：杰克有一次被邀请去参加一个婚礼——这个婚礼我想是在巴克郡举行的吧？”

“什罗郡，”那位胆子大起来的懦怯的人看到大家都在等待着他，就这样回答道。

“是那里吗？事实上也可能在任何一个郡举行，”菲尼克斯表哥说道，“我的朋友就这样被邀请到任何郡去参加这次婚礼，”他对这笑话立刻会引起哄堂大笑感到很高兴，“他去了。正像我们当中有些人荣幸地被邀请来参加我可爱的、多才多艺的亲戚跟我的朋友董贝的婚礼一样，不需要别人邀请两次，去出席这么有趣的场面真是了不得的高兴。所以，他——杰克就去了。可是这个婚姻事实上是一个异常漂亮的女孩子跟一个她连一丁点儿爱情也没有的男人的婚姻，她是因为贪图他的财产才同意嫁给他的。当杰克参加婚礼之后回到城里的时候，一位跟他认识的人在下院的休息室里碰见他，问他‘唔，杰克，这错配了的两口子怎么样？’‘错配！’杰克回答道，‘根本不是什么错配。这完全是公平交易。她是正正规规地被买下来，而他，您也可以发誓说，是正正规规地被卖出去的！’”

可是当菲尼克斯表哥正满腔欢乐地到达他的故事的最高潮的时候，全桌人都像接触到电火花似地打了个冷战，这使他猛吃一惊，就停止了说话。这个成为这一天大家普遍参加的谈话的唯一话题在任何人的脸上也没有引起微笑。接着是一片鸦雀无声的沉默；那位不幸的懦怯的人事前对这故事就像对一个还没出世的孩子一样，一无所知，现在他从每只眼睛中都可以看到，他被大家看成是这次祸害的元凶，心中感到剧烈的痛苦。

董贝先生的脸孔并不是容易变化的脸孔，这天他还是和平日一样，摆出一副一本正经的态度；他在静默中只是郑重地说了一声“很好”，此外，对这个故事就没有任何其他表示理解的反应。伊迪丝朝弗洛伦斯迅速地看了一眼，可是除此之外她在表面上还继续保持着冷冷淡淡、漠不关心的态度。

宴会通过了各个不同的阶段：丰富的肉，芳醇的酒，连接不断的金银器皿，代表泥土、空气、火、水的各种美味佳肴，成堆的水果，还有董贝先生的宴会上完全不需要的东西——冰，这顿晚餐渐渐地接近结束；在后几个阶段中，不断听到两下敲门的响亮，通报客人来到；这些晚到的客人们只能闻闻宴会的香味而已。当董贝夫人站起来的时候，她的丈夫脖子坚挺，脑袋直竖，手按着打开的门，让夫人们一一走出去，这一情景是很值得看一看的；董贝夫人胳膊挽着他的女儿，从他身旁匆匆走过的情景也是值得看一看的。

董贝先生威风凛凛地坐在细颈圆酒瓶后面时，是一幅庄严的景象；东印度公司的董事孤孤单单地坐在桌子空荡荡的另一头的近旁时，是一幅凄凉的景象；少校向七位懦怯的人当中的六位（爱虚荣的那一位已经完全陷于绝境了）讲约克郡公爵的轶事时，是一幅英武的景象；银行董事用吃点心的小刀向一群崇拜者描画他有小菠萝温室的平面图时，是一幅谦逊的景象；菲尼克斯表哥抚平长袖口，偷偷地整整假发时，是一幅沉思的景象。可是所有这些景象持续的时间都很短，因为很快就喝咖啡，而且大家不久都离开了餐厅。

楼上大厅里的人群每分钟都在增加；可是跟先前一样，董贝先生名单上的客人们跟董贝夫人名单上的客人们混杂在一起的可能性是天然不存在的，任何人也不会分辨不清，谁是属于哪一份名单上的。这一规则唯一例外的情形也许可以算是卡克先生吧。他向所有的人都露出微笑，站在聚集在董贝夫人周围的人群中，注视着她，注视着他们。注视着他的老板、克利奥佩特拉、少校、弗洛伦斯以及四周的一切；他跟这两帮客人相处得都无拘无束，看不出是属于哪一帮的。

弗洛伦斯害怕他，他在房间里对她来说是个梦魇。她不能忘记有他在场，由于她不能抗拒对他的厌恶与不信任，因此她的眼睛不时朝他那边望一下。可是她的思想却在翻腾着别的事情，因为当她坐在一旁的时候——并不是由于没有人爱慕她或寻找她，而是由于她安静、文雅的性格才坐在一旁的——，她觉得她的父亲在流行着的活动中是多么不起作用；她痛苦地看到，他似乎是多么不自在；当他停留在门旁，迎接着那些他希望特别厚待的客人，并把他们领去介绍给他的妻子的时候，他又是多么不受尊重；他的妻子高傲地、冷漠地接见了这些客人，但丝毫也没有兴趣或愿望去讨他们的喜欢；在煞风景的接见仪式之后，她也没有考虑他的愿望或对他的朋友表示欢迎，一直不开口说一句话。使弗洛伦斯同样困惑不解或痛苦的是，这样行事的伊迪丝却这么亲切，这么慈爱、体贴地对待她；就她来说，甚至连注意到在她眼前所发生的这一切情形，几乎都好像是忘恩负义似的。

弗洛伦斯如果敢哪怕用眼光陪伴一下父亲的话，那么她该会多么幸福啊！但弗洛伦斯没有去猜疑他不自在的主要原因，就这一点来说她倒是幸福的。不过，她害怕表露出她似乎知道他处于不利的境地，唯恐他会对她愤怒不满；加上她一方面情不自禁地想亲近他，一方面又对伊迪丝怀着感激的感情，处在这样矛盾冲突的心情中，她就不敢抬起眼睛去看他们两人当中的任何一个人。她为他们两人感到焦急不安，郁郁不乐，所以在拥挤的人群中，她心中暗暗地产生了这样一些想法：如果这里从来就听不到这些嘈杂热闹的谈话声和走来走去的脚步声，如果往日沉闷无趣、凄凉冷落的景象从来就没有被现在新颖别致和富丽堂皇的景象所代替，如果这个受到冷落的孩子从来没有从伊迪丝那里找到友谊，而是一直过着她那被人遗忘、没人可怜的孤独的生活的话，那么对他们来说，这也许反倒比现在更好。

奇克夫人也有一些这样的想法，但是这些想法并不是平平静静地在她的心中展开。这位善良的家庭主妇一开头就因为没有被邀请参加晚宴而受到了侮辱。她从这个打击中部分恢复过来之后，不惜破费大笔金钱，决心把自己打扮成一位穿着豪华的人物，在招待会上出现在董贝夫人的面前，使她见了眼花缭乱，并在斯丘顿夫人头上堆上高山般重重的屈辱。

“可是我却被看得连弗洛伦斯也不如了！”奇克夫人对奇克先生说道，“有谁丝毫注意过我？谁也没有！”

“谁也没有，我亲爱的，”奇克先生同意地说道。他背靠着墙，坐在奇克夫人的身旁，甚至在这里，他也只能轻轻地吹吹口哨，聊以自慰。

“这有一点点像需要我在这里的样子吗？”奇克夫人眼睛闪发出亮光，高声喊叫道。

“不错，我亲爱的，我看不像，”奇克先生说道。

“保罗疯了！”奇克夫人说道。

奇克先生吹吹口哨。

“除非你是个怪物（有时我觉得你真的就是个怪物），”奇克夫人坦率地说道，“那就别坐在这里吹你的小调了。一个人哪怕稍稍有点男子汉的感情，怎么能看得住保罗的岳母打扮成那副模样，在跟白格斯托克少校卖弄风情？别的使人愉快的事情就别提了，就是这个白格斯托克少校今天能在这里，我们也还得感谢你的卢克丽霞·托克斯——”

“我的卢克丽霞·托克斯！”奇克先生吃惊地说道。

“是的，”奇克夫人很严厉地回答道，“你的卢克丽霞·托克斯！我要问，不论是什么人，看到保罗这位岳母，保罗这位傲慢的老婆，这些光裸着后背和肩膀的不成体统的老丑八怪们，总之一句话，看到今天这样的招待会，怎么还能有心情哼小调呢？”奇克夫人在最后几个字上冷嘲热讽地加重了语气，使奇克先生吓了一跳。“这对我来说，谢谢上天，真是一件不可思议的事情。”

奇克先生把嘴巴扭歪成根本无法哼小调或吹口哨的形状，并似乎很用心地在沉思着。

“虽然保罗已经忘记我该享受的权利了，“奇克夫人火冒三丈，说道，“但我希望，我知道我本人应该享受什么权利。我是这个家庭的一名成员；我不打算在这里坐着，让人不理不睬。我不是董贝夫人脚下的烂泥，现在还不是，”奇克夫人说道，仿佛她预料后天就会变成这烂泥似的，“我要走！我不说（不管我怎么想）这一切安排的唯一目的就是要贬低我，侮辱我。我将直截了当，一走了之。我不在，他们也不会发觉！”

奇克夫人一边这么说着，一边笔直地站了起来，挽着奇克先生的胳膊，离开了这个他们在偏僻的角落里逗留了半个小时的房间。她真能洞察一切：她不在，确实完全没有被人发觉。

不过她并不是唯一的愤怒的客人；因为董贝先生名单上客人们（他们依旧不断地处于困难的境地中）一致对董贝夫人名单上的客人们感到愤怒，因为她们通过单眼镜看他们，并大声说不知道这些人是谁。在这同时，董贝夫人名单上的客人们抱怨疲乏；那位袒露着肩膀、打扮得很年轻的夫人，失掉那位快活的年轻人菲尼克斯表哥（他在宴会结束之后就走了）的照顾之后，对三、四十个朋友秘密地宣称，她厌烦得要死。头上戴满了沉甸甸的饰物的老夫人们都有或大或小的理由抱怨董贝夫人。那些公司的董事和总经理们心里都一致认为，如果董贝一定要结婚，他最好娶一位跟他年纪比较接近的人，别这么漂亮，但家境要宽裕一些才好；这一类身份的先生们普遍的看法是，这是董贝的失着，他以后会后悔的。除了那些懦怯的人之外，留在那里或走开的人，几乎没有一位不认为自己从董贝先生或董贝夫人那里受到冷落或委屈的。后来才知道，那位戴黑丝绒帽子、默默无言的夫人就是因为那位穿深红丝绒衣服的夫人比她先被搀扶到餐厅里去才气得一言不发的。甚至连那些懦怯的男子的脾气也变坏了，这或者是由于他们喝了过多的柠檬汁，性格发生了变化，或者是由于他们受到整个房间的气氛的感染的缘故；他们在楼梯上和偏僻的角落里相互讽刺嘲笑，并低声说些诽谤的话。普遍的不满与不快广泛地扩散开来，聚集在门厅里的仆人们也跟楼上的客人们一样感觉到这一点。甚至连等候在屋外、拿着火炬给大家照路的仆人也了解到这一点，他们把这个庆祝宴会跟那种在死者遗嘱里没有提到任何人、因而听不到哀哭的葬礼相比。

最后，所有的客人都走了，拿着火炬给大家照路的仆人也走了。长时间被马车堵塞的街道已畅通了。房间里将要燃尽的烛光只照着在一旁交谈的董贝先生和卡克先生，以及董贝夫人和他的母亲，没有别的人了。董贝夫人坐在绒垫睡椅上，她的母亲仿照克利奥佩特拉的姿态躺着等待侍女前来。董贝先生和卡克谈话结束之后，卡克谄媚讨好地走上前来告别。

“我希望，”他说道，“董贝夫人经过这愉快的晚上所感到的劳累不会使她明天觉得不舒服。”

“董贝夫人已经充分地节省了她的劳累，”董贝先生走上前来，说道，“因此您丝毫不用在这方面替她担心。董贝夫人，我很遗憾地想说，我实在希望在今天这样的场合，您能比往常稍许劳累一些才好。”

她傲慢地向他看了一眼，似乎不值得再看他，就一言不发地转开了视线。

“我感到遗憾，夫人，”董贝先生说道，“您竟没有想到这是您的责任——”

她又看了看他。

“夫人，”董贝先生继续说道，“您应当对我的朋友表示更敬重一些，这是您的责任。这些人当中有几位，您今天晚上很明显地怠慢了他们，而我要告诉您，他们前来拜访，是给了您极大的体面。”

“您知道这里还有别人吗？”她这时一动不动地看着他，回答道。

“别走！卡克！我请您别走。我坚决要求您别走。”董贝先生拦住那位默不作声往外走的先生，喊道，“夫人，您知道，卡克先生是深得我信任的人。我所说的问题，他跟我一样清楚。请允许我告诉您，让您了解，董贝夫人，我认为这些富有的、重要的人物给了我极大的体面。”董贝先生挺了挺身子，仿佛现在已向他们表示了极大的敬意似的。

“我问您，”她重复地说道，一边用轻蔑的眼光注视着他，“您知道这里还有别人吗，先生？”

“我必须请求，”卡克先生向前走了一步，说道，“我必须恳求，我必须要求让我离开，不管这争执是多么微不足道、无关紧要——”

斯丘顿夫人一直在注视着女儿的脸孔，这时把他的话接了过去。

“我最亲爱的伊迪丝，”她说道，“还有我最亲爱的董贝；我们的卓越的朋友卡克先生，因为我确实应当这样称呼他才是——”

卡克先生轻轻地说道，“您过份夸奖了。真是不胜荣幸之至”。

“他使用了我心里想要说的语言，在这一段时间里我一直渴望着有一个机会把它表示出来。微不足道、无关紧要！我最宝贝的伊迪丝，还有我亲爱的董贝，难道我们不知道，你们两人之间的任何争执——不，弗劳尔斯，现在不。”

弗劳尔斯就是那位侍女，她看到有先生们在场，就急忙退出去了。

“你们两人心心相印，”斯丘顿夫人继续说下去，“一条美妙的感情纽带把你们联结在一起；难道我们不知道，你们俩之间的任何争执，必然是微不足道，无关紧要的吗？还有什么语言能更好地表述这一事实？没有！因此，我高兴地利用这个小小的机会，这个微不足道的机会——人类的天性，你们个人的性格以及引起母亲流泪的一切都在这时候充分显露出来了——说一下，我丝毫也不认为这有什么重要的意义，我认为这只不过是人类心灵中那些毫不足取的因素在发生作用罢了；我不像大多数的丈母娘（多么讨厌的词儿哟，亲爱的董贝！在这个我担心太虚伪的世界上，我听说她们确实是存在的），我今后决不打算在这种时候介入到你们当中来干预你们的事情，也决不会因为——他叫什么——不是丘比德，而是另外一个可爱的人儿1的火炬中有一点小小爆燃的闪光而感到十分难过。”

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1斯丘顿夫人是想说许墨奈俄斯（hymenaeus，英译为hymen），希腊与罗马神话中的司婚姻之神；在造型艺术中，他是个戴着鲜花项圈，手执火炬的少年。

这位好母亲说话的时候，向她的两个孩子投去了锐利的眼光，它可能已把隐匿在这些层次杂乱的话语中的一个直截了当、经过深思熟虑的意图表达出来了。这个意图就是，她打一开头就精明地退缩到一旁，不去听他们的链条将来叮当撞击的，并且躲藏在她天真地相信他们情投意合和相互体贴这一虚构的幻影之中。

“我已向董贝夫人指出了，”董贝先生以他最庄严的态度说道，“我们婚后生活初期中她的行为中我所不满意、我要求改正的地方。卡克，”他向他点点头，让他出去，“祝您晚安！”

卡克先生向傲慢的新婚夫人鞠了个躬，她的眼睛一动不动地注视着她的丈夫；他向门口走去的时候，在克利奥佩特拉的长沙发旁边停住，以十分卑躬屈节、喜不自胜的敬意吻了吻她和蔼亲切地向他伸过来的手。

当房间里只剩下他们两人的时候（因为克利奥佩特拉已急急忙忙地离开了），如果他的漂亮的妻子责备了他，或者改变了脸色，或者说一句话来打破现在的沉默的话，那么董贝先生是能够挺身维护他的权利的。可是她看过他之后，以强烈的、难以形容的、令人畏缩的轻蔑的神色，低下了眼睛，仿佛对她来说，他是太没有价值，太无关紧要，根本不值得她开口去反驳他似的；她目空一切，无比傲慢地坐在他的前面；她仿佛要用她那冷酷的、毫不改变的决心把他压倒和踢开似的；——对于她的这种轻蔑和傲慢，他却束手无策。他离开了她，留下她那傲气十足的美貌，心中极度地蔑视他。

是不是他很胆怯，所以在一个钟头以后，他要在他过去有一次看到弗洛伦斯在月光下抱着小保罗费劲地走上去的那个楼梯间里，有意在暗中监视她呢？还是他在黑暗中偶尔出现在那里呢？当他抬起眼睛的时候，他看到她手中拿着一支蜡烛从弗洛伦斯睡觉的房间中走出来，并且再一次注意到那张他不能征服的脸孔改变成另一种神态。

可是它决不会像他的脸孔那样改变。它在极度的傲慢与愤怒中，从来也不知道他们回到家来的那天夜间，在那个黑暗的角落里笼罩在他脸上的阴影；从那以后，他脸上时常出现这个阴影，现在当他往上看的时候，他脸上的这个阴影变得更为深沉了。