confidential and accidental

attired no more in captain cuttle's sable slops and sou'-wester hat, but dressed in a substantial suit of brown livery, which, while it affected to be a very sober and demure livery indeed, was really as self-satisfied and confident a one as tailor need desire to make, rob the grinder, thus transformed as to his outer man, and all regardless within of the captain and the midshipman, except when he devoted a few minutes of his leisure time to crowing over those inseparable worthies, and recalling, with much applauding music from that brazen instrument, his conscience, the triumphant manner in which he had disembarrassed himself of their company, now served his patron, mr carker. inmate of mr carker's house, and serving about his person, rob kept his round eyes on the white teeth with fear and trembling, and felt that he had need to open them wider than ever.

he could not have quaked more, through his whole being, before the teeth, though he had come into the service of some powerful enchanter, and they had been his strongest spells. the boy had a sense of power and authority in this patron of his that engrossed his whole attention and exacted his most implicit submission and obedience. he hardly considered himself safe in thinking about him when he was absent, lest he should feel himself immediately taken by the throat again, as on the morning when he first became bound to him, and should see every one of the teeth finding him out, and taxing him with every fancy of his mind. face to face with him, rob had no more doubt that mr carker read his secret thoughts, or that he could read them by the least exertion of his will if he were so inclined, than he had that mr carker saw him when he looked at him. the ascendancy was so complete, and held him in such enthralment, that, hardly daring to think at all, but with his mind filled with a constantly dilating impression of his patron's irresistible command over him, and power of doing anything with him, he would stand watching his pleasure, and trying to anticipate his orders, in a state of mental suspension, as to all other things.

rob had not informed himself perhaps - in his then state of mind it would have been an act of no common temerity to inquire - whether he yielded so completely to this influence in any part, because he had floating suspicions of his patron's being a master of certain treacherous arts in which he had himself been a poor scholar at the grinders' school. but certainly rob admired him, as well as feared him. mr carker, perhaps, was better acquainted with the sources of his power, which lost nothing by his management of it.

on the very night when he left the captain's service, rob, after disposing of his pigeons, and even making a bad bargain in his hurry, had gone straight down to mr carker's house, and hotly presented himself before his new master with a glowing face that seemed to expect commendation.

'what, scapegrace!' said mr carker, glancing at his bundle 'have you left your situation and come to me?'

'oh if you please, sir,' faltered rob, 'you said, you know, when i come here last - '

'i said,' returned mr carker, 'what did i say?'

'if you please, sir, you didn't say nothing at all, sir,' returned rob, warned by the manner of this inquiry, and very much disconcerted.

his patron looked at him with a wide display of gums, and shaking his forefinger, observed:

'you'll come to an evil end, my vagabond friend, i foresee. there's ruin in store for you.

'oh if you please, don't, sir!' cried rob, with his legs trembling under him. ' i'm sure, sir, i only want to work for you, sir, and to wait upon you, sir, and to do faithful whatever i'm bid, sir.'

'you had better do faithfully whatever you are bid,' returned his patron, 'if you have anything to do with me.'

'yes, i know that, sir,' pleaded the submissive rob; 'i'm sure of that, sir. if you'll only be so good as try me, sir! and if ever you find me out, sir, doing anything against your wishes, i give you leave to kill me.'

'you dog!' said mr carker, leaning back in his chair, and smiling at him serenely. 'that's nothing to what i'd do to you, if you tried to deceive me.'

'yes, sir,' replied the abject grinder, 'i'm sure you would be down upon me dreadful, sir. i wouldn't attempt for to go and do it, sir, not if i was bribed with golden guineas.'

thoroughly checked in his expectations of commendation, the crestfallen grinder stood looking at his patron, and vainly endeavouring not to look at him, with the uneasiness which a cur will often manifest in a similar situation.

'so you have left your old service, and come here to ask me to take you into mine, eh?' said mr carker.

'yes, if you please, sir,' returned rob, who, in doing so, had acted on his patron's own instructions, but dared not justify himself by the least insinuation to that effect.

'well!' said mr carker. 'you know me, boy?'

'please, sir, yes, sir,' returned rob, tumbling with his hat, and still fixed by mr carker's eye, and fruitlessly endeavouring to unfix himself.

mr carker nodded. 'take care, then!'

rob expressed in a number of short bows his lively understanding of this caution, and was bowing himself back to the door, greatly relieved by the prospect of getting on the outside of it, when his patron stopped him.

'halloa!' he cried, calling him roughly back. 'you have been - shut that door.'

rob obeyed as if his life had depended on his alacrity.

'you have been used to eaves-dropping. do you know what that means?'

'listening, sir?' rob hazarded, after some embarrassed reflection.

his patron nodded. 'and watching, and so forth.'

'i wouldn't do such a thing here, sir,' answered rob; 'upon my word and honour, i wouldn't, sir, i wish i may die if i would, sir, for anything that could be promised to me. i should consider it is as much as all the world was worth, to offer to do such a thing, unless i was ordered, sir.'

'you had better not' you have been used, too, to babbling and tattling,' said his patron with perfect coolness. 'beware of that here, or you're a lost rascal,' and he smiled again, and again cautioned him with his forefinger.

the grinder's breath came short and thick with consternation. he tried to protest the purity of his intentions, but could only stare at the smiling gentleman in a stupor of submission, with which the smiling gentleman seemed well enough satisfied, for he ordered him downstairs, after observing him for some moments in silence, and gave him to understand that he was retained in his employment. this was the manner of rob the grinder's engagement by mr carker, and his awe-stricken devotion to that gentleman had strengthened and increased, if possible, with every minute of his service.

it was a service of some months' duration, when early one morning, rob opened the garden gate to mr dombey, who was come to breakfast with his master, by appointment. at the same moment his master himself came, hurrying forth to receive the distinguished guest, and give him welcome with all his teeth.

'i never thought,' said carker, when he had assisted him to alight from his horse, 'to see you here, i'm sure. this is an extraordinary day in my calendar. no occasion is very special to a man like you, who may do anything; but to a man like me, the case is widely different.

'you have a tasteful place here, carker,' said mr dombey, condescending to stop upon the lawn, to look about him.

'you can afford to say so,' returned carker. 'thank you.'

'indeed,' said mr dombey, in his lofty patronage, 'anyone might say so. as far as it goes, it is a very commodious and well-arranged place - quite elegant.'

'as far as it goes, truly,' returned carker, with an air of disparagement' 'it wants that qualification. well! we have said enough about it; and though you can afford to praise it, i thank you nonetheless. will you walk in?'

mr dombey, entering the house, noticed, as he had reason to do, the complete arrangement of the rooms, and the numerous contrivances for comfort and effect that abounded there. mr carker, in his ostentation of humility, received this notice with a deferential smile, and said he understood its delicate meaning, and appreciated it, but in truth the cottage was good enough for one in his position - better, perhaps, than such a man should occupy, poor as it was.

'but perhaps to you, who are so far removed, it really does look better than it is,' he said, with his false mouth distended to its fullest stretch. 'just as monarchs imagine attractions in the lives of beggars.'

he directed a sharp glance and a sharp smile at mr dombey as he spoke, and a sharper glance, and a sharper smile yet, when mr dombey, drawing himself up before the fire, in the attitude so often copied by his second in command, looked round at the pictures on the walls. cursorily as his cold eye wandered over them, carker's keen glance accompanied his, and kept pace with his, marking exactly where it went, and what it saw. as it rested on one picture in particular, carker hardly seemed to breathe, his sidelong scrutiny was so cat-like and vigilant, but the eye of his great chief passed from that, as from the others, and appeared no more impressed by it than by the rest.

carker looked at it - it was the picture that resembled edith - as if it were a living thing; and with a wicked, silent laugh upon his face, that seemed in part addressed to it, though it was all derisive of the great man standing so unconscious beside him. breakfast was soon set upon the table; and, inviting mr dombey to a chair which had its back towards this picture, he took his own seat opposite to it as usual.

mr dombey was even graver than it was his custom to be, and quite silent. the parrot, swinging in the gilded hoop within her gaudy cage, attempted in vain to attract notice, for carker was too observant of his visitor to heed her; and the visitor, abstracted in meditation, looked fixedly, not to say sullenly, over his stiff neckcloth, without raising his eyes from the table-cloth. as to rob, who was in attendance, all his faculties and energies were so locked up in observation of his master, that he scarcely ventured to give shelter to the thought that the visitor was the great gentleman before whom he had been carried as a certificate of the family health, in his childhood, and to whom he had been indebted for his leather smalls.

'allow me,' said carker suddenly, 'to ask how mrs dombey is?'

he leaned forward obsequiously, as he made the inquiry, with his chin resting on his hand; and at the same time his eyes went up to the picture, as if he said to it, 'now, see, how i will lead him on!'

mr dombey reddened as he answered:

'mrs dombey is quite well. you remind me, carker, of some conversation that i wish to have with you.'

'robin, you can leave us,' said his master, at whose mild tones robin started and disappeared, with his eyes fixed on his patron to the last. 'you don't remember that boy, of course?' he added, when the enmeshed grinder was gone.

'no,' said mr dombey, with magnificent indifference.

'not likely that a man like you would. hardly possible,' murmured carker. 'but he is one of that family from whom you took a nurse. perhaps you may remember having generously charged yourself with his education?'

'is it that boy?' said mr dombey, with a frown. 'he does little credit to his education, i believe.'

'why, he is a young rip, i am afraid,' returned carker, with a shrug. 'he bears that character. but the truth is, i took him into my service because, being able to get no other employment, he conceived (had been taught at home, i daresay) that he had some sort of claim upon you, and was constantly trying to dog your heels with his petition. and although my defined and recognised connexion with your affairs is merely of a business character, still i have that spontaneous interest in everything belonging to you, that - '

he stopped again, as if to discover whether he had led mr dombey far enough yet. and again, with his chin resting on his hand, he leered at the picture.

'carker,' said mr dombey, 'i am sensible that you do not limit your - '

'service,' suggested his smiling entertainer.

'no; i prefer to say your regard,' observed mr dombey; very sensible, as he said so, that he was paying him a handsome and flattering compliment, 'to our mere business relations. your consideration for my feelings, hopes, and disappointments, in the little instance you have just now mentioned, is an example in point. i i am obliged to you, carker.'

mr carker bent his head slowly, and very softly rubbed his hands, as if he were afraid by any action to disturb the current of mr dombey's confidence.

'your allusion to it is opportune,' said mr dombey, after a little hesitation; 'for it prepares the way to what i was beginning to say to you, and reminds me that that involves no absolutely new relations between us, although it may involve more personal confidence on my part than i have hitherto - '

'distinguished me with,' suggested carker, bending his head again: 'i will not say to you how honoured i am; for a man like you well knows how much honour he has in his power to bestow at pleasure.'

'mrs dombey and myself,' said mr dombey, passing this compliment with august self-denial, 'are not quite agreed upon some points. we do not appear to understand each other yet' mrs dombey has something to learn.'

'mrs dombey is distinguished by many rare attractions; and has been accustomed, no doubt, to receive much adulation,' said the smooth, sleek watcher of his slightest look and tone. 'but where there is affection, duty, and respect, any little mistakes engendered by such causes are soon set right.'

mr dombey's thoughts instinctively flew back to the face that had looked at him in his wife's dressing-room when an imperious hand was stretched towards the door; and remembering the affection, duty, and respect, expressed in it, he felt the blood rush to his own face quite as plainly as the watchful eyes upon him saw it there.

'mrs dombey and myself,' he went on to say, 'had some discussion, before mrs skewton's death, upon the causes of my dissatisfaction; of which you will have formed a general understanding from having been a witness of what passed between mrs dombey and myself on the evening when you were at our - at my house.'

'when i so much regretted being present,' said the smiling carker. 'proud as a man in my position nay must be of your familiar notice - though i give you no credit for it; you may do anything you please without losing caste - and honoured as i was by an early presentation to mrs dombey, before she was made eminent by bearing your name, i almost regretted that night, i assure you, that i had been the object of such especial good fortune'

that any man could, under any possible circumstances, regret the being distinguished by his condescension and patronage, was a moral phenomenon which mr dombey could not comprehend. he therefore responded, with a considerable accession of dignity. 'indeed! and why, carker?'

'i fear,' returned the confidential agent, 'that mrs dombey, never very much disposed to regard me with favourable interest - one in my position could not expect that, from a lady naturally proud, and whose pride becomes her so well - may not easily forgive my innocent part in that conversation. your displeasure is no light matter, you must remember; and to be visited with it before a third party -

'carker,' said mr dombey, arrogantly; 'i presume that i am the first consideration?'

'oh! can there be a doubt about it?' replied the other, with the impatience of a man admitting a notorious and incontrovertible fact'

'mrs dombey becomes a secondary consideration, when we are both in question, i imagine,' said mr dombey. 'is that so?'

'is it so?' returned carker. 'do you know better than anyone, that you have no need to ask?'

'then i hope, carker,' said mr dombey, 'that your regret in the acquisition of mrs dombey's displeasure, may be almost counterbalanced by your satisfaction in retaining my confidence and good opinion.'

'i have the misfortune, i find,' returned carker, 'to have incurred that displeasure. mrs dombey has expressed it to you?'

'mrs dombey has expressed various opinions,' said mr dombey, with majestic coldness and indifference, 'in which i do not participate, and which i am not inclined to discuss, or to recall. i made mr's dombey acquainted, some time since, as i have already told you, with certain points of domestic deference and submission on which i felt it necessary to insist. i failed to convince mrs dombey of the expediency of her immediately altering her conduct in those respects, with a view to her own peace and welfare, and my dignity; and i informed mrs dombey that if i should find it necessary to object or remonstrate again, i should express my opinion to her through yourself, my confidential agent.'

blended with the look that carker bent upon him, was a devilish look at the picture over his head, that struck upon it like a flash of lightning.

'now, carker,' said mr dombey, 'i do not hesitate to say to you that i will carry my point. i am not to be trifled with. mrs dombey must understand that my will is law, and that i cannot allow of one exception to the whole rule of my life. you will have the goodness to undertake this charge, which, coming from me, is not unacceptable to you, i hope, whatever regret you may politely profess - for which i am obliged to you on behalf of mrs dombey; and you will have the goodness, i am persuaded, to discharge it as exactly as any other commission.'

'you know,' said mr carker, 'that you have only to command me.

'i know,' said mr dombey, with a majestic indication of assent, 'that i have only to command you. it is necessary that i should proceed in this. mrs dombey is a lady undoubtedly highly qualified, in many respects, to -

'to do credit even to your choice,' suggested carker, with a yawning show of teeth.

'yes; if you please to adopt that form of words,' said mr dombey, in his tone of state; 'and at present i do not conceive that mrs dombey does that credit to it, to which it is entitled. there is a principle of opposition in mrs dombey that must be eradicated; that must be overcome: mrs dombey does not appear to understand,' said mr dombey, forcibly, 'that the idea of opposition to me is monstrous and absurd.'

'we, in the city, know you better,' replied carker, with a smile from ear to ear.

'you know me better,' said mr dombey. 'i hope so. though, indeed, i am bound to do mrs dombey the justice of saying, however inconsistent it may seem with her subsequent conduct (which remains unchanged), that on my expressing my disapprobation and determination to her, with some severity, on the occasion to which i have referred, my admonition appeared to produce a very powerful effect.' mr dombey delivered himself of those words with most portentous stateliness. 'i wish you to have the goodness, then, to inform mrs dombey, carker, from me, that i must recall our former conversation to her remembrance, in some surprise that it has not yet had its effect. that i must insist upon her regulating her conduct by the injunctions laid upon her in that conversation. that i am not satisfied with her conduct. that i am greatly dissatisfied with it. and that i shall be under the very disagreeable necessity of making you the bearer of yet more unwelcome and explicit communications, if she has not the good sense and the proper feeling to adapt herself to my wishes, as the first mrs dombey did, and, i believe i may add, as any other lady in her place would.'

'the first mrs dombey lived very happily,' said carker.

'the first mrs dombey had great good sense,' said mr dombey, in a gentlemanly toleration of the dead, 'and very correct feeling.'

'is miss dombey like her mother, do you think?' said carker.

swiftly and darkly, mr dombey's face changed. his confidential agent eyed it keenly.

'i have approached a painful subject,' he said, in a soft regretful tone of voice, irreconcilable with his eager eye. 'pray forgive me. i forget these chains of association in the interest i have. pray forgive me.'

but for all he said, his eager eye scanned mr dombey's downcast face none the less closely; and then it shot a strange triumphant look at the picture, as appealing to it to bear witness how he led him on again, and what was coming.

carker,' said mr dombey, looking here and there upon the table, and saying in a somewhat altered and more hurried voice, and with a paler lip, 'there is no occasion for apology. you mistake. the association is with the matter in hand, and not with any recollection, as you suppose. i do not approve of mrs dombey's behaviour towards my daughter.'

'pardon me,' said mr carker, 'i don't quite understand.'

'understand then,' returned mr dombey, 'that you may make that - that you will make that, if you please - matter of direct objection from me to mrs dombey. you will please to tell her that her show of devotion for my daughter is disagreeable to me. it is likely to be noticed. it is likely to induce people to contrast mrs dombey in her relation towards my daughter, with mrs dombey in her relation towards myself. you will have the goodness to let mrs dombey know, plainly, that i object to it; and that i expect her to defer, immediately, to my objection. mrs dombey may be in earnest, or she may be pursuing a whim, or she may be opposing me; but i object to it in any case, and in every case. if mrs dombey is in earnest, so much the less reluctant should she be to desist; for she will not serve my daughter by any such display. if my wife has any superfluous gentleness, and duty over and above her proper submission to me, she may bestow them where she pleases, perhaps; but i will have submission first! - carker,' said mr dombey, checking the unusual emotion with which he had spoken, and falling into a tone more like that in which he was accustomed to assert his greatness, 'you will have the goodness not to omit or slur this point, but to consider it a very important part of your instructions.'

mr carker bowed his head, and rising from the table, and standing thoughtfully before the fire, with his hand to his smooth chin, looked down at mr dombey with the evil slyness of some monkish carving, half human and half brute; or like a leering face on an old water-spout. mr dombey, recovering his composure by degrees, or cooling his emotion in his sense of having taken a high position, sat gradually stiffening again, and looking at the parrot as she swung to and fro, in her great wedding ring.

'i beg your pardon,' said carker, after a silence, suddenly resuming his chair, and drawing it opposite to mr dombey's, 'but let me understand. mrs dombey is aware of the probability of your making me the organ of your displeasure?'

'yes,' replied mr dombey. 'i have said so.'

'yes,' rejoined carker, quickly; 'but why?'

'why!' mr dombey repeated, not without hesitation. 'because i told her.'

'ay,' replied carker. 'but why did you tell her? you see,' he continued with a smile, and softly laying his velvet hand, as a cat might have laid its sheathed claws, on mr dombey's arm; 'if i perfectly understand what is in your mind, i am so much more likely to be useful, and to have the happiness of being effectually employed. i think i do understand. i have not the honour of mrs dombey's good opinion. in my position, i have no reason to expect it; but i take the fact to be, that i have not got it?'

'possibly not,' said mr dombey.

'consequently,' pursued carker, 'your making the communications to mrs dombey through me, is sure to be particularly unpalatable to that lady?'

'it appears to me,' said mr dombey, with haughty reserve, and yet with some embarrassment, 'that mrs dombey's views upon the subject form no part of it as it presents itself to you and me, carker. but it may be so.'

'and - pardon me - do i misconceive you,' said carker, 'when i think you descry in this, a likely means of humbling mrs dombey's pride - i use the word as expressive of a quality which, kept within due bounds, adorns and graces a lady so distinguished for her beauty and accomplishments - and, not to say of punishing her, but of reducing her to the submission you so naturally and justly require?'

'i am not accustomed, carker, as you know,' said mr dombey, 'to give such close reasons for any course of conduct i think proper to adopt, but i will gainsay nothing of this. if you have any objection to found upon it, that is indeed another thing, and the mere statement that you have one will be sufficient. but i have not supposed, i confess, that any confidence i could entrust to you, would be likely to degrade you - '

'oh! i degraded!' exclaimed carker. 'in your service!'

'or to place you,' pursued mr dombey, 'in a false position.'

'i in a false position!' exclaimed carker. 'i shall be proud - delighted - to execute your trust. i could have wished, i own, to have given the lady at whose feet i would lay my humble duty and devotion - for is she not your wife! - no new cause of dislike; but a wish from you is, of course, paramount to every other consideration on earth. besides, when mrs dombey is converted from these little errors of judgment, incidental, i would presume to say, to the novelty of her situation, i shall hope that she will perceive in the slight part i take, only a grain - my removed and different sphere gives room for little more - of the respect for you, and sacrifice of all considerations to you, of which it will be her pleasure and privilege to garner up a great store every day.'

mr dombey seemed, at the moment, again to see her with her hand stretched out towards the door, and again to hear through the mild speech of his confidential agent an echo of the words, 'nothing can make us stranger to each other than we are henceforth!' but he shook off the fancy, and did not shake in his resolution, and said, 'certainly, no doubt.'

'there is nothing more,' quoth carker, drawing his chair back to its old place - for they had taken little breakfast as yet- and pausing for an answer before he sat down.

'nothing,' said mr dombey, 'but this. you will be good enough to observe, carker, that no message to mrs dombey with which you are or may be charged, admits of reply. you will be good enough to bring me no reply. mrs dombey is informed that it does not become me to temporise or treat upon any matter that is at issue between us, and that what i say is final.'

mr carker signified his understanding of these credentials, and they fell to breakfast with what appetite they might. the grinder also, in due time reappeared, keeping his eyes upon his master without a moment's respite, and passing the time in a reverie of worshipful tenor. breakfast concluded, mr dombey's horse was ordered out again, and mr carker mounting his own, they rode off for the city together.

mr carker was in capital spirits, and talked much. mr dombey received his conversation with the sovereign air of a man who had a right to be talked to, and occasionally condescended to throw in a few words to carry on the conversation. so they rode on characteristically enough. but mr dombey, in his dignity, rode with very long stirrups, and a very loose rein, and very rarely deigned to look down to see where his horse went. in consequence of which it happened that mr dombey's horse, while going at a round trot, stumbled on some loose stones, threw him, rolled over him, and lashing out with his iron-shod feet, in his struggles to get up, kicked him.

mr carker, quick of eye, steady of hand, and a good horseman, was afoot, and had the struggling animal upon his legs and by the bridle, in a moment. otherwise that morning's confidence would have been mr dombey's last. yet even with the flush and hurry of this action red upon him, he bent over his prostrate chief with every tooth disclosed, and muttered as he stooped down, 'i have given good cause of offence to mrs dombey now, if she knew it!'

mr dombey being insensible, and bleeding from the head and face, was carried by certain menders of the road, under carker's direction, to the nearest public-house, which was not far off, and where he was soon attended by divers surgeons, who arrived in quick succession from all parts, and who seemed to come by some mysterious instinct, as vultures are said to gather about a camel who dies in the desert. after being at some pains to restore him to consciousness, these gentlemen examined into the nature of his injuries.

one surgeon who lived hard by was strong for a compound fracture of the leg, which was the landlord's opinion also; but two surgeons who lived at a distance, and were only in that neighbourhood by accident, combated this opinion so disinterestedly, that it was decided at last that the patient, though severely cut and bruised, had broken no bones but a lesser rib or so, and might be carefully taken home before night. his injuries being dressed and bandaged, which was a long operation, and he at length left to repose, mr carker mounted his horse again, and rode away to carry the intelligence home.

crafty and cruel as his face was at the best of times, though it was a sufficiently fair face as to form and regularity of feature, it was at its worst when he set forth on this errand; animated by the craft and cruelty of thoughts within him, suggestions of remote possibility rather than of design or plot, that made him ride as if he hunted men and women. drawing rein at length, and slackening in his speed, as he came into the more public roads, he checked his white-legged horse into picking his way along as usual, and hid himself beneath his sleek, hushed, crouched manner, and his ivory smile, as he best could.

he rode direct to mr dombey's house, alighted at the door, and begged to see mrs dombey on an affair of importance. the servant who showed him to mr dombey's own room, soon returned to say that it was not mrs dombey's hour for receiving visitors, and that he begged pardon for not having mentioned it before.

mr carker, who was quite prepared for a cold reception, wrote upon a card that he must take the liberty of pressing for an interview, and that he would not be so bold as to do so, for the second time (this he underlined), if he were not equally sure of the occasion being sufficient for his justification. after a trifling delay, mrs dombey's maid appeared, and conducted him to a morning room upstairs, where edith and florence were together.

he had never thought edith half so beautiful before. much as he admired the graces of her face and form, and freshly as they dwelt within his sensual remembrance, he had never thought her half so beautiful.

her glance fell haughtily upon him in the doorway; but he looked at florence - though only in the act of bending his head, as he came in - with some irrepressible expression of the new power he held; and it was his triumph to see the glance droop and falter, and to see that edith half rose up to receive him.

he was very sorry, he was deeply grieved; he couldn't say with what unwillingness he came to prepare her for the intelligence of a very slight accident. he entreated mrs dombey to compose herself. upon his sacred word of honour, there was no cause of alarm. but mr dombey -

florence uttered a sudden cry. he did not look at her, but at edith. edith composed and reassured her. she uttered no cry of distress. no, no.

mr dombey had met with an accident in riding. his horse had slipped, and he had been thrown.

florence wildly exclaimed that he was badly hurt; that he was killed!

no. upon his honour, mr dombey, though stunned at first, was soon recovered, and though certainly hurt was in no kind of danger. if this were not the truth, he, the distressed intruder, never could have had the courage to present himself before mrs dombey. it was the truth indeed, he solemnly assured her.

all this he said as if he were answering edith, and not florence, and with his eyes and his smile fastened on edith.

he then went on to tell her where mr dombey was lying, and to request that a carriage might be placed at his disposal to bring him home.

'mama,' faltered florence in tears, 'if i might venture to go!'

mr carker, having his eyes on edith when he heard these words, gave her a secret look and slightly shook his head. he saw how she battled with herself before she answered him with her handsome eyes, but he wrested the answer from her - he showed her that he would have it, or that he would speak and cut florence to the heart - and she gave it to him. as he had looked at the picture in the morning, so he looked at her afterwards, when she turned her eyes away.

'i am directed to request,' he said, 'that the new housekeeper - mrs pipchin, i think, is the name - '

nothing escaped him. he saw in an instant, that she was another slight of mr dombey's on his wife.

' - may be informed that mr dombey wishes to have his bed prepared in his own apartments downstairs, as he prefers those rooms to any other. i shall return to mr dombey almost immediately. that every possible attention has been paid to his comfort, and that he is the object of every possible solicitude, i need not assure you, madam. let me again say, there is no cause for the least alarm. even you may be quite at ease, believe me.'

he bowed himself out, with his extremest show of deference and conciliation; and having returned to mr dombey's room, and there arranged for a carriage being sent after him to the city, mounted his horse again, and rode slowly thither. he was very thoughtful as he went along, and very thoughtful there, and very thoughtful in the carriage on his way back to the place where mr dombey had been left. it was only when sitting by that gentleman's couch that he was quite himself again, and conscious of his teeth.

about the time of twilight, mr dombey, grievously afflicted with aches and pains, was helped into his carriage, and propped with cloaks and pillows on one side of it, while his confidential agent bore him company upon the other. as he was not to be shaken, they moved at little more than a foot pace; and hence it was quite dark when he was brought home. mrs pipchin, bitter and grim, and not oblivious of the peruvian mines, as the establishment in general had good reason to know, received him at the door, and freshened the domestics with several little sprinklings of wordy vinegar, while they assisted in conveying him to his room. mr carker remained in attendance until he was safe in bed, and then, as he declined to receive any female visitor, but the excellent ogress who presided over his household, waited on mrs dombey once more, with his report on her lord's condition.

he again found edith alone with florence, and he again addressed the whole of his soothing speech to edith, as if she were a prey to the liveliest and most affectionate anxieties. so earnest he was in his respectful sympathy, that on taking leave, he ventured - with one more glance towards florence at the moment - to take her hand, and bending over it, to touch it with his lips.

edith did not withdraw the hand, nor did she strike his fair face with it, despite the flush upon her cheek, the bright light in her eyes, and the dilation of her whole form. but when she was alone in her own room, she struck it on the marble chimney-shelf, so that, at one blow, it was bruised, and bled; and held it from her, near the shining fire, as if she could have thrust it in and burned it'

far into the night she sat alone, by the sinking blaze, in dark and threatening beauty, watching the murky shadows looming on the wall, as if her thoughts were tangible, and cast them there. whatever shapes of outrage and affront, and black foreshadowings of things that might happen, flickered, indistinct and giant-like, before her, one resented figure marshalled them against her. and that figure was her husband.

磨工罗布不再穿卡特尔船长给他的黑色丧服，也不再戴那防水帽，而是穿上一套结实的、棕色的制服了；虽然这套制服在他身上表面上装出很朴实、很端庄的样子，但实际上却显出一副沾沾自喜、逞能自信的神态，这正是任何裁缝都愿意把衣服做成这种气派的；就这样，磨工罗布完全改变了他的外观；他在心里也完全把船长和海军军官候补生抛开，只不过在闲暇的时候才花上几分钟向这些难以分开的、尊贵的朋友们夸耀一下自己的升迁，并在那黄铜乐器——他的良心——发出的赞扬的音乐的伴奏下，回忆起他是怎样得意扬扬地摆脱了他们的；他现在为他的恩人卡克先生服务。他住在卡克先生家里，侍候着他本人，因此一直怀着恐惧的心情，哆哆嗦嗦地把他那圆圆的眼睛片刻不离地注视着卡克先生那雪白的牙齿，而且觉得，他应当把眼睛睁得比过去任何时候都更大才是。

即使他是在一位大巫士手下服务，牙齿又是这巫士最强有力的魔力的话，那么他也不能比对着卡克先生这些牙齿，全身上下颤抖得更厉害的了。这孩子在他恩人身上感觉到一种力量和权威，它吸引了他的全部注意力，迫使他绝对地驯服与顺从。甚至当他的恩人不在的时候，他也并不认为他想到他时就安全无恙，因为他唯恐他的恩人又会像他第一次见到他的那天早上一样，立即就抓住他的喉咙；他唯恐又会看到，他恩人的每一颗牙齿都来揭发他，并谴责他心中的每一个念头。跟他恩人面对面在一起的时候，罗布毫不怀疑：卡克先生看透他的秘密的思想；或者更确切地说，如果卡克先生想要这样做的话，那么他只要稍稍运用一下他的意志，他就能看透它们；罗布完全相信这一点，就像他相信他在看卡克先生的时候，卡克先生一定在看他一样。卡克先生凌驾于他的力量是这样包罗一切，是这样牢牢地把他置于他的控制之下，因此他根本连想也不敢去想，而只是在整个心里不断地愈益强烈地感觉到，他的恩人对他具有不可抗拒的权威，并有能力对他做任何事情，因此他就站着讨取他的欢心，并设法抢先去执行他的命令，至于其他一切思想活动则完全停止了。

也许罗布没有问过他自己——在他当时的心情下，提出这样的问题将会是一件非常轻率的行为——：他在各个方面都这样完全屈服于这种影响，是不是因为他在心中曾浮现过这样的猜疑：他的恩人是奸诈权术的大师，而他自己在磨工学校中在这方面也曾经是一名可怜的学生。不过罗布不仅怕他，而且也的的确确钦佩他。也许卡克先生更了解他力量的源泉，并万无一失地运用它。

罗布在辞退了船长那里的职务的当天晚上，卖掉了鸽子，在匆匆忙忙之中甚至做了一笔不利的交易之后，就直接来到卡克先生的家里，兴奋地出现在他的新主人的面前；他满脸通红，似乎指望得到称赞似的。

“怎么，淘气鬼！”卡克先生向他的包袱看了一眼，说道，“你已经辞退了你的工作，上我这里来了？”

“嗯，对不起，先生，”罗布结结巴巴地说道，“您知道，上次我到这里来的时候，您曾说过——”

“我曾说过，”卡克先生回答道，“我曾说过什么啦？”

“对不起，先生，您什么也没有说过，先生，”罗布回答道；卡克先生问话的语气已对他发出了警告；他感到张皇失措。

他的恩人露出宽阔的牙床，看着他，又用食指点了点，说道：

“我看你今后没有好下场，我的流浪汉朋友。灾祸等待着你。”

“啊，请别这样说，先生！”罗布喊道，他身子下面的两只腿颤抖着。“说实在的，先生，我只想为您工作；先生；只想侍候您，先生；只想忠实地完成您吩咐我的一切事情，先生。”

“如果你想跟我打交道，”他的恩人回答道，“你最好是忠实地完成我吩咐你的一切事情。”

“是的，这我明白，先生，”顺从的罗布辩护道，“这我相信，先生。如果您肯开个恩，考验考验我的话，先生！而且，如果您什么时候发现我做任何违反您的意愿的事情的话，先生，那么我可以让您杀死我。”

“你这狗！”卡克先生背靠在椅子上，向他从容地微笑着，说道，“如果你想要欺骗我的话，那么我就会让你够难受的；

跟那比起来，杀死你根本算不了什么！”

“是的，先生，”丧魂落魄的磨工回答道，“我相信，您会残酷可怕地惩治我，先生。哪怕有人用金基尼来收买我，我也不想欺骗您，先生。”

磨工本想得到称赞的指望完全落了空，他垂头丧气地站在那里看着他的恩人，并徒劳无益地想不去看他；那惴惴不安的神情就像一条狗在类似情况下时常表现出来的那样。

“这么说，你已经辞退了你原先的工作，到这里来请求我允许你在我手下服务，是不是？”卡克先生问道。

“是的，如果您愿意的话，先生，”罗布回答道；他实际上是遵照他的恩人的指令到这里来的，可是现在他甚至不敢稍稍暗示一下这个事实来为自己辩护。

“好吧！”卡克先生说道，“你了解我吧，孩子？”

“对不起，先生，是的，先生，”罗布回答道，一边笨手笨脚地摸弄着帽子，同时仍旧被卡克先生的眼光束缚住；虽然他想从这束缚中解脱出来，但总是徒劳无效。

卡克先生点点头。“那么就多加小心吧！”

罗布连连鞠躬，表示他对这警告有着深刻的理解，同时一边鞠躬，一边向门口退去；当他眼看就要退出门外，正感到极大欣慰的时候，他的恩人把他喊住了。

“喂！”他喊道，粗暴地叫他回来。“你过去经常——把门关上！”

罗布立即遵命，仿佛他的生命就取决于他是否敏捷似的。

“你过去经常躲在屋檐下面。你知道这是什么意思吗？”

“是说偷听吧，先生？”罗布困惑地思索了一下，大胆猜测道。

他的恩人点点头。“以及偷看，等等。”

“我决不会在这里做这些事情，先生，”罗布回答道，“说实话，我以我的荣誉发誓，我决不会这样做，先生；不论向我许什么愿，我宁肯死去，也不愿这样做。除非您对我下达命令，否则即使把全世界的珍宝献给我，要我去做这种事情，我也决不动心。”

“你最好别做。你过去还经常泄露秘密，搬弄是非，”他的恩人十分冷淡地说道。“在这里可不行，你得知道这一点，要不然，你就是个不可救药的无赖了，”他又微笑着，而且又用食指向他点了点，向他发出警告。

磨工惊恐得直喘粗气。他本想要表白他过去那样做的用意是纯洁的，但在毫无抵抗、俯首听命的情绪中，他只能瞪眼看着那位微笑着的先生。那位微笑着的先生似乎对他的顺从十分满意，因为他默默地把他打量了一会儿之后，命令他下楼去，并让他了解，他已被留下雇用了。

罗布就是这样被卡克先生雇用的。他对那位先生诚惶诚恐的忠诚，随着他的服务时间，每分钟都在加强和增进（如果这是可能的话）。

罗布服务了几个月之后，有一天早上，他给董贝先生打开了花园的门；董贝先生是按照约定来跟他的主人一起吃早饭的。就在这时候，他的主人来了，急忙走向前去迎接这位重要的客人，并露出全部牙齿表示欢迎。

“我从没料想到会在这里见到您，”卡克先生帮助他从马上下来的时候，说道，“这是我的日程表中一个不同寻常的日子！对于像您这样的人来说，没有什么场合是十分特殊的，因为您可以做任何事情；可是对于像我这样的人来说，情况就完全不同了。”

“您在这里有一个很雅致的地方呢，卡克，”董贝先生态度谦和地在草坪上停下脚步，向四周看看。

“承蒙您夸奖了，”卡克先生回答道，“谢谢您。”

“真的，”董贝先生以他居高临下的恩主的态度说道，“任何人都会这样说。就实际情况来说，这是个很宽敞、设计安排得很好的地方——十分优雅。”

“就实际情况来说，”卡克先生露出自我贬损的神态，回答道，“它确实还够不上那样的评价。唔，我们对它已说得够多的了；不过承蒙您称赞它，我还是谢谢您。请您进去好吗？”

董贝先生走进房屋里面，注意到（他有理由注意到）房间完美的布置和陈列在各处的许多舒适的家具和摆设。卡克先生故意装出一副谦恭的态度，露出尊敬的微笑，对待这注意，并说，他理解这注意所包含着的关怀体贴的意义，并重视它；不过这茅舍尽管简陋，可是对于像他这样地位的人来说确实是够好的了，也许像他这样的人还不配占有它呢。

“不过对于像您这样身份高贵的人来说，它看来确实比实际情况要好一些，”他把他虚伪的嘴巴张开到最宽阔的程度，说道，“就像君主在乞丐的生活中发现一些有趣的东西一样。”

他一边说，一边向董贝先生敏锐地看了一眼和敏锐地微笑了一下；当董贝先生昂首挺胸地站在壁炉前面，摆出他的二把手经常摹仿的姿势，环视挂在四周墙上的图画时，他向他更敏锐地看了一眼和更敏锐地微笑了一下。当董贝先生冷淡的眼光在这些图画上匆匆地扫过的时候，卡克先生的机警的眼光紧紧伴随着他的眼光，确切地留意它投向哪里，看到的是什么。当它停留在一张图画上的时候，卡克似乎屏住了呼吸；他斜着眼的跟踪是那么像猫，那么警惕，可是他的上司的眼光就像从其他的图画上滑过一样，从这张画上滑过去了，看来它在他心中并不比其他图画留下更深刻的印象。

卡克看着它——这就是那张像伊迪丝的图画——，仿佛那是个活着的人似的；他脸上露出恶意的笑容，仿佛是在向这张图画致意，但实际上却是在嘲笑这位毫无猜疑地站在他身旁的伟大人物。早饭很快就摆到桌上，他请董贝先生坐到背对着这张图画的椅子中，他自己则像平时一样，在对着它的位子中坐下。

董贝先生甚至比往常更为严肃，而且十分沉默。那只鹦鹉在华丽的笼子中的镀金的圆环中来回摇荡，徒劳地企图吸引人们对她的注意，因为卡克先生专心致志地注视着他的主人，顾不到注意她了，而那位客人则出神地陷在沉思之中；他越过硬挺的领饰呆呆地——如果不说是愁眉不展地——看着，眼睛没有从桌布上抬起。至于在桌旁侍候的罗布，他正聚精会神地注视着他的主人，所以脑子里根本没有闪过这样的念头：这位客人就是那位他在童年时代、曾经作为他们家庭的健康证明被抱到他面前的伟大的贵人；由于他的恩惠，他还曾经穿上那条皮短裤。

“请允许我问一下，”卡克突然问道，“董贝夫人身体好吧？”

他发问的时候，谄媚地把身子往前弯过去，手支托着下巴，眼睛向上望着图画，仿佛对它说，“喂，您看，我是怎样引导他的！”

董贝先生脸红了，回答道：

“董贝夫人身体很好。卡克，您提醒我有些话想跟您谈一谈。”

“罗布，你可以走了，”他的主人说道，罗布听到他温和的声调吃了一惊，然后离开了，但他的眼睛直到最后一秒钟还注视着他的恩人。“您当然不记得这孩子了？”当夹杂在他们当中的磨工走开以后，他的主人又补问了一句。

“不记得了，”董贝先生庄严地、漠不关心地说道。

“像您这样的人是不大会记得他的。简直不可能记得。”卡克低声说道，“可是他是您雇用过的一位奶妈的孩子。也许您记得，您曾慷慨地为他的教育提供过帮助吧？”

“就是那个孩子吗？”董贝先生皱了一下眉头，说道，“我相信，他并没有为他所受的教育增光。”

“是的，我担心，他是个一无可取的年轻人，”卡克耸耸肩膀，回答道。“他有那样的名声。可是实际情况是，我还是让他来给我服务了，因为他找不到其他职业，就认为（我敢说，这是他家里教给他的），他可以向您提出什么要求似的，于是不断设法尾随着您，向您提出请求。虽然我跟您商定的、双方承认的关系仅仅是属于业务性质的，可是我对属于您的一切事情仍然具有那种自发的兴趣，因此——”

他又停住，仿佛想看一看他把董贝先生是不是已经引得够远了，然后，他又用手支托着下巴，斜眼看着那张图画。

“卡克，”董贝先生说道，“我知道您并不限制您的——”

“服务，”请他吃早饭的主人笑嘻嘻地提示道。

“不，我宁肯说是您的关心，”董贝先生说道；他很清楚，他这么说是给了他一个很大的讨他喜欢的恭维。“我知道，您并不把您的关心局限于我们之间纯粹的业务关系方面。您刚才提到的那件小事就是个很好的例子，说明您关心我的感情、希望和失望。我感谢您，卡克。”

卡克先生慢慢地低下头，很轻地搓着手，仿佛他担心任何动作都会打断董贝先生的充满信任的话语似的。

“您提到这一点正是时候，”董贝先生略略迟疑之后，说道，“因为您为我正想开头和您谈的问题铺平了道路，并且提醒我，这并不涉及我们两人之间要建立什么完全新的关系，虽然就我这方面来说，我对您的信任可能会超过我过去任何时候——”

“所赏赐给我的光荣，”卡克提示道，一面又低下头去：“我不想对您说，我是多么荣幸；因为像您这样的人十分了解，在您的权力范围之内您能随意授予人们多大的光荣。”

“董贝夫人和我本人，”董贝先生用威严的、克己的态度听完这些恭维的话之后说道，“在一些问题上没有取得十分一致的意见。我们彼此好像还不了解。董贝夫人还应当学习一些东西。”

“董贝夫人具有许多珍贵的吸引人的品质，毫无疑问，过去一向习惯于接受人们的奉承，”这位花言巧语、狡黠圆滑的人说道，他对他主人的眼色和声调的最微小的地方都是注意观察的。“但是在具有爱情、责任感和尊敬的家庭里，由于这种原因所产生的任何小小的误会是很快就会消除的。”

董贝先生的思想不由得飞回到他妻子在化妆室里，不容违抗地用手指向门口时看着他的那张脸；当他回忆起在这张脸上所显示出的爱情、责任感和尊敬时，他清楚地感到血涌到了他自己的脸上；那双注意观察的眼睛也同样清楚地看到了这一点。

“在斯丘顿夫人逝世前，”他继续说道，“董贝夫人曾和我对我不满的原因进行过一些讨论；那天晚上您在我们的——在我的家里亲眼见到董贝夫人和我之间发生的情形，因此您对我们的讨论将会有一个大概的了解。”

“我正非常悔恨当时我在场呢！”笑嘻嘻的卡克说道。“虽然像我这样地位的人得到您亲密无间的关注——尽管我是不配得到这种关注的，而您则可以不失身份地做任何您认为合适的事情——必然一定会感到自豪，虽然在董贝夫人没有姓您的姓、成为地位崇高的夫人之前我就荣幸地被较早地介绍给她认识，可是说实话，那天晚上会有这样特殊的幸运落到我的身上，我几乎感到遗憾。”

不论什么人，在不论什么可能的情况下，会因为受到他的破格对待和恩惠而感到遗憾，这是董贝先生不能理解的心理现象。因此，他十分尊严地问道：“真的吗？为什么呢，卡克？”

“董贝夫人本来对我就从没有抱有多大的好感，”他亲信的助手回答道，“像我这样地位的人也不能指望从一位生性高傲的夫人那里得到好感（这种高傲对她来说是完全合适的），我担心，董贝夫人可能不会轻易地原谅我无罪地参加了那一次谈话。您一定记得，您的不满不是一件小事，而有第三者在场——”

“卡克，”董贝先生傲慢地说道，“我认为，首先应当考虑的是我吧？”

“啊！对这还能有什么怀疑的呢？”另一位就像一个承认尽人皆知的、无可争辩的事实的人那样不耐烦地回答道。

“我想，在涉及我们两个人的问题的时候，董贝夫人应当成为次要的考虑，”董贝先生说道，“是不是这样？”

“是不是这样？”卡克回答道，“您不是比任何人都明白，用不着问这个问题吗？”

“卡克，”董贝先生说道，“您虽然由于招致董贝夫人的不满而感到遗憾，但是您由于保持我的信任与好感是会感到高兴的，因为，我希望，您的高兴可能几乎会抵消您的遗憾。”

“我觉得，我已不幸地招致了这种不满，”卡克回答道，“董贝夫人已向您表示过了吧？”

“董贝夫人表示过各种意见，”董贝先生用威严的、冷淡的、漠不关心的语气说道，“我没有参与这些意见，也不打算讨论或回忆它们。我已跟您说过，不久以前我向董贝夫人提出一些意见，要求她在家庭生活中保持应有的尊敬与顺从，这些意见我认为是有必要坚持的。我没有说服董贝夫人，为了她自己的安宁、幸福以及我的尊严，她有必要立即改变她在这些方面的行为；我告诉董贝夫人，如果我认为有必要再次提出反对或抗议的时候，那么我将通过您，我亲信的助手，来转达我的意见。”

卡克在向他投出的眼光中，还夹杂着一道邪恶的眼光，越过他的头顶，像闪电一般落在图画上面。

“现在，卡克，”董贝先生说道，“我毫不迟疑地跟您说，我一定要实现我的主张。我不是个被随意小看的人，董贝夫人必须懂得，我的意志就是法律，在我的全部生活规则中我不允许有一个例外。我想劳驾您去执行这项使命。既然这是我的委托，我希望它对您并不是不可接受的，不管您会礼貌地表示什么遗憾——对于这一点，我代表董贝夫人向您表示感谢；我相信，您一定肯帮忙，像完成其他各项任务一样，准确地去完成它。”

“您知道，”卡克先生说道，“您只需命令我就行了。”

“我知道，”董贝先生威风凛凛地表示同意，说道，“我只需命令您就行了。我认为有必要采取另一些步骤。董贝夫人在许多方面无疑是赋有高超资质的一位夫人——”

“甚至对您的选择也是增添了光彩的，”卡克先生讨好地露出牙齿，说道。

“是的，如果您喜欢采用这样的词句来表达的话，”董贝先生用庄严的语气说道，“那么现在我并不认为董贝夫人的所作所为是对这种选择增添了光彩。董贝夫人具有一种对抗的脾气，这是必须根除，必须克服的。董贝夫人好像还不懂得，”董贝先生有力地说道，“对抗我这种想法本身就是骇人听闻和荒谬绝伦的。”

“我们在城里的人对您了解得更清楚，”卡克先生咧着嘴，满脸堆着笑容。

“您比较了解我，”董贝先生说道，“我希望这样。不过我确实还是应当替董贝夫人说句公道话，不管她后来的行为（跟以前没有变化）可能跟这如何不相一致，但在我提到的那一次，我有些严厉地向她表示了我的不赞成和决心之后，我的劝告还是产生了强有力的效果。”董贝先生极为高傲、庄严地说了这些话。“因此，卡克，我想劳驾您以我的名义通知董贝夫人，我必须提醒她记着我们以前的谈话，因为我有些惊奇，为什么它至今还没有产生应有的效果。我必须坚持她按照我在这次谈话中向她发出的命令来改正她的行为。我对她的行为不满意。我对它很不满意。如果她缺乏健全的思想和正当的感情，不能像第一位董贝夫人那样按照我的愿望行事的话（我想，我可以补充一句，任何女士处在她那种地位都会像第一位董贝夫人那样做的），那么我将会很不愉快地不得不通过您向她转达使她更不愉快、更明显无误的指示了。”

“第一位董贝夫人过得很幸福，”卡克说道。

“第一位董贝夫人有极健全的思想和很正确的感情，”董贝先生抱着对死者高尚地表示宽容的态度说道。

“您认为董贝小姐像她母亲吗？”卡克问道。

董贝先生的脸色迅速地、可怕地改变了。深得他信任的助手敏锐地注意到这一点。

“我提到一个令人痛苦的话题了，”他用温顺的、遗憾的声调说道，这声调跟他的怀着渴望的眼睛是不相协调的。“请原谅我。我所怀有的兴趣使我忘记这可能引起的联想了。请原谅我。”

可是不管他说些什么，他的热切的眼睛仍旧像先前一样密切地细细观察着董贝先生的忧闷不乐的脸孔；然后他向那张图画投了一道奇怪的、扬扬得意的眼光，好像请求她来当见证人，看他怎样又重新引导他，并看又会发生些什么事情。

“卡克，”董贝先生向桌子上这里看看，那里看看，张开更加苍白的嘴唇，用有些改变了的和更加急促的说道：

“没有什么您需要道歉的理由。您误会了。联想是由于眼前发生的事情而引起的，并不是像您所猜想，是由于任何回忆而引起的。我不赞成董贝夫人对待我女儿的态度。”

“请原谅，”卡克先生说道，“我不很理解。”

“那就请理解吧，”董贝先生回答道，“您可以——不，您必须向董贝夫人转达我对这件事的反对意见。请您告诉她，她向我女儿显示的热爱，使我感到不愉快。这种热爱很可能引起人们的注意。这很可能促使人们把董贝夫人跟我女儿的关系和董贝夫人跟我的关系加以对比。劳驾您让董贝夫人清楚地知道，我反对这一点。我期望她立即尊重我的反对意见。董贝夫人可能是真心真意热爱她，也可能这只是她的一种古怪脾气，也可能她是要反对我；但不论是什么情况，我都反对这一点。如果董贝夫人是真心真意热爱她的话，那么她就更应当高高兴兴、毫不勉强地停止这样做，因为她的任何这种显示对我的女儿都没有什么益处。如果我的妻子除了对我正当地表示顺从外，还有多余的温柔与关怀，那么她也许就可以随自己的心意，爱赏锡给谁就赏赐给谁；但我首先要求的是顺从！卡克，”董贝先生抑制一下他说这些话时的不寻常的激动情绪，恢复了他为维护他的崇高身份所习惯采用的声调，说道，“烦请您务必不要忘记或忽略这一点，而应当把它作为您所接受的指示中的很重要的部分。”

卡克先生点了点头，从桌子旁边站起来，沉思地站在壁炉前面，并用手支托着光滑的下巴，从上往下看着董贝先生；那副阴险狡猾的样子就像是那半人半兽的猿猴雕刻，或者像是古老水落管上斜眼瞅着的脸孔。董贝先生逐渐恢复了镇静，或者由于意识到自己的高贵身份而使激动的情绪冷静下来，坐在那里，变得生硬呆板，并看着鹦鹉在大结婚戒指中来回摇荡。

“请原谅，”卡克沉默了一些时候，忽然又坐到椅子中，并把它拉到董贝先生椅子的对面，说道，“可是请让我弄明白，董贝夫人知道您可能利用我，向她转达您对她的不满吗？”

“是的，”董贝先生回答道，“我已经这样说过了。”

“是的？”卡克先生很快地回答道，“可是为什么呢？”

“为什么！”董贝先生还是没有迟疑地重复道，“因为我告诉她了。”

“唔，”卡克先生回答道，“可是您为什么告诉她呢？您知道，”他微笑了一下，继续说道，一边把他天鹅绒一般柔软的手轻轻地放在董贝先生的胳膊上，就像一只猫掩盖它尖利的脚爪时会这样做的一样；“如果我完全明白您心中的想法，我就可能对您更有用，并有幸更有效地为您服务。我想我已明白了。我不能荣幸地得到董贝夫人的好感。就我的地位来说，我也没有理由指望得到它；但是我想知道，事实是不是就是这样，我是不是就这样接受它？”

“事实可能是这样，”董贝先生说道。

“因此，”卡克继续说道，“您通过我向董贝夫人转达您的指示，一定会使这位夫人感到格外讨厌的吧？”

“我认为，”董贝先生保持着傲慢而沉着的态度，又感到几分为难地说道，“董贝夫人怎样看这个问题是一回事，您和我怎样看这个问题是另一回事，彼此没有关系，卡克。不过情况可能就像您所说的那样。”

“请原谅，不知道我是不是误解了您的意思，”卡克说道，“我想您发现这是压低董贝夫人高傲的一种合适的办法——我在这里使用了高傲这个字眼，用来表明一种在适当的限度内能成为一位美貌和才能出众的夫人的一种装饰品并使她增光的品质——，而且，不说是惩罚她，这也是迫使她顺从的一种合适的办法，而顺从正是您自然地和正当地要求她做到的。不知道我这样理解对吗？”

“卡克，您知道，”董贝先生说道，&ldqu