domestic relations

it was not in the nature of things that a man of mr dombey's mood, opposed to such a spirit as he had raised against himself, should be softened in the imperious asperity of his temper; or that the cold hard armour of pride in which he lived encased, should be made more flexible by constant collision with haughty scorn and defiance. it is the curse of such a nature - it is a main part of the heavy retribution on itself it bears within itself - that while deference and concession swell its evil qualities, and are the food it grows upon, resistance and a questioning of its exacting claims, foster it too, no less. the evil that is in it finds equally its means of growth and propagation in opposites. it draws support and life from sweets and bitters; bowed down before, or unacknowledged, it still enslaves the breast in which it has its throne; and, worshipped or rejected, is as hard a master as the devil in dark fables.

towards his first wife, mr dombey, in his cold and lofty arrogance, had borne himself like the removed being he almost conceived himself to be. he had been 'mr dombey' with her when she first saw him, and he was 'mr dombey' when she died. he had asserted his greatness during their whole married life, and she had meekly recognised it. he had kept his distant seat of state on the top of his throne, and she her humble station on its lowest step; and much good it had done him, so to live in solitary bondage to his one idea. he had imagined that the proud character of his second wife would have been added to his own - would have merged into it, and exalted his greatness. he had pictured himself haughtier than ever, with edith's haughtiness subservient to his. he had never entertained the possibility of its arraying itself against him. and now, when he found it rising in his path at every step and turn of his daily life, fixing its cold, defiant, and contemptuous face upon him, this pride of his, instead of withering, or hanging down its head beneath the shock, put forth new shoots, became more concentrated and intense, more gloomy, sullen, irksome, and unyielding, than it had ever been before.

who wears such armour, too, bears with him ever another heavy retribution. it is of proof against conciliation, love, and confidence; against all gentle sympathy from without, all trust, all tenderness, all soft emotion; but to deep stabs in the self-love, it is as vulnerable as the bare breast to steel; and such tormenting festers rankle there, as follow on no other wounds, no, though dealt with the mailed hand of pride itself, on weaker pride, disarmed and thrown down.

such wounds were his. he felt them sharply, in the solitude of his old rooms; whither he now began often to retire again, and pass long solitary hours. it seemed his fate to be ever proud and powerful; ever humbled and powerless where he would be most strong. who seemed fated to work out that doom?

who? who was it who could win his wife as she had won his boy? who was it who had shown him that new victory, as he sat in the dark corner? who was it whose least word did what his utmost means could not? who was it who, unaided by his love, regard or notice, thrived and grew beautiful when those so aided died? who could it be, but the same child at whom he had often glanced uneasily in her motherless infancy, with a kind of dread, lest he might come to hate her; and of whom his foreboding was fulfilled, for he did hate her in his heart?

yes, and he would have it hatred, and he made it hatred, though some sparkles of the light in which she had appeared before him on the memorable night of his return home with his bride, occasionally hung about her still. he knew now that she was beautiful; he did not dispute that she was graceful and winning, and that in the bright dawn of her womanhood she had come upon him, a surprise. but he turned even this against her. in his sullen and unwholesome brooding, the unhappy man, with a dull perception of his alienation from all hearts, and a vague yearning for what he had all his life repelled, made a distorted picture of his rights and wrongs, and justified himself with it against her. the worthier she promised to be of him, the greater claim he was disposed to antedate upon her duty and submission. when had she ever shown him duty and submission? did she grace his life - or edith's? had her attractions been manifested first to him - or edith? why, he and she had never been, from her birth, like father and child! they had always been estranged. she had crossed him every way and everywhere. she was leagued against him now. her very beauty softened natures that were obdurate to him, and insulted him with an unnatural triumph.

it may have been that in all this there were mutterings of an awakened feeling in his breast, however selfishly aroused by his position of disadvantage, in comparison with what she might have made his life. but he silenced the distant thunder with the rolling of his sea of pride. he would bear nothing but his pride. and in his pride, a heap of inconsistency, and misery, and self-inflicted torment, he hated her.

to the moody, stubborn, sullen demon, that possessed him, his wife opposed her different pride in its full force. they never could have led a happy life together; but nothing could have made it more unhappy, than the wilful and determined warfare of such elements. his pride was set upon maintaining his magnificent supremacy, and forcing recognition of it from her. she would have been racked to death, and turned but her haughty glance of calm inflexible disdain upon him, to the last. such recognition from edith! he little knew through what a storm and struggle she had been driven onward to the crowning honour of his hand. he little knew how much she thought she had conceded, when she suffered him to call her wife.

mr dombey was resolved to show her that he was supreme. there must be no will but his. proud he desired that she should be, but she must be proud for, not against him. as he sat alone, hardening, he would often hear her go out and come home, treading the round of london life with no more heed of his liking or disliking, pleasure or displeasure, than if he had been her groom. her cold supreme indifference - his own unquestioned attribute usurped - stung him more than any other kind of treatment could have done; and he determined to bend her to his magnificent and stately will.

he had been long communing with these thoughts, when one night he sought her in her own apartment, after he had heard her return home late. she was alone, in her brilliant dress, and had but that moment come from her mother's room. her face was melancholy and pensive, when he came upon her; but it marked him at the door; for, glancing at the mirror before it, he saw immediately, as in a picture-frame, the knitted brow, and darkened beauty that he knew so well.

'mrs dombey,' he said, entering, 'i must beg leave to have a few words with you.'

'to-morrow,' she replied.

'there is no time like the present, madam,' he returned. 'you mistake your position. i am used to choose my own times; not to have them chosen for me. i think you scarcely understand who and what i am, mrs dombey.

'i think,' she answered, 'that i understand you very well.'

she looked upon him as she said so, and folding her white arms, sparkling with gold and gems, upon her swelling breast, turned away her eyes.

if she had been less handsome, and less stately in her cold composure, she might not have had the power of impressing him with the sense of disadvantage that penetrated through his utmost pride. but she had the power, and he felt it keenly. he glanced round the room: saw how the splendid means of personal adornment, and the luxuries of dress, were scattered here and there, and disregarded; not in mere caprice and carelessness (or so he thought), but in a steadfast haughty disregard of costly things: and felt it more and more. chaplets of flowers, plumes of feathers, jewels, laces, silks and satins; look where he would, he saw riches, despised, poured out, and. made of no account. the very diamonds - a marriage gift - that rose and fell impatiently upon her bosom, seemed to pant to break the chain that clasped them round her neck, and roll down on the floor where she might tread upon them.

he felt his disadvantage, and he showed it. solemn and strange among this wealth of colour and voluptuous glitter, strange and constrained towards its haughty mistress, whose repellent beauty it repeated, and presented all around him, as in so many fragments of a mirror, he was conscious of embarrassment and awkwardness. nothing that ministered to her disdainful self-possession could fail to gall him. galled and irritated with himself, he sat down, and went on, in no improved humour:

'mrs dombey, it is very necessary that there should be some understanding arrived at between us. your conduct does not please me, madam.'

she merely glanced at him again, and again averted her eyes; but she might have spoken for an hour, and expressed less.

'i repeat, mrs dombey, does not please me. i have already taken occasion to request that it may be corrected. i now insist upon it.'

'you chose a fitting occasion for your first remonstrance, sir, and you adopt a fitting manner, and a fitting word for your second. you insist! to me!'

'madam,' said mr dombey, with his most offensive air of state, 'i have made you my wife. you bear my name. you are associated with my position and my reputation. i will not say that the world in general may be disposed to think you honoured by that association; but i will say that i am accustomed to "insist," to my connexions and dependents.'

'which may you be pleased to consider me? she asked.

'possibly i may think that my wife should partake - or does partake, and cannot help herself - of both characters, mrs dombey.'

she bent her eyes upon him steadily, and set her trembling lips. he saw her bosom throb, and saw her face flush and turn white. all this he could know, and did: but he could not know that one word was whispering in the deep recesses of her heart, to keep her quiet; and that the word was florence.

blind idiot, rushing to a precipice! he thought she stood in awe of him.

'you are too expensive, madam,' said mr dombey. 'you are extravagant. you waste a great deal of money - or what would be a great deal in the pockets of most gentlemen - in cultivating a kind of society that is useless to me, and, indeed, that upon the whole is disagreeable to me. i have to insist upon a total change in all these respects. i know that in the novelty of possessing a tithe of such means as fortune has placed at your disposal, ladies are apt to run into a sudden extreme. there has been more than enough of that extreme. i beg that mrs granger's very different experiences may now come to the instruction of mrs dombey.'

still the fixed look, the trembling lips, the throbbing breast, the face now crimson and now white; and still the deep whisper florence, florence, speaking to her in the beating of her heart.

his insolence of self-importance dilated as he saw this alteration in her. swollen no less by her past scorn of him, and his so recent feeling of disadvantage, than by her present submission (as he took it to be), it became too mighty for his breast, and burst all bounds. why, who could long resist his lofty will and pleasure! he had resolved to conquer her, and look here!

'you will further please, madam,' said mr dombey, in a tone of sovereign command, 'to understand distinctly, that i am to be deferred to and obeyed. that i must have a positive show and confession of deference before the world, madam. i am used to this. i require it as my right. in short i will have it. i consider it no unreasonable return for the worldly advancement that has befallen you; and i believe nobody will be surprised, either at its being required from you, or at your making it. - to me - to me!' he added, with emphasis.

no word from her. no change in her. her eyes upon him.

'i have learnt from your mother, mrs dombey,' said mr dombey, with magisterial importance, what no doubt you know, namely, that brighton is recommended for her health. mr carker has been so good

she changed suddenly. her face and bosom glowed as if the red light of an angry sunset had been flung upon them. not unobservant of the change, and putting his own interpretation upon it, mr dombey resumed:

'mr carker has been so good as to go down and secure a house there, for a time. on the return of the establishment to london, i shall take such steps for its better management as i consider necessary. one of these, will be the engagement at brighton (if it is to be effected), of a very respectable reduced person there, a mrs pipchin, formerly employed in a situation of trust in my family, to act as housekeeper. an establishment like this, presided over but nominally, mrs dombey, requires a competent head.'

she had changed her attitude before he arrived at these words, and now sat - still looking at him fixedly - turning a bracelet round and round upon her arm; not winding it about with a light, womanly touch, but pressing and dragging it over the smooth skin, until the white limb showed a bar of red.

'i observed,' said mr dombey - 'and this concludes what i deem it necessary to say to you at present, mrs dombey - i observed a moment ago, madam, that my allusion to mr carker was received in a peculiar manner. on the occasion of my happening to point out to you, before that confidential agent, the objection i had to your mode of receiving my visitors, you were pleased to object to his presence. you will have to get the better of that objection, madam, and to accustom yourself to it very probably on many similar occasions; unless you adopt the remedy which is in your own hands, of giving me no cause of complaint. mr carker,' said mr dombey, who, after the emotion he had just seen, set great store by this means of reducing his proud wife, and who was perhaps sufficiently willing to exhibit his power to that gentleman in a new and triumphant aspect, 'mr carker being in my confidence, mrs dombey, may very well be in yours to such an extent. i hope, mrs dombey,' he continued, after a few moments, during which, in his increasing haughtiness, he had improved on his idea, 'i may not find it necessary ever to entrust mr carker with any message of objection or remonstrance to you; but as it would be derogatory to my position and reputation to be frequently holding trivial disputes with a lady upon whom i have conferred the highest distinction that it is in my power to bestow, i shall not scruple to avail myself of his services if i see occasion.'

'and now,' he thought, rising in his moral magnificence, and rising a stiffer and more impenetrable man than ever, 'she knows me and my resolution.'

the hand that had so pressed the bracelet was laid heavily upon her breast, but she looked at him still, with an unaltered face, and said in a low voice:

'wait! for god's sake! i must speak to you.'

why did she not, and what was the inward struggle that rendered her incapable of doing so, for minutes, while, in the strong constraint she put upon her face, it was as fixed as any statue's - looking upon him with neither yielding nor unyielding, liking nor hatred, pride not humility: nothing but a searching gaze?

'did i ever tempt you to seek my hand? did i ever use any art to win you? was i ever more conciliating to you when you pursued me, than i have been since our marriage? was i ever other to you than i am?'

'it is wholly unnecessary, madam,' said mr dombey, 'to enter upon such discussions.'

'did you think i loved you? did you know i did not? did you ever care, man! for my heart, or propose to yourself to win the worthless thing? was there any poor pretence of any in our bargain? upon your side, or on mine?'

'these questions,' said mr dombey, 'are all wide of the purpose, madam.'

she moved between him and the door to prevent his going away, and drawing her majestic figure to its height, looked steadily upon him still.

'you answer each of them. you answer me before i speak, i see. how can you help it; you who know the miserable truth as well as i? now, tell me. if i loved you to devotion, could i do more than render up my whole will and being to you, as you have just demanded? if my heart were pure and all untried, and you its idol, could you ask more; could you have more?'

'possibly not, madam,' he returned coolly.

'you know how different i am. you see me looking on you now, and you can read the warmth of passion for you that is breathing in my face.' not a curl of the proud lip, not a flash of the dark eye, nothing but the same intent and searching look, accompanied these words. 'you know my general history. you have spoken of my mother. do you think you can degrade, or bend or break, me to submission and obedience?'

mr dombey smiled, as he might have smiled at an inquiry whether he thought he could raise ten thousand pounds.

'if there is anything unusual here,' she said, with a slight motion of her hand before her brow, which did not for a moment flinch from its immovable and otherwise expressionless gaze, 'as i know there are unusual feelings here,' raising the hand she pressed upon her bosom, and heavily returning it, 'consider that there is no common meaning in the appeal i am going to make you. yes, for i am going;' she said it as in prompt reply to something in his face; 'to appeal to you.'

mr dombey, with a slightly condescending bend of his chin that rustled and crackled his stiff cravat, sat down on a sofa that was near him, to hear the appeal.

'if you can believe that i am of such a nature now,' - he fancied he saw tears glistening in her eyes, and he thought, complacently, that he had forced them from her, though none fell on her cheek, and she regarded him as steadily as ever, - 'as would make what i now say almost incredible to myself, said to any man who had become my husband, but, above all, said to you, you may, perhaps, attach the greater weight to it. in the dark end to which we are tending, and may come, we shall not involve ourselves alone (that might not be much) but others.'

others! he knew at whom that word pointed, and frowned heavily.

'i speak to you for the sake of others. also your own sake; and for mine. since our marriage, you have been arrogant to me; and i have repaid you in kind. you have shown to me and everyone around us, every day and hour, that you think i am graced and distinguished by your alliance. i do not think so, and have shown that too. it seems you do not understand, or (so far as your power can go) intend that each of us shall take a separate course; and you expect from me instead, a homage you will never have.'

although her face was still the same, there was emphatic confirmation of this 'never' in the very breath she drew.

'i feel no tenderness towards you; that you know. you would care nothing for it, if i did or could. i know as well that you feel none towards me. but we are linked together; and in the knot that ties us, as i have said, others are bound up. we must both die; we are both connected with the dead already, each by a little child. let us forbear.'

mr dombey took a long respiration, as if he would have said, oh! was this all!

'there is no wealth,' she went on, turning paler as she watched him, while her eyes grew yet more lustrous in their earnestness, 'that could buy these words of me, and the meaning that belongs to them. once cast away as idle breath, no wealth or power can bring them back. i mean them; i have weighed them; and i will be true to what i undertake. if you will promise to forbear on your part, i will promise to forbear on mine. we are a most unhappy pair, in whom, from different causes, every sentiment that blesses marriage, or justifies it, is rooted out; but in the course of time, some friendship, or some fitness for each other, may arise between us. i will try to hope so, if you will make the endeavour too; and i will look forward to a better and a happier use of age than i have made of youth or prime.

throughout she had spoken in a low plain voice, that neither rose nor fell; ceasing, she dropped the hand with which she had enforced herself to be so passionless and distinct, but not the eyes with which she had so steadily observed him.

'madam,' said mr dombey, with his utmost dignity, 'i cannot entertain any proposal of this extraordinary nature.

she looked at him yet, without the least change.

'i cannot,' said mr dombey, rising as he spoke, 'consent to temporise or treat with you, mrs dombey, upon a subject as to which you are in possession of my opinions and expectations. i have stated my ultimatum, madam, and have only to request your very serious attention to it.'

to see the face change to its old expression, deepened in intensity! to see the eyes droop as from some mean and odious object! to see the lighting of the haughty brow! to see scorn, anger, indignation, and abhorrence starting into sight, and the pale blank earnestness vanish like a mist! he could not choose but look, although he looked to his dismay.

'go, sir!' she said, pointing with an imperious hand towards the door. 'our first and last confidence is at an end. nothing can make us stranger to each other than we are henceforth.'

'i shall take my rightful course, madam,' said mr dombey, 'undeterred, you may be sure, by any general declamation.'

she turned her back upon him, and, without reply, sat down before her glass.

'i place my reliance on your improved sense of duty, and more correct feeling, and better reflection, madam,' said mr dombey.

she answered not one word. he saw no more expression of any heed of him, in the mirror, than if he had been an unseen spider on the wall, or beetle on the floor, or rather, than if he had been the one or other, seen and crushed when she last turned from him, and forgotten among the ignominious and dead vermin of the ground.

he looked back, as he went out at the door, upon the well-lighted and luxurious room, the beautiful and glittering objects everywhere displayed, the shape of edith in its rich dress seated before her glass, and the face of edith as the glass presented it to him; and betook himself to his old chamber of cogitation, carrying away with him a vivid picture in his mind of all these things, and a rambling and unaccountable speculation (such as sometimes comes into a man's head) how they would all look when he saw them next.

for the rest, mr dombey was very taciturn, and very dignified, and very confident of carrying out his purpose; and remained so.

he did not design accompanying the family to brighton; but he graciously informed cleopatra at breakfast, on the morning of departure, which arrived a day or two afterwards, that he might be expected down, soon. there was no time to be lost in getting cleopatra to any place recommended as being salutary; for, indeed, she seemed upon the wane, and turning of the earth, earthy.

without having undergone any decided second attack of her malady, the old woman seemed to have crawled backward in her recovery from the first. she was more lean and shrunken, more uncertain in her imbecility, and made stranger confusions in her mind and memory. among other symptoms of this last affliction, she fell into the habit of confounding the names of her two sons-in-law, the living and the deceased; and in general called mr dombey, either 'grangeby,' or 'domber,' or indifferently, both.

but she was youthful, very youthful still; and in her youthfulness appeared at breakfast, before going away, in a new bonnet made express, and a travelling robe that was embroidered and braided like an old baby's. it was not easy to put her into a fly-away bonnet now, or to keep the bonnet in its place on the back of her poor nodding head, when it was got on. in this instance, it had not only the extraneous effect of being always on one side, but of being perpetually tapped on the crown by flowers the maid, who attended in the background during breakfast to perform that duty.

'now, my dearest grangeby,' said mrs skewton, 'you must posively prom,' she cut some of her words short, and cut out others altogether, 'come down very soon.'

'i said just now, madam,' returned mr dombey, loudly and laboriously, 'that i am coming in a day or two.'

'bless you, domber!'

here the major, who was come to take leave of the ladies, and who was staring through his apoplectic eyes at mrs skewton's face with the disinterested composure of an immortal being, said:

'begad, ma'am, you don't ask old joe to come!'

'sterious wretch, who's he?' lisped cleopatra. but a tap on the bonnet from flowers seeming to jog her memory, she added, 'oh! you mean yourself, you naughty creature!'

'devilish queer, sir,' whispered the major to mr dombey. 'bad case. never did wrap up enough;' the major being buttoned to the chin. 'why who should j. b. mean by joe, but old joe bagstock - joseph - your slave - joe, ma'am? here! here's the man! here are the bagstock bellows, ma'am!' cried the major, striking himself a sounding blow on the chest.

'my dearest edith - grangeby - it's most trordinry thing,' said cleopatra, pettishly, 'that major - '

'bagstock! j. b.!' cried the major, seeing that she faltered for his name.

'well, it don't matter,' said cleopatra. 'edith, my love, you know i never could remember names - what was it? oh! - most trordinry thing that so many people want to come down to see me. i'm not going for long. i'm coming back. surely they can wait, till i come back!'

cleopatra looked all round the table as she said it, and appeared very uneasy.

'i won't have vistors - really don't want visitors,' she said; 'little repose - and all that sort of thing - is what i quire. no odious brutes must proach me till i've shaken off this numbness;' and in a grisly resumption of her coquettish ways, she made a dab at the major with her fan, but overset mr dombey's breakfast cup instead, which was in quite a different direction.

then she called for withers, and charged him to see particularly that word was left about some trivial alterations in her room, which must be all made before she came back, and which must be set about immediately, as there was no saying how soon she might come back; for she had a great many engagements, and all sorts of people to call upon. withers received these directions with becoming deference, and gave his guarantee for their execution; but when he withdrew a pace or two behind her, it appeared as if he couldn't help looking strangely at the major, who couldn't help looking strangely at mr dombey, who couldn't help looking strangely at cleopatra, who couldn't help nodding her bonnet over one eye, and rattling her knife and fork upon her plate in using them, as if she were playing castanets.

edith alone never lifted her eyes to any face at the table, and never seemed dismayed by anything her mother said or did. she listened to her disjointed talk, or at least, turned her head towards her when addressed; replied in a few low words when necessary; and sometimes stopped her when she was rambling, or brought her thoughts back with a monosyllable, to the point from which they had strayed. the mother, however unsteady in other things, was constant in this - that she was always observant of her. she would look at the beautiful face, in its marble stillness and severity, now with a kind of fearful admiration; now in a giggling foolish effort to move it to a smile; now with capricious tears and jealous shakings of her head, as imagining herself neglected by it; always with an attraction towards it, that never fluctuated like her other ideas, but had constant possession of her. from edith she would sometimes look at florence, and back again at edith, in a manner that was wild enough; and sometimes she would try to look elsewhere, as if to escape from her daughter's face; but back to it she seemed forced to come, although it never sought hers unless sought, or troubled her with one single glance.

the best concluded, mrs skewton, affecting to lean girlishly upon the major's arm, but heavily supported on the other side by flowers the maid, and propped up behind by withers the page, was conducted to the carriage, which was to take her, florence, and edith to brighton.

'and is joseph absolutely banished?' said the major, thrusting in his purple face over the steps. 'damme, ma'am, is cleopatra so hard-hearted as to forbid her faithful antony bagstock to approach the presence?'

'go along!' said cleopatra, 'i can't bear you. you shall see me when i come back, if you are very good.'

'tell joseph, he may live in hope, ma'am,' said the major; 'or he'll die in despair.'

cleopatra shuddered, and leaned back. 'edith, my dear,' she said. 'tell him - '

'what?'

'such dreadful words,' said cleopatra. 'he uses such dreadful words!'

edith signed to him to retire, gave the word to go on, and left the objectionable major to mr dombey. to whom he returned, whistling.

'i'll tell you what, sir,' said the major, with his hands behind him, and his legs very wide asunder, 'a fair friend of ours has removed to queer street.'

'what do you mean, major?' inquired mr dombey.

'i mean to say, dombey,' returned the major, 'that you'll soon be an orphan-in-law.'

mr dombey appeared to relish this waggish description of himself so very little, that the major wound up with the horse's cough, as an expression of gravity.

'damme, sir,' said the major, 'there is no use in disguising a fact. joe is blunt, sir. that's his nature. if you take old josh at all, you take him as you find him; and a devilish rusty, old rasper, of a close-toothed, j. b. file, you do find him. dombey,' said the major, 'your wife's mother is on the move, sir.'

'i fear,' returned mr dombey, with much philosophy, 'that mrs skewton is shaken.'

'shaken, dombey!' said the major. 'smashed!'

'change, however,' pursued mr dombey, 'and attention, may do much yet.'

'don't believe it, sir,' returned the major. 'damme, sir, she never wrapped up enough. if a man don't wrap up,' said the major, taking in another button of his buff waistcoat, 'he has nothing to fall back upon. but some people will die. they will do it. damme, they will. they're obstinate. i tell you what, dombey, it may not be ornamental; it may not be refined; it may be rough and tough; but a little of the genuine old english bagstock stamina, sir, would do all the good in the world to the human breed.'

after imparting this precious piece of information, the major, who was certainly true-blue, whatever other endowments he may have had or wanted, coming within the 'genuine old english' classification, which has never been exactly ascertained, took his lobster-eyes and his apoplexy to the club, and choked there all day.

cleopatra, at one time fretful, at another self-complacent, sometimes awake, sometimes asleep, and at all times juvenile, reached brighton the same night, fell to pieces as usual, and was put away in bed; where a gloomy fancy might have pictured a more potent skeleton than the maid, who should have been one, watching at the rose-coloured curtains, which were carried down to shed their bloom upon her.

it was settled in high council of medical authority that she should take a carriage airing every day, and that it was important she should get out every day, and walk if she could. edith was ready to attend her - always ready to attend her, with the same mechanical attention and immovable beauty - and they drove out alone; for edith had an uneasiness in the presence of florence, now that her mother was worse, and told florence, with a kiss, that she would rather they two went alone.

mrs skewton, on one particular day, was in the irresolute, exacting, jealous temper that had developed itself on her recovery from her first attack. after sitting silent in the carriage watching edith for some time, she took her hand and kissed it passionately. the hand was neither given nor withdrawn, but simply yielded to her raising of it, and being released, dropped down again, almost as if it were insensible. at this she began to whimper and moan, and say what a mother she had been, and how she was forgotten! this she continued to do at capricious intervals, even when they had alighted: when she herself was halting along with the joint support of withers and a stick, and edith was walking by her side, and the carriage slowly following at a little distance.

it was a bleak, lowering, windy day, and they were out upon the downs with nothing but a bare sweep of land between them and the sky. the mother, with a querulous satisfaction in the monotony of her complaint, was still repeating it in a low voice from time to time, and the proud form of her daughter moved beside her slowly, when there came advancing over a dark ridge before them, two other figures, which in the distance, were so like an exaggerated imitation of their own, that edith stopped.

almost as she stopped, the two figures stopped; and that one which to edith's thinking was like a distorted shadow of her mother, spoke to the other, earnestly, and with a pointing hand towards them. that one seemed inclined to turn back, but the other, in which edith recognised enough that was like herself to strike her with an unusual feeling, not quite free from fear, came on; and then they came on together.

the greater part of this observation, she made while walking towards them, for her stoppage had been momentary. nearer observation showed her that they were poorly dressed, as wanderers about the country; that the younger woman carried knitted work or some such goods for sale; and that the old one toiled on empty-handed.

and yet, however far removed she was in dress, in dignity, in beauty, edith could not but compare the younger woman with herself, still. it may have been that she saw upon her face some traces which she knew were lingering in her own soul, if not yet written on that index; but, as the woman came on, returning her gaze, fixing her shining eyes upon her, undoubtedly presenting something of her own air and stature, and appearing to reciprocate her own thoughts, she felt a chill creep over her, as if the day were darkening, and the wind were colder.

they had now come up. the old woman, holding out her hand importunately, stopped to beg of mrs skewton. the younger one stopped too, and she and edith looked in one another's eyes.

'what is it that you have to sell?' said edith.

'only this,' returned the woman, holding out her wares, without looking at them. 'i sold myself long ago.'

'my lady, don't believe her,' croaked the old woman to mrs skewton; 'don't believe what she says. she loves to talk like that. she's my handsome and undutiful daughter. she gives me nothing but reproaches, my lady, for all i have done for her. look at her now, my lady, how she turns upon her poor old mother with her looks.'

as mrs skewton drew her purse out with a trembling hand, and eagerly fumbled for some money, which the other old woman greedily watched for - their heads all but touching, in their hurry and decrepitude - edith interposed:

'i have seen you,' addressing the old woman, 'before.'

'yes, my lady,' with a curtsey. 'down in warwickshire. the morning among the trees. when you wouldn't give me nothing. but the gentleman, he give me something! oh, bless him, bless him!' mumbled the old woman, holding up her skinny hand, and grinning frightfully at her daughter.

'it's of no use attempting to stay me, edith!' said mrs skewton, angrily anticipating an objection from her. 'you know nothing about it. i won't be dissuaded. i am sure this is an excellent woman, and a good mother.'

'yes, my lady, yes,' chattered the old woman, holding out her avaricious hand. 'thankee, my lady. lord bless you, my lady. sixpence more, my pretty lady, as a good mother yourself.'

'and treated undutifully enough, too, my good old creature, sometimes, i assure you,' said mrs skewton, whimpering. 'there! shake hands with me. you're a very good old creature - full of what's-his-name - and all that. you're all affection and et cetera, ain't you?'

'oh, yes, my lady!'

'yes, i'm sure you are; and so's that gentlemanly creature grangeby. i must really shake hands with you again. and now you can go, you know; and i hope,' addressing the daughter, 'that you'll show more gratitude, and natural what's-its-name, and all the rest of it - but i never remember names - for there never was a better mother than the good old creature's been to you. come, edith!'

as the ruin of cleopatra tottered off whimpering, and wiping its eyes with a gingerly remembrance of rouge in their neighbourhood, the old woman hobbled another way, mumbling and counting her money. not one word more, nor one other gesture, had been exchanged between edith and the younger woman, but neither had removed her eyes from the other for a moment. they had remained confronted until now, when edith, as awakening from a dream, passed slowly on.

'you're a handsome woman,' muttered her shadow, looking after her; 'but good looks won't save us. and you're a proud woman; but pride won't save us. we had need to know each other when we meet again!'

一位具有董贝先生那样性格的人，遇到一位由他树立起来反对他本人的强有力人物以后，他那专横、严厉的脾气就会温和起来；或者他所穿戴的冰冷与坚硬的高傲的盔甲，由于受到傲慢的轻蔑和反抗与它不断的碰撞，就会变得柔软一些；——这都是不合乎事物的本性的。高傲是对它本身的沉重报应的主要部分，而这种报应是高傲本身就包含着的。高傲这种性格可恶的地方在于：尊敬与迁就固然能使它邪恶的性质发展起来，但另一方面，对它苛刻的要求进行抗拒和提出异议，也同样会促进它的滋长。它本身所具有的邪恶在它的对立物中也同样能吸取生长与繁殖的力量。它从甜蜜中或从痛苦中都能获得支持和生命。不论它是受到尊敬或是遭到轻视，它总是奴役着它所统治的心胸；不论它是受到崇拜或是遭到拒绝，它总是像悲惨童话中的魔鬼一样，是一位严厉的主人。

董贝先生在与他第一位妻子之间的关系中，冷酷无情，傲慢自大，一举一动就像是一位高高在上的人物，他几乎也就是这样看待他自己的。对她来说，当她第一次看到他的时候，他是“董贝先生”，当她死去的时候，他仍然是“董贝先生”。在他们整个婚后生活中，他维护着他的崇高的身份，她则恭恭顺顺地承认它。他在他的宝座的顶端保持着他的高不可攀的地位，她则在她的最低下的等级中保持着她的卑贱渺小的地位；他的生活只受自己思想的约束，对他来说，这是何等幸福啊！他曾经想象，他第二位妻子的高傲的性格将和他自己的高傲的性格相加到一块，融合在一起，从而将更增强他崇高的气概。他曾经想象，一旦伊迪丝的高傲充当了他自己的高傲的工具的话，那么他将会比以往任何时候都更目空一切。他根本没有想到她的高傲可能反对他。而现在，他看到他在日常生活中，每迈一步，每转一个弯，它都出现在他的道路上，把它那冷酷的、对抗的、轻蔑的脸孔牢牢对着他，这时候，他的高傲非但没有在冲击下萎缩下去或垂头丧气，反而还长出了新枝，变得比过去任何时候都更集中、更强烈、更阴沉、更不高兴、更令人讨厌和更顽强不屈。

谁戴上这种盔甲还会给他自己招来另外一种沉重的报应。这种盔甲是安抚、爱情和信任所不能刺穿的！是外界一切温柔的同情所不能刺穿的，是一切信赖、一切亲热、一切温情所不能刺穿的；可是当自负受到了深深的刺戳时，它却像袒露的胸膛遇到钢铁一样容易受伤；这种令人痛苦的脓疮就在那里发炎，它是在其他创伤中不能找到的，它是在跟那种较弱的、解除武装的、被摧毁的高傲（虽然高傲本身有着披戴铠甲的手）打交道时所不能有的。

他的创伤就是这样的创伤。他在他老房间的一片寂寞中敏锐地感觉到它；他现在又开始隐居到这些房间中，度过漫长的寂寞的时光。似乎命运注定他永远是高傲和有权有势的；同时在他本应当是最强有力的时候，命运却又似乎注定他永远受到屈辱和无能为力。是谁似乎注定要来为他安排出这样的命运的呢？

是谁？是谁能够赢得他妻子的喜爱，就像她赢得他男孩的喜爱一样？当他坐在那个角落里的时候，是谁曾经向他显示过这个新的胜利？是谁一言半语就达到了他竭尽全力所不能达到的目的？是谁没有得到他的喜爱、关怀或重视，却茁壮地成长起来，出落得漂漂亮亮，而那些得到他帮助的人却已死去了呢？是谁呢，还不就是那个女孩子，在她没有母亲的幼年时代，他曾时常不安地对她看一看，同时心中怀着一种恐惧，唯恐他以后会恨她，而他的这一预感现在已经应验了，因为他·果·真是恨她了。

是的，他想恨她，而且他已经在心中种下了这种恨，尽管在他和他新婚的妻子回家来的那个难忘的夜晚，她出现在他面前时所闪耀的一些亮光有时还会在她身边游动。他现在明白，她长得美丽；他不怀疑，她优雅可爱；当她初露出成年女性的妩媚的风姿，出现在他面前时，他曾吃了一惊。可是甚至这也成为他憎恶她的理由。在他愁眉不展、有碍健康地在进行沉思的时候，他模糊地意识到他疏离了所有的人们，不很明确地想望得到他这一生所曾厌弃的东西；怀着这样的心绪，这位不幸的人对他的是非曲直作出了一幅歪曲的图画，并因此认为他厌恨她是正确的。她对他看来愈是有价值，他就愈爱对她的孝敬与顺从进行挑剔。她什么时候曾经向他表示过孝敬与顺从呢？她给谁的生活增添了光彩呢，是给他的还是给伊迪丝的？她首先向谁显示了她动人的魅力的呢，是向他还是向伊迪丝？啊，自从她出生以来，他和她从来就不像是父亲和女儿的关系！他们经常是疏远的。她到处妨碍他。现在她又结盟来反对他。正是她的美丽使那些对他执拗不屈的性格温和下来，并以一种不合常情的胜利凌辱了他。

也许在这一切当中可以听到他心胸中被唤醒了的一种感情的愤愤不平的，这种感情是由于他目前不利的处境，而她本可以使他的生活变成另外一种样子，相形之下所激发出来的（不管这种激发是多么自私）。可是他的高傲的海洋的滚滚浪涛淹没了远方的雷鸣。除了他的高傲外，他不能容忍任何东西。在他的高傲中，堆积着自相矛盾、不幸和自己造成的痛苦。怀着这样的心情，他恨她。

他的妻子以她不同的高傲竭尽全力对抗着摆布他的那个易怒的、固执的和绷着脸的恶魔。他们永远不能在一起过幸福的生活。可是没有什么能比这种蓄意的、坚决的感情争斗能使他们的生活更加不幸的了。他的高傲决心要维护他的堂堂皇皇、至高无上的地位，并强迫她承认它。她则宁肯被折磨至死，直到最后，也只能把她那傲慢的眼光向他投射过去，在眼光中平静地、不屈地流露出对他的鄙视。这就是他从伊迪丝那里所能得到的承认！他不知道，当她被迫得到和他结婚的无上光荣时，她在感情上是经历了怎样的风暴与斗争。他不知道，当她容许他称她为妻子的时候，她认为她是作出了多大的让步啊。

董贝先生准备向她表明，他是至高无上的。除了他的意志之外，不应当有别的意志。他愿意她是高傲的，但是她应当因为他而高傲，而不应当反对他而高傲。当他独自坐在那里，心情变得冷酷起来的时候，他时常听到她出去，回来，在伦敦社交界周旋，毫不关心他的喜爱或厌恶，高兴或不快；如果他是她的马夫的话，那么他也不会受到更多的注意。她的冷淡的、极度的漠不关心——他本人这一无可争辩的性格被她夺走了——比其他任何对待他的态度都更刺痛了他；他决心强迫她向他的崇高的、庄严的意志屈服。

这些思想在他脑子里已经盘旋了好久，有一天夜间，当他听到她很晚回家以后，他就走到她的房间里去找她。她独自一人，穿着华丽的服装，刚刚从她母亲房间中回来。当他见到她的时候，她脸上的表情是忧郁的、沉思的；可是当他还在门口的时候，她就觉察到他了；因为当他向她面前的镜子看了一眼的时候，他立刻看到他十分熟悉的、那皱着的眉毛和那阴沉的、漂亮的脸孔，就像在一个画框里似的。

“董贝夫人，”他走进去，说道，“请允许我跟您说几句话。”

“明天吧，”她回答道。

“没有比现在更合适的时间了，夫人，”他回答道，“您把您的地位摆错了。我一向是由我本人来选定时间，而不是让别人来给我选定时间的。我想，您还不了解我是谁，我是什么样的人，董贝夫人。”

“我想，”她回答道，“我十分清楚地了解您。”

她说这些话的时候，看着他，然后把洁白的、闪耀着金子和宝石的胳膊交叉在隆起的胸前，眼睛转向别处。

如果她在冷静、沉着的态度中不是那么漂亮，不是那么庄严的话，那么她也许就没有力量使他感觉到他处于不利的地位了；这个感觉穿透了他极度高傲的盔甲。可是她有这个力量；他敏锐地感觉到这一点。他向房间四处看了一眼，看到华丽的装饰品和奢华的服装被零乱地散放在各处，丝毫也不被珍惜——这不只是由于任性和粗心（在他看来是这样的），而是由于对贵重物品坚决的、傲慢的蔑视。这时候他愈来愈感觉到她有力量使他处于不利的地位。花冠，羽毛饰物，宝石，花边，绸缎——不论他往哪里去看，他都看到珍贵的物品被轻蔑地、毫不在乎地乱扔。甚至那结婚的礼品——钻石，也在她胸前一起一落，仿佛渴望着挣断把它们紧扣起来的、环绕着她的脖子的链子，滚到地板上，她可以践踏它们。

他感到他处境不利，也没有掩饰这一点。严肃而又生疏地处在这些鲜艳的色彩和妖娆的闪光中间，生疏而又拘束地面对着高傲的女主人（这些闪光把她那难以亲近的美貌不断重复地呈现在他的周围，就像是由镜子的许多碎片映照着似的），他感到局促不安，处境尴尬。有助于她保持蔑视一切、沉着冷静的态度的所有东西都使他烦恼。他烦恼地、生气地独自坐下来，情绪没有好转地往下说道：

“董贝夫人，我们之间很有必要达成某些谅解。您的行为并不使我感到高兴。”

她仅仅再看了他一眼，然后又转开了眼睛；可是如果她可以说上一个钟头的话，那么她也不会比这表示得更多了。

“我再说一遍，董贝夫人，您的行为并不使我感到高兴。

有一次我曾经请求您改正。我现在坚持这一点。”

“您第一次选择了一个适当的场合来责备我，先生；现在您第二次又采取了一个适当的态度和一个适当的词来责备我。您坚持！对我！”

“夫人，”董贝先生极不客气地说道，“我娶了您做我的妻子，您姓我的姓，您和我的地位和名声联系在一起。我不想说，世界上的人们普遍地认为，我们的结合使您得到光荣；但是我想说，我习惯于向我的家属和靠我赡养的人们‘坚持’我的要求。”

“照您看，我是属于哪一类人呢？”她问道。

“也许我可以认为，我的妻子应当同时属于——或者实际上就同时属于这两类人；这是她没有办法改变的，董贝夫人。”

她把眼睛转到他身上，注视着他，紧闭着颤抖的嘴唇。他看到她的胸脯在跳动，看到她的脸色骤然发红，随后又变白。这一切他能够看到，也看到了；可是他无法知道，在她内心深处正低声响着四个字，使她保持冷静；这四个字就是弗洛伦斯。

瞎了眼睛的白痴呀，正在向悬崖猛冲过去！他心里想，她在害怕他呢！

“您太挥霍了，夫人，”董贝先生说道，“您奢侈无度。您浪费了大量的金钱——或者，说得更明白些，对大多数上层社会的先生们来说，这也是大量的金钱——，来进行一种对我毫无益处、甚至根本使我不愉快的社交活动。我不得不坚持，您在所有这些方面应当有个彻底的转变。我知道，你们夫人在获得了这些命运交由你们支配的一小部分财产之后，出于新奇的心情，总爱突然走向极端。这种极端已经超过足够的地步了。我希望，格兰杰夫人曾经有过的截然不同的经验，现在会对董贝夫人有益。”

仍然是那凝神的注视，颤抖的嘴唇，跳动的胸脯，时而转红时而变白的脸孔；在她心房跳动的时候，仍然是那深沉的低声在对她呼唤：弗洛伦斯，弗洛伦斯。

当他看到她发生了这些变化的时候，他自尊自大的傲慢增长了。她过去对他的轻蔑和他刚才处境不利的感觉，跟她现在的柔顺（他以为是这样），同样促进了他傲慢情绪的滋长；它已发展到他自己难以控制的地步，超越了一切限度。好啊，谁能够长久地抗拒他的崇高的意志与愿望呢！他已下定决心要战胜她。请往下看吧！

“而且，夫人，”董贝先生用威严的命令语气说道，“还要请您清清楚楚地懂得：您应当尊敬我，服从我。在社会上的人们面前，您应当向我表示出绝对的、明显的尊敬，夫人。我习惯于这样。我有权利要求这样。总之，我愿意这样。我认为这是您对您现在享有的崇高的社会地位理所应当地作出的报答。我相信，不论是在我要求下您向我表示尊敬或是您自己有意向我表示尊敬，谁都不会感到惊奇。——对我表示尊敬！——对我表示尊敬！”他着重地补充了最后这两句话。

她一言不发。她没有任何变化。她的眼光注视着他。

“我从您母亲那里知道，董贝夫人，”董贝先生摆出长官一般自尊自大的神气，说道，“您毫无疑问已经知道了，有人建议她到布赖顿去疗养。卡克先生真好，他已经——”

她立刻发生了变化。她的脸孔和前胸发红了，仿佛那怒气冲冲的夕阳的红光已照到她身上似的。董贝先生不是没有注意到这个变化，他按他自己的看法作了解释，同时继续说下去：

“卡克先生真好，他已经到那里找到了一座房子，可以暂时居住。在你们返回伦敦的时候，我将采取一些我认为必要的、改善管理的措施。其中的一个措施就是在布赖顿雇用一位皮普钦太太，让她来当女管家（如果这件事办成功的话）；她是一位很值得尊敬的、家道破落的人；以前我曾雇佣她在我家中服务，得到我的信赖。一个像这样仅仅在名义上由董贝夫人主持的家庭，是需要有一位有能力的人来管理的。”

在他说出这些话之前，她已经改变了姿态；现在她坐在那里，依旧目不转睛地注视着他，同时把手镯在手臂上一圈一圈地转动着：并不是用女人轻轻的推碰来转动它，而是拽着它擦过光滑的皮肤，直到雪白的手臂上现出了一道红痕。

“我注意到，”董贝先生说道，“这也是我认为今天必须最后对您说的，董贝夫人，——片刻钟以前，我注意到，夫人，您听我提到卡克先生的时候，神态有些异常。那一天，我当着这位我所极为信任的经理的面，向您指出，我不满意您接待我的客人的态度；当时您反对有他在场。今后您应当撤消这种反对，夫人，应当使您习惯于今后很可能发生的许多类似的场合，除非您采取补救措施（这掌握在您手中），今后不会再引起我不满。卡克先生，”董贝先生说道，他看到他刚才提到卡克先生时在她身上引起的变化情绪之后，十分重视用这个办法来征服他的高傲的妻子；他也许十分愿意从一个新的、他感到得意的方面来向那位先生显示他的权力：“卡克先生是我极为信任的人，董贝夫人；他也很可能得到您同样程度的信任。”他过了一会儿（在这中间，他在愈益增长的傲慢情绪中，进一步肯定了他的想法），继续说道，“我希望，董贝夫人，我可能永远也不会认为有必要委托卡克先生向您转告我的任何批评或规劝，可是因为和一位我给予了我所能给予的最高荣誉的夫人为了一些鸡毛蒜皮的小事经常发生争吵，将有损于我的地位和名誉，所以在我认为有必要时，我将毫不迟疑地利用他的服务。”

“现在，”他想道，同时怀着道义上的尊严感站了起来，这时候他是一位比过去任何时候都更执拗、更听不进意见的人了，“她知道我和我的决心了。”

那只用力压着手镯的手，现在沉重地落在她的胸上，但是她仍用她那没有任何变化的脸色，平静地看着他，并用低沉的说道：

“等一等！看在上帝的分上！我必须跟您谈谈。”

为什么她在这之前没有对他说上几分钟呢？她内心发生了什么斗争，使她不能这样做呢？为什么在这之前，在她自己有力的约束下，她的脸像一尊塑像一样一动不动，既不是顺从也不是反抗，既不是喜爱也不是愤恨，既不是高傲也不是谦卑地看着他；除了锐利的注视之外，没有任何其他表情呢？

“难道我过去什么时候引诱过您向我求婚吗？难道我过去什么时候曾使用过诡计来赢得您吗？难道过去您追求我的时候，我曾经比我们婚后更迎合您了吗？难道我过去对您和现在有什么两样吗？”

“夫人，”董贝先生说道，“完全没有必要进行这种讨论。”

“难道您过去以为我爱您吗？您过去是否知道我不爱您？老兄，难道您曾关心过我的心，您曾打算赢得这毫无价值的东西吗？难道在我们的交易中有过任何这种可怜的借口吗？是在您那一边有过还是在我这一边有过？”

“这些问题，”董贝先生说道，“跟我的用意离得太远了，夫人。”

她走到他与门的中间，使他走不出去，又把她那威严的身子挺得笔直，依旧目不转睛地注视着他。

“请您回答每一个问题。我看得出，在我提出这些问题之前，您已经回答了。您怎么能不这样做呢？您对这不幸的真情了解得跟我一样清楚。现在，请告诉我，如果我过去热诚地爱过您，那么，我除了像您刚才所要求的那样，把我的全部意志和我整个人都奉献给您之外，我还能再做些什么呢？如果我过去的心是纯洁的、一尘不染的，您是它崇拜的偶像，那么您还能比刚才要求更多的东西吗，还能得到更多的东西吗？”

“也许不能，夫人，”他冷淡地回答道。

“您知道我完全不是那样。您现在看到我看着您，您可以从我脸上的表情判断出我对您感情的热度。”在她说这些话的时候，高傲的嘴唇没有一点颤动，乌黑的眼睛没有闪过一点亮光，眼光仍然像刚才一样专注。“您知道我的历史的大概情况。您说到了我的母亲。难道您以为您能贬低我，压服我，毁损我，强迫我屈服与顺从吗？”

董贝先生就像有人问他能不能筹集一万英镑时他会微笑的那样，微笑了一下。

“如果这里有什么不寻常的东西，”她轻轻地把手在眼前挥了挥，继续说道；她的眼睛仍然一动不动、毫无表情地注视着，没有片刻畏缩过，“正像我知道的那样，这里有些不寻常的感情，”她把压在胸前的手举起来，又沉重地落回到胸前，“那么就请体谅：在我将要向您提出的请求中有某些不寻常的意义。是的，”她说道，好像是在迅速回答他脸上出现的某些表情，“我将要向您提出请求。”

董贝先生带着几分宽厚的表情把下巴低下一点，他的硬挺的领带因此就发出沙沙的、劈劈拍拍的声响；在这同时，他在近旁的沙发上坐下，听她提出的请求。

“我是这样一种性格的人，”他觉得他看到在她眼中闪耀着泪水；虽然没有一滴流下到脸颊上，她仍像刚才一样一动不动地注视着他，可是他却得意地想到，这泪水是他使她涌出来的，“这一点连我自己也难以相信，我对成为我丈夫的任何人（特别是对您）说了的话，我是决心照办的；如果您现在能相信这一点，那么您也许会对我说的话重视一些。我们正在走向一个可能来临的结局，它不仅将影响到我们自己（这一点倒并不重要），而且还将影响到其他人。”

其他人！他知道这是指谁，于是深深地皱着眉头。

“我是为了其他人的缘故，也是为了您本人和我自己的缘故，对您说话的。我们结婚以来，您傲慢地对待我，我也以同样的态度回敬了您。您每天每个小时问我，并向我们周围的每一个人显示：您认为您跟我结婚使我得到了荣誉，提高了地位。我并不认为是这样，而且也把这一点显示了出来。您似乎并不了解或作出这样的打算（因为这是属于您的权力范围以内的事）：我们每个人应当各走各的路；相反的，您希望我对您俯首听命，而这是您永远也得不到的。”

虽然她脸上的表情丝毫没有变化，可是当她换气的时候，这“永远”两个字是加强了语气、有力地说出来的。

“我对您没有任何亲切的感情；这您是知道的。如果我曾经怀有或者能够怀有这样的感情的话，那么您也根本不会放在心上。我同样清楚地知道，您对我也没有任何这种亲切的感情。可是我们结合在一起了，而且我已经说过，把我们联系在一起的纽结，把其他人也拴进来了。我们两人迟早都将死去；我们两人都早已跟死去的人联系着，每个人都失去了一个小男孩。让我们相互宽容吧。”

董贝先生深深地吸了一口气，仿佛要想说：“唔！这就是所有您要说的话吗？”

“世界上任何财富，”她继续说道；当她望着他的时候，她的脸色比先前更苍白一些，但由于她说得十分恳切，她的眼睛却比先前更有光泽，“也不能把我的这些话和其中的含意收买走。如果一旦把它们当作无聊的闲话丢弃不理的话，那么任何财富或权力也不能把它们取回来。我是正正经经说这些话，不是开玩笑；每一句话我都斟酌过；我答应要做的事，我将认真执行。如果您答应您在您那一方面容忍的话，那么我就答应我在我这一方面容忍。我们是最不幸福的一对；在我们这里，由于各种不同的原因，一切为婚姻赞美或辩护的感情都已根本不存在了。可是，随着时间的推移，我们相互间可能会产生一些友谊或能够相互适应；如果您也同样作出努力的话，那么我将设法努力，希望能达到这个目的；我期望我今后的岁月将比我青年或壮年时代过得美好一些和幸福一些。”

她自始至终是用低沉的、平静的声调说的，既没有升高，也没有降低；她曾经把手按在胸前，以便竭力保持冷静，把话说清楚；在停止说话的时候她把手放下，可是她那一直在注视着他的眼睛却并没有低垂下来。

“夫人，”董贝先生露出极为尊严的神情，说道，“我不能接受这异乎寻常的建议。”

她依旧看着他，表情没有任何变化。

“我的意见和愿望您已经知道了，”董贝先生站起来，说道，“我不能在这个问题上跟您妥协或谈判，董贝夫人。我已向您陈述了我的最后要求，夫人；我只请求您十分认真地注意它。”

他看到，她的脸上恢复了过去的、但更为强烈的表情！他看到，她的眼睛低垂下去，像是要避开什么卑劣的、讨厌的东西似的！他看到，那高傲的前额又闪耀着亮光！他看到，轻蔑，气恼，愤慨和憎恶的表情又呈现在眼前；那苍白的、平静的、恳切的表情已像雾一般地消散了！他不能做别的，只能看着这一切，虽然是惊愕地看着。

“走，先生！”她不容违抗地用手指着门，说道，“我们第一次，也是最后一次开诚布公的谈话到此结束了。从今以后，没有什么能使我们比现在更互不相干的了。”

“您可以相信，”董贝先生说道，“我将按照我的正确方针行事，不论什么慷慨激昂的演说也不能阻止它。”

她转过身子，背对着他，没有答话，坐在镜子前面。

“夫人，我把希望寄托在您能更清楚地认识您的责任，能更正确地掌握您的感情，能更慎重地进行思考，”董贝先生说道。

她一句话也不回答。他从镜子中她脸上的表情中看到，她丝毫也不注意他，就好像他是没有被她看到的墙上的一只蜘蛛或地板上的一只甲虫，或者说得更正确一些，就好像他是当她刚才转过身子的时候，被她踩死的一只蜘蛛或甲虫，然后被她当作地面上的一个讨厌的死了的害虫给忘记了。

当他往外走到门口的时候，他回过头来，看到灯光明亮的、豪华的房间，处处陈列着的闪闪发亮的物品，穿着华丽服装、坐在镜子前面的伊迪丝的身形，以及伊迪丝的映照在镜子中的脸孔。然后，他走到那间他一直来在里面沉思的老房间里，心中带走了所有这些事物的鲜明的图景，同时产生了一种随意的、莫名其妙的想法（就像有时会在人们头脑中产生的那样）：当他下一次看到它们的时候，它们将会是什么样子？

至于说到其他情况，那么可以说，董贝先生十分沉默寡言，十分威严，十分自信他能达到他的目的；他一直保持着这种神态。

他不打算陪伴他的家属到布赖顿去。但一、两天以后，在她们就要离别的那一天早上吃早饭的时候，他很有礼貌地告诉克利奥佩特拉，他准备不久就到那里去。把克利奥佩特拉送到有益于