mr dombey and the world

what is the proud man doing, while the days go by? does he ever think of his daughter, or wonder where she is gone? does he suppose she has come home, and is leading her old life in the weary house? no one can answer for him. he has never uttered her name, since. his household dread him too much to approach a subject on which he is resolutely dumb; and the only person who dares question him, he silences immediately.

'my dear paul!' murmurs his sister, sidling into the room, on the day of florence's departure, 'your wife! that upstart woman! is it possible that what i hear confusedly, is true, and that this is her return for your unparalleled devotion to her; extending, i am sure, even to the sacrifice of your own relations, to her caprices and haughtiness? my poor brother!'

with this speech feelingly reminiscent of her not having been asked to dinner on the day of the first party, mrs chick makes great use of her pocket-handkerchief, and falls on mr dombey's neck. but mr dombey frigidly lifts her off, and hands her to a chair.

'i thank you, louisa,' he says, 'for this mark of your affection; but desire that our conversation may refer to any other subject. when i bewail my fate, louisa, or express myself as being in want of consolation, you can offer it, if you will have the goodness.'

'my dear paul,' rejoins his sister, with her handkerchief to her face, and shaking her head, 'i know your great spirit, and will say no more upon a theme so painful and revolting;' on the heads of which two adjectives, mrs chick visits scathing indignation; 'but pray let me ask you - though i dread to hear something that will shock and distress me - that unfortunate child florence -

'louisa!' says her brother, sternly, 'silence! not another word of this!'

mrs chick can only shake her head, and use her handkerchief, and moan over degenerate dombeys, who are no dombeys. but whether florence has been inculpated in the flight of edith, or has followed her, or has done too much, or too little, or anything, or nothing, she has not the least idea.

he goes on, without deviation, keeping his thoughts and feelings close within his own breast, and imparting them to no one. he makes no search for his daughter. he may think that she is with his sister, or that she is under his own roof. he may think of her constantly, or he may never think about her. it is all one for any sign he makes.

but this is sure; he does not think that he has lost her. he has no suspicion of the truth. he has lived too long shut up in his towering supremacy, seeing her, a patient gentle creature, in the path below it, to have any fear of that. shaken as he is by his disgrace, he is not yet humbled to the level earth. the root is broad and deep, and in the course of years its fibres have spread out and gathered nourishment from everything around it. the tree is struck, but not down.

though he hide the world within him from the world without - which he believes has but one purpose for the time, and that, to watch him eagerly wherever he goes - he cannot hide those rebel traces of it, which escape in hollow eyes and cheeks, a haggard forehead, and a moody, brooding air. impenetrable as before, he is still an altered man; and, proud as ever, he is humbled, or those marks would not be there.

the world. what the world thinks of him, how it looks at him, what it sees in him, and what it says - this is the haunting demon of his mind. it is everywhere where he is; and, worse than that, it is everywhere where he is not. it comes out with him among his servants, and yet he leaves it whispering behind; he sees it pointing after him in the street; it is waiting for him in his counting-house; it leers over the shoulders of rich men among the merchants; it goes beckoning and babbling among the crowd; it always anticipates him, in every place; and is always busiest, he knows, when he has gone away. when he is shut up in his room at night, it is in his house, outside it, audible in footsteps on the pavement, visible in print upon the table, steaming to and fro on railroads and in ships; restless and busy everywhere, with nothing else but him.

it is not a phantom of his imagination. it is as active in other people's minds as in his. witness cousin feenix, who comes from baden-baden, purposely to talk to him. witness major bagstock, who accompanies cousin feenix on that friendly mission.

mr dombey receives them with his usual dignity, and stands erect, in his old attitude, before the fire. he feels that the world is looking at him out of their eyes. that it is in the stare of the pictures. that mr pitt, upon the bookcase, represents it. that there are eyes in its own map, hanging on the wall.

'an unusually cold spring,' says mr dombey - to deceive the world.

'damme, sir,' says the major, in the warmth of friendship, 'joseph bagstock is a bad hand at a counterfeit. if you want to hold your friends off, dombey, and to give them the cold shoulder, j. b. is not the man for your purpose. joe is rough and tough, sir; blunt, sir, blunt, is joe. his royal highness the late duke of york did me the honour to say, deservedly or undeservedly - never mind that - "if there is a man in the service on whom i can depend for coming to the point, that man is joe - joe bagstock."'

mr dombey intimates his acquiescence.

'now, dombey,' says the major, 'i am a man of the world. our friend feenix - if i may presume to - '

'honoured, i am sure,' says cousin feenix.

' - is,' proceeds the major, with a wag of his head, 'also a man of the world. dombey, you are a man of the world. now, when three men of the world meet together, and are friends - as i believe - ' again appealing to cousin feenix.

'i am sure,' says cousin feenix, 'most friendly.'

' - and are friends,' resumes the major, 'old joe's opinion is (i may be wrong), that the opinion of the world on any particular subject, is very easily got at.

'undoubtedly,' says cousin feenix. 'in point of fact, it's quite a self-evident sort of thing. i am extremely anxious, major, that my friend dombey should hear me express my very great astonishment and regret, that my lovely and accomplished relative, who was possessed of every qualification to make a man happy, should have so far forgotten what was due to - in point of fact, to the world - as to commit herself in such a very extraordinary manner. i have been in a devilish state of depression ever since; and said indeed to long saxby last night - man of six foot ten, with whom my friend dombey is probably acquainted - that it had upset me in a confounded way, and made me bilious. it induces a man to reflect, this kind of fatal catastrophe,' says cousin feenix, 'that events do occur in quite a providential manner; for if my aunt had been living at the time, i think the effect upon a devilish lively woman like herself, would have been prostration, and that she would have fallen, in point of fact, a victim.'

'now, dombey! - ' says the major, resuming his discourse with great energy.

'i beg your pardon,' interposes cousin feenix. 'allow me another word. my friend dombey will permit me to say, that if any circumstance could have added to the most infernal state of pain in which i find myself on this occasion, it would be the natural amazement of the world at my lovely and accomplished relative (as i must still beg leave to call her) being supposed to have so committed herself with a person - man with white teeth, in point of fact - of very inferior station to her husband. but while i must, rather peremptorily, request my friend dombey not to criminate my lovely and accomplished relative until her criminality is perfectly established, i beg to assure my friend dombey that the family i represent, and which is now almost extinct (devilish sad reflection for a man), will interpose no obstacle in his way, and will be happy to assent to any honourable course of proceeding, with a view to the future, that he may point out. i trust my friend dombey will give me credit for the intentions by which i am animated in this very melancholy affair, and - a - in point of fact, i am not aware that i need trouble my friend dombey with any further observations.'

mr dombey bows, without raising his eyes, and is silent.

'now, dombey,' says the major, 'our friend feenix having, with an amount of eloquence that old joe b. has never heard surpassed - no, by the lord, sir! never!' - says the major, very blue, indeed, and grasping his cane in the middle - 'stated the case as regards the lady, i shall presume upon our friendship, dombey, to offer a word on another aspect of it. sir,' says the major, with the horse's cough, 'the world in these things has opinions, which must be satisfied.'

'i know it,' rejoins mr dombey.

'of course you know it, dombey,' says the major, 'damme, sir, i know you know it. a man of your calibre is not likely to be ignorant of it.'

'i hope not,' replies mr dombey.

'dombey!' says the major, 'you will guess the rest. i speak out - prematurely, perhaps - because the bagstock breed have always spoke out. little, sir, have they ever got by doing it; but it's in the bagstock blood. a shot is to be taken at this man. you have j. b. at your elbow. he claims the name of friend. god bless you!'

'major,' returns mr dombey, 'i am obliged. i shall put myself in your hands when the time comes. the time not being come, i have forborne to speak to you.'

'where is the fellow, dombey?' inquires the major, after gasping and looking at him, for a minute.

'i don't know.'

'any intelligence of him?' asks the major.

'yes.'

'dombey, i am rejoiced to hear it,' says the major. 'i congratulate you.'

'you will excuse - even you, major,' replies mr dombey, 'my entering into any further detail at present. the intelligence is of a singular kind, and singularly obtained. it may turn out to be valueless; it may turn out to be true; i cannot say at present. my explanation must stop here.'

although this is but a dry reply to the major's purple enthusiasm, the major receives it graciously, and is delighted to think that the world has such a fair prospect of soon receiving its due. cousin feenix is then presented with his meed of acknowledgment by the husband of his lovely and accomplished relative, and cousin feenix and major bagstock retire, leaving that husband to the world again, and to ponder at leisure on their representation of its state of mind concerning his affairs, and on its just and reasonable expectations.

but who sits in the housekeeper's room, shedding tears, and talking to mrs pipchin in a low tone, with uplifted hands? it is a lady with her face concealed in a very close black bonnet, which appears not to belong to her. it is miss tox, who has borrowed this disguise from her servant, and comes from princess's place, thus secretly, to revive her old acquaintance with mrs pipchin, in order to get certain information of the state of mr dombey.

'how does he bear it, my dear creature?' asks miss tox.

'well,' says mrs pipchin, in her snappish way, 'he's pretty much as usual.'

'externally,' suggests miss tox 'but what he feels within!'

mrs pipchin's hard grey eye looks doubtful as she answers, in three distinct jerks, 'ah! perhaps. i suppose so.'

'to tell you my mind, lucretia,' says mrs pipchin; she still calls miss tox lucretia, on account of having made her first experiments in the child-quelling line of business on that lady, when an unfortunate and weazen little girl of tender years; 'to tell you my mind, lucretia, i think it's a good riddance. i don't want any of your brazen faces here, myself!'

'brazen indeed! well may you say brazen, mrs pipchin!' returned miss tox. 'to leave him! such a noble figure of a man!' and here miss tox is overcome.

'i don't know about noble, i'm sure,' observes mrs pipchin; irascibly rubbing her nose. 'but i know this - that when people meet with trials, they must bear 'em. hoity, toity! i have had enough to bear myself, in my time! what a fuss there is! she's gone, and well got rid of. nobody wants her back, i should think!' this hint of the peruvian mines, causes miss tox to rise to go away; when mrs pipchin rings the bell for towlinson to show her out, mr towlinson, not having seen miss tox for ages, grins, and hopes she's well; observing that he didn't know her at first, in that bonnet.

'pretty well, towlinson, i thank you,' says miss tox. 'i beg you'll have the goodness, when you happen to see me here, not to mention it. my visits are merely to mrs pipchin.'

'very good, miss,' says towlinson.

'shocking circumstances occur, towlinson,' says miss tox.

'very much so indeed, miss,' rejoins towlinson.

'i hope, towlinson,' says miss tox, who, in her instruction of the toodle family, has acquired an admonitorial tone, and a habit of improving passing occasions, 'that what has happened here, will be a warning to you, towlinson.'

'thank you, miss, i'm sure,' says towlinson.

he appears to be falling into a consideration of the manner in which this warning ought to operate in his particular case, when the vinegary mrs pipchin, suddenly stirring him up with a 'what are you doing? why don't you show the lady to the door?' he ushers miss tox forth. as she passes mr dombey's room, she shrinks into the inmost depths of the black bonnet, and walks, on tip-toe; and there is not another atom in the world which haunts him so, that feels such sorrow and solicitude about him, as miss tox takes out under the black bonnet into the street, and tries to carry home shadowed it from the newly-lighted lamps

but miss tox is not a part of mr dombey's world. she comes back every evening at dusk; adding clogs and an umbrella to the bonnet on wet nights; and bears the grins of towlinson, and the huffs and rebuffs of mrs pipchin, and all to ask how he does, and how he bears his misfortune: but she has nothing to do with mr dombey's world. exacting and harassing as ever, it goes on without her; and she, a by no means bright or particular star, moves in her little orbit in the corner of another system, and knows it quite well, and comes, and cries, and goes away, and is satisfied. verily miss tox is easier of satisfaction than the world that troubles mr dombey so much!

at the counting house, the clerks discuss the great disaster in all its lights and shades, but chiefly wonder who will get mr carker's place. they are generally of opinion that it will be shorn of some of its emoluments, and made uncomfortable by newly-devised checks and restrictions; and those who are beyond all hope of it are quite sure they would rather not have it, and don't at all envy the person for whom it may prove to be reserved. nothing like the prevailing sensation has existed in the counting house since mr dombey's little son died; but all such excitements there take a social, not to say a jovial turn, and lead to the cultivation of good fellowship. a reconciliation is established on this propitious occasion between the acknowledged wit of the counting house and an aspiring rival, with whom he has been at deadly feud for months; and a little dinner being proposed, in commemoration of their happily restored amity, takes place at a neighbouring tavern; the wit in the chair; the rival acting as vice-president. the orations following the removal of the cloth are opened by the chair, who says, gentlemen, he can't disguise from himself that this is not a time for private dissensions. recent occurrences to which he need not more particularly allude, but which have not been altogether without notice in some sunday papers,' and in a daily paper which he need not name (here every other member of the company names it in an audible murmur), have caused him to reflect; and he feels that for him and robinson to have any personal differences at such a moment, would be for ever to deny that good feeling in the general cause, for which he has reason to think and hope that the gentlemen in dombey's house have always been distinguished. robinson replies to this like a man and a brother; and one gentleman who has been in the office three years, under continual notice to quit on account of lapses in his arithmetic, appears in a perfectly new light, suddenly bursting out with a thrilling speech, in which he says, may their respected chief never again know the desolation which has fallen on his hearth! and says a great variety of things, beginning with 'may he never again,' which are received with thunders of applause. in short, a most delightful evening is passed, only interrupted by a difference between two juniors, who, quarrelling about the probable amount of mr carker's late receipts per annum, defy each other with decanters, and are taken out greatly excited. soda water is in general request at the office next day, and most of the party deem the bill an imposition.

as to perch, the messenger, he is in a fair way of being ruined for life. he finds himself again constantly in bars of public-houses, being treated and lying dreadfully. it appears that he met everybody concerned in the late transaction, everywhere, and said to them, 'sir,' or 'madam,' as the case was, 'why do you look so pale?' at which each shuddered from head to foot, and said, 'oh, perch!' and ran away. either the consciousness of these enormities, or the reaction consequent on liquor, reduces mr perch to an extreme state of low spirits at that hour of the evening when he usually seeks consolation in the society of mrs perch at balls pond; and mrs perch frets a good deal, for she fears his confidence in woman is shaken now, and that he half expects on coming home at night to find her gone off with some viscount - 'which,' as she observes to an intimate female friend, 'is what these wretches in the form of woman have to answer for, mrs p. it ain't the harm they do themselves so much as what they reflect upon us, ma'am; and i see it in perch's eye.

mr dombey's servants are becoming, at the same time, quite dissipated, and unfit for other service. they have hot suppers every night, and 'talk it over' with smoking drinks upon the board. mr towlinson is always maudlin after half-past ten, and frequently begs to know whether he didn't say that no good would ever come of living in a corner house? they whisper about miss florence, and wonder where she is; but agree that if mr dombey don't know, mrs dombey does. this brings them to the latter, of whom cook says, she had a stately way though, hadn't she? but she was too high! they all agree that she was too high, and mr towlinson's old flame, the housemaid (who is very virtuous), entreats that you will never talk to her any more about people who hold their heads up, as if the ground wasn't good enough for 'em.

everything that is said and done about it, except by mr dombey, is done in chorus. mr dombey and the world are alone together.

日子一天天地过去，这位高傲的人在做些什么呢？他曾想到他的女儿吗？或曾感到奇怪，她到哪里去了吗？是不是他以为她已回到家里，在这枯燥无趣的公馆中，像过去一样过着她的生活呢？没有人能替他回答。从那时候起，他从来没有提到过她的名字。他家里的人太害怕他了，不敢向他提起一个他坚决不谈的话题，而唯一敢问他的人，他又立即使她沉默下来。

“我亲爱的保罗！”他的妹妹在弗洛伦斯逃走的那一天，侧身走进他的房间，低声问道，“你的妻子！那位暴发的女人！我听到的那些传说纷纭的消息难道可能是真的吗？你对她无比真诚；毫无疑问，为了迁就她的任性与高傲，你甚至不惜牺牲自己的亲属；难道这就是她对你的报答吗？我可怜的哥哥！”

奇克夫人说了这些话，伤心地回忆起在举行第一次晚会的那天她没有被邀请参加宴会，不断使用她的手绢，并扑到董贝先生的脖子上。但是董贝先生冷淡地推开她，让她在椅子中坐下。

“谢谢你所表示的感情，路易莎，”他说道，“但是我希望我们能转到其他的话题上去。以后当我为我的命运痛哭或者表示需要安慰的时候，路易莎，那时如果你肯费心的话，那么你可以再来安慰我。”

“我亲爱的保罗，”他的妹妹用手绢捂着脸，摇摇头，回答道，“我知道你的伟大的精神力量，我将不再谈一个令人如此痛苦和厌恶的话题，”奇克夫人极为愤慨地说出这两个形容词，“可是请允许我问你一下——虽然我害怕会听到使我震惊和痛苦的消息——，那个不幸的孩子弗洛伦斯——”

“路易莎！”她的哥哥严厉地说道，“别说了。一个字也别谈这个！”

奇克夫人只好摇摇头，使用她的手绢，并为董贝家里这些退化了的人叹息，她们已不再能称得上是董贝家里的人了。但是弗洛伦斯在伊迪丝的私奔中究竟是不是有罪，是不是跟随着她逃走了，在这次逃走的事件中她是参与得太多还是参与得太少，是多少参与了一点还是根本没有参与，奇克夫人却丝毫不了解。

他丝毫没有改变，依旧像过去一样，把他的思想与感情掩藏在自己心中，不向任何人透露。他没有寻找他的女儿。也许他以为她跟他的妹妹住在一起，或者她就住在他自己的家中。也许他经常想到她，也许他从来没有想到过她。如果从他表露的迹象来判断，所有这些设想都是对的。

不过有一点是确实的：他·没·有想到他已失去了她。他没有怀疑过这一事实。他对周围的事情不闻不问，在高高在上、至尊至贵的地位中生活得太久了，他看到的她是在他下面的一条小路上的一个耐性的、温柔的人儿，所以他一点也不曾害怕会失去她。他虽然由于丧失体面而受到了震动，但还没有被推翻到地上。树根又粗又深，在长久的岁月中它的须根伸展开来，从四周的一切东西中吸取了营养。树受到了打击，但没有倒下。

虽然他把他内心的世界掩藏起来，不让外面的社会看见——他相信，外面的社会现在只有一个目的：不论他走到哪里，它都急切地注视着他——，但是他却不能掩藏他在内心世界所进行的斗争，因为他那凹陷的眼睛与双颊、露出皱纹的前额、怏怏不乐的沉思的神态都表明了这一点。虽然他像以前一样使人看不透，但他还是改变了；虽然他像往常一样高傲，但他的锐气还是受到了挫折，否则那些痕迹就不会留下来了。

社会。社会对他想些什么，它怎样看他，它在他身上看到了什么，它议论些什么，——这是经常缠扰他心绪的恶魔。在他所在的一切地方，它都在那里；不仅如此，甚至在他不在的一切地方，它也在那里。它和他一起出现在仆人中间；在他离开的时候，它还和他们一起在背后窃窃私语；他看到它在街道上指点他；它在他的营业所里等待着他；它从有钱的商人转过身来的时候斜眼看着他；它在人群中间招手示意并喋喋不休地谈论着；它在每个地方总比他抢先一步；当他走开以后，他知道它总是极为忙碌的。夜间当他把自己关在房间里的时候，它就在他的公馆里面和公馆外面，可以从人行道上的脚步声中听到它，可以从桌子上的报纸中看到它，它沿着铁路线和乘坐在船舶上来来往往；它在每个地方都不眠不休，忙碌不停，不为其他事情，只是为了他。

这不是他想象的幻影。它在其他人们的心中就像在他的心中一样活跃。从巴登一巴登专程前来跟他谈话的菲尼克斯表哥是一个见证人。陪同菲尼克斯表哥来完成这一友好任务的白格斯托克少校也是一个见证人。

董贝先生以他往常的尊严态度接待了他们，并采取他往常的姿势，笔直地站在壁炉前面。他觉得，社会正通过他们的眼睛在看着他。他觉得，它存在于四周图画的注视中。书橱上的皮特先生是它的代表。他觉得，甚至挂在墙上的地图中也有它的眼睛。

“今年春天格外冷，”董贝先生说道，——这是为了欺骗社会。

“他妈的，先生，”少校怀着热情的友谊说道，“约瑟夫·白格斯托克最不会装假。如果您想要避开您的朋友们的话，那么乔·白不是适合于您的目的的人，董贝。乔是粗鲁和坚强的，先生；他是个直肠直肚的人，直肠直肚是乔的性格；已故的约克郡公爵殿下使我不胜荣幸地指出过（我配受或不配受这种光荣，这倒无关紧要），‘我手下这些在职的人当中，如果有一位我可以信赖他能直言不讳的话，那么这个人就是乔——乔·白格斯托克’。”

董贝先生表示同意。

“董贝，”少校说道，“我是个上流社会的人物。我们的朋友菲尼克斯——如果我可以冒昧地这样称呼他的话——”

“不胜荣幸，”菲尼克斯表哥说道。

“也是个上流社会的人物，”少校摇晃了一下脑袋，继续说道，“董贝，您是个上流社会的人物。如果三位上流社会的人物聚会在一起，而且是朋友——就像我相信的那样”——

他又转向菲尼克斯表哥，向他求助。

“毫无疑问，”菲尼克斯表哥说道，“极为友好。”

“——而且是朋友，”少校继续说道，“那么，老乔认为（乔也许错了），上流社会对任何问题的意见就很容易猜测出来了。”

“毫无疑问，”菲尼克斯表哥说道，“事实上，这是不言而喻的事情。我十分盼望，少校，我的朋友董贝能听我向他表示，我感到极为惊奇与遗憾：我那可爱的、多才多艺的、具备能使一位男子幸福的各种资质的亲戚，竟会把她对——事实上——社会应尽的责任完全忘记，以这样异乎寻常的方式来败坏自己的声誉；从那时候起，我的情绪非常消沉；就在昨天晚上我还对高个子萨克斯比说——他身高六英尺十英寸，我的朋友董贝大概认得他吧——，这件事使我变得心烦意乱，羞愧不堪，而且爱发脾气。这种奇灾大难使人不由得想到，一切都是由天意安排的，”菲尼克斯表哥继续说道，“因为如果我的姑妈现在还活着的话，那么我想，对一位像她那样非常活泼的女人来说，这件事对她的打击将会使她发生虚脱，她将成为牺牲品。”

“因此，董贝！——”少校精神十足地想把他的话继续说下去。

“请原谅，”菲尼克斯表哥打断他，说道，“请允许我再说一句。我的朋友董贝将允许我指出，我现在感受到像进地狱般的痛苦，如果说有什么情况能加深我这种痛苦的话，那就是大家猜想，我的那位可爱的、多才多艺的亲戚（请允许我仍这样称呼她）是跟一位地位远远低于她丈夫的人——事实上，就是那位长白牙齿的人——一起败坏了她自己的声誉；社会对这自然而然地感到惊奇。不过我认为我有责任坚决请求我的朋友董贝在她的罪行没有完全被证实之前，不要归罪于我的可爱的、多才多艺的亲戚；另一方面，我要请我的朋友董贝相信，我所代表的、现在几乎已灭绝了的家族（这一点想起来真使人悲伤）不会在他的道路上设置任何障碍，而且将会对他所指出的任何正当的处理方法高兴地表示同意。我相信，我的朋友董贝将会赞成我的这种意愿，正是这种意愿才使我在这十分悲伤的事情中还能振作起精神来；事实上，我不知道我需要再发表一些什么意见来打扰我的朋友董贝了。”

董贝先生没有抬起眼睛，鞠了个躬，默默无言。

“董贝，”少校说道，“我们的朋友菲尼克斯已经以他口若悬河的动听语言——老乔·白从没有听到过比这更为出色的流利口才；完全不错，他可以向天主发誓，他从来没有听到过——，说明了有关这位夫人的一切情形，”少校脸色十分发青，一边紧握着手杖中间，说道，“在这之后，我想凭着我们的友谊，董贝，从另一个方面来说一句话，先生，”少校发出了马般的咳嗽，说道，“社会在这种情况下是有舆论的，这些舆论的要求是应当得到满足的。”

“这我明白，”董贝先生答道。

“当然，您明白，董贝，”少校说道，“他妈的，先生，我知道您明白。像您这样才能出众的人是不大可能不了解的。”

“董贝！”少校说道，“其余的由您自己去猜测，我只直率地说一点——也许说得过早了——，因为白格斯托克家族的人总是有话直说的。他们这样做得不到什么好处，先生，可是白格斯托克家族的人生来就是这种脾气。应当开枪打死这个人。乔·白就在您的身边。他要求行使朋友的权利。上帝保佑您。”

“少校，”董贝先生回答道，“我很感谢您。时候一到，我就把我交由您支配。现在时候还没有到，我只好耐着性子跟您说话。”

“这家伙现在在哪里，董贝？”少校喘着气，并向他看了一分钟之后，问道。

“我不知道。”

“有他的什么消息吗？”少校问道。

“有。”

“董贝，我很高兴听到这，”少校说道。“我祝贺您。”

“请原谅，少校，”董贝先生回答道，“甚至对您，我现在也还不能谈到详细的情形。消息是奇怪的，得到消息的方式也是奇怪的。它可能毫无价值，但也可能是真实的。我现在还不能说什么。我的解释就到这里为止。”

虽然对热情得脸色发紫的少校来说，这是个索然无趣的回答，可是少校有礼貌地接受了它，并高兴地想到，社会可以期望很快就能得到它应当得到的东西。然后，菲尼克斯表哥听到了他的可爱的、多才多艺的亲戚的丈夫表示感谢的话；然后，菲尼克斯表哥和白格斯托克少校起身告辞，把那位丈夫留下重新面对着社会；他在闲暇的时候可能思考着他们两位反映了上流社会对他的私事的一些看法和它的公正的、合理的期望。

可是谁坐在女管家的房间里，举起双手，流着眼泪，在低声地跟皮普钦太太谈话呢？这是一位用一顶很窄小的黑帽子把自己脸孔掩藏起来的女士，那顶帽子看来不是属于她自己的。这是托克斯小姐，她从她的仆人那里借来这个化妆的物品，从公主广场来到这里，恢复她跟皮普钦太太旧日的交情，以便得到董贝先生的消息。

“他怎么忍受这打击呢，我亲爱的？”托克斯小姐问道。

“唔，”皮普钦太太用暴躁的态度回答道，“他跟往常一样。”

“表面上是这样，”托克斯小姐提示道。“可是他心里是怎样的感觉啊！”

皮普钦太太清楚而短促地回答道，“啊！也许。我想是这样。”这时她冷酷的、灰色的眼睛露出了疑问的神色。

“跟你说句心里话，卢克丽霞，”皮普钦太太说道；她仍旧管托克斯小姐叫卢克丽霞，因为她就是这位女士压制孩子的事业中的头一批试验品，当时她是个不幸的、孱弱的、年龄很小的女孩子；“跟你说句心里话，卢克丽霞，我认为，除掉她倒是件好事。我这里不需要你这种厚颜无耻的女人！”

“真是厚颜无耻！您说得不错，就是厚颜无耻！”托克斯小姐回答道。“抛弃他！这样高尚的人！”这时托克斯小姐极为激动。

“说真的，我不知道什么高尚不高尚，”皮普钦太太暴躁地擦擦鼻子，说道，“可是我知道，当人们遇到考验的时候，他们必须经受得住。哎呀！我本人这一辈子经受的考验真是够多的了！这有什么值得大惊小怪的！她走了，没有她反倒好。我想这里没有一个人想要她回来！”

从秘鲁矿井发出的这个暗示使托克斯小姐站起身来告辞；皮普钦太太摇摇铃，让托林森领她出去。托林森先生好久没有见到托克斯小姐了，所以咧着嘴笑着，并祝她身体健康，同时指出，她戴了这顶帽子使他起先认不出她来了。

“谢谢您，托林森，我身体不错，”托克斯小姐说道，“我想麻烦您帮个忙，以后当您碰巧看到我在这里的时候，请别跟别人提起这件事。我只是来看看皮普钦太太。”

“很好，小姐，”托林森说道。

“这里发生惊人的大事了，托林森，”托克斯小姐说道。

“确实是这样，小姐，”托林森回答道。

“我希望，托林森，”托克斯小姐说道；她在教图德尔孩子们学习时已习惯于用劝告的语气说话和从已发生的事情中吸取教训，“这里发生的事情对您是个警告，托林森。”

“谢谢您，小姐，”托林森说道。

当他好像正在沉思这种警告将以一种什么方式对他起作用的时候，性情乖戾的皮普钦太太突然把他唤醒，喊道，“你在干什么？你为什么不把这位女士送出去？”于是他就把托克斯小姐领到门外。当她走过董贝先生的房间时，她缩着身子，竭力想躲藏在黑帽子的阴影之中，并踮着脚尖走路；当她戴着黑帽子走进街道的时候，街灯刚点亮不久，她就设法在自身影子的遮掩下走回家去。这时候，世界上没有别的人这样经常出没在他的左右，这样为他牵肠挂肚，操心费神的。

可是托克斯小姐不是董贝先生的上流社会的一部分。每天晚上天黑的时候她回到这里来；每逢下雨天，她除了戴那顶黑帽子外，还多穿一双木底鞋，多拿一柄雨伞。她忍受着托林森的咧着嘴笑和皮普钦太太的发怒与申斥，这一切都仅仅是为了想了解：他是怎样生活的和他怎样忍受他的不幸的；可是她跟董贝先生的上流社会没有任何关系。董贝先生的上流社会像以往一样难以取悦，像以往一样烦扰着人们，它没有她继续存在下去；而她呢，一颗远不是明亮、也不是出色的星星，在另一个星系的角落里她的小小的轨道上运行着；她对这一点了解得很清楚，来了，哭了，走了，感到满足了。说实在的，托克斯小姐要比使董贝先生感到十分苦恼不安的上流社会容易得到满足。

在营业所里，职员们从各个不同的角度和侧面讨论了这桩重大的不幸事件，但主要是捉摸不清究竟谁将来接替卡克先生的职位。普遍的看法是：这个职位的薪金将会削减；而且由于实行新的检查与限制办法，这个职位将不大好当；那些毫无希望得到这个职位的人们肯定地说，他们完全不想取得它，也根本不嫉妒那位将被任命担任这个职务的人。从董贝先生的小儿子死去以后，在营业所里还没有发生过这样轰动一时的事情。不过所有这些激动的情绪不说是使大家变得快活了，但也使大家变得爱好交际了，而且增进了同事之间的交情。营业所中一位公认为最富有机智的人和他的抱负不凡的敌手在过去好几个月中彼此一直怀有不共戴天的仇恨，但在目前这吉利的时刻，两人实现了和解。同事们为了庆祝他们可喜地恢复亲睦友好，在附近的小酒店里举行了一个小小的宴会，那位富有机智的人担任宴会的主席，他的敌手担任副主席；当桌布撤走以后，主席开始演说；他说，先生们，他不能对自己掩饰真情，现在不是个私人意见不和的时代；最近发生的事件，他不需要详细提到它，可是有些星期天出版的报纸和一份他不必指名的日报（这时候在座的其他人都用听得见的低语说出这张日报的名称）并不是根本没有注意它；他觉得，在这样的时刻，他与鲁宾逊私人间的不和将无异于否认他们对他们共同事业所具有的良好的感情，而他有理由认为并希望，董贝公司所有的先生们都是以这种良好的感情而著称的。鲁宾逊以丈夫气概和兄弟情谊回答了这些话。

有一位在公司里工作了三年、由于发生计算错误经常受到解职警告的先生，以一种完全新的姿态出现在大家面前，他突然发表了动人的演说，说但愿他们可敬的老板在他的家庭中永远也不再发生可怕的不幸了！还说了其他许多话，每句话都是以“但愿他永远不再”开头的，他的演说受到了大家雷鸣般的热烈鼓掌。总之，他们度过了一个极为愉快的晚上，只不过有两位低级的职员因为对卡克先生最近每年可能的收入意见不一致，发生了争吵，两人拿着圆酒瓶相互威胁，十分激烈，后来被大家拉出去了。第二天大家在办公室里都需要喝苏打水，参加宴会的大多数人都认为餐费帐单是敲竹杠。

说到信差珀奇，他可真有被彻底毁灭的危险。他又经常出现在酒吧，受到款待，并无边无际地说着弥天大谎。好像他到处都遇见最近事件中有关的人，他问他们：“先生（或夫人），为什么您的脸色这样苍白？”被问到的每个人都从头到脚颤抖着，说了声，“啊，珀奇！”就跑开了。珀奇先生晚上通常在鲍尔斯池塘与珀奇太太在一起寻求安慰，这时候，也许是对他卑劣的谎言感到后悔，也许是喝酒后的反应，他的情绪低沉到了极点；珀奇太太则十分烦恼，因为她害怕他现在对女人的信任动摇了；他夜间回家的时候，几乎多半准备着发现她跟某个子爵私奔了。

这时候，董贝先生的仆人们变得十分吊儿郎当，几乎干什么事情都不合适。他们每天晚上都吃热乎乎的晚餐，一面喝着冒气的酒，一面高谈阔论。托林森先生过了10点半总是喝得醉醺醺的，感伤落泪，时常请别人回答他，他是不是说过，住在坐落在拐角的房屋里是不会有什么好处的？他们交头接耳地谈论着弗洛伦斯小姐，不知道她现在在哪里，但是大家一致认为，如果董贝先生不知道的话，董贝夫人是一定知道的。这样又使他们谈论到后一位，厨娘说，她的举止毕竟还是庄严高贵的，是不是？但是她太趾高气扬了！他们一致同意，她太趾高气扬了。托林森以前的情人女仆（她是很有德行的）请求大家永远也别对她谈起那些高昂着脑袋的人们，仿佛土地对她们来说都还不够好似的。

除了董贝先生以外，大家在这个问题上所说的和所做的，全都协调一致。董贝先生独自面对着社会。