Containing the Sequel of the Midshipman's Disaster
Major Bagstock, after long and frequent observation of Paul, across Princess's Place, through his double-barrelled opera-glass; and after receiving many minute reports, daily, weekly, and monthly, on that subject, from the native who kept himself in constant communication with Miss Tox's maid for that purpose; came to the conclusion that Dombey, Sir, was a man to be known, and that J. B. was the boy to make his acquaintance.
Miss Tox, however, maintaining her reserved behaviour, and frigidly declining to understand the Major whenever he called (which he often did) on any little fishing excursion connected with this project, the Major, in spite of his constitutional toughness and slyness, was fain to leave the accomplishment of his desire in some measure to chance, 'which,' as he was used to observe with chuckles at his club, 'has been fifty to one in favour of Joey B., Sir, ever since his elder brother died of Yellow Jack in the West Indies.'
It was some time coming to his aid in the present instance, but it befriended him at last. When the dark servant, with full particulars, reported Miss Tox absent on Brighton service, the Major was suddenly touched with affectionate reminiscences of his friend Bill Bitherstone of Bengal, who had written to ask him, if he ever went that way, to bestow a call upon his only son. But when the same dark servant reported Paul at Mrs Pipchin's, and the Major, referring to the letter favoured by Master Bitherstone on his arrival in England - to which he had never had the least idea of paying any attention - saw the opening that presented itself, he was made so rabid by the gout, with which he happened to be then laid up, that he threw a footstool at the dark servant in return for his intelligence, and swore he would be the death of the rascal before he had done with him: which the dark servant was more than half disposed to believe.
At length the Major being released from his fit, went one Saturday growling down to Brighton, with the native behind him; apostrophizing Miss Tox all the way, and gloating over the prospect of carrying by storm the distinguished friend to whom she attached so much mystery, and for whom she had deserted him,
'Would you, Ma'am, would you!' said the Major, straining with vindictiveness, and swelling every already swollen vein in his head. 'Would you give Joey B. the go-by, Ma'am? Not yet, Ma'am, not yet! Damme, not yet, Sir. Joe is awake, Ma'am. Bagstock is alive, Sir. J. B. knows a move or two, Ma'am. Josh has his weather-eye open, Sir. You'll find him tough, Ma'am. Tough, Sir, tough is Joseph. Tough, and de-vilish sly!'
And very tough indeed Master Bitherstone found him, when he took that young gentleman out for a walk. But the Major, with his complexion like a Stilton cheese, and his eyes like a prawn's, went roving about, perfectly indifferent to Master Bitherstone's amusement, and dragging Master Bitherstone along, while he looked about him high and low, for Mr Dombey and his children.
In good time the Major, previously instructed by Mrs Pipchin, spied out Paul and Florence, and bore down upon them; there being a stately gentleman (Mr Dombey, doubtless) in their company. Charging with Master Bitherstone into the very heart of the little squadron, it fell out, of course, that Master Bitherstone spoke to his fellow-sufferers. Upon that the Major stopped to notice and admire them; remembered with amazement that he had seen and spoken to them at his friend Miss Tox's in Princess's Place; opined that Paul was a devilish fine fellow, and his own little friend; inquired if he remembered Joey B. the Major; and finally, with a sudden recollection of the conventionalities of life, turned and apologised to Mr Dombey.
'But my little friend here, Sir,' said the Major, 'makes a boy of me again: An old soldier, Sir - Major Bagstock, at your service - is not ashamed to confess it.' Here the Major lifted his hat. 'Damme, Sir,' cried the Major with sudden warmth, 'I envy you.' Then he recollected himself, and added, 'Excuse my freedom.'
Mr Dombey begged he wouldn't mention it.
'An old campaigner, Sir,' said the Major, 'a smoke-dried, sun-burnt, used-up, invalided old dog of a Major, Sir, was not afraid of being condemned for his whim by a man like Mr Dombey. I have the honour of addressing Mr Dombey, I believe?'
'I am the present unworthy representative of that name, Major,' returned Mr Dombey.
'By G-, Sir!' said the Major, 'it's a great name. It's a name, Sir,' said the Major firmly, as if he defied Mr Dombey to contradict him, and would feel it his painful duty to bully him if he did, 'that is known and honoured in the British possessions abroad. It is a name, Sir, that a man is proud to recognise. There is nothing adulatory in Joseph Bagstock, Sir. His Royal Highness the Duke of York observed on more than one occasion, "there is no adulation in Joey. He is a plain old soldier is Joe. He is tough to a fault is Joseph:" but it's a great name, Sir. By the Lord, it's a great name!' said the Major, solemnly.
'You are good enough to rate it higher than it deserves, perhaps, Major,' returned Mr Dombey.
'No, Sir,' said the Major, in a severe tone. No, Mr Dombey, let us understand each other. That is not the Bagstock vein, Sir. You don't know Joseph B. He is a blunt old blade is Josh. No flattery in him, Sir. Nothing like it.'
Mr Dombey inclined his head, and said he believed him to be in earnest, and that his high opinion was gratifying.
'My little friend here, Sir,' croaked the Major, looking as amiably as he could, on Paul, 'will certify for Joseph Bagstock that he is a thorough-going, down-right, plain-spoken, old Trump, Sir, and nothing more. That boy, Sir,' said the Major in a lower tone, 'will live in history. That boy, Sir, is not a common production. Take care of him, Mr Dombey.'
Mr Dombey seemed to intimate that he would endeavour to do so.
'Here is a boy here, Sir,' pursued the Major, confidentially, and giving him a thrust with his cane. 'Son of Bitherstone of Bengal. Bill Bitherstone formerly of ours. That boy's father and myself, Sir, were sworn friends. Wherever you went, Sir, you heard of nothing but Bill Bitherstone and Joe Bagstock. Am I blind to that boy's defects? By no means. He's a fool, Sir.'
Mr Dombey glanced at the libelled Master Bitherstone, of whom he knew at least as much as the Major did, and said, in quite a complacent manner, 'Really?'
'That is what he is, sir,' said the Major. 'He's a fool. Joe Bagstock never minces matters. The son of my old friend Bill Bitherstone, of Bengal, is a born fool, Sir.' Here the Major laughed till he was almost black. 'My little friend is destined for a public school,' I' presume, Mr Dombey?' said the Major when he had recovered.
'I am not quite decided,' returned Mr Dombey. 'I think not. He is delicate.'
'If he's delicate, Sir,' said the Major, 'you are right. None but the tough fellows could live through it, Sir, at Sandhurst. We put each other to the torture there, Sir. We roasted the new fellows at a slow fire, and hung 'em out of a three pair of stairs window, with their heads downwards. Joseph Bagstock, Sir, was held out of the window by the heels of his boots, for thirteen minutes by the college clock'
The Major might have appealed to his countenance in corroboration of this story. It certainly looked as if he had hung out a little too long.
'But it made us what we were, Sir,' said the Major, settling his shirt frill. 'We were iron, Sir, and it forged us. Are you remaining here, Mr Dombey?'
'I generally come down once a week, Major,' returned that gentleman. 'I stay at the Bedford.'
'I shall have the honour of calling at the Bedford, Sir, if you'll permit me,' said the Major. 'Joey B., Sir, is not in general a calling man, but Mr Dombey's is not a common name. I am much indebted to my little friend, Sir, for the honour of this introduction.'
Mr Dombey made a very gracious reply; and Major Bagstock, having patted Paul on the head, and said of Florence that her eyes would play the Devil with the youngsters before long - 'and the oldsters too, Sir, if you come to that,' added the Major, chuckling very much - stirred up Master Bitherstone with his walking-stick, and departed with that young gentleman, at a kind of half-trot; rolling his head and coughing with great dignity, as he staggered away, with his legs very wide asunder.
In fulfilment of his promise, the Major afterwards called on Mr Dombey; and Mr Dombey, having referred to the army list, afterwards called on the Major. Then the Major called at Mr Dombey's house in town; and came down again, in the same coach as Mr Dombey. In short, Mr Dombey and the Major got on uncommonly well together, and uncommonly fast: and Mr Dombey observed of the Major, to his sister, that besides being quite a military man he was really something more, as he had a very admirable idea of the importance of things unconnected with his own profession.
At length Mr Dombey, bringing down Miss Tox and Mrs Chick to see the children, and finding the Major again at Brighton, invited him to dinner at the Bedford, and complimented Miss Tox highly, beforehand, on her neighbour and acquaintance.
'My dearest Louisa,' said Miss Tox to Mrs Chick, when they were alone together, on the morning of the appointed day, 'if I should seem at all reserved to Major Bagstock, or under any constraint with him, promise me not to notice it.'
'My dear Lucretia,' returned Mrs Chick, 'what mystery is involved in this remarkable request? I must insist upon knowing.'
'Since you are resolved to extort a confession from me, Louisa,' said Miss Tox instantly, 'I have no alternative but to confide to you that the Major has been particular.'
'Particular!' repeated Mrs Chick.
'The Major has long been very particular indeed, my love, in his attentions,' said Miss Tox, 'occasionally they have been so very marked, that my position has been one of no common difficulty.'
'Is he in good circumstances?' inquired Mrs Chick.
'I have every reason to believe, my dear - indeed I may say I know,' returned Miss Tox, 'that he is wealthy. He is truly military, and full of anecdote. I have been informed that his valour, when he was in active service, knew no bounds. I am told that he did all sorts of things in the Peninsula, with every description of fire-arm; and in the East and West Indies, my love, I really couldn't undertake to say what he did not do.'
'Very creditable to him indeed,' said Mrs Chick, 'extremely so; and you have given him no encouragement, my dear?'
'If I were to say, Louisa,' replied Miss Tox, with every demonstration of making an effort that rent her soul, 'that I never encouraged Major Bagstock slightly, I should not do justice to the friendship which exists between you and me. It is, perhaps, hardly in the nature of woman to receive such attentions as the Major once lavished upon myself without betraying some sense of obligation. But that is past - long past. Between the Major and me there is now a yawning chasm, and I will not feign to give encouragement, Louisa, where I cannot give my heart. My affections,' said Miss Tox - 'but, Louisa, this is madness!' and departed from the room.
All this Mrs Chick communicated to her brother before dinner: and it by no means indisposed Mr Dombey to receive the Major with unwonted cordiality. The Major, for his part, was in a state of plethoric satisfaction that knew no bounds: and he coughed, and choked, and chuckled, and gasped, and swelled, until the waiters seemed positively afraid of him.
'Your family monopolises Joe's light, Sir,' said the Major, when he had saluted Miss Tox. 'Joe lives in darkness. Princess's Place is changed into Kamschatka in the winter time. There is no ray of sun, Sir, for Joey B., now.'
'Miss Tox is good enough to take a great deal of interest in Paul, Major,' returned Mr Dombey on behalf of that blushing virgin.
'Damme Sir,' said the Major, 'I'm jealous of my little friend. I'm pining away Sir. The Bagstock breed is degenerating in the forsaken person of old Joe.' And the Major, becoming bluer and bluer and puffing his cheeks further and further over the stiff ridge of his tight cravat, stared at Miss Tox, until his eyes seemed as if he were at that moment being overdone before the slow fire at the military college.
Notwithstanding the palpitation of the heart which these allusions occasioned her, they were anything but disagreeable to Miss Tox, as they enabled her to be extremely interesting, and to manifest an occasional incoherence and distraction which she was not at all unwilling to display. The Major gave her abundant opportunities of exhibiting this emotion: being profuse in his complaints, at dinner, of her desertion of him and Princess's Place: and as he appeared to derive great enjoyment from making them, they all got on very well.
None the worse on account of the Major taking charge of the whole conversation, and showing as great an appetite in that respect as in regard of the various dainties on the table, among which he may be almost said to have wallowed: greatly to the aggravation of his inflammatory tendencies. Mr Dombey's habitual silence and reserve yielding readily to this usurpation, the Major felt that he was coming out and shining: and in the flow of spirits thus engendered, rang such an infinite number of new changes on his own name that he quite astonished himself. In a word, they were all very well pleased. The Major was considered to possess an inexhaustible fund of conversation; and when he took a late farewell, after a long rubber, Mr Dombey again complimented the blushing Miss Tox on her neighbour and acquaintance.
But all the way home to his own hotel, the Major incessantly said to himself, and of himself, 'Sly, Sir - sly, Sir - de-vil-ish sly!' And when he got there, sat down in a chair, and fell into a silent fit of laughter, with which he was sometimes seized, and which was always particularly awful. It held him so long on this occasion that the dark servant, who stood watching him at a distance, but dared not for his life approach, twice or thrice gave him over for lost. His whole form, but especially his face and head, dilated beyond all former experience; and presented to the dark man's view, nothing but a heaving mass of indigo. At length he burst into a violent paroxysm of coughing, and when that was a little better burst into such ejaculations as the following:
'Would you, Ma'am, would you? Mrs Dombey, eh, Ma'am? I think not, Ma'am. Not while Joe B. can put a spoke in your wheel, Ma'am. J. B.'s even with you now, Ma'am. He isn't altogether bowled out, yet, Sir, isn't Bagstock. She's deep, Sir, deep, but Josh is deeper. Wide awake is old Joe - broad awake, and staring, Sir!' There was no doubt of this last assertion being true, and to a very fearful extent; as it continued to be during the greater part of that night, which the Major chiefly passed in similar exclamations, diversified with fits of coughing and choking that startled the whole house.
It was on the day after this occasion (being Sunday) when, as Mr Dombey, Mrs Chick, and Miss Tox were sitting at breakfast, still eulogising the Major, Florence came running in: her face suffused with a bright colour, and her eyes sparkling joyfully: and cried,
'Papa! Papa! Here's Walter! and he won't come in.'
'Who?' cried Mr Dombey. 'What does she mean? What is this?'
'Walter, Papa!' said Florence timidly; sensible of having approached the presence with too much familiarity. 'Who found me when I was lost.'
'Does she mean young Gay, Louisa?' inquired Mr Dombey, knitting his brows. 'Really, this child's manners have become very boisterous. She cannot mean young Gay, I think. See what it is, will you?'
Mrs Chick hurried into the passage, and returned with the information that it was young Gay, accompanied by a very strange-looking person; and that young Gay said he would not take the liberty of coming in, hearing Mr Dombey was at breakfast, but would wait until Mr Dombey should signify that he might approach.
'Tell the boy to come in now,' said Mr Dombey. 'Now, Gay, what is the matter? Who sent you down here? Was there nobody else to come?'
'I beg your pardon, Sir,' returned Walter. 'I have not been sent. I have been so bold as to come on my own account, which I hope you'll pardon when I mention the cause.
But Mr Dombey, without attending to what he said, was looking impatiently on either side of him (as if he were a pillar in his way) at some object behind.
'What's that?' said Mr Dombey. 'Who is that? I think you have made some mistake in the door, Sir.'
'Oh, I'm very sorry to intrude with anyone, Sir,' cried Walter, hastily: 'but this is - this is Captain Cuttle, Sir.'
'Wal'r, my lad,' observed the Captain in a deep voice: 'stand by!'
At the same time the Captain, coming a little further in, brought out his wide suit of blue, his conspicuous shirt-collar, and his knobby nose in full relief, and stood bowing to Mr Dombey, and waving his hook politely to the ladies, with the hard glazed hat in his one hand, and a red equator round his head which it had newly imprinted there.
Mr Dombey regarded this phenomenon with amazement and indignation, and seemed by his looks to appeal to Mrs Chick and Miss Tox against it. Little Paul, who had come in after Florence, backed towards Miss Tox as the Captain waved his book, and stood on the defensive.
'Now, Gay,' said Mr Dombey. 'What have you got to say to me?'
Again the Captain observed, as a general opening of the conversation that could not fail to propitiate all parties, 'Wal'r, standby!'
'I am afraid, Sir,' began Walter, trembling, and looking down at the ground, 'that I take a very great liberty in coming - indeed, I am sure I do. I should hardly have had the courage to ask to see you, Sir, even after coming down, I am afraid, if I had not overtaken Miss Dombey, and - '
'Well!' said Mr Dombey, following his eyes as he glanced at the attentive Florence, and frowning unconsciously as she encouraged him with a smile. 'Go on, if you please.'
'Ay, ay,' observed the Captain, considering it incumbent on him, as a point of good breeding, to support Mr Dombey. 'Well said! Go on, Wal'r.'
Captain Cuttle ought to have been withered by the look which Mr Dombey bestowed upon him in acknowledgment of his patronage. But quite innocent of this, he closed one eye in reply, and gave Mr Dombey to understand, by certain significant motions of his hook, that Walter was a little bashful at first, and might be expected to come out shortly.
'It is entirely a private and personal matter, that has brought me here, Sir,' continued Walter, faltering, 'and Captain Cuttle
'Here!' interposed the Captain, as an assurance that he was at hand, and might be relied upon.
'Who is a very old friend of my poor Uncle's, and a most excellent man, Sir,' pursued Walter, raising his eyes with a look of entreaty in the Captain's behalf, 'was so good as to offer to come with me, which I could hardly refuse.'
'No, no, no;' observed the Captain complacently. 'Of course not. No call for refusing. Go on, Wal'r.'
'And therefore, Sir,' said Walter, venturing to meet Mr Dombey's eye, and proceeding with better courage in the very desperation of the case, now that there was no avoiding it, 'therefore I have come, with him, Sir, to say that my poor old Uncle is in very great affliction and distress. That, through the gradual loss of his business, and not being able to make a payment, the apprehension of which has weighed very heavily upon his mind, months and months, as indeed I know, Sir, he has an execution in his house, and is in danger of losing all he has, and breaking his heart. And that if you would, in your kindness, and in your old knowledge of him as a respectable man, do anything to help him out of his difficulty, Sir, we never could thank you enough for it.'
Walter's eyes filled with tears as he spoke; and so did those of Florence. Her father saw them glistening, though he appeared to look at Walter only.
'It is a very large sum, Sir,' said Walter. 'More than three hundred pounds. My Uncle is quite beaten down by his misfortune, it lies so heavy on him; and is quite unable to do anything for his own relief. He doesn't even know yet, that I have come to speak to you. You would wish me to say, Sir,' added Walter, after a moment's hesitation, 'exactly what it is I want. I really don't know, Sir. There is my Uncle's stock, on which I believe I may say, confidently, there are no other demands, and there is Captain Cuttle, who would wish to be security too. I - I hardly like to mention,' said Walter, 'such earnings as mine; but if you would allow them - accumulate - payment - advance - Uncle - frugal, honourable, old man.' Walter trailed off, through these broken sentences, into silence: and stood with downcast head, before his employer.
Considering this a favourable moment for the display of the valuables, Captain Cuttle advanced to the table; and clearing a space among the breakfast-cups at Mr Dombey's elbow, produced the silver watch, the ready money, the teaspoons, and the sugar-tongs; and piling them up into a heap that they might look as precious as possible, delivered himself of these words:
'Half a loaf's better than no bread, and the same remark holds good with crumbs. There's a few. Annuity of one hundred pound premium also ready to be made over. If there is a man chock full of science in the world, it's old Sol Gills. If there is a lad of promise - one flowing,' added the Captain, in one of his happy quotations, 'with milk and honey - it's his nevy!'
The Captain then withdrew to his former place, where he stood arranging his scattered locks with the air of a man who had given the finishing touch to a difficult performance.
When Walter ceased to speak, Mr Dombey's eyes were attracted to little Paul, who, seeing his sister hanging down her head and silently weeping in her commiseration for the distress she had heard described, went over to her, and tried to comfort her: looking at Walter and his father as he did so, with a very expressive face. After the momentary distraction of Captain Cuttle's address, which he regarded with lofty indifference, Mr Dombey again turned his eyes upon his son, and sat steadily regarding the child, for some moments, in silence.
'What was this debt contracted for?' asked Mr Dombey, at length. 'Who is the creditor?'
'He don't know,' replied the Captain, putting his hand on Walter's shoulder. 'I do. It came of helping a man that's dead now, and that's cost my friend Gills many a hundred pound already. More particulars in private, if agreeable.'
'People who have enough to do to hold their own way,' said Mr Dombey, unobservant of the Captain's mysterious signs behind Walter, and still looking at his son, 'had better be content with their own obligations and difficulties, and not increase them by engaging for other men. It is an act of dishonesty and presumption, too,' said Mr Dombey, sternly; 'great presumption; for the wealthy could do no more. Paul, come here!'
The child obeyed: and Mr Dombey took him on his knee.
'If you had money now - ' said Mr Dombey. 'Look at me!'
Paul, whose eyes had wandered to his sister, and to Walter, looked his father in the face.
'If you had money now,' said Mr Dombey; 'as much money as young Gay has talked about; what would you do?'
'Give it to his old Uncle,' returned Paul.
'Lend it to his old Uncle, eh?' retorted Mr Dombey. 'Well! When you are old enough, you know, you will share my money, and we shall use it together.'
'Dombey and Son,' interrupted Paul, who had been tutored early in the phrase.
'Dombey and Son,' repeated his father. 'Would you like to begin to be Dombey and Son, now, and lend this money to young Gay's Uncle?'
'Oh! if you please, Papa!' said Paul: 'and so would Florence.'
'Girls,' said Mr Dombey, 'have nothing to do with Dombey and Son. Would you like it?'
'Yes, Papa, yes!'
'Then you shall do it,' returned his father. 'And you see, Paul,' he added, dropping his voice, 'how powerful money is, and how anxious people are to get it. Young Gay comes all this way to beg for money, and you, who are so grand and great, having got it, are going to let him have it, as a great favour and obligation.'
Paul turned up the old face for a moment, in which there was a sharp understanding of the reference conveyed in these words: but it was a young and childish face immediately afterwards, when he slipped down from his father's knee, and ran to tell Florence not to cry any more, for he was going to let young Gay have the money.
Mr Dombey then turned to a side-table, and wrote a note and sealed it. During the interval, Paul and Florence whispered to Walter, and Captain Cuttle beamed on the three, with such aspiring and ineffably presumptuous thoughts as Mr Dombey never could have believed in. The note being finished, Mr Dombey turned round to his former place, and held it out to Walter.
'Give that,' he said, 'the first thing to-morrow morning, to Mr Carker. He will immediately take care that one of my people releases your Uncle from his present position, by paying the amount at issue; and that such arrangements are made for its repayment as may be consistent with your Uncle's circumstances. You will consider that this is done for you by Master Paul.'
Walter, in the emotion of holding in his hand the means of releasing his good Uncle from his trouble, would have endeavoured to express something of his gratitude and joy. But Mr Dombey stopped him short.
'You will consider that it is done,' he repeated, 'by Master Paul. I have explained that to him, and he understands it. I wish no more to be said.'
As he motioned towards the door, Walter could only bow his head and retire. Miss Tox, seeing that the Captain appeared about to do the same, interposed.
'My dear Sir,' she said, addressing Mr Dombey, at whose munificence both she and Mrs Chick were shedding tears copiously; 'I think you have overlooked something. Pardon me, Mr Dombey, I think, in the nobility of your character, and its exalted scope, you have omitted a matter of detail.'
'Indeed, Miss Tox!' said Mr Dombey.
'The gentleman with the - Instrument,' pursued Miss Tox, glancing at Captain Cuttle, 'has left upon the table, at your elbow - '
'Good Heaven!' said Mr Dombey, sweeping the Captain's property from him, as if it were so much crumb indeed. 'Take these things away. I am obliged to you, Miss Tox; it is like your usual discretion. Have the goodness to take these things away, Sir!'
Captain Cuttle felt he had no alternative but to comply. But he was so much struck by the magnanimity of Mr Dombey, in refusing treasures lying heaped up to his hand, that when he had deposited the teaspoons and sugar-tongs in one pocket, and the ready money in another, and had lowered the great watch down slowly into its proper vault, he could not refrain from seizing that gentleman's right hand in his own solitary left, and while he held it open with his powerful fingers, bringing the hook down upon its palm in a transport of admiration. At this touch of warm feeling and cold iron, Mr Dombey shivered all over.
Captain Cuttle then kissed his hook to the ladies several times, with great elegance and gallantry; and having taken a particular leave of Paul and Florence, accompanied Walter out of the room. Florence was running after them in the earnestness of her heart, to send some message to old Sol, when Mr Dombey called her back, and bade her stay where she was.
'Will you never be a Dombey, my dear child!' said Mrs Chick, with pathetic reproachfulness.
'Dear aunt,' said Florence. 'Don't be angry with me. I am so thankful to Papa!'
She would have run and thrown her arms about his neck if she had dared; but as she did not dare, she glanced with thankful eyes towards him, as he sat musing; sometimes bestowing an uneasy glance on her, but, for the most part, watching Paul, who walked about the room with the new-blown dignity of having let young Gay have the money.
And young Gay - Walter- what of him?
He was overjoyed to purge the old man's hearth from bailiffs and brokers, and to hurry back to his Uncle with the good tidings. He was overjoyed to have it all arranged and settled next day before noon; and to sit down at evening in the little back parlour with old Sol and Captain Cuttle; and to see the Instrument-maker already reviving, and hopeful for the future, and feeling that the wooden Midshipman was his own again. But without the least impeachment of his gratitude to Mr Dombey, it must be confessed that Walter was humbled and cast down. It is when our budding hopes are nipped beyond recovery by some rough wind, that we are the most disposed to picture to ourselves what flowers they might have borne, if they had flourished; and now, when Walter found himself cut off from that great Dombey height, by the depth of a new and terrible tumble, and felt that all his old wild fancies had been scattered to the winds in the fall, he began to suspect that they might have led him on to harmless visions of aspiring to Florence in the remote distance of time.
The Captain viewed the subject in quite a different light. He appeared to entertain a belief that the interview at which he had assisted was so very satisfactory and encouraging, as to be only a step or two removed from a regular betrothal of Florence to Walter; and that the late transaction had immensely forwarded, if not thoroughly established, the Whittingtonian hopes. Stimulated by this conviction, and by the improvement in the spirits of his old friend, and by his own consequent gaiety, he even attempted, in favouring them with the ballad of 'Lovely Peg' for the third time in one evening, to make an extemporaneous substitution of the name 'Florence;' but finding this difficult, on account of the word Peg invariably rhyming to leg (in which personal beauty the original was described as having excelled all competitors), he hit upon the happy thought of changing it to Fle-e-eg; which he accordingly did, with an archness almost supernatural, and a voice quite vociferous, notwithstanding that the time was close at band when he must seek the abode of the dreadful Mrs MacStinger.
That same evening the Major was diffuse at his club, on the subject of his friend Dombey in the City. 'Damme, Sir,' said the Major, 'he's a prince, is my friend Dombey in the City. I tell you what, Sir. If you had a few more men among you like old Joe Bagstock and my friend Dombey in the City, Sir, you'd do!'
白格斯托克少校通過他的看戲用的雙筒小望遠鏡，越過公主廣場對保羅進行了長久與頻繁的觀察之后，在每天、每周、每月從本地人（他為了這個目的與托克斯小姐的女仆經(jīng)常交往）那里得到有關(guān)這個問題的許多詳細的報告之后，得出結(jié)論說，董貝先生是一位值得結(jié)識的人，喬·白是一位設(shè)法要與他結(jié)識的后生。
可是托克斯小姐一直保持著疏遠的態(tài)度，少校每次為了這個目的對她進行摸底，想從她那里哄騙出一些有關(guān)的情況（他時常這樣做）時，她都冷淡地表示她不想弄明白他的意思，所以少校雖然生性堅強不屈，非常狡猾，也不得不把實現(xiàn)他的愿望這件事多少聽隨機會去擺布了。“先生，”他常常在俱樂部里談到他的機會時，吃吃地笑著說，“自從他的哥哥在西印度群島因為黃熱病死了之后，五十比一的機會是對喬?！ぐ子欣?。”
這一次是過了好些時候，機會才來幫助他的，但它終于對他親近了，當黑皮膚的仆人詳詳細細地報告說，托克斯小姐有事到布賴頓去了，少校突然感情深厚地回憶起他的孟加拉①朋友比爾·比瑟斯通；比瑟斯通曾經(jīng)寫信給他，如果他有便去布賴頓那一帶的話，那就請麻煩他去看一下他的獨生子。當這同一位黑皮膚的仆人報告說，保羅住在皮普欽太太那里的時候，少校查看了一下比瑟斯通少爺?shù)竭_英國以后寄給他的信——過去他從來沒想過要把它當一回什么事——，看到好機會已經(jīng)自己送上門來了；可是那時候他因為患痛風(fēng)病，正躺在床上療養(yǎng)，痛風(fēng)病發(fā)作時他狂怒得把一只腳凳向黑仆人扔了過去，來報答他所提供的消息，并發(fā)誓說，在他自己死去之前，他要把這無賴弄死。黑仆人非常相信這一點。
終于，少校擺脫了痛風(fēng)病發(fā)作的痛苦，在一個星期六，在本地人尾隨之下，罵罵咧咧地到布賴頓去了；一路上他與托克斯小姐談著話，幸災(zāi)樂禍地想像著他以突然襲擊的方式把她那位高貴的朋友奪到手中的情景（她曾經(jīng)把她的那位朋友弄得那么神秘兮兮，而且也是為了他她才把少校拋棄的）。
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①孟加拉（Bengal）：當時全屬于印度。
“您是不是，夫人，您是不是，”少校說道；他由于懷著報復(fù)的情緒緊繃著臉，頭上每一根早已發(fā)漲的血管漲得更粗了，“您是不是要向喬?！ぐ赘鎰e了，夫人？還沒到時候呢，夫人，還沒到時候！他媽的，還沒到時候呢，先生。喬埃沒有睡去，夫人。白格斯托克還活著，先生。喬·白是精明的，夫人。喬埃時時警惕著，先生。您會看到，他是堅強不屈的，夫人，堅強不屈，先生，堅強不屈的就是約瑟夫，堅強不屈，而且像魔鬼般地狡猾！”
當他領(lǐng)著比瑟斯通少爺出去散步的時候，這位年輕人看到他的確是很堅強不屈的。少校四處游逛著，臉色像斯蒂爾頓干酪①一樣，眼睛像對蝦的一樣，完全不考慮比瑟斯通少爺?shù)臉啡?。當他上下張望，尋找董貝先生和他的孩子們的時候，他把比瑟斯通少爺硬拽著走。
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①斯蒂爾頓干酪（Stiltoncheese）：英國產(chǎn)干酪，以亨丁頓郡一村莊命名，乳黃色，帶有青霉菌芽胞藍綠色花紋。正因為帶有藍綠色的花紋，所以說少校的臉色像它。
由于皮普欽太太事先進行過指點，所以少校及時地偵察到了保羅和弗洛倫斯，并且迅速地向他們走近。有一位莊嚴的紳士跟他們在一起，他無疑就是董貝先生。當他和比瑟斯通少爺闖進這一小群人中間時，結(jié)果自然是比瑟斯通少爺跟他那些同樣遭難受罪的伴侶們談起話來。少校在后面停下腳步，注意地看著他們并稱贊著他們；他表示驚奇地記起來，他曾經(jīng)在公主廣場他的朋友托克斯小姐的家里看見過他們，跟他們說過話；他說，保羅是一個非常可愛的孩子，是他自己的小朋友；又問他是否記得喬?！ぐ咨傩＃詈?，他突然記起了習(xí)俗慣例應(yīng)有的禮節(jié)，就轉(zhuǎn)過身去，向董貝先生道歉。
“可是我在這里的小朋友又使我變成一個孩子了，先生，”少校說道?！耙晃焕媳姓J這一點并不感到難為情，先生，他是白格斯托克少校，隨時愿意為您效勞；”少校這時脫下帽子敬禮?！八麐尩?，先生，”少校突然熱情地喊道，“我妒嫉您?！?BR> 然后他鎮(zhèn)靜下來，補充了一句，“請原諒我的放肆?！?BR> 董貝先生請他別這么客氣。
“一位老兵，先生，”少校說道，“一條被煙熏過，被太陽曬黑的、精疲力盡、因傷病而退伍的少校老狗是不怕像董貝先生這樣的人指責(zé)他忽起的念頭的。我想我能榮幸跟董貝先生交談幾句嗎？”
“現(xiàn)在我就是姓我們這個姓的家族的卑賤的代表，少校，”
董貝先生回答道。
“可以對著上帝發(fā)誓，先生，”少校說道，“這是個偉大的姓，”少校堅決地說道，仿佛他挑起董貝先生來反駁他，而如果董貝先生真的那么做了，那么他就會感到他負有痛苦的責(zé)任來爭個高低，讓他過不去似的，“這是個在不列顛海外領(lǐng)地中享有聲望與尊敬的姓。人們以姓這個姓而感到自豪，先生。約瑟夫·白格斯托克不懂得拍馬*，先生。約克郡公爵殿下不止一次說過，‘喬埃不會拍馬*。他是個普通的老兵，這就是喬，他堅強不屈得有點過了頭，這就是約瑟夫?！贿^這是個偉大的姓，先生。可以對著天主發(fā)誓，這是個偉大的姓！”
少校一本正經(jīng)地說道。
“承蒙您好意贊揚，不過也許評價太高，有些過分了，少校，”董貝先生回答道。
“不，先生，”少校說道?！拔以谶@里的小朋友會給約瑟夫·白格斯托克證明，他是一位耿直的、坦率的、有話直說的老實人，先生，這就是一切。那個孩子，先生，”少校壓低了聲音，說道，“將會留芳百世，永垂史冊。那個孩子，先生，不是個平凡之輩。請好好照看他，董貝先生?！?BR> 董貝先生似乎向他暗示說，他將努力這樣去做。
“這里有一個孩子，先生，”少校用說知心話的口吻繼續(xù)說道，一邊用手杖戳戳他?！懊霞永壬雇ǖ膬鹤印１葼枴け壬雇◤那笆俏覀儺斨械囊粋€。那個孩子的父親和我本人過去是莫逆之交，先生。不論您走到哪里，先生，您聽到人們談?wù)摰娜际怯嘘P(guān)比爾·比瑟斯通和喬·白格斯托克的事情。難道我看不見那個孩子的缺點嗎？決不是。他是個傻瓜，先生?！?BR> 董貝先生向那位遭到誹謗的比瑟斯通少爺看了一眼；他跟少校一樣，對這孩子絲毫也不了解，他很得意地說道，“真的嗎？”
“真的，他就是這樣，先生，”少校說道?！八莻€傻瓜。喬·白格斯托克從來不粉飾事實。我的孟加拉老朋友比爾·比瑟斯通的兒子生來就是個傻瓜，先生。”少校說到這里，哈哈大笑著，笑到臉色幾乎完全發(fā)青?！拔蚁?，我的小朋友注定要進公學(xué)①的吧，董貝先生？”少?；謴?fù)過來之后，問道。
“我還沒有作出決定，”董貝先生回答道?！拔蚁氩凰腿?。
他的體質(zhì)虛弱。”
“如果他的體質(zhì)虛弱，先生，”少校說道，“您不送去是對的。只有堅強不屈的小伙子才能在經(jīng)受了桑赫斯特②的苦難之后活下來。我們在那里互相折磨，先生。我們把新來的人放在慢火上烤，把他們從四層樓往窗子外面頭朝下地倒掛著。先生，約瑟夫·白格斯托克曾經(jīng)被握住靴子后跟，在校鐘旁邊的窗子外面掛了十三分鐘?！?BR> --------
①公學(xué)（publicschool）：英國專為富有子弟而設(shè)的私立中等中校，如伊頓（Eton）公學(xué)、哈羅（Harrow）公學(xué)等。
②桑赫斯特（Sandhurst）是英格蘭南部的一個小鎮(zhèn)，英國陸軍軍官學(xué)校設(shè)在那里。
少校很可以舉出他的臉色來證實這段經(jīng)歷，他看上去仿佛確實曾經(jīng)被倒掛得太久了一些。
“但是它使我們變成了我們那時那樣的人，先生，”少校整整襯衫褶邊，說道。“我們是鐵，先生，它鍛造了我們。您住在這里嗎，董貝先生？”
“我通常每星期到這里來一次，少校，”那位先生說道。
“我住在貝德福德旅館?！?BR> “如果您允許，先生，我將榮幸地到貝德福德旅館去拜訪您，”少校說道?！皢贪！ぐ撞皇莻€喜愛拜訪的人，但是董貝先生不是個平凡的人物。我非常感謝我的小朋友，先生，感謝他使我有幸被介紹跟您認識。”
董貝先生很親切友好地回答了他的話；白格斯托克少校拍了拍保羅的頭之后，說到弗洛倫斯的時候說，她那雙眼睛不久就會使年輕人神魂顛倒的?！罢f實話，也會使老頭子神魂顛倒的，先生，”少校補充說道，一邊大聲地吃吃地笑著。他用手杖捅捅比瑟斯通少爺，邁著急匆匆的快步，跟那位年輕人離開了。當他兩只腿分得很開，蹣跚地繼續(xù)往前走去的時候，他搖晃著腦袋，極為威嚴地咳嗽著。
少校履行諾言，后來去拜訪了董貝先生；董貝先生查閱了軍人名冊之后，后來也去拜訪了少校。然后少校在董貝先生城里的公館中拜訪了他；然后他和董貝先生乘坐著同一輛馬車又到布賴頓來?？傊?，董貝先生與少校相處得異乎尋常地融洽，關(guān)系進展得異乎尋常地迅速。董貝先生向他的妹妹談起少校的時候，說，他不僅是一位真正的軍人，而且在他身上還有其他一些東西，因為他對跟他的職業(yè)毫無關(guān)系的事物，也令人驚嘆地了解它們的重要性。
終于，當董貝先生領(lǐng)著托克斯小姐與奇克夫人到布賴頓來看孩子們，并看到少校也在這里的時候，他就邀請他到貝德福德旅館來吃晚飯，事前還向托克斯小姐極力恭維她有這樣一位鄰居與熟人。盡管這些暗示使托克斯小姐心房怦怦跳動，但她聽起來決不是不愉快的，因為它們使她變得格外有趣，有時使她顯得心意煩亂，神志不定，這是她完全不愿意表露出來的。少校給了她很多機會來展現(xiàn)這種情緒，他在晚飯中間不斷埋怨她把他和公主廣場拋棄了。由于他講這些話看來是為了取得極大的樂趣，所以他們?nèi)枷嗵幍煤苋谇ⅰ?BR> 少校掌握著整個談話；他在這方面的胃口跟他對桌子上的各種美味食品的胃口一樣大；幾乎可以說他在大吞大咽著這些食品，而這又大大地促使他鼓動他的如簧之舌；這對當時的情況并沒有什么不好。由于董貝先生習(xí)慣于沉著冷靜，不多說話，所以他絲毫沒有干預(yù)這種喧賓奪主的現(xiàn)象；少校覺得他正在大出風(fēng)頭，因而興高采烈，把他自己的姓名顛來倒去地說出了無數(shù)個新的變化，連他自己也感到十分驚奇。總之，他們?nèi)几械绞指吲d。大家覺得少校擁有耗用不盡的談話資源；當打完一局時間拖得很長的紙牌，少校終于很晚地告別之后，董貝先生又向臉孔羞得通紅的托克斯小姐恭維她有這樣一位鄰居與熟人。
可是在回到自己旅館的整個路途中，少校不斷自言自語地談著他自己?！敖苹?，先生——狡猾呵，先生——像魔鬼般地狡猾呵！”到達旅館以后，他在一張椅子中坐下，默默無聲地大笑個不停；他有時是會這樣大笑的，而那樣子常常是特別可怕的。這一次笑的時間那么長久，所以黑仆人就站在遠處看著他，無論如何也不敢走近他，有兩三次還以為他已經(jīng)沒有醫(yī)治的希望了。他的整個身軀，特別是他的臉與頭膨脹得比過去任何時候都大，在黑人眼中看到的只是一大堆靛藍的東西。終于他發(fā)出一陣猛烈的咳嗽，在感到好一些以后，他短促地叫喊出以下一些話來：
“您是不是，夫人，您是不是想當董貝夫人，嗯，夫人？我看不成，夫人。只要喬·白能在您的車輪子里插進一根棍子，那就不成，夫人。喬·白現(xiàn)在和您是平等的，夫人。他根本還沒有被*，退出場外，先生，白格斯托克沒有退。她的心計深，先生，心計深，但是喬希的心計更深。老喬清醒著——沒有絲毫睡意，而且睜大了眼睛看著，先生！”他最后的一句話無疑是真實的，而且真實到了很可怕的程度；因為在那一夜的大半時間里，繼續(xù)是這種情形；少校主要是在類似叫喊聲中度過那一夜的，有時穿插著一陣陣使整個房屋都感到驚恐的咳嗽與窒息。
就在發(fā)生這件事情以后的第二天（這是個星期天），當董貝先生，奇克夫人和托克斯小姐坐著吃早飯，依舊在稱贊少校的時候，弗洛倫斯臉上顯露出一片明亮的光彩，眼中閃著喜悅的光輝，跑了進來，喊道：
“爸爸！爸爸！沃爾特在這里！他不肯進來?！?BR> “誰？”董貝先生喊道?！八v的是什么？這是什么意思？”
“沃爾特，爸爸！”弗洛倫斯膽怯地說道；她感到她剛才提到這個人太隨隨便便了?！拔颐月返臅r候是他把我找到的?！薄八钦f年輕人蓋伊嗎，路易莎？”董貝先生皺著眉頭，問道?！罢娴模@孩子的舉止變得很吵吵嚷嚷的了。她不會指年輕人蓋伊吧，我想。請你去了解一下是什么事情好嗎？”
奇克夫人匆忙走進走廊，回來說，是年輕人蓋伊，陪他一道來的是一位外貌很古怪的人；年輕人蓋伊說，他聽說董貝先生正在吃早飯，就不肯冒失地進來；他愿意在外面等候，直到董貝先生允許他進來的時候為止。
“告訴這孩子現(xiàn)在進來吧，”董貝先生說道?！斑?，蓋伊，發(fā)生了什么事情？誰派您到這里來的？沒有別的人到這里來了嗎？”
“我請您原諒，先生，”沃爾特回答道。“我不是被公司派來的。我是不揣冒昧地為了我的私事到您這里來的；我希望我說明原因以后您會原諒我?！?BR> 可是董貝先生沒有注意聽他講的話，而是不耐煩地一會兒從他的左邊，一會兒從他的右邊去看他背后的一個什么目標，仿佛他本人是一根擋住他視線的柱子似的。
“那是什么？”董貝先生說道?！澳鞘钦l？我想您走錯了門了吧，先生？”
“啊，我很抱歉，我不是一個人來的，先生，”沃爾特急忙喊道；“不過這是——這是卡特爾船長，先生。”
“沃爾，我的孩子，”船長用深沉的聲音說道；“做好準備！”
在這同時，船長向前走近一些，十分清楚地顯露出了他的寬大的藍上衣，顯眼的襯衫領(lǐng)子和有好多疙瘩的鼻子；他站著向董貝先生鞠躬，并彬彬有禮地向女士們揮著鉤子，另一只手中拿著那頂上了光的硬帽子，頭的周圍顯露出一個紅色的圓圈，那是帽子新近留下的痕跡。
董貝先生驚奇而憤怒地注視著這個現(xiàn)象，并且以他的臉色要求奇克夫人與托克斯小姐跟他一道表示不滿。當船長揮著鉤子的時候，跟隨弗洛倫斯進來的小保羅背朝著托克斯小姐后退，并站在那里作出了防御的姿態(tài)。
“唔，蓋伊，”董貝先生說道，“您有什么要對我說的？”
船長又說道，“沃爾，做好準備！”這就算作是談話的一個開端，它不會不取得所有在場人的好感的。
“我擔(dān)心，先生，”沃爾特哆嗦著，眼睛向下看著地面，說道，“我到這里來是十分放肆的，——確實，我相信是這樣。甚至我到了這里以后，我恐怕也沒有勇氣請求見您，先生，如果我沒有遇見董貝小姐，而且——”
“唔！”董貝先生說道；當沃爾特向注意聽他講話的弗洛倫斯看了一眼的時候，董貝先生跟隨著他的眼光；當她微笑著對沃爾特表示鼓勵的時候，他不自覺地皺起了眉頭?！罢埨^續(xù)說下去?！?BR> “是的，是的，”船長說道；他認為，他是一位有教養(yǎng)的人，他有責(zé)任來支持董貝先生?！罢f得很好！繼續(xù)說下去，沃爾?！?BR> 董貝先生表示聽到了支持他的話，向他看了一眼；卡特爾船長當時如果看到這個眼光的話，那么他一定是會全身畏縮的?？墒撬耆恢肋@一點，所以他閉了一只眼睛作為回答，并寓有深意地揮了揮鉤子，讓董貝先生明白，沃爾特開始有些膽怯，但可以期望他很快就會平靜下來的。
“我到這里來完全是為了一件私人的事情，先生，”沃爾特結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地繼續(xù)說道，“這位卡特爾船長——”
“就在這里！”船長打斷了他的話，證明他就在近旁，而且是可以信賴的。
“是我可憐的舅舅的一位很老的朋友，是一個極好的人，先生，”沃爾特抬起眼睛，露出為船長求情的神色，繼續(xù)說下去，“他一片好心，提出要陪我到這里來，我不能拒絕他的要求?！?BR> “是的，是的，是的，”船長喜洋洋地說道?！爱斎徊荒堋?BR> 哪能拒絕呢。往下說吧，沃爾。”
“因此，先生，”沃爾特說道；他大膽地接觸到董貝先生的眼光，在極為絕望的情況下鼓起勇氣繼續(xù)說下去，因為現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)沒法退避了，“因此我就跟他一起到這里來，想告訴您，先生，我的可憐的年老的舅舅正處在極大的痛苦與不幸之中。由于他的營業(yè)逐漸虧損，無法償還欠款——我知道得很清楚，先生，這個恐懼過去好幾個月一直沉甸甸地壓在他的心頭——，他家里的財產(chǎn)就要查封，他將失去他所有的東西，傷心而死；他現(xiàn)在正處在這樣的危險之中。如果您由于長久以來一直知道他是一位品德端正的人，慈悲為懷，并因此能做點什么事來幫助他走出困境的話，先生，那么我們對您真將感激不盡?！?BR> 沃爾特說話的時候，眼睛里充滿了淚水，弗洛倫斯的眼睛里也是一樣。她的父親看上去好像只是看著沃爾特，但他看到她的這些淚水在閃著亮光。
“這是一筆很大的款子，先生，”沃爾特說道?！叭俣噫^。我的舅舅已經(jīng)完全被他的不幸壓垮了；它是那么沉重地壓在他身上，因此他已經(jīng)完全不能做什么事情來解救自己。他甚至不知道我已經(jīng)到這里來跟您談話。您可能希望，先生，”沃爾特遲疑了片刻之后，補充說道，“我確切地說出我究竟需要什么。我確實不知道，先生。我舅舅有一些貨物。我想我可以有把握地說，他已經(jīng)沒有別的債務(wù)了。還有卡特爾船長，他也愿意出面擔(dān)保。我——我實在不想提到我掙的那點錢；”沃爾特說道，“但是如果您允許把它們積攢起來——抵償——借貸給——舅舅——這位節(jié)儉的、正直的老人?！蔽譅柼爻粤Φ卣f著這些斷斷續(xù)續(xù)、支離破碎的句子，聲音愈來愈小，終于默不作聲，低垂著頭，站在他的雇主前面。
卡特爾船長覺得這是顯示那些貴重物品的好時機，就向前走到餐桌跟前，在董貝先生身旁的餐杯中間清出一小片地方，取出了銀表、現(xiàn)錢、茶匙和方糖箝子；又把它們堆成一堆，使它們看起來顯得格外貴重，然后說出了以下的一番話：
“半塊面包比沒有面包好，就面包屑來說，也同樣可以這樣說。這里是一些面包屑。以后還準備貢獻上一百鎊的年金。如果世界上有一位腦子里充滿科學(xué)的人，那么這個人就是老所爾·吉爾斯。如果世界上有一個前程遠大的小伙子——一個‘流著牛奶與蜂蜜’①的小伙子的話”船長引用了他得意的語錄，補充說道，“——那么這就是他的外甥！”
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①“流著牛奶與蜂蜜”原是圣經(jīng)中形容肥沃的土地（巴勒斯坦）的話，船長用它來形容沃爾特年輕有為、前程遠大。
然后船長退回到他原先的地方，站在那里梳理梳理那散亂的頭發(fā)，露出一副剛剛完成一件最艱難的任務(wù)的人的神態(tài)。
當沃爾特停止講話的時候，董貝先生的眼光被吸引到小保羅的身上；小保羅看到他姐姐低垂著頭，由于憐憫她所聽到的不幸正在默默地哭泣著，就向她走過去，設(shè)法安慰她；當他這樣做的時候，他臉上富于表情地望著沃爾特和他的父親。董貝先生由于卡特爾船長的談話暫時轉(zhuǎn)移了注意力（他對這個談話高傲地漠不關(guān)心）之后，又把眼睛轉(zhuǎn)到他的兒子身上，默默地坐了一些時候，專心一意地望著這孩子。
“這筆債是為什么欠下的？”董貝先生終于問道。“誰是債權(quán)人？”
“他不知道，”船長把手擱在沃爾特的肩膀上，回答道。
“我知道。那是因為幫助一位現(xiàn)已不在人世的人而欠下的?？墒悄且呀?jīng)使我的朋友吉爾斯耗費了幾百鎊了。如果您同意，詳細情況我可以在私下里說給您聽。”
“那些好不容易自己才能生活下去的人們，”董貝先生沒有注意船長在沃爾特背后所做的神秘的手勢，仍然看著他的兒子，說道，“安安分分地照料他們自己的負擔(dān)和困難就行了，不要再去替別人擔(dān)保，增加這種負擔(dān)和困難了。這是一種不誠實的，而且也是狂妄無禮的行為，”董貝先生嚴厲地說道；“極大的狂妄無禮；因為那些富有的人所能做的最多也不過如此罷了。保羅，到這里來！”
孩子依從了。董貝先生把他抱到膝蓋上。
“如果你現(xiàn)在有錢——”董貝先生說道，“看著我！”
保羅的眼睛原先看著他的姐姐和沃爾特，這時看著他父親的臉。
“如果你現(xiàn)在有錢，”董貝先生說道，“有年輕人蓋伊談到的那么多的錢的話，那么你將怎么辦？”
“把它給他年老的舅舅，”保羅回答道。
“把它借給他年老的舅舅，是不是？”董貝先生對他進行糾正，說道。“唔！你知道，等你長大以后，你將跟我一起享有我的錢。我們將一起使用它?！?BR> “董貝父子，”保羅打斷他的話，說道；他很小就被教會說這幾個字。
“董貝父子，”他的父親重復(fù)說道?！澳阍敢猬F(xiàn)在就來管董貝父子公司的事，把這錢借給蓋伊的舅舅嗎？”
“?。∪绻阍敢獾脑?，爸爸！”保羅說道。“弗洛倫斯也會愿意的。”
“女孩子，”董貝先生說道，“跟董貝父子沒有關(guān)系。你愿意嗎？”
“愿意，爸爸，愿意！”
“那么就由你來辦這件事，”他的父親回答道。“你看到了，保羅，”他壓低了聲音，補充說道，“錢有多么大的力量；人們多么急切地想要得到它。年輕人蓋伊跑這一趟路來是為了懇求借錢，而你是這么高貴、偉大、有錢，你將作為一筆很大的恩惠與人情，讓他得到它?！?BR> 保羅把那張老氣的臉向上抬起一會兒，明白地表示他十分理解這些話的含義，可是當他從他父親的膝蓋上滑溜下來，跑去告訴弗洛倫斯不要再哭，因為他將讓年輕的蓋伊得到這筆錢的時候，那張臉又立刻變得年輕與孩子氣了。
于是董貝先生轉(zhuǎn)身走到一張邊桌旁邊，寫了一張條子，蓋了章。在這段時間里，保羅與弗洛倫斯低聲地跟沃爾特說話，卡特爾船長則眉開眼笑地看著這三個人，心中懷著那樣抱負不凡的、難以形容的狂妄的思想，那是董貝先生決不會相信的。條子處理完畢之后，董貝先生回到他原先的地方，把它交給沃爾特。
“明天早上第一件事，”他說道，“就是把這交給卡克先生。他會立刻作出安排，讓我的一位職員支付那筆錢，把您的舅舅從他目前的困境中解脫出來；償還的條件也是規(guī)定得符合您舅舅的境況的。您就把這看作是保羅少爺為您辦的吧！”
沃爾特手里拿著把他的善良的舅舅從災(zāi)難中解救出來的手段，心中無比激動，本想盡力說些表示感激與喜悅的話?？墒嵌愊壬蝗恢浦沽怂?。
“您就把這看作是保羅少爺為您辦的吧，”他重復(fù)說道，“我已經(jīng)向他解釋過，他也聽明白了，我沒有別的話要說的了?！?BR> 因為他用手指著門，沃爾特只好向他鞠躬，告別了。托克斯小姐看到船長好像也正要這樣做的時候，插嘴道：
“我親愛的先生，”她對董貝先生說道；她和奇克夫人對他的慷慨都流出了大量的眼淚；“我想您疏忽了一點什么事情了。請原諒我，董貝先生，我覺得，由于您品格高尚，豁達大度，您沒有注意到一件小事?！?BR> “真的嗎，托克斯小姐！”董貝先生說道。
“那位帶著——工具的先生，”托克斯小姐向卡特爾船長看了一眼，說下去，“在餐桌上挨近您的地方留下了——”
“老天爺！”董貝先生說道，一邊把船長的財產(chǎn)從他的身邊一下推開，仿佛它真是好多面包屑似的?！鞍堰@些東西拿走。我感謝您，托克斯小姐；您一向都是考慮得這樣周到。勞駕您把這些東西拿走吧，先生?！?BR> 卡特爾船長覺得他除了遵命照辦外，沒有別的選擇?？墒嵌愊壬芙^接受這些堆積在他手邊的財寶，表現(xiàn)得那么寬宏大量，這使他十分感動，因此當他把茶匙和方糖箝子裝進一只衣袋，把現(xiàn)錢裝進另一只衣袋，把那只大表慢慢地往下放到它的合適的洞穴里去的時候，他情不自禁地把這位先生的右手握到他那只單獨的左手里，而且當他用有勁的手指把它撐開的時候，他在滿懷敬佩的心情中，把鉤子接觸到它的掌心。董貝先生在熱烈的感情與冰冷的鐵件的接觸下，全身打了個冷顫。
然后，卡特爾船長極為文雅、極為殷勤地把鉤子吻了好幾次，向女士們致意；在向保羅與弗洛倫斯特別進行了告別之后，他陪著沃爾特走出了房間。弗洛倫斯出自一片熱心，追在他們后面，要他們代向老所爾問候，這時候董貝先生喊她回來，吩咐她待在原先的地方。
“難道你永遠也不想成為真正的董貝家里的人了嗎？我親愛的孩子！”奇克夫人用感傷與責(zé)備的語氣說道。
“親愛的姑媽，”弗洛倫斯說道?！皠e生我的氣，我是多么感謝爸爸?。 ?BR> 如果她敢的話，那么她真想跑過去，伸出胳膊摟住他的脖子；可是因為她不敢這樣做，所以她就用感激的眼光向他看看；這時他坐在那里沉思著，有時不安地向她看一眼，但大部分時間是注視著保羅；這孩子正在房間里走來走去，擺出一副威風(fēng)凜凜的氣派，那是由于讓年輕的蓋伊得到了錢而剛剛產(chǎn)生出來的。
那么年輕的蓋伊——沃爾特，他的情況怎么樣了呢？
他歡天喜地地把法警與經(jīng)紀人從老人家里清除掉，急忙回到舅舅身邊去向他報告好消息；他歡天喜地地在第二天中午以前把一切事情安排妥當，處理完畢，晚上在小后客廳里與老所爾和卡特爾船長坐在一起，并且看到儀器制造商已經(jīng)重新振作起精神，對未來充滿希望，同時感到木制海軍軍官候補生又屬于他自己的了?？墒潜仨毘姓J，沃爾特感到自己喪盡體面，意氣消沉。這絲毫也不是責(zé)備他對董貝先生不知感激。當我們希望的萌芽已被一陣暴風(fēng)凍死，無法恢復(fù)生機的時候，我們最不愿意向我們自己描繪，如果它們蓬勃生長的話，那么它們可能會開放出什么樣的花朵了?，F(xiàn)在當沃爾特發(fā)現(xiàn)自己又一次從偉大的董貝高峰上可怕地深深地滾落下來，從而和它完全切斷，并且感到他舊日的狂妄的幻想已經(jīng)在滾落時在風(fēng)中化為烏有的時候，他開始懷疑，這些希望是否還能在遙遠的將來，繼續(xù)引導(dǎo)他走向渴望得到弗洛倫斯的無害的夢幻。
船長卻從完全不同的角度來看這個問題。他似乎相信，他曾給予幫助的這次會晤令人十分稱心滿意和歡欣鼓舞，它離弗洛倫斯與沃爾特正式訂婚只差一兩步了。在這種信心的激勵下，在他老朋友情緒好轉(zhuǎn)以及他自己隨之而來的歡樂心情的鼓舞下，有一天晚上，當他第三次為他們唱《可愛的佩格姑娘》這支民歌的時候，他甚至試圖即席用“弗洛倫斯”的名字來代替；但他發(fā)現(xiàn)“佩格”這個詞總是要跟“萊格”①（腿）這個詞押韻（民歌中描寫女主人公的腿長得十分美麗，她的生理上的這個優(yōu)點使她壓倒了所有的競爭者），于是靈機一動，就把它改成“弗洛—萊格”；雖然他必須回到可怕的麥克斯廷杰太太的住所的時候就要到了，可是他仍舊那樣唱起來，唱時那副詭詐的神氣幾乎是超自然的，而且聲音十分喧鬧。
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①英文中腿（leg）這個詞的發(fā)音為萊格。
Major Bagstock, after long and frequent observation of Paul, across Princess's Place, through his double-barrelled opera-glass; and after receiving many minute reports, daily, weekly, and monthly, on that subject, from the native who kept himself in constant communication with Miss Tox's maid for that purpose; came to the conclusion that Dombey, Sir, was a man to be known, and that J. B. was the boy to make his acquaintance.
Miss Tox, however, maintaining her reserved behaviour, and frigidly declining to understand the Major whenever he called (which he often did) on any little fishing excursion connected with this project, the Major, in spite of his constitutional toughness and slyness, was fain to leave the accomplishment of his desire in some measure to chance, 'which,' as he was used to observe with chuckles at his club, 'has been fifty to one in favour of Joey B., Sir, ever since his elder brother died of Yellow Jack in the West Indies.'
It was some time coming to his aid in the present instance, but it befriended him at last. When the dark servant, with full particulars, reported Miss Tox absent on Brighton service, the Major was suddenly touched with affectionate reminiscences of his friend Bill Bitherstone of Bengal, who had written to ask him, if he ever went that way, to bestow a call upon his only son. But when the same dark servant reported Paul at Mrs Pipchin's, and the Major, referring to the letter favoured by Master Bitherstone on his arrival in England - to which he had never had the least idea of paying any attention - saw the opening that presented itself, he was made so rabid by the gout, with which he happened to be then laid up, that he threw a footstool at the dark servant in return for his intelligence, and swore he would be the death of the rascal before he had done with him: which the dark servant was more than half disposed to believe.
At length the Major being released from his fit, went one Saturday growling down to Brighton, with the native behind him; apostrophizing Miss Tox all the way, and gloating over the prospect of carrying by storm the distinguished friend to whom she attached so much mystery, and for whom she had deserted him,
'Would you, Ma'am, would you!' said the Major, straining with vindictiveness, and swelling every already swollen vein in his head. 'Would you give Joey B. the go-by, Ma'am? Not yet, Ma'am, not yet! Damme, not yet, Sir. Joe is awake, Ma'am. Bagstock is alive, Sir. J. B. knows a move or two, Ma'am. Josh has his weather-eye open, Sir. You'll find him tough, Ma'am. Tough, Sir, tough is Joseph. Tough, and de-vilish sly!'
And very tough indeed Master Bitherstone found him, when he took that young gentleman out for a walk. But the Major, with his complexion like a Stilton cheese, and his eyes like a prawn's, went roving about, perfectly indifferent to Master Bitherstone's amusement, and dragging Master Bitherstone along, while he looked about him high and low, for Mr Dombey and his children.
In good time the Major, previously instructed by Mrs Pipchin, spied out Paul and Florence, and bore down upon them; there being a stately gentleman (Mr Dombey, doubtless) in their company. Charging with Master Bitherstone into the very heart of the little squadron, it fell out, of course, that Master Bitherstone spoke to his fellow-sufferers. Upon that the Major stopped to notice and admire them; remembered with amazement that he had seen and spoken to them at his friend Miss Tox's in Princess's Place; opined that Paul was a devilish fine fellow, and his own little friend; inquired if he remembered Joey B. the Major; and finally, with a sudden recollection of the conventionalities of life, turned and apologised to Mr Dombey.
'But my little friend here, Sir,' said the Major, 'makes a boy of me again: An old soldier, Sir - Major Bagstock, at your service - is not ashamed to confess it.' Here the Major lifted his hat. 'Damme, Sir,' cried the Major with sudden warmth, 'I envy you.' Then he recollected himself, and added, 'Excuse my freedom.'
Mr Dombey begged he wouldn't mention it.
'An old campaigner, Sir,' said the Major, 'a smoke-dried, sun-burnt, used-up, invalided old dog of a Major, Sir, was not afraid of being condemned for his whim by a man like Mr Dombey. I have the honour of addressing Mr Dombey, I believe?'
'I am the present unworthy representative of that name, Major,' returned Mr Dombey.
'By G-, Sir!' said the Major, 'it's a great name. It's a name, Sir,' said the Major firmly, as if he defied Mr Dombey to contradict him, and would feel it his painful duty to bully him if he did, 'that is known and honoured in the British possessions abroad. It is a name, Sir, that a man is proud to recognise. There is nothing adulatory in Joseph Bagstock, Sir. His Royal Highness the Duke of York observed on more than one occasion, "there is no adulation in Joey. He is a plain old soldier is Joe. He is tough to a fault is Joseph:" but it's a great name, Sir. By the Lord, it's a great name!' said the Major, solemnly.
'You are good enough to rate it higher than it deserves, perhaps, Major,' returned Mr Dombey.
'No, Sir,' said the Major, in a severe tone. No, Mr Dombey, let us understand each other. That is not the Bagstock vein, Sir. You don't know Joseph B. He is a blunt old blade is Josh. No flattery in him, Sir. Nothing like it.'
Mr Dombey inclined his head, and said he believed him to be in earnest, and that his high opinion was gratifying.
'My little friend here, Sir,' croaked the Major, looking as amiably as he could, on Paul, 'will certify for Joseph Bagstock that he is a thorough-going, down-right, plain-spoken, old Trump, Sir, and nothing more. That boy, Sir,' said the Major in a lower tone, 'will live in history. That boy, Sir, is not a common production. Take care of him, Mr Dombey.'
Mr Dombey seemed to intimate that he would endeavour to do so.
'Here is a boy here, Sir,' pursued the Major, confidentially, and giving him a thrust with his cane. 'Son of Bitherstone of Bengal. Bill Bitherstone formerly of ours. That boy's father and myself, Sir, were sworn friends. Wherever you went, Sir, you heard of nothing but Bill Bitherstone and Joe Bagstock. Am I blind to that boy's defects? By no means. He's a fool, Sir.'
Mr Dombey glanced at the libelled Master Bitherstone, of whom he knew at least as much as the Major did, and said, in quite a complacent manner, 'Really?'
'That is what he is, sir,' said the Major. 'He's a fool. Joe Bagstock never minces matters. The son of my old friend Bill Bitherstone, of Bengal, is a born fool, Sir.' Here the Major laughed till he was almost black. 'My little friend is destined for a public school,' I' presume, Mr Dombey?' said the Major when he had recovered.
'I am not quite decided,' returned Mr Dombey. 'I think not. He is delicate.'
'If he's delicate, Sir,' said the Major, 'you are right. None but the tough fellows could live through it, Sir, at Sandhurst. We put each other to the torture there, Sir. We roasted the new fellows at a slow fire, and hung 'em out of a three pair of stairs window, with their heads downwards. Joseph Bagstock, Sir, was held out of the window by the heels of his boots, for thirteen minutes by the college clock'
The Major might have appealed to his countenance in corroboration of this story. It certainly looked as if he had hung out a little too long.
'But it made us what we were, Sir,' said the Major, settling his shirt frill. 'We were iron, Sir, and it forged us. Are you remaining here, Mr Dombey?'
'I generally come down once a week, Major,' returned that gentleman. 'I stay at the Bedford.'
'I shall have the honour of calling at the Bedford, Sir, if you'll permit me,' said the Major. 'Joey B., Sir, is not in general a calling man, but Mr Dombey's is not a common name. I am much indebted to my little friend, Sir, for the honour of this introduction.'
Mr Dombey made a very gracious reply; and Major Bagstock, having patted Paul on the head, and said of Florence that her eyes would play the Devil with the youngsters before long - 'and the oldsters too, Sir, if you come to that,' added the Major, chuckling very much - stirred up Master Bitherstone with his walking-stick, and departed with that young gentleman, at a kind of half-trot; rolling his head and coughing with great dignity, as he staggered away, with his legs very wide asunder.
In fulfilment of his promise, the Major afterwards called on Mr Dombey; and Mr Dombey, having referred to the army list, afterwards called on the Major. Then the Major called at Mr Dombey's house in town; and came down again, in the same coach as Mr Dombey. In short, Mr Dombey and the Major got on uncommonly well together, and uncommonly fast: and Mr Dombey observed of the Major, to his sister, that besides being quite a military man he was really something more, as he had a very admirable idea of the importance of things unconnected with his own profession.
At length Mr Dombey, bringing down Miss Tox and Mrs Chick to see the children, and finding the Major again at Brighton, invited him to dinner at the Bedford, and complimented Miss Tox highly, beforehand, on her neighbour and acquaintance.
'My dearest Louisa,' said Miss Tox to Mrs Chick, when they were alone together, on the morning of the appointed day, 'if I should seem at all reserved to Major Bagstock, or under any constraint with him, promise me not to notice it.'
'My dear Lucretia,' returned Mrs Chick, 'what mystery is involved in this remarkable request? I must insist upon knowing.'
'Since you are resolved to extort a confession from me, Louisa,' said Miss Tox instantly, 'I have no alternative but to confide to you that the Major has been particular.'
'Particular!' repeated Mrs Chick.
'The Major has long been very particular indeed, my love, in his attentions,' said Miss Tox, 'occasionally they have been so very marked, that my position has been one of no common difficulty.'
'Is he in good circumstances?' inquired Mrs Chick.
'I have every reason to believe, my dear - indeed I may say I know,' returned Miss Tox, 'that he is wealthy. He is truly military, and full of anecdote. I have been informed that his valour, when he was in active service, knew no bounds. I am told that he did all sorts of things in the Peninsula, with every description of fire-arm; and in the East and West Indies, my love, I really couldn't undertake to say what he did not do.'
'Very creditable to him indeed,' said Mrs Chick, 'extremely so; and you have given him no encouragement, my dear?'
'If I were to say, Louisa,' replied Miss Tox, with every demonstration of making an effort that rent her soul, 'that I never encouraged Major Bagstock slightly, I should not do justice to the friendship which exists between you and me. It is, perhaps, hardly in the nature of woman to receive such attentions as the Major once lavished upon myself without betraying some sense of obligation. But that is past - long past. Between the Major and me there is now a yawning chasm, and I will not feign to give encouragement, Louisa, where I cannot give my heart. My affections,' said Miss Tox - 'but, Louisa, this is madness!' and departed from the room.
All this Mrs Chick communicated to her brother before dinner: and it by no means indisposed Mr Dombey to receive the Major with unwonted cordiality. The Major, for his part, was in a state of plethoric satisfaction that knew no bounds: and he coughed, and choked, and chuckled, and gasped, and swelled, until the waiters seemed positively afraid of him.
'Your family monopolises Joe's light, Sir,' said the Major, when he had saluted Miss Tox. 'Joe lives in darkness. Princess's Place is changed into Kamschatka in the winter time. There is no ray of sun, Sir, for Joey B., now.'
'Miss Tox is good enough to take a great deal of interest in Paul, Major,' returned Mr Dombey on behalf of that blushing virgin.
'Damme Sir,' said the Major, 'I'm jealous of my little friend. I'm pining away Sir. The Bagstock breed is degenerating in the forsaken person of old Joe.' And the Major, becoming bluer and bluer and puffing his cheeks further and further over the stiff ridge of his tight cravat, stared at Miss Tox, until his eyes seemed as if he were at that moment being overdone before the slow fire at the military college.
Notwithstanding the palpitation of the heart which these allusions occasioned her, they were anything but disagreeable to Miss Tox, as they enabled her to be extremely interesting, and to manifest an occasional incoherence and distraction which she was not at all unwilling to display. The Major gave her abundant opportunities of exhibiting this emotion: being profuse in his complaints, at dinner, of her desertion of him and Princess's Place: and as he appeared to derive great enjoyment from making them, they all got on very well.
None the worse on account of the Major taking charge of the whole conversation, and showing as great an appetite in that respect as in regard of the various dainties on the table, among which he may be almost said to have wallowed: greatly to the aggravation of his inflammatory tendencies. Mr Dombey's habitual silence and reserve yielding readily to this usurpation, the Major felt that he was coming out and shining: and in the flow of spirits thus engendered, rang such an infinite number of new changes on his own name that he quite astonished himself. In a word, they were all very well pleased. The Major was considered to possess an inexhaustible fund of conversation; and when he took a late farewell, after a long rubber, Mr Dombey again complimented the blushing Miss Tox on her neighbour and acquaintance.
But all the way home to his own hotel, the Major incessantly said to himself, and of himself, 'Sly, Sir - sly, Sir - de-vil-ish sly!' And when he got there, sat down in a chair, and fell into a silent fit of laughter, with which he was sometimes seized, and which was always particularly awful. It held him so long on this occasion that the dark servant, who stood watching him at a distance, but dared not for his life approach, twice or thrice gave him over for lost. His whole form, but especially his face and head, dilated beyond all former experience; and presented to the dark man's view, nothing but a heaving mass of indigo. At length he burst into a violent paroxysm of coughing, and when that was a little better burst into such ejaculations as the following:
'Would you, Ma'am, would you? Mrs Dombey, eh, Ma'am? I think not, Ma'am. Not while Joe B. can put a spoke in your wheel, Ma'am. J. B.'s even with you now, Ma'am. He isn't altogether bowled out, yet, Sir, isn't Bagstock. She's deep, Sir, deep, but Josh is deeper. Wide awake is old Joe - broad awake, and staring, Sir!' There was no doubt of this last assertion being true, and to a very fearful extent; as it continued to be during the greater part of that night, which the Major chiefly passed in similar exclamations, diversified with fits of coughing and choking that startled the whole house.
It was on the day after this occasion (being Sunday) when, as Mr Dombey, Mrs Chick, and Miss Tox were sitting at breakfast, still eulogising the Major, Florence came running in: her face suffused with a bright colour, and her eyes sparkling joyfully: and cried,
'Papa! Papa! Here's Walter! and he won't come in.'
'Who?' cried Mr Dombey. 'What does she mean? What is this?'
'Walter, Papa!' said Florence timidly; sensible of having approached the presence with too much familiarity. 'Who found me when I was lost.'
'Does she mean young Gay, Louisa?' inquired Mr Dombey, knitting his brows. 'Really, this child's manners have become very boisterous. She cannot mean young Gay, I think. See what it is, will you?'
Mrs Chick hurried into the passage, and returned with the information that it was young Gay, accompanied by a very strange-looking person; and that young Gay said he would not take the liberty of coming in, hearing Mr Dombey was at breakfast, but would wait until Mr Dombey should signify that he might approach.
'Tell the boy to come in now,' said Mr Dombey. 'Now, Gay, what is the matter? Who sent you down here? Was there nobody else to come?'
'I beg your pardon, Sir,' returned Walter. 'I have not been sent. I have been so bold as to come on my own account, which I hope you'll pardon when I mention the cause.
But Mr Dombey, without attending to what he said, was looking impatiently on either side of him (as if he were a pillar in his way) at some object behind.
'What's that?' said Mr Dombey. 'Who is that? I think you have made some mistake in the door, Sir.'
'Oh, I'm very sorry to intrude with anyone, Sir,' cried Walter, hastily: 'but this is - this is Captain Cuttle, Sir.'
'Wal'r, my lad,' observed the Captain in a deep voice: 'stand by!'
At the same time the Captain, coming a little further in, brought out his wide suit of blue, his conspicuous shirt-collar, and his knobby nose in full relief, and stood bowing to Mr Dombey, and waving his hook politely to the ladies, with the hard glazed hat in his one hand, and a red equator round his head which it had newly imprinted there.
Mr Dombey regarded this phenomenon with amazement and indignation, and seemed by his looks to appeal to Mrs Chick and Miss Tox against it. Little Paul, who had come in after Florence, backed towards Miss Tox as the Captain waved his book, and stood on the defensive.
'Now, Gay,' said Mr Dombey. 'What have you got to say to me?'
Again the Captain observed, as a general opening of the conversation that could not fail to propitiate all parties, 'Wal'r, standby!'
'I am afraid, Sir,' began Walter, trembling, and looking down at the ground, 'that I take a very great liberty in coming - indeed, I am sure I do. I should hardly have had the courage to ask to see you, Sir, even after coming down, I am afraid, if I had not overtaken Miss Dombey, and - '
'Well!' said Mr Dombey, following his eyes as he glanced at the attentive Florence, and frowning unconsciously as she encouraged him with a smile. 'Go on, if you please.'
'Ay, ay,' observed the Captain, considering it incumbent on him, as a point of good breeding, to support Mr Dombey. 'Well said! Go on, Wal'r.'
Captain Cuttle ought to have been withered by the look which Mr Dombey bestowed upon him in acknowledgment of his patronage. But quite innocent of this, he closed one eye in reply, and gave Mr Dombey to understand, by certain significant motions of his hook, that Walter was a little bashful at first, and might be expected to come out shortly.
'It is entirely a private and personal matter, that has brought me here, Sir,' continued Walter, faltering, 'and Captain Cuttle
'Here!' interposed the Captain, as an assurance that he was at hand, and might be relied upon.
'Who is a very old friend of my poor Uncle's, and a most excellent man, Sir,' pursued Walter, raising his eyes with a look of entreaty in the Captain's behalf, 'was so good as to offer to come with me, which I could hardly refuse.'
'No, no, no;' observed the Captain complacently. 'Of course not. No call for refusing. Go on, Wal'r.'
'And therefore, Sir,' said Walter, venturing to meet Mr Dombey's eye, and proceeding with better courage in the very desperation of the case, now that there was no avoiding it, 'therefore I have come, with him, Sir, to say that my poor old Uncle is in very great affliction and distress. That, through the gradual loss of his business, and not being able to make a payment, the apprehension of which has weighed very heavily upon his mind, months and months, as indeed I know, Sir, he has an execution in his house, and is in danger of losing all he has, and breaking his heart. And that if you would, in your kindness, and in your old knowledge of him as a respectable man, do anything to help him out of his difficulty, Sir, we never could thank you enough for it.'
Walter's eyes filled with tears as he spoke; and so did those of Florence. Her father saw them glistening, though he appeared to look at Walter only.
'It is a very large sum, Sir,' said Walter. 'More than three hundred pounds. My Uncle is quite beaten down by his misfortune, it lies so heavy on him; and is quite unable to do anything for his own relief. He doesn't even know yet, that I have come to speak to you. You would wish me to say, Sir,' added Walter, after a moment's hesitation, 'exactly what it is I want. I really don't know, Sir. There is my Uncle's stock, on which I believe I may say, confidently, there are no other demands, and there is Captain Cuttle, who would wish to be security too. I - I hardly like to mention,' said Walter, 'such earnings as mine; but if you would allow them - accumulate - payment - advance - Uncle - frugal, honourable, old man.' Walter trailed off, through these broken sentences, into silence: and stood with downcast head, before his employer.
Considering this a favourable moment for the display of the valuables, Captain Cuttle advanced to the table; and clearing a space among the breakfast-cups at Mr Dombey's elbow, produced the silver watch, the ready money, the teaspoons, and the sugar-tongs; and piling them up into a heap that they might look as precious as possible, delivered himself of these words:
'Half a loaf's better than no bread, and the same remark holds good with crumbs. There's a few. Annuity of one hundred pound premium also ready to be made over. If there is a man chock full of science in the world, it's old Sol Gills. If there is a lad of promise - one flowing,' added the Captain, in one of his happy quotations, 'with milk and honey - it's his nevy!'
The Captain then withdrew to his former place, where he stood arranging his scattered locks with the air of a man who had given the finishing touch to a difficult performance.
When Walter ceased to speak, Mr Dombey's eyes were attracted to little Paul, who, seeing his sister hanging down her head and silently weeping in her commiseration for the distress she had heard described, went over to her, and tried to comfort her: looking at Walter and his father as he did so, with a very expressive face. After the momentary distraction of Captain Cuttle's address, which he regarded with lofty indifference, Mr Dombey again turned his eyes upon his son, and sat steadily regarding the child, for some moments, in silence.
'What was this debt contracted for?' asked Mr Dombey, at length. 'Who is the creditor?'
'He don't know,' replied the Captain, putting his hand on Walter's shoulder. 'I do. It came of helping a man that's dead now, and that's cost my friend Gills many a hundred pound already. More particulars in private, if agreeable.'
'People who have enough to do to hold their own way,' said Mr Dombey, unobservant of the Captain's mysterious signs behind Walter, and still looking at his son, 'had better be content with their own obligations and difficulties, and not increase them by engaging for other men. It is an act of dishonesty and presumption, too,' said Mr Dombey, sternly; 'great presumption; for the wealthy could do no more. Paul, come here!'
The child obeyed: and Mr Dombey took him on his knee.
'If you had money now - ' said Mr Dombey. 'Look at me!'
Paul, whose eyes had wandered to his sister, and to Walter, looked his father in the face.
'If you had money now,' said Mr Dombey; 'as much money as young Gay has talked about; what would you do?'
'Give it to his old Uncle,' returned Paul.
'Lend it to his old Uncle, eh?' retorted Mr Dombey. 'Well! When you are old enough, you know, you will share my money, and we shall use it together.'
'Dombey and Son,' interrupted Paul, who had been tutored early in the phrase.
'Dombey and Son,' repeated his father. 'Would you like to begin to be Dombey and Son, now, and lend this money to young Gay's Uncle?'
'Oh! if you please, Papa!' said Paul: 'and so would Florence.'
'Girls,' said Mr Dombey, 'have nothing to do with Dombey and Son. Would you like it?'
'Yes, Papa, yes!'
'Then you shall do it,' returned his father. 'And you see, Paul,' he added, dropping his voice, 'how powerful money is, and how anxious people are to get it. Young Gay comes all this way to beg for money, and you, who are so grand and great, having got it, are going to let him have it, as a great favour and obligation.'
Paul turned up the old face for a moment, in which there was a sharp understanding of the reference conveyed in these words: but it was a young and childish face immediately afterwards, when he slipped down from his father's knee, and ran to tell Florence not to cry any more, for he was going to let young Gay have the money.
Mr Dombey then turned to a side-table, and wrote a note and sealed it. During the interval, Paul and Florence whispered to Walter, and Captain Cuttle beamed on the three, with such aspiring and ineffably presumptuous thoughts as Mr Dombey never could have believed in. The note being finished, Mr Dombey turned round to his former place, and held it out to Walter.
'Give that,' he said, 'the first thing to-morrow morning, to Mr Carker. He will immediately take care that one of my people releases your Uncle from his present position, by paying the amount at issue; and that such arrangements are made for its repayment as may be consistent with your Uncle's circumstances. You will consider that this is done for you by Master Paul.'
Walter, in the emotion of holding in his hand the means of releasing his good Uncle from his trouble, would have endeavoured to express something of his gratitude and joy. But Mr Dombey stopped him short.
'You will consider that it is done,' he repeated, 'by Master Paul. I have explained that to him, and he understands it. I wish no more to be said.'
As he motioned towards the door, Walter could only bow his head and retire. Miss Tox, seeing that the Captain appeared about to do the same, interposed.
'My dear Sir,' she said, addressing Mr Dombey, at whose munificence both she and Mrs Chick were shedding tears copiously; 'I think you have overlooked something. Pardon me, Mr Dombey, I think, in the nobility of your character, and its exalted scope, you have omitted a matter of detail.'
'Indeed, Miss Tox!' said Mr Dombey.
'The gentleman with the - Instrument,' pursued Miss Tox, glancing at Captain Cuttle, 'has left upon the table, at your elbow - '
'Good Heaven!' said Mr Dombey, sweeping the Captain's property from him, as if it were so much crumb indeed. 'Take these things away. I am obliged to you, Miss Tox; it is like your usual discretion. Have the goodness to take these things away, Sir!'
Captain Cuttle felt he had no alternative but to comply. But he was so much struck by the magnanimity of Mr Dombey, in refusing treasures lying heaped up to his hand, that when he had deposited the teaspoons and sugar-tongs in one pocket, and the ready money in another, and had lowered the great watch down slowly into its proper vault, he could not refrain from seizing that gentleman's right hand in his own solitary left, and while he held it open with his powerful fingers, bringing the hook down upon its palm in a transport of admiration. At this touch of warm feeling and cold iron, Mr Dombey shivered all over.
Captain Cuttle then kissed his hook to the ladies several times, with great elegance and gallantry; and having taken a particular leave of Paul and Florence, accompanied Walter out of the room. Florence was running after them in the earnestness of her heart, to send some message to old Sol, when Mr Dombey called her back, and bade her stay where she was.
'Will you never be a Dombey, my dear child!' said Mrs Chick, with pathetic reproachfulness.
'Dear aunt,' said Florence. 'Don't be angry with me. I am so thankful to Papa!'
She would have run and thrown her arms about his neck if she had dared; but as she did not dare, she glanced with thankful eyes towards him, as he sat musing; sometimes bestowing an uneasy glance on her, but, for the most part, watching Paul, who walked about the room with the new-blown dignity of having let young Gay have the money.
And young Gay - Walter- what of him?
He was overjoyed to purge the old man's hearth from bailiffs and brokers, and to hurry back to his Uncle with the good tidings. He was overjoyed to have it all arranged and settled next day before noon; and to sit down at evening in the little back parlour with old Sol and Captain Cuttle; and to see the Instrument-maker already reviving, and hopeful for the future, and feeling that the wooden Midshipman was his own again. But without the least impeachment of his gratitude to Mr Dombey, it must be confessed that Walter was humbled and cast down. It is when our budding hopes are nipped beyond recovery by some rough wind, that we are the most disposed to picture to ourselves what flowers they might have borne, if they had flourished; and now, when Walter found himself cut off from that great Dombey height, by the depth of a new and terrible tumble, and felt that all his old wild fancies had been scattered to the winds in the fall, he began to suspect that they might have led him on to harmless visions of aspiring to Florence in the remote distance of time.
The Captain viewed the subject in quite a different light. He appeared to entertain a belief that the interview at which he had assisted was so very satisfactory and encouraging, as to be only a step or two removed from a regular betrothal of Florence to Walter; and that the late transaction had immensely forwarded, if not thoroughly established, the Whittingtonian hopes. Stimulated by this conviction, and by the improvement in the spirits of his old friend, and by his own consequent gaiety, he even attempted, in favouring them with the ballad of 'Lovely Peg' for the third time in one evening, to make an extemporaneous substitution of the name 'Florence;' but finding this difficult, on account of the word Peg invariably rhyming to leg (in which personal beauty the original was described as having excelled all competitors), he hit upon the happy thought of changing it to Fle-e-eg; which he accordingly did, with an archness almost supernatural, and a voice quite vociferous, notwithstanding that the time was close at band when he must seek the abode of the dreadful Mrs MacStinger.
That same evening the Major was diffuse at his club, on the subject of his friend Dombey in the City. 'Damme, Sir,' said the Major, 'he's a prince, is my friend Dombey in the City. I tell you what, Sir. If you had a few more men among you like old Joe Bagstock and my friend Dombey in the City, Sir, you'd do!'
白格斯托克少校通過他的看戲用的雙筒小望遠鏡，越過公主廣場對保羅進行了長久與頻繁的觀察之后，在每天、每周、每月從本地人（他為了這個目的與托克斯小姐的女仆經(jīng)常交往）那里得到有關(guān)這個問題的許多詳細的報告之后，得出結(jié)論說，董貝先生是一位值得結(jié)識的人，喬·白是一位設(shè)法要與他結(jié)識的后生。
可是托克斯小姐一直保持著疏遠的態(tài)度，少校每次為了這個目的對她進行摸底，想從她那里哄騙出一些有關(guān)的情況（他時常這樣做）時，她都冷淡地表示她不想弄明白他的意思，所以少校雖然生性堅強不屈，非常狡猾，也不得不把實現(xiàn)他的愿望這件事多少聽隨機會去擺布了。“先生，”他常常在俱樂部里談到他的機會時，吃吃地笑著說，“自從他的哥哥在西印度群島因為黃熱病死了之后，五十比一的機會是對喬?！ぐ子欣?。”
這一次是過了好些時候，機會才來幫助他的，但它終于對他親近了，當黑皮膚的仆人詳詳細細地報告說，托克斯小姐有事到布賴頓去了，少校突然感情深厚地回憶起他的孟加拉①朋友比爾·比瑟斯通；比瑟斯通曾經(jīng)寫信給他，如果他有便去布賴頓那一帶的話，那就請麻煩他去看一下他的獨生子。當這同一位黑皮膚的仆人報告說，保羅住在皮普欽太太那里的時候，少校查看了一下比瑟斯通少爺?shù)竭_英國以后寄給他的信——過去他從來沒想過要把它當一回什么事——，看到好機會已經(jīng)自己送上門來了；可是那時候他因為患痛風(fēng)病，正躺在床上療養(yǎng)，痛風(fēng)病發(fā)作時他狂怒得把一只腳凳向黑仆人扔了過去，來報答他所提供的消息，并發(fā)誓說，在他自己死去之前，他要把這無賴弄死。黑仆人非常相信這一點。
終于，少校擺脫了痛風(fēng)病發(fā)作的痛苦，在一個星期六，在本地人尾隨之下，罵罵咧咧地到布賴頓去了；一路上他與托克斯小姐談著話，幸災(zāi)樂禍地想像著他以突然襲擊的方式把她那位高貴的朋友奪到手中的情景（她曾經(jīng)把她的那位朋友弄得那么神秘兮兮，而且也是為了他她才把少校拋棄的）。
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①孟加拉（Bengal）：當時全屬于印度。
“您是不是，夫人，您是不是，”少校說道；他由于懷著報復(fù)的情緒緊繃著臉，頭上每一根早已發(fā)漲的血管漲得更粗了，“您是不是要向喬?！ぐ赘鎰e了，夫人？還沒到時候呢，夫人，還沒到時候！他媽的，還沒到時候呢，先生。喬埃沒有睡去，夫人。白格斯托克還活著，先生。喬·白是精明的，夫人。喬埃時時警惕著，先生。您會看到，他是堅強不屈的，夫人，堅強不屈，先生，堅強不屈的就是約瑟夫，堅強不屈，而且像魔鬼般地狡猾！”
當他領(lǐng)著比瑟斯通少爺出去散步的時候，這位年輕人看到他的確是很堅強不屈的。少校四處游逛著，臉色像斯蒂爾頓干酪①一樣，眼睛像對蝦的一樣，完全不考慮比瑟斯通少爺?shù)臉啡?。當他上下張望，尋找董貝先生和他的孩子們的時候，他把比瑟斯通少爺硬拽著走。
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①斯蒂爾頓干酪（Stiltoncheese）：英國產(chǎn)干酪，以亨丁頓郡一村莊命名，乳黃色，帶有青霉菌芽胞藍綠色花紋。正因為帶有藍綠色的花紋，所以說少校的臉色像它。
由于皮普欽太太事先進行過指點，所以少校及時地偵察到了保羅和弗洛倫斯，并且迅速地向他們走近。有一位莊嚴的紳士跟他們在一起，他無疑就是董貝先生。當他和比瑟斯通少爺闖進這一小群人中間時，結(jié)果自然是比瑟斯通少爺跟他那些同樣遭難受罪的伴侶們談起話來。少校在后面停下腳步，注意地看著他們并稱贊著他們；他表示驚奇地記起來，他曾經(jīng)在公主廣場他的朋友托克斯小姐的家里看見過他們，跟他們說過話；他說，保羅是一個非常可愛的孩子，是他自己的小朋友；又問他是否記得喬?！ぐ咨傩＃詈?，他突然記起了習(xí)俗慣例應(yīng)有的禮節(jié)，就轉(zhuǎn)過身去，向董貝先生道歉。
“可是我在這里的小朋友又使我變成一個孩子了，先生，”少校說道?！耙晃焕媳姓J這一點并不感到難為情，先生，他是白格斯托克少校，隨時愿意為您效勞；”少校這時脫下帽子敬禮?！八麐尩?，先生，”少校突然熱情地喊道，“我妒嫉您?！?BR> 然后他鎮(zhèn)靜下來，補充了一句，“請原諒我的放肆?！?BR> 董貝先生請他別這么客氣。
“一位老兵，先生，”少校說道，“一條被煙熏過，被太陽曬黑的、精疲力盡、因傷病而退伍的少校老狗是不怕像董貝先生這樣的人指責(zé)他忽起的念頭的。我想我能榮幸跟董貝先生交談幾句嗎？”
“現(xiàn)在我就是姓我們這個姓的家族的卑賤的代表，少校，”
董貝先生回答道。
“可以對著上帝發(fā)誓，先生，”少校說道，“這是個偉大的姓，”少校堅決地說道，仿佛他挑起董貝先生來反駁他，而如果董貝先生真的那么做了，那么他就會感到他負有痛苦的責(zé)任來爭個高低，讓他過不去似的，“這是個在不列顛海外領(lǐng)地中享有聲望與尊敬的姓。人們以姓這個姓而感到自豪，先生。約瑟夫·白格斯托克不懂得拍馬*，先生。約克郡公爵殿下不止一次說過，‘喬埃不會拍馬*。他是個普通的老兵，這就是喬，他堅強不屈得有點過了頭，這就是約瑟夫?！贿^這是個偉大的姓，先生。可以對著天主發(fā)誓，這是個偉大的姓！”
少校一本正經(jīng)地說道。
“承蒙您好意贊揚，不過也許評價太高，有些過分了，少校，”董貝先生回答道。
“不，先生，”少校說道?！拔以谶@里的小朋友會給約瑟夫·白格斯托克證明，他是一位耿直的、坦率的、有話直說的老實人，先生，這就是一切。那個孩子，先生，”少校壓低了聲音，說道，“將會留芳百世，永垂史冊。那個孩子，先生，不是個平凡之輩。請好好照看他，董貝先生?！?BR> 董貝先生似乎向他暗示說，他將努力這樣去做。
“這里有一個孩子，先生，”少校用說知心話的口吻繼續(xù)說道，一邊用手杖戳戳他?！懊霞永壬雇ǖ膬鹤印１葼枴け壬雇◤那笆俏覀儺斨械囊粋€。那個孩子的父親和我本人過去是莫逆之交，先生。不論您走到哪里，先生，您聽到人們談?wù)摰娜际怯嘘P(guān)比爾·比瑟斯通和喬·白格斯托克的事情。難道我看不見那個孩子的缺點嗎？決不是。他是個傻瓜，先生?！?BR> 董貝先生向那位遭到誹謗的比瑟斯通少爺看了一眼；他跟少校一樣，對這孩子絲毫也不了解，他很得意地說道，“真的嗎？”
“真的，他就是這樣，先生，”少校說道?！八莻€傻瓜。喬·白格斯托克從來不粉飾事實。我的孟加拉老朋友比爾·比瑟斯通的兒子生來就是個傻瓜，先生。”少校說到這里，哈哈大笑著，笑到臉色幾乎完全發(fā)青?！拔蚁?，我的小朋友注定要進公學(xué)①的吧，董貝先生？”少?；謴?fù)過來之后，問道。
“我還沒有作出決定，”董貝先生回答道?！拔蚁氩凰腿?。
他的體質(zhì)虛弱。”
“如果他的體質(zhì)虛弱，先生，”少校說道，“您不送去是對的。只有堅強不屈的小伙子才能在經(jīng)受了桑赫斯特②的苦難之后活下來。我們在那里互相折磨，先生。我們把新來的人放在慢火上烤，把他們從四層樓往窗子外面頭朝下地倒掛著。先生，約瑟夫·白格斯托克曾經(jīng)被握住靴子后跟，在校鐘旁邊的窗子外面掛了十三分鐘?！?BR> --------
①公學(xué)（publicschool）：英國專為富有子弟而設(shè)的私立中等中校，如伊頓（Eton）公學(xué)、哈羅（Harrow）公學(xué)等。
②桑赫斯特（Sandhurst）是英格蘭南部的一個小鎮(zhèn)，英國陸軍軍官學(xué)校設(shè)在那里。
少校很可以舉出他的臉色來證實這段經(jīng)歷，他看上去仿佛確實曾經(jīng)被倒掛得太久了一些。
“但是它使我們變成了我們那時那樣的人，先生，”少校整整襯衫褶邊，說道。“我們是鐵，先生，它鍛造了我們。您住在這里嗎，董貝先生？”
“我通常每星期到這里來一次，少校，”那位先生說道。
“我住在貝德福德旅館?！?BR> “如果您允許，先生，我將榮幸地到貝德福德旅館去拜訪您，”少校說道?！皢贪！ぐ撞皇莻€喜愛拜訪的人，但是董貝先生不是個平凡的人物。我非常感謝我的小朋友，先生，感謝他使我有幸被介紹跟您認識。”
董貝先生很親切友好地回答了他的話；白格斯托克少校拍了拍保羅的頭之后，說到弗洛倫斯的時候說，她那雙眼睛不久就會使年輕人神魂顛倒的?！罢f實話，也會使老頭子神魂顛倒的，先生，”少校補充說道，一邊大聲地吃吃地笑著。他用手杖捅捅比瑟斯通少爺，邁著急匆匆的快步，跟那位年輕人離開了。當他兩只腿分得很開，蹣跚地繼續(xù)往前走去的時候，他搖晃著腦袋，極為威嚴地咳嗽著。
少校履行諾言，后來去拜訪了董貝先生；董貝先生查閱了軍人名冊之后，后來也去拜訪了少校。然后少校在董貝先生城里的公館中拜訪了他；然后他和董貝先生乘坐著同一輛馬車又到布賴頓來?？傊?，董貝先生與少校相處得異乎尋常地融洽，關(guān)系進展得異乎尋常地迅速。董貝先生向他的妹妹談起少校的時候，說，他不僅是一位真正的軍人，而且在他身上還有其他一些東西，因為他對跟他的職業(yè)毫無關(guān)系的事物，也令人驚嘆地了解它們的重要性。
終于，當董貝先生領(lǐng)著托克斯小姐與奇克夫人到布賴頓來看孩子們，并看到少校也在這里的時候，他就邀請他到貝德福德旅館來吃晚飯，事前還向托克斯小姐極力恭維她有這樣一位鄰居與熟人。盡管這些暗示使托克斯小姐心房怦怦跳動，但她聽起來決不是不愉快的，因為它們使她變得格外有趣，有時使她顯得心意煩亂，神志不定，這是她完全不愿意表露出來的。少校給了她很多機會來展現(xiàn)這種情緒，他在晚飯中間不斷埋怨她把他和公主廣場拋棄了。由于他講這些話看來是為了取得極大的樂趣，所以他們?nèi)枷嗵幍煤苋谇ⅰ?BR> 少校掌握著整個談話；他在這方面的胃口跟他對桌子上的各種美味食品的胃口一樣大；幾乎可以說他在大吞大咽著這些食品，而這又大大地促使他鼓動他的如簧之舌；這對當時的情況并沒有什么不好。由于董貝先生習(xí)慣于沉著冷靜，不多說話，所以他絲毫沒有干預(yù)這種喧賓奪主的現(xiàn)象；少校覺得他正在大出風(fēng)頭，因而興高采烈，把他自己的姓名顛來倒去地說出了無數(shù)個新的變化，連他自己也感到十分驚奇。總之，他們?nèi)几械绞指吲d。大家覺得少校擁有耗用不盡的談話資源；當打完一局時間拖得很長的紙牌，少校終于很晚地告別之后，董貝先生又向臉孔羞得通紅的托克斯小姐恭維她有這樣一位鄰居與熟人。
可是在回到自己旅館的整個路途中，少校不斷自言自語地談著他自己?！敖苹?，先生——狡猾呵，先生——像魔鬼般地狡猾呵！”到達旅館以后，他在一張椅子中坐下，默默無聲地大笑個不停；他有時是會這樣大笑的，而那樣子常常是特別可怕的。這一次笑的時間那么長久，所以黑仆人就站在遠處看著他，無論如何也不敢走近他，有兩三次還以為他已經(jīng)沒有醫(yī)治的希望了。他的整個身軀，特別是他的臉與頭膨脹得比過去任何時候都大，在黑人眼中看到的只是一大堆靛藍的東西。終于他發(fā)出一陣猛烈的咳嗽，在感到好一些以后，他短促地叫喊出以下一些話來：
“您是不是，夫人，您是不是想當董貝夫人，嗯，夫人？我看不成，夫人。只要喬·白能在您的車輪子里插進一根棍子，那就不成，夫人。喬·白現(xiàn)在和您是平等的，夫人。他根本還沒有被*，退出場外，先生，白格斯托克沒有退。她的心計深，先生，心計深，但是喬希的心計更深。老喬清醒著——沒有絲毫睡意，而且睜大了眼睛看著，先生！”他最后的一句話無疑是真實的，而且真實到了很可怕的程度；因為在那一夜的大半時間里，繼續(xù)是這種情形；少校主要是在類似叫喊聲中度過那一夜的，有時穿插著一陣陣使整個房屋都感到驚恐的咳嗽與窒息。
就在發(fā)生這件事情以后的第二天（這是個星期天），當董貝先生，奇克夫人和托克斯小姐坐著吃早飯，依舊在稱贊少校的時候，弗洛倫斯臉上顯露出一片明亮的光彩，眼中閃著喜悅的光輝，跑了進來，喊道：
“爸爸！爸爸！沃爾特在這里！他不肯進來?！?BR> “誰？”董貝先生喊道?！八v的是什么？這是什么意思？”
“沃爾特，爸爸！”弗洛倫斯膽怯地說道；她感到她剛才提到這個人太隨隨便便了?！拔颐月返臅r候是他把我找到的?！薄八钦f年輕人蓋伊嗎，路易莎？”董貝先生皺著眉頭，問道?！罢娴模@孩子的舉止變得很吵吵嚷嚷的了。她不會指年輕人蓋伊吧，我想。請你去了解一下是什么事情好嗎？”
奇克夫人匆忙走進走廊，回來說，是年輕人蓋伊，陪他一道來的是一位外貌很古怪的人；年輕人蓋伊說，他聽說董貝先生正在吃早飯，就不肯冒失地進來；他愿意在外面等候，直到董貝先生允許他進來的時候為止。
“告訴這孩子現(xiàn)在進來吧，”董貝先生說道?！斑?，蓋伊，發(fā)生了什么事情？誰派您到這里來的？沒有別的人到這里來了嗎？”
“我請您原諒，先生，”沃爾特回答道。“我不是被公司派來的。我是不揣冒昧地為了我的私事到您這里來的；我希望我說明原因以后您會原諒我?！?BR> 可是董貝先生沒有注意聽他講的話，而是不耐煩地一會兒從他的左邊，一會兒從他的右邊去看他背后的一個什么目標，仿佛他本人是一根擋住他視線的柱子似的。
“那是什么？”董貝先生說道?！澳鞘钦l？我想您走錯了門了吧，先生？”
“啊，我很抱歉，我不是一個人來的，先生，”沃爾特急忙喊道；“不過這是——這是卡特爾船長，先生。”
“沃爾，我的孩子，”船長用深沉的聲音說道；“做好準備！”
在這同時，船長向前走近一些，十分清楚地顯露出了他的寬大的藍上衣，顯眼的襯衫領(lǐng)子和有好多疙瘩的鼻子；他站著向董貝先生鞠躬，并彬彬有禮地向女士們揮著鉤子，另一只手中拿著那頂上了光的硬帽子，頭的周圍顯露出一個紅色的圓圈，那是帽子新近留下的痕跡。
董貝先生驚奇而憤怒地注視著這個現(xiàn)象，并且以他的臉色要求奇克夫人與托克斯小姐跟他一道表示不滿。當船長揮著鉤子的時候，跟隨弗洛倫斯進來的小保羅背朝著托克斯小姐后退，并站在那里作出了防御的姿態(tài)。
“唔，蓋伊，”董貝先生說道，“您有什么要對我說的？”
船長又說道，“沃爾，做好準備！”這就算作是談話的一個開端，它不會不取得所有在場人的好感的。
“我擔(dān)心，先生，”沃爾特哆嗦著，眼睛向下看著地面，說道，“我到這里來是十分放肆的，——確實，我相信是這樣。甚至我到了這里以后，我恐怕也沒有勇氣請求見您，先生，如果我沒有遇見董貝小姐，而且——”
“唔！”董貝先生說道；當沃爾特向注意聽他講話的弗洛倫斯看了一眼的時候，董貝先生跟隨著他的眼光；當她微笑著對沃爾特表示鼓勵的時候，他不自覺地皺起了眉頭?！罢埨^續(xù)說下去?！?BR> “是的，是的，”船長說道；他認為，他是一位有教養(yǎng)的人，他有責(zé)任來支持董貝先生?！罢f得很好！繼續(xù)說下去，沃爾?！?BR> 董貝先生表示聽到了支持他的話，向他看了一眼；卡特爾船長當時如果看到這個眼光的話，那么他一定是會全身畏縮的?？墒撬耆恢肋@一點，所以他閉了一只眼睛作為回答，并寓有深意地揮了揮鉤子，讓董貝先生明白，沃爾特開始有些膽怯，但可以期望他很快就會平靜下來的。
“我到這里來完全是為了一件私人的事情，先生，”沃爾特結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地繼續(xù)說道，“這位卡特爾船長——”
“就在這里！”船長打斷了他的話，證明他就在近旁，而且是可以信賴的。
“是我可憐的舅舅的一位很老的朋友，是一個極好的人，先生，”沃爾特抬起眼睛，露出為船長求情的神色，繼續(xù)說下去，“他一片好心，提出要陪我到這里來，我不能拒絕他的要求?！?BR> “是的，是的，是的，”船長喜洋洋地說道?！爱斎徊荒堋?BR> 哪能拒絕呢。往下說吧，沃爾。”
“因此，先生，”沃爾特說道；他大膽地接觸到董貝先生的眼光，在極為絕望的情況下鼓起勇氣繼續(xù)說下去，因為現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)沒法退避了，“因此我就跟他一起到這里來，想告訴您，先生，我的可憐的年老的舅舅正處在極大的痛苦與不幸之中。由于他的營業(yè)逐漸虧損，無法償還欠款——我知道得很清楚，先生，這個恐懼過去好幾個月一直沉甸甸地壓在他的心頭——，他家里的財產(chǎn)就要查封，他將失去他所有的東西，傷心而死；他現(xiàn)在正處在這樣的危險之中。如果您由于長久以來一直知道他是一位品德端正的人，慈悲為懷，并因此能做點什么事來幫助他走出困境的話，先生，那么我們對您真將感激不盡?！?BR> 沃爾特說話的時候，眼睛里充滿了淚水，弗洛倫斯的眼睛里也是一樣。她的父親看上去好像只是看著沃爾特，但他看到她的這些淚水在閃著亮光。
“這是一筆很大的款子，先生，”沃爾特說道?！叭俣噫^。我的舅舅已經(jīng)完全被他的不幸壓垮了；它是那么沉重地壓在他身上，因此他已經(jīng)完全不能做什么事情來解救自己。他甚至不知道我已經(jīng)到這里來跟您談話。您可能希望，先生，”沃爾特遲疑了片刻之后，補充說道，“我確切地說出我究竟需要什么。我確實不知道，先生。我舅舅有一些貨物。我想我可以有把握地說，他已經(jīng)沒有別的債務(wù)了。還有卡特爾船長，他也愿意出面擔(dān)保。我——我實在不想提到我掙的那點錢；”沃爾特說道，“但是如果您允許把它們積攢起來——抵償——借貸給——舅舅——這位節(jié)儉的、正直的老人?！蔽譅柼爻粤Φ卣f著這些斷斷續(xù)續(xù)、支離破碎的句子，聲音愈來愈小，終于默不作聲，低垂著頭，站在他的雇主前面。
卡特爾船長覺得這是顯示那些貴重物品的好時機，就向前走到餐桌跟前，在董貝先生身旁的餐杯中間清出一小片地方，取出了銀表、現(xiàn)錢、茶匙和方糖箝子；又把它們堆成一堆，使它們看起來顯得格外貴重，然后說出了以下的一番話：
“半塊面包比沒有面包好，就面包屑來說，也同樣可以這樣說。這里是一些面包屑。以后還準備貢獻上一百鎊的年金。如果世界上有一位腦子里充滿科學(xué)的人，那么這個人就是老所爾·吉爾斯。如果世界上有一個前程遠大的小伙子——一個‘流著牛奶與蜂蜜’①的小伙子的話”船長引用了他得意的語錄，補充說道，“——那么這就是他的外甥！”
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①“流著牛奶與蜂蜜”原是圣經(jīng)中形容肥沃的土地（巴勒斯坦）的話，船長用它來形容沃爾特年輕有為、前程遠大。
然后船長退回到他原先的地方，站在那里梳理梳理那散亂的頭發(fā)，露出一副剛剛完成一件最艱難的任務(wù)的人的神態(tài)。
當沃爾特停止講話的時候，董貝先生的眼光被吸引到小保羅的身上；小保羅看到他姐姐低垂著頭，由于憐憫她所聽到的不幸正在默默地哭泣著，就向她走過去，設(shè)法安慰她；當他這樣做的時候，他臉上富于表情地望著沃爾特和他的父親。董貝先生由于卡特爾船長的談話暫時轉(zhuǎn)移了注意力（他對這個談話高傲地漠不關(guān)心）之后，又把眼睛轉(zhuǎn)到他的兒子身上，默默地坐了一些時候，專心一意地望著這孩子。
“這筆債是為什么欠下的？”董貝先生終于問道。“誰是債權(quán)人？”
“他不知道，”船長把手擱在沃爾特的肩膀上，回答道。
“我知道。那是因為幫助一位現(xiàn)已不在人世的人而欠下的?？墒悄且呀?jīng)使我的朋友吉爾斯耗費了幾百鎊了。如果您同意，詳細情況我可以在私下里說給您聽。”
“那些好不容易自己才能生活下去的人們，”董貝先生沒有注意船長在沃爾特背后所做的神秘的手勢，仍然看著他的兒子，說道，“安安分分地照料他們自己的負擔(dān)和困難就行了，不要再去替別人擔(dān)保，增加這種負擔(dān)和困難了。這是一種不誠實的，而且也是狂妄無禮的行為，”董貝先生嚴厲地說道；“極大的狂妄無禮；因為那些富有的人所能做的最多也不過如此罷了。保羅，到這里來！”
孩子依從了。董貝先生把他抱到膝蓋上。
“如果你現(xiàn)在有錢——”董貝先生說道，“看著我！”
保羅的眼睛原先看著他的姐姐和沃爾特，這時看著他父親的臉。
“如果你現(xiàn)在有錢，”董貝先生說道，“有年輕人蓋伊談到的那么多的錢的話，那么你將怎么辦？”
“把它給他年老的舅舅，”保羅回答道。
“把它借給他年老的舅舅，是不是？”董貝先生對他進行糾正，說道。“唔！你知道，等你長大以后，你將跟我一起享有我的錢。我們將一起使用它?！?BR> “董貝父子，”保羅打斷他的話，說道；他很小就被教會說這幾個字。
“董貝父子，”他的父親重復(fù)說道?！澳阍敢猬F(xiàn)在就來管董貝父子公司的事，把這錢借給蓋伊的舅舅嗎？”
“?。∪绻阍敢獾脑?，爸爸！”保羅說道。“弗洛倫斯也會愿意的。”
“女孩子，”董貝先生說道，“跟董貝父子沒有關(guān)系。你愿意嗎？”
“愿意，爸爸，愿意！”
“那么就由你來辦這件事，”他的父親回答道。“你看到了，保羅，”他壓低了聲音，補充說道，“錢有多么大的力量；人們多么急切地想要得到它。年輕人蓋伊跑這一趟路來是為了懇求借錢，而你是這么高貴、偉大、有錢，你將作為一筆很大的恩惠與人情，讓他得到它?！?BR> 保羅把那張老氣的臉向上抬起一會兒，明白地表示他十分理解這些話的含義，可是當他從他父親的膝蓋上滑溜下來，跑去告訴弗洛倫斯不要再哭，因為他將讓年輕的蓋伊得到這筆錢的時候，那張臉又立刻變得年輕與孩子氣了。
于是董貝先生轉(zhuǎn)身走到一張邊桌旁邊，寫了一張條子，蓋了章。在這段時間里，保羅與弗洛倫斯低聲地跟沃爾特說話，卡特爾船長則眉開眼笑地看著這三個人，心中懷著那樣抱負不凡的、難以形容的狂妄的思想，那是董貝先生決不會相信的。條子處理完畢之后，董貝先生回到他原先的地方，把它交給沃爾特。
“明天早上第一件事，”他說道，“就是把這交給卡克先生。他會立刻作出安排，讓我的一位職員支付那筆錢，把您的舅舅從他目前的困境中解脫出來；償還的條件也是規(guī)定得符合您舅舅的境況的。您就把這看作是保羅少爺為您辦的吧！”
沃爾特手里拿著把他的善良的舅舅從災(zāi)難中解救出來的手段，心中無比激動，本想盡力說些表示感激與喜悅的話?？墒嵌愊壬蝗恢浦沽怂?。
“您就把這看作是保羅少爺為您辦的吧，”他重復(fù)說道，“我已經(jīng)向他解釋過，他也聽明白了，我沒有別的話要說的了?！?BR> 因為他用手指著門，沃爾特只好向他鞠躬，告別了。托克斯小姐看到船長好像也正要這樣做的時候，插嘴道：
“我親愛的先生，”她對董貝先生說道；她和奇克夫人對他的慷慨都流出了大量的眼淚；“我想您疏忽了一點什么事情了。請原諒我，董貝先生，我覺得，由于您品格高尚，豁達大度，您沒有注意到一件小事?！?BR> “真的嗎，托克斯小姐！”董貝先生說道。
“那位帶著——工具的先生，”托克斯小姐向卡特爾船長看了一眼，說下去，“在餐桌上挨近您的地方留下了——”
“老天爺！”董貝先生說道，一邊把船長的財產(chǎn)從他的身邊一下推開，仿佛它真是好多面包屑似的?！鞍堰@些東西拿走。我感謝您，托克斯小姐；您一向都是考慮得這樣周到。勞駕您把這些東西拿走吧，先生?！?BR> 卡特爾船長覺得他除了遵命照辦外，沒有別的選擇?？墒嵌愊壬芙^接受這些堆積在他手邊的財寶，表現(xiàn)得那么寬宏大量，這使他十分感動，因此當他把茶匙和方糖箝子裝進一只衣袋，把現(xiàn)錢裝進另一只衣袋，把那只大表慢慢地往下放到它的合適的洞穴里去的時候，他情不自禁地把這位先生的右手握到他那只單獨的左手里，而且當他用有勁的手指把它撐開的時候，他在滿懷敬佩的心情中，把鉤子接觸到它的掌心。董貝先生在熱烈的感情與冰冷的鐵件的接觸下，全身打了個冷顫。
然后，卡特爾船長極為文雅、極為殷勤地把鉤子吻了好幾次，向女士們致意；在向保羅與弗洛倫斯特別進行了告別之后，他陪著沃爾特走出了房間。弗洛倫斯出自一片熱心，追在他們后面，要他們代向老所爾問候，這時候董貝先生喊她回來，吩咐她待在原先的地方。
“難道你永遠也不想成為真正的董貝家里的人了嗎？我親愛的孩子！”奇克夫人用感傷與責(zé)備的語氣說道。
“親愛的姑媽，”弗洛倫斯說道?！皠e生我的氣，我是多么感謝爸爸?。 ?BR> 如果她敢的話，那么她真想跑過去，伸出胳膊摟住他的脖子；可是因為她不敢這樣做，所以她就用感激的眼光向他看看；這時他坐在那里沉思著，有時不安地向她看一眼，但大部分時間是注視著保羅；這孩子正在房間里走來走去，擺出一副威風(fēng)凜凜的氣派，那是由于讓年輕的蓋伊得到了錢而剛剛產(chǎn)生出來的。
那么年輕的蓋伊——沃爾特，他的情況怎么樣了呢？
他歡天喜地地把法警與經(jīng)紀人從老人家里清除掉，急忙回到舅舅身邊去向他報告好消息；他歡天喜地地在第二天中午以前把一切事情安排妥當，處理完畢，晚上在小后客廳里與老所爾和卡特爾船長坐在一起，并且看到儀器制造商已經(jīng)重新振作起精神，對未來充滿希望，同時感到木制海軍軍官候補生又屬于他自己的了?？墒潜仨毘姓J，沃爾特感到自己喪盡體面，意氣消沉。這絲毫也不是責(zé)備他對董貝先生不知感激。當我們希望的萌芽已被一陣暴風(fēng)凍死，無法恢復(fù)生機的時候，我們最不愿意向我們自己描繪，如果它們蓬勃生長的話，那么它們可能會開放出什么樣的花朵了?，F(xiàn)在當沃爾特發(fā)現(xiàn)自己又一次從偉大的董貝高峰上可怕地深深地滾落下來，從而和它完全切斷，并且感到他舊日的狂妄的幻想已經(jīng)在滾落時在風(fēng)中化為烏有的時候，他開始懷疑，這些希望是否還能在遙遠的將來，繼續(xù)引導(dǎo)他走向渴望得到弗洛倫斯的無害的夢幻。
船長卻從完全不同的角度來看這個問題。他似乎相信，他曾給予幫助的這次會晤令人十分稱心滿意和歡欣鼓舞，它離弗洛倫斯與沃爾特正式訂婚只差一兩步了。在這種信心的激勵下，在他老朋友情緒好轉(zhuǎn)以及他自己隨之而來的歡樂心情的鼓舞下，有一天晚上，當他第三次為他們唱《可愛的佩格姑娘》這支民歌的時候，他甚至試圖即席用“弗洛倫斯”的名字來代替；但他發(fā)現(xiàn)“佩格”這個詞總是要跟“萊格”①（腿）這個詞押韻（民歌中描寫女主人公的腿長得十分美麗，她的生理上的這個優(yōu)點使她壓倒了所有的競爭者），于是靈機一動，就把它改成“弗洛—萊格”；雖然他必須回到可怕的麥克斯廷杰太太的住所的時候就要到了，可是他仍舊那樣唱起來，唱時那副詭詐的神氣幾乎是超自然的，而且聲音十分喧鬧。
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①英文中腿（leg）這個詞的發(fā)音為萊格。