The Study of a Loving Heart
Sir Barnet and Lady Skettles, very good people, resided in a pretty villa at Fulham, on the banks of the Thames; which was one of the most desirable residences in the world when a rowing-match happened to be going past, but had its little inconveniences at other times, among which may be enumerated the occasional appearance of the river in the drawing-room, and the contemporaneous disappearance of the lawn and shrubbery.
Sir Barnet Skettles expressed his personal consequence chiefly through an antique gold snuffbox, and a ponderous silk pocket-kerchief, which he had an imposing manner of drawing out of his pocket like a banner and using with both hands at once. Sir Barnet's object in life was constantly to extend the range of his acquaintance. Like a heavy body dropped into water - not to disparage so worthy a gentleman by the comparison - it was in the nature of things that Sir Barnet must spread an ever widening circle about him, until there was no room left. Or, like a sound in air, the vibration of which, according to the speculation of an ingenious modern philosopher, may go on travelling for ever through the interminable fields of space, nothing but coming to the end of his moral tether could stop Sir Barnet Skettles in his voyage of discovery through the social system.
Sir Barnet was proud of making people acquainted with people. He liked the thing for its own sake, and it advanced his favourite object too. For example, if Sir Barnet had the good fortune to get hold of a law recruit, or a country gentleman, and ensnared him to his hospitable villa, Sir Barnet would say to him, on the morning after his arrival, 'Now, my dear Sir, is there anybody you would like to know? Who is there you would wish to meet? Do you take any interest in writing people, or in painting or sculpturing people, or in acting people, or in anything of that sort?' Possibly the patient answered yes, and mentioned somebody, of whom Sir Barnet had no more personal knowledge than of Ptolemy the Great. Sir Barnet replied, that nothing on earth was easier, as he knew him very well: immediately called on the aforesaid somebody, left his card, wrote a short note, - 'My dear Sir - penalty of your eminent position - friend at my house naturally desirous - Lady Skettles and myself participate - trust that genius being superior to ceremonies, you will do us the distinguished favour of giving us the pleasure,' etc, etc. - and so killed a brace of birds with one stone, dead as door-nails.
With the snuff-box and banner in full force, Sir Barnet Skettles propounded his usual inquiry to Florence on the first morning of her visit. When Florence thanked him, and said there was no one in particular whom she desired to see, it was natural she should think with a pang, of poor lost Walter. When Sir Barnet Skettles, urging his kind offer, said, 'My dear Miss Dombey, are you sure you can remember no one whom your good Papa - to whom I beg you present the best compliments of myself and Lady Skettles when you write - might wish you to know?' it was natural, perhaps, that her poor head should droop a little, and that her voice should tremble as it softly answered in the negative.
Skettles Junior, much stiffened as to his cravat, and sobered down as to his spirits' was at home for the holidays, and appeared to feel himself aggrieved by the solicitude of his excellent mother that he should be attentive to Florence. Another and a deeper injury under which the soul of young Barnet chafed, was the company of Dr and Mrs Blimber, who had been invited on a visit to the paternal roof-tree, and of whom the young gentleman often said he would have preferred their passing the vacation at Jericho.
'Is there anybody you can suggest now, Doctor Blimber?' said Sir Barnet Skettles, turning to that gentleman.
'You are very kind, Sir Barnet,' returned Doctor Blimber. 'Really I am not aware that there is, in particular. I like to know my fellow-men in general, Sir Barnet. What does Terence say? Anyone who is the parent of a son is interesting to me.
'Has Mrs Blimber any wish to see any remarkable person?' asked Sir Barnet, courteously.
Mrs Blimber replied, with a sweet smile and a shake of her sky-blue cap, that if Sir Barnet could have made her known to Cicero, she would have troubled him; but such an introduction not being feasible, and she already enjoying the friendship of himself and his amiable lady, and possessing with the Doctor her husband their joint confidence in regard to their dear son - here young Barnet was observed to curl his nose - she asked no more.
Sir Barnet was fain, under these circumstances, to content himself for the time with the company assembled. Florence was glad of that; for she had a study to pursue among them, and it lay too near her heart, and was too precious and momentous, to yield to any other interest.
There were some children staying in the house. Children who were as frank and happy with fathers and with mothers as those rosy faces opposite home. Children who had no restraint upon their love. and freely showed it. Florence sought to learn their secret; sought to find out what it was she had missed; what simple art they knew, and she knew not; how she could be taught by them to show her father that she loved him, and to win his love again.
Many a day did Florence thoughtfully observe these children. On many a bright morning did she leave her bed when the glorious sun rose, and walking up and down upon the river's bank' before anyone in the house was stirring, look up at the windows of their rooms, and think of them, asleep, so gently tended and affectionately thought of. Florence would feel more lonely then, than in the great house all alone; and would think sometimes that she was better there than here, and that there was greater peace in hiding herself than in mingling with others of her age, and finding how unlike them all she was. But attentive to her study, though it touched her to the quick at every little leaf she turned in the hard book, Florence remained among them, and tried with patient hope, to gain the knowledge that she wearied for.
Ah! how to gain it! how to know the charm in its beginning! There were daughters here, who rose up in the morning, and lay down to rest at night, possessed of fathers' hearts already. They had no repulse to overcome, no coldness to dread, no frown to smooth away. As the morning advanced, and the windows opened one by one, and the dew began to dry upon the flowers and and youthful feet began to move upon the lawn, Florence, glancing round at the bright faces, thought what was there she could learn from these children? It was too late to learn from them; each could approach her father fearlessly, and put up her lips to meet the ready kiss, and wind her arm about the neck that bent down to caress her. She could not begin by being so bold. Oh! could it be that there was less and less hope as she studied more and more!
She remembered well, that even the old woman who had robbed her when a little child - whose image and whose house, and all she had said and done, were stamped upon her recollection, with the enduring sharpness of a fearful impression made at that early period of life - had spoken fondly of her daughter, and how terribly even she had cried out in the pain of hopeless separation from her child But her own mother, she would think again, when she recalled this, had loved her well. Then, sometimes, when her thoughts reverted swiftly to the void between herself and her father, Florence would tremble, and the tears would start upon her face, as she pictured to herself her mother living on, and coming also to dislike her, because of her wanting the unknown grace that should conciliate that father naturally, and had never done so from her cradle She knew that this imagination did wrong to her mother's memory, and had no truth in it, or base to rest upon; and yet she tried so hard to justify him, and to find the whole blame in herself, that she could not resist its passing, like a wild cloud, through the distance of her mind.
There came among the other visitors, soon after Florence, one beautiful girl, three or four years younger than she, who was an orphan child, and who was accompanied by her aunt, a grey-haired lady, who spoke much to Florence, and who greatly liked (but that they all did) to hear her sing of an evening, and would always sit near her at that time, with motherly interest. They had only been two days in the house, when Florence, being in an arbour in the garden one warm morning, musingly observant of a youthful group upon the turf, through some intervening boughs, - and wreathing flowers for the head of one little creature among them who was the pet and plaything of the rest, heard this same lady and her niece, in pacing up and down a sheltered nook close by, speak of herself.
'Is Florence an orphan like me, aunt?' said the child.
'No, my love. She has no mother, but her father is living.'
'Is she in mourning for her poor Mama, now?' inquired the child quickly.
'No; for her only brother.'
'Has she no other brother?'
'None.'
'No sister?'
'None,'
'I am very, very sorry!' said the little girL
As they stopped soon afterwards to watch some boats, and had been silent in the meantime, Florence, who had risen when she heard her name, and had gathered up her flowers to go and meet them, that they might know of her being within hearing, resumed her seat and work, expecting to hear no more; but the conversation recommenced next moment.
'Florence is a favourite with everyone here, and deserves to be, I am sure,' said the child, earnestly. 'Where is her Papa?'
The aunt replied, after a moment's pause, that she did not know. Her tone of voice arrested Florence, who had started from her seat again; and held her fastened to the spot, with her work hastily caught up to her bosom, and her two hands saving it from being scattered on the ground.
'He is in England, I hope, aunt?' said the child.
'I believe so. Yes; I know he is, indeed.'
'Has he ever been here?'
'I believe not. No.'
'Is he coming here to see her?'
'I believe not.
'Is he lame, or blind, or ill, aunt?' asked the child.
The flowers that Florence held to her breast began to fall when she heard those words, so wonderingly spoke She held them closer; and her face hung down upon them'
'Kate,' said the lady, after another moment of silence, 'I will tell you the whole truth about Florence as I have heard it, and believe it to be. Tell no one else, my dear, because it may be little known here, and your doing so would give her pain.'
'I never will!' exclaimed the child.
'I know you never will,' returned the lady. 'I can trust you as myself. I fear then, Kate, that Florence's father cares little for her, very seldom sees her, never was kind to her in her life, and now quite shuns her and avoids her. She would love him dearly if he would suffer her, but he will not - though for no fault of hers; and she is greatly to be loved and pitied by all gentle hearts.'
More of the flowers that Florence held fell scattering on the ground; those that remained were wet, but not with dew; and her face dropped upon her laden hands.
'Poor Florence! Dear, good Florence!' cried the child.
'Do you know why I have told you this, Kate?' said the lady.
'That I may be very kind to her, and take great care to try to please her. Is that the reason, aunt?'
'Partly,' said the lady, 'but not all. Though we see her so cheerful; with a pleasant smile for everyone; ready to oblige us all, and bearing her part in every amusement here: she can hardly be quite happy, do you think she can, Kate?'
'I am afraid not,' said the little girl.
'And you can understand,' pursued the lady, 'why her observation of children who have parents who are fond of them, and proud of them - like many here, just now - should make her sorrowful in secret?'
'Yes, dear aunt,' said the child, 'I understand that very well. Poor Florence!'
More flowers strayed upon the ground, and those she yet held to her breast trembled as if a wintry wind were rustling them.
'My Kate,' said the lady, whose voice was serious, but very calm and sweet, and had so impressed Florence from the first moment of her hearing it, 'of all the youthful people here, you are her natural and harmless friend; you have not the innocent means, that happier children have - '
'There are none happier, aunt!' exclaimed the child, who seemed to cling about her.
'As other children have, dear Kate, of reminding her of her misfortune. Therefore I would have you, when you try to be her little friend, try all the more for that, and feel that the bereavement you sustained - thank Heaven! before you knew its weight- gives you claim and hold upon poor Florence.'
'But I am not without a parent's love, aunt, and I never have been,' said the child, 'with you.'
'However that may be, my dear,' returned the lady, 'your misfortune is a lighter one than Florence's; for not an orphan in the wide world can be so deserted as the child who is an outcast from a living parent's love.'
The flowers were scattered on the ground like dust; the empty hands were spread upon the face; and orphaned Florence, shrinking down upon the ground, wept long and bitterly.
But true of heart and resolute in her good purpose, Florence held to it as her dying mother held by her upon the day that gave Paul life. He did not know how much she loved him. However long the time in coming, and however slow the interval, she must try to bring that knowledge to her father's heart one day or other. Meantime she must be careful in no thoughtless word, or look, or burst of feeling awakened by any chance circumstance, to complain against him, or to give occasion for these whispers to his prejudice.
Even in the response she made the orphan child, to whom she was attracted strongly, and whom she had such occasion to remember, Florence was mindful of him' If she singled her out too plainly (Florence thought) from among the rest, she would confirm - in one mind certainly: perhaps in more - the belief that he was cruel and unnatural. Her own delight was no set-off to this, 'What she had overheard was a reason, not for soothing herself, but for saving him; and Florence did it, in pursuance of the study of her heart.
She did so always. If a book were read aloud, and there were anything in the story that pointed at an unkind father, she was in pain for their application of it to him; not for herself. So with any trifle of an interlude that was acted, or picture that was shown, or game that was played, among them. The occasions for such tenderness towards him were so many, that her mind misgave her often, it would indeed be better to go back to the old house, and live again within the shadow of its dull walls, undisturbed. How few who saw sweet Florence, in her spring of womanhood, the modest little queen of those small revels, imagined what a load of sacred care lay heavy in her breast! How few of those who stiffened in her father's freezing atmosphere, suspected what a heap of fiery coals was piled upon his head!
Florence pursued her study patiently, and, failing to acquire the secret of the nameless grace she sought, among the youthful company who were assembled in the house, often walked out alone, in the early morning, among the children of the poor. But still she found them all too far advanced to learn from. They had won their household places long ago, and did not stand without, as she did, with a bar across the door.
There was one man whom she several times observed at work very early, and often with a girl of about her own age seated near him' He was a very poor man, who seemed to have no regular employment, but now went roaming about the banks of the river when the tide was low, looking out for bits and scraps in the mud; and now worked at the unpromising little patch of garden-ground before his cottage; and now tinkered up a miserable old boat that belonged to him; or did some job of that kind for a neighbour, as chance occurred. Whatever the man's labour, the girl was never employed; but sat, when she was with him, in a listless, moping state, and idle.
Florence had often wished to speak to this man; yet she had never taken courage to do so, as he made no movement towards her. But one morning when she happened to come upon him suddenly, from a by-path among some pollard willows which terminated in the little shelving piece of stony ground that lay between his dwelling and the water, where he was bending over a fire he had made to caulk the old boat which was lying bottom upwards, close by, he raised his head at the sound of her footstep, and gave her Good morning.
'Good morning,' said Florence, approaching nearer, 'you are at work early.'
'I'd be glad to be often at work earlier, Miss, if I had work to do.'
'Is it so hard to get?' asked Florence.
'I find it so,' replied the man.
Florence glanced to where the girl was sitting, drawn together, with her elbows on her knees, and her chin on her hands, and said:
'Is that your daughter?'
He raised his head quickly, and looking towards the girl with a brightened face, nodded to her, and said 'Yes,' Florence looked towards her too, and gave her a kind salutation; the girl muttered something in return, ungraciously and sullenly.
'Is she in want of employment also?' said Florence.
The man shook his head. 'No, Miss,' he said. 'I work for both,'
'Are there only you two, then?' inquired Florence.
'Only us two,' said the man. 'Her mother his been dead these ten year. Martha!' lifted up his head again, and whistled to her) 'won't you say a word to the pretty young lady?'
The girl made an impatient gesture with her cowering shoulders, and turned her head another way. Ugly, misshapen, peevish, ill-conditioned, ragged, dirty - but beloved! Oh yes! Florence had seen her father's look towards her, and she knew whose look it had no likeness to.
'I'm afraid she's worse this morning, my poor girl!' said the man, suspending his work, and contemplating his ill-favoured child, with a compassion that was the more tender for being rougher.
'She is ill, then!' said Florence,
The man drew a deep sigh 'I don't believe my Martha's had five short days' good health,' he answered, looking at her still, 'in as many long years'
'Ay! and more than that, John,' said a neighbour, who had come down to help him with the boat.
'More than that, you say, do you?' cried the other, pushing back his battered hat, and drawing his hand across his forehead. 'Very like. It seems a long, long time.'
'And the more the time,' pursued the neighbour, 'the more you've favoured and humoured her, John, till she's got to be a burden to herself, and everybody else'
'Not to me,' said her father, falling to his work. 'Not to me.'
Florence could feel - who better? - how truly he spoke. She drew a little closer to him, and would have been glad to touch his rugged hand, and thank him for his goodness to the miserable object that he looked upon with eyes so different from any other man's.
'Who would favour my poor girl - to call it favouring - if I didn't?' said the father.
'Ay, ay,' cried the neighbour. 'In reason, John. But you! You rob yourself to give to her. You bind yourself hand and foot on her account. You make your life miserable along of her. And what does she care! You don't believe she knows it?'
The father lifted up his head again, and whistled to her. Martha made the same impatient gesture with her crouching shoulders, in reply; and he was glad and happy.
'Only for that, Miss,' said the neighbour, with a smile, in which there was more of secret sympathy than he expressed; 'only to get that, he never lets her out of his sight!'
'Because the day'll come, and has been coming a long while,' observed the other, bending low over his work, 'when to get half as much from that unfort'nate child of mine - to get the trembling of a finger, or the waving of a hair - would be to raise the dead.'
Florence softly put some money near his hand on the old boat, and left him.
And now Florence began to think, if she were to fall ill, if she were to fade like her dear brother, would he then know that she had loved him; would she then grow dear to him; would he come to her bedside, when she was weak and dim of sight, and take her into his embrace, and cancel all the past? Would he so forgive her, in that changed condition, for not having been able to lay open her childish heart to him, as to make it easy to relate with what emotions she had gone out of his room that night; what she had meant to say if she had had the courage; and how she had endeavoured, afterwards, to learn the way she never knew in infancy?
Yes, she thought if she were dying, he would relent. She thought, that if she lay, serene and not unwilling to depart, upon the bed that was curtained round with recollections of their darling boy, he would be touched home, and would say, 'Dear Florence, live for me, and we will love each other as we might have done, and be as happy as we might have been these many years!' She thought that if she heard such words from him, and had her arms clasped round him' she could answer with a smile, 'It is too late for anything but this; I never could be happier, dear father!' and so leave him, with a blessing on her lips.
The golden water she remembered on the wall, appeared to Florence, in the light of such reflections, only as a current flowing on to rest, and to a region where the dear ones, gone before, were waiting, hand in hand; and often when she looked upon the darker river rippling at her feet, she thought with awful wonder, but not terror, of that river which her brother had so often said was bearing him away.
The father and his sick daughter were yet fresh in Florence's mind, and, indeed, that incident was not a week old, when Sir Barnet and his lady going out walking in the lanes one afternoon, proposed to her to bear them company. Florence readily consenting, Lady Skettles ordered out young Barnet as a matter of course. For nothing delighted Lady Skettles so much, as beholding her eldest son with Florence on his arm.
Barnet, to say the truth, appeared to entertain an opposite sentiment on the subject, and on such occasions frequently expressed himself audibly, though indefinitely, in reference to 'a parcel of girls.' As it was not easy to ruffle her sweet temper, however, Florence generally reconciled the young gentleman to his fate after a few minutes, and they strolled on amicably: Lady Skettles and Sir Barnet following, in a state of perfect complacency and high gratification.
This was the order of procedure on the afternoon in question; and Florence had almost succeeded in overruling the present objections of Skettles Junior to his destiny, when a gentleman on horseback came riding by, looked at them earnestly as he passed, drew in his rein, wheeled round, and came riding back again, hat in hand.
The gentleman had looked particularly at Florence; and when the little party stopped, on his riding back, he bowed to her, before saluting Sir Barnet and his lady. Florence had no remembrance of having ever seen him, but she started involuntarily when he came near her, and drew back.
'My horse is perfectly quiet, I assure you,' said the gentleman.
It was not that, but something in the gentleman himself - Florence could not have said what - that made her recoil as if she had been stung.
'I have the honour to address Miss Dombey, I believe?' said the gentleman, with a most persuasive smile. On Florence inclining her head, he added, 'My name is Carker. I can hardly hope to be remembered by Miss Dombey, except by name. Carker.'
Florence, sensible of a strange inclination to shiver, though the day was hot, presented him to her host and hostess; by whom he was very graciously received.
'I beg pardon,' said Mr Carker, 'a thousand times! But I am going down tomorrow morning to Mr Dombey, at Leamington, and if Miss Dombey can entrust me with any commission, need I say how very happy I shall be?'
Sir Barnet immediately divining that Florence would desire to write a letter to her father, proposed to return, and besought Mr Carker to come home and dine in his riding gear. Mr Carker had the misfortune to be engaged to dinner, but if Miss Dombey wished to write, nothing would delight him more than to accompany them back, and to be her faithful slave in waiting as long as she pleased. As he said this with his widest smile, and bent down close to her to pat his horse's neck, Florence meeting his eyes, saw, rather than heard him say, 'There is no news of the ship!'
Confused, frightened, shrinking from him, and not even sure that he had said those words, for he seemed to have shown them to her in some extraordinary manner through his smile, instead of uttering them, Florence faintly said that she was obliged to him, but she would not write; she had nothing to say.
'Nothing to send, Miss Dombey?' said the man of teeth.
'Nothing,' said Florence, 'but my - but my dear love- if you please.'
Disturbed as Florence was, she raised her eyes to his face with an imploring and expressive look, that plainly besought him, if he knew - which he as plainly did - that any message between her and her father was an uncommon charge, but that one most of all, to spare her. Mr Carker smiled and bowed low, and being charged by Sir Barnet with the best compliments of himself and Lady Skettles, took his leave, and rode away: leaving a favourable impression on that worthy couple. Florence was seized with such a shudder as he went, that Sir Barnet, adopting the popular superstition, supposed somebody was passing over her grave. Mr Carker turning a corner, on the instant, looked back, and bowed, and disappeared, as if he rode off to the churchyard straight, to do it.
巴尼特爵士和斯克特爾斯夫人是很善良的人們，居住在泰晤士河畔富勒姆的一座精致的別墅中；在舉行劃船競(jìng)賽的時(shí)候，這是世界上最令人羨慕的住宅之一，但在其他時(shí)候它卻也有一些麻煩的小事，其中可以提到的是，河水偶爾會(huì)流進(jìn)客廳，并會(huì)把草坪的灌木暫時(shí)淹沒(méi)。
巴尼特爵士主要是通過(guò)一個(gè)老式的金制鼻煙壺和一塊笨大的綢手絹來(lái)顯示他本人的重要身份；他用莊嚴(yán)的神態(tài)把這塊手絹從衣袋中像一面旗子一般抽出來(lái)，同時(shí)用兩只手使用它。巴尼特爵士生活的目的是不斷擴(kuò)大交游的范圍。這是合乎事物的本性的：巴尼特爵士就像一個(gè)沉重的物體掉進(jìn)水里一樣——我們決不是想用這個(gè)比方來(lái)貶低這樣一位德高望重的紳士——，必須在他的周圍展開愈來(lái)愈大的圈子，直到?jīng)]有什么地方可以再擴(kuò)展為止。或者他像空氣中的聲音一樣，根據(jù)一位機(jī)智的現(xiàn)代的哲學(xué)家的猜測(cè)，它的振動(dòng)可以通過(guò)無(wú)止境的空間接連不斷地進(jìn)行下去；除非壽終正寢，沒(méi)有任何其他事物能阻止巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士通過(guò)社會(huì)制度來(lái)尋找新朋友的行程。
巴尼特爵士感到自豪的是，他能使人們與人們相互認(rèn)識(shí)。他喜歡做這種事是由于這種事情本身的原因，而這同時(shí)又促進(jìn)了他所喜愛(ài)的目的。舉個(gè)例子來(lái)說(shuō)，如果巴尼特先生有幸找到了一個(gè)生手或是一位鄉(xiāng)下的紳士，并千方百計(jì)把他請(qǐng)到他好客的別墅中的話，那么，巴尼特爵士就會(huì)在他到達(dá)的當(dāng)天早上對(duì)他說(shuō)，“唔，我親愛(ài)的先生，您想要認(rèn)識(shí)什么人嗎？您希望跟誰(shuí)會(huì)晤？您是不是對(duì)作家、畫家、雕刻家、演員或者這一類的人物有興趣？”這位落到他手里的人可能會(huì)答復(fù)說(shuō)是的，并點(diǎn)了某個(gè)人的名字；雖然巴尼特爵士對(duì)這個(gè)人并不比對(duì)托勒密大帝①更認(rèn)識(shí)，但是巴尼特爵士卻會(huì)回答說(shuō)，世界上沒(méi)有什么比這更容易的事了，因?yàn)樗苁煜ぃ挥谑撬⒓淳腿グ菰L上面所提到的那個(gè)人，留下名片，寫了一張短箋：“我尊敬的先生，——久仰您崇高的地位——住在我家的朋友——斯克特爾斯夫人和我本人也和他一起——相信天才是超越于虛禮客套之上的，因此自然地渴望您將賜予我們無(wú)上光榮，滿足我們謁見尊容的要求”等等，等等，就這樣用一塊石頭同時(shí)打死兩只鳥。
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①托勒密大帝（PtolemytheGneat，公元前367A366或364—283A282年）：埃及馬其頓國(guó)王。
弗洛倫斯前來(lái)訪問(wèn)的第二天早上，巴尼特·斯克特爾斯充分動(dòng)用了鼻煙壺和旗子，向她提出了他通常所提的問(wèn)題。當(dāng)弗洛倫斯謝謝他，說(shuō)她并不特別想要見什么人的時(shí)候，她自然懷著悲痛想到了可憐的、下落不明的沃爾特。巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士又提出他的好意的建議，說(shuō)，“我親愛(ài)的董貝小姐，您相信您就記不起您的好爸爸可能希望您去認(rèn)識(shí)的一個(gè)人了嗎？——我請(qǐng)求您在寫信時(shí)向他轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)我本人和斯克特爾斯夫人最親切的問(wèn)候”，這時(shí)候，也許是很自然的，當(dāng)她輕聲地作了否定的答復(fù)時(shí)，她那可憐的頭向下稍稍低垂，她的聲音是顫抖的。
小斯克特爾斯佩帶著漿得筆挺的領(lǐng)帶，情緒莊重沉著，在這段放假的日子里待在家中；由于他的卓越非凡的母親殷切地希望他必須對(duì)弗洛倫斯殷勤關(guān)切，他似乎感到十分煩惱。小巴尼特心靈受到折磨的另一個(gè)和更深的傷害是跟布林伯博士和夫人在一起；他們被邀請(qǐng)前來(lái)訪問(wèn)，并住在他父親的房屋中。這位年輕的先生不時(shí)說(shuō)，他真巴不得他們到耶里哥①去度假。
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①耶里哥（Jericho）：死海以北的古城。
“您能建議去訪問(wèn)什么人嗎，布林伯博士？”巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士向那位先生問(wèn)道。
“謝謝您的好意，巴尼特爵士，”布林伯博士回答道，“我確實(shí)不知道特別想見誰(shuí)。總的來(lái)說(shuō)，我是喜歡認(rèn)識(shí)我的同胞的，巴尼特爵士。泰倫斯說(shuō)過(guò)什么？所有兒子的父、母親都使我感到興趣?！?BR> “布林伯夫人是不是希望認(rèn)識(shí)什么杰出的人物？”巴尼特爵士彬彬有禮地問(wèn)道。
布林伯夫人眉開眼笑地把天藍(lán)色的帽子揮了一揮，回答說(shuō)，如果巴尼特爵士能把她介紹給西塞羅認(rèn)識(shí)，她可真想要?jiǎng)隈{他一下；但是這是不可能辦到的，她又早已領(lǐng)受了他本人和他的和藹可親的夫人的友情，而且她和她的博士丈夫在教育他們的親愛(ài)的兒子上又得到了他們共同的信任——這時(shí)可以看到小巴尼特皺一皺鼻子——，因此，她就不再要求別的了。
在這樣的情況下，巴尼特爵士只好暫且滿足于和聚集起來(lái)的朋友們待在一起。弗洛倫斯對(duì)這感到高興，因?yàn)樗谒麄儺?dāng)中要進(jìn)行一項(xiàng)研究，她的心是太關(guān)切它了，它對(duì)她來(lái)說(shuō)是太寶貴太重要了，所以她不能再去關(guān)心其他什么事情。
有幾個(gè)孩子住在這個(gè)屋子里。這些孩子們跟他們的父母在一起的時(shí)候，真摯坦率，快快活活，就跟她家對(duì)面那些臉色紅潤(rùn)的女孩子們一樣。這些孩子們毫不抑制他們的愛(ài)，而是隨心隨意地把它表露出來(lái)。弗洛倫斯想要探索他們的秘密，想要找出她所缺少的是什么；他們懂得什么簡(jiǎn)單的技巧而她卻不懂；她怎樣從他們那里吸取智慧，去向她的父親表示她愛(ài)他，并重新贏得他的愛(ài)。
弗洛倫斯好多天若有所思地觀察著這些孩子。好多個(gè)晴朗的早晨，當(dāng)燦爛的太陽(yáng)升起的時(shí)候，屋子中還沒(méi)有任何人起身，她就離開了床，在河邊來(lái)回散步，仰望著他們的窗子，想著他們正在熟睡之中，受到父母細(xì)心的照料和親切的關(guān)懷。這時(shí)候弗洛倫斯感到比獨(dú)自一人住在自己家宏偉的宅第中更為孤獨(dú)；有時(shí)她覺(jué)得在家里反比在這里更好，把自己隱藏起來(lái)比混雜在和她年齡相仿的其他孩子們中間，看到她和他們很不一樣的時(shí)候，心中能夠得到更大的安寧。雖然這本難念的書每翻過(guò)小小的一頁(yè)都使她心中產(chǎn)生劇烈的痛苦，但是弗洛倫斯還是全神貫注地進(jìn)行著研究；她留在他們中間，耐心地懷著希望，設(shè)法得到她渴望得到的知識(shí)。
唉！怎樣才能得到它呢？怎樣才能在那能獲得父親喜愛(ài)的魅力剛剛產(chǎn)生的時(shí)候就知道它呢？這里有些做女兒的，早上從床上起來(lái)，晚上躺下休息，早已掌握了父親的心。她們不需要克服父親對(duì)她們的嫌惡，不需要畏懼父親對(duì)她們的冷淡，不需要撫平父親對(duì)她們的皺眉。當(dāng)早晨來(lái)臨，窗子一個(gè)一個(gè)地打開，花草上的露珠開始干枯，年輕的腳開始在草坪上走動(dòng)的時(shí)候，弗洛倫斯望著這些喜氣洋洋的臉孔，心想她能從這些女孩子們身上學(xué)到什么呢？向她們學(xué)習(xí)已經(jīng)太晚了。每個(gè)女孩子都能毫無(wú)畏懼地走近父親身邊，湊上嘴唇迎接那喜悅的親吻，伸出胳膊摟住那低下來(lái)?yè)釔?ài)她的脖子。她不能這樣大膽地開始。啊，她研究得愈來(lái)愈深，希望就顯得愈來(lái)愈少，這是可能的嗎？
她清楚地記得，當(dāng)她還是個(gè)小女孩的時(shí)候，甚至連那個(gè)曾經(jīng)拐騙過(guò)她的老太婆——她的形象，她的住所，她所說(shuō)所做的一切，都以童年時(shí)期恐怖印象所具有的那種經(jīng)久不滅的鮮明性，深深地印刻在她的記憶中——，也曾懷著親切的感情談到她的女兒，甚至連她也由于和她的孩子絕望地分離而十分可怕地痛苦哭泣。可是當(dāng)弗洛倫斯回想到這一點(diǎn)的時(shí)候，她又會(huì)這樣想：她自己的母親也曾經(jīng)熱愛(ài)過(guò)她。于是，有時(shí)當(dāng)她的思想迅速地返回到她和父親之間空曠的深淵時(shí)，她在面前呈現(xiàn)出一幅圖景：她的母親還活著，也不喜歡起她來(lái)了，因?yàn)樗狈δ欠N自然一定會(huì)獲得父親歡心的還不知道的魅力（她打從躺在搖籃里的時(shí)候起直到現(xiàn)在，從來(lái)不曾獲得過(guò)父親的這種歡心），這時(shí)候弗洛倫斯的身子會(huì)顫抖，眼淚會(huì)流到臉上。她知道，這樣的臆想對(duì)不起對(duì)她的母親的回憶，一點(diǎn)也不真實(shí)，也沒(méi)有一點(diǎn)根據(jù)，可是她是多么處心積慮地想要證明父親是正確的，并把一切過(guò)失都?xì)w到她自己身上，因此她不能抗拒這個(gè)念頭像雷雨時(shí)的烏云一樣地掠過(guò)她的心頭。
弗洛倫斯來(lái)后不久，又來(lái)了其他一些客人；其中有一位漂亮的女孩，比她小三、四歲，是個(gè)孤兒，由她的姑媽陪伴；這位姑媽是一位頭發(fā)斑白的夫人，她跟弗洛倫斯談了不少的話，還非常喜歡（不過(guò)，他們?nèi)枷矚g）聽她在晚上唱歌，那時(shí)候她常常懷著母親般的關(guān)心，坐在她的身旁。在一個(gè)溫暖的上午，她們到這屋子里來(lái)剛只兩天，弗洛倫斯坐在花園里的一個(gè)小藤架中，通過(guò)擋在中間的一些樹枝，沉思地觀看著草地上的一群孩子，同時(shí)在編織一個(gè)花冠，這是準(zhǔn)備給這些孩子當(dāng)中的一個(gè)小家伙戴的，他是大家最喜愛(ài)的寶貝和逗樂(lè)的對(duì)象。這時(shí)候，她聽到這位夫人和她的侄女在附近一個(gè)被樹蔭遮蔽住的偏僻角落里走來(lái)走去時(shí)談到了她。
“姑媽，弗洛倫斯是不是跟我一樣，也是個(gè)孤兒？”女孩子問(wèn)道。
“不是，我親愛(ài)的。她沒(méi)有媽媽，但是爸爸還活著。”
“她現(xiàn)在是不是給她的媽媽服喪？”女孩子很快地問(wèn)道。
“不是，她是給她的弟弟服喪?！?BR> “她就沒(méi)有別的兄弟了嗎？”
“沒(méi)有?！?BR> “也沒(méi)有姐妹嗎？”
“沒(méi)有?！?BR> “我真為她感到非常、非常難過(guò)?！?BR> 弗洛倫斯原先在聽到她的名字時(shí)，本已經(jīng)站起身來(lái)，搜集花朵，準(zhǔn)備走去迎接她們，好讓她們知道她就在可以聽到她們講話的近處，可是由于在這之后不久，她們停住觀看小船，不再說(shuō)話，所以弗洛倫斯又坐下來(lái)編織，以為不會(huì)再聽到什么了；然而片刻之后，談話又重新開始了。
“這里人人都喜歡弗洛倫斯，當(dāng)然，她也值得大家喜歡，”
女孩子熱情地說(shuō)道。“她的爸爸在哪里？”
姑媽沉默了片刻之后，回答說(shuō)，她不知道。她的聲調(diào)引起了弗洛倫斯的注意，她本來(lái)又已經(jīng)從座位上站起來(lái)，這時(shí)它使她固定在原地不動(dòng)；她急忙把花冠緊貼在胸上，兩手抱住花朵，以免它們散落到地上。
“他是在英國(guó)嗎，姑媽？”女孩子問(wèn)道。
“我想是的，不錯(cuò)，他是在英國(guó)，一點(diǎn)不錯(cuò)?！?BR> “他到這里來(lái)過(guò)嗎？”
“不，我想他不曾來(lái)過(guò)?！?BR> “他是不是將要到這里來(lái)看她？”
“我想他不會(huì)來(lái)。”
“他是不是腳跛了，眼瞎了還是生病了，姑媽？”女孩子問(wèn)道。
當(dāng)弗洛倫斯聽到這些這樣驚奇地說(shuō)出的話語(yǔ)時(shí)，她緊貼在胸膛的花朵開始掉落。她把它們貼得更緊，她的臉向著它們低垂下來(lái)。
“凱特，”那位夫人又沉默了片刻之后，說(shuō)道，“我將把有關(guān)弗洛倫斯的全部真情告訴你，這是我所聽到的和相信的。不要告訴別人，我親愛(ài)的，因?yàn)檫@里可能很少有人知道這，你要是告訴了別人，就會(huì)使她痛苦?！?BR> “我決不會(huì)告訴別人！”女孩子喊道。
“我知道你決不會(huì)，”那位夫人回答道，“我相信你就像相信我自己一樣。那么我就告訴你吧，凱特；我擔(dān)心弗洛倫斯的父親很少關(guān)心她，很少看到她；他從來(lái)沒(méi)有對(duì)她表示過(guò)溫存，現(xiàn)在差不多完全躲開她，避免跟她見面。如果他允許的話，那么她會(huì)深深地愛(ài)他，可是他卻不想這么做，雖然她一點(diǎn)兒過(guò)錯(cuò)也沒(méi)有；所有善良的心都會(huì)深切地愛(ài)她，可憐她?！?BR> 弗洛倫斯抱著的花朵，又有好些散落到地上，那些留下來(lái)的已經(jīng)濕了，并不是由于露水；她的臉低垂到抱著這些花朵的手上。
“可憐的弗洛倫斯！親愛(ài)的善良的弗洛倫斯！”女孩子喊道。
“你知道我為什么把這告訴你嗎，凱特？”那夫人問(wèn)道。
“這樣我可以很親切地對(duì)待她，極力設(shè)法使她高興。是不是這個(gè)緣故，姑媽？”
“那是一部分原因，”那夫人說(shuō)道，“并不是全部。雖然我們看到她快快活活，對(duì)每個(gè)人都和顏悅色地露出笑容，非常樂(lè)意為我們所有的人效勞，并參加這里的一切娛樂(lè)，可是她卻很難是幸福的；你想她能幸福嗎，凱特？”
“我覺(jué)得她不能?！毙∨⒄f(shuō)道。
“你也就可以理解，”那夫人繼續(xù)說(shuō)道，“當(dāng)她看到那些有爸爸媽媽的孩子們，爸爸媽媽喜歡他們，為他們感到自豪——就像現(xiàn)在這里的許多人一樣——，這時(shí)候她的內(nèi)心為什么會(huì)感到痛苦？”
“是的，親愛(ài)的姑媽，”女孩子說(shuō)道，“我完全理解。可憐的弗洛倫斯！”
又有一些花朵落到地上，那些她還抱在胸口的花朵顫抖著，仿佛冬風(fēng)正把它們吹得發(fā)出了颯颯的響聲。
“我的凱特，”那夫人說(shuō)道；她的聲音是嚴(yán)肅的，但卻平靜和親切，從聽到她講話的第一秒鐘起，就在弗洛倫斯心上產(chǎn)生了強(qiáng)烈的印象；“在這里所有的孩子們中間，你是她天然最適宜的、不會(huì)對(duì)她有任何惡意的朋友；你不會(huì)在無(wú)意之中，就像那些比你更幸福的孩子們會(huì)那么做的——”
“沒(méi)有比我更幸福的人啦，姑媽！”女孩子說(shuō)道，她似乎緊貼著她的姑媽。
“親愛(ài)的凱特，你不會(huì)像其他孩子那樣向她提醒她的不幸。所以，當(dāng)你設(shè)法跟她做朋友的時(shí)候，我愿意你，竭盡你的一切努力，記住你被奪去了雙親——謝謝上帝！那時(shí)候你還不知道它那沉重的分量——，這使你有權(quán)利接近弗洛倫斯，享有她的友誼?！?BR> “可是，姑媽，我跟你在一起的時(shí)候，并沒(méi)有失去父母親般的慈愛(ài)，我從來(lái)也沒(méi)有失去過(guò)。”
“不管情況怎么樣，我親愛(ài)的，”那夫人回答道，“你的不幸要比弗洛倫斯輕一些；因?yàn)樵谶@廣闊的世界上，沒(méi)有一個(gè)孤兒能比一個(gè)被活著的父親拋棄不愛(ài)更加冷落可憐的了?！?BR> 花朵像塵埃一般紛紛散落在地上，空著的雙手蒙住臉孔，成為孤兒的弗洛倫斯縮成一團(tuán)，倒在地上，長(zhǎng)久地、痛苦地哭泣著。
但是弗洛倫斯懷著忠誠(chéng)的心和堅(jiān)決的善良的目的，緊緊地抱住這個(gè)目的不放，就像她垂死的母親在生下保羅的那一天緊緊抱住她不放一樣。他不知道她多么熱烈地愛(ài)著他。不管她要等待多么長(zhǎng)久，不管時(shí)間過(guò)得多么緩慢，她遲早總有一天要讓父親的心知道這一點(diǎn)，在這段時(shí)間中，她必須注意不要用未經(jīng)考慮的語(yǔ)言、眼光或由于任何偶然的情況所引起的感情沖動(dòng)去抱怨他，或者給那些損害他的流言蜚語(yǔ)提供口實(shí)。
弗洛倫斯對(duì)那個(gè)孤兒產(chǎn)生了強(qiáng)烈的興趣，也很有理由記得她，可是甚至在回答她的情誼時(shí)，弗洛倫斯心中也記著父親。如果在所有的孩子中，她對(duì)她表示了太突出的感情（弗洛倫斯這么想），她就無(wú)疑會(huì)在一個(gè)人的心中，也許還會(huì)在更多人的心中加強(qiáng)這樣的信念：他是殘酷的，不近人情的。她把她自己的快樂(lè)完全置之度外。她暗中聽到的談話只能成為保全他，而不是成為撫慰她自己的理由。弗洛倫斯在心中進(jìn)行著探索的時(shí)候，就是這樣做的。
她經(jīng)常這樣做。如果他們?cè)诶收b一本書，書中提到一位冷酷的父親的話，那么她感到痛苦的是害怕他們這樣朗誦是在暗指他，而不是為了她自己；當(dāng)他們演出一個(gè)在幕間插入的戲劇的時(shí)候，或展示一幅圖畫的時(shí)候，或做一個(gè)游戲的時(shí)候，也有這樣的情形。為他擔(dān)驚受怕的這一類事情很多，因此她不時(shí)躊躇，是不是回到老家去，重新平靜地生活在它那沉悶無(wú)趣的墻壁的陰影下，反而更好。人們看到，溫柔可愛(ài)的弗洛倫斯正處在豆蔻年華，她是這些孩子聯(lián)歡會(huì)上的謙遜的小皇后；在他們中間，很少有人會(huì)想象到，一副多么神圣的憂慮的擔(dān)子正沉重地壓在她的胸間！那些在她父親的冷冰冰的氣氛中拘謹(jǐn)不安的人們中間，很少有人會(huì)料想到，在他的頭上正堆積著像煤火般熾熱的感情！
弗洛倫斯耐心地進(jìn)行著探索。由于她在聚集在這座房屋中的年輕伴侶中間沒(méi)能求得她所尋找的那難以名狀的魅力的秘密，她就常常在清晨單獨(dú)走出到那些窮人的孩子們中間去。可是她在這里也還是發(fā)現(xiàn)他們?cè)谒懊孀叩锰h(yuǎn)了，她不能從他們那里學(xué)到什么。他們好久以前就已在家庭中取得了他們的地位，不是像她那樣站在被閂上的門外。
她好幾次注意到有一位男子很早就起來(lái)干活。有一位年齡和她差不多的女孩子時(shí)常坐在他的近旁。他是一個(gè)很窮苦的人，似乎沒(méi)有固定的職業(yè)；有時(shí)在退潮以后在河岸上走來(lái)走去，在淤泥中尋找什么碎片和廢物；有時(shí)在他茅舍前可憐的一小塊園地上耕種；有時(shí)修補(bǔ)他的一條小而破爛的舊船；或者碰上機(jī)會(huì)，就給鄰居干這樣一類的活兒。不管這男子干什么活，女孩子從來(lái)不幫著干，而是耷拉著臉，沒(méi)精打采地、無(wú)所事事地坐在他的身邊。
弗洛倫斯時(shí)常想跟這人談話，可是她從來(lái)沒(méi)有鼓起勇氣來(lái)這樣做，因?yàn)樗麖膩?lái)沒(méi)有朝向她。但是有一天早上，當(dāng)她從一些截去樹稍的柳樹中間的一條小路出來(lái)，走到他的住屋和河流中間的一小塊漸次傾斜、石子很多的地中的時(shí)候，她突然間遇見了他；他在那里向著一個(gè)火堆彎下身子；那條老舊的小船底朝天地躺在近旁，那個(gè)火堆是生起來(lái)給這條小船堵縫眼用的；他聽到她的腳步聲，就抬起頭來(lái)，向她問(wèn)候早安。
“早上好，”弗洛倫斯向前走近一些，說(shuō)道，“您這么早就起來(lái)干活了?！?BR> “如果我有活干的話，小姐，我會(huì)高興時(shí)常更早起來(lái)干活的?！?BR> “很難找到活干嗎？”弗洛倫斯問(wèn)道。
“·我覺(jué)得難找，”那人回答道。
弗洛倫斯向女孩子坐的地方看了一眼，她縮成一團(tuán)，胳膊肘支在膝蓋上，兩手托著下巴。弗洛倫斯問(wèn)道：
“她是您的女兒?jiǎn)?？?BR> 他迅速地抬起頭來(lái)，臉上露出笑容，望著女孩子，向她點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，說(shuō)，“是的?！备ヂ鍌愃挂餐?，向她親切地致意。
女孩子沒(méi)有禮貌地、不高興地咕噥了幾句，作為回答。
“她也找不到活干嗎？”弗洛倫斯問(wèn)道。
那人搖搖頭?！安?，小姐，”他說(shuō)，“我為兩個(gè)人干活?！?BR> “這么說(shuō)，你們就只兩個(gè)人嗎？”弗洛倫斯問(wèn)道。
“就只我們兩個(gè)，”那人說(shuō)道，“她的媽媽已經(jīng)死去十年了。馬撒！”他又抬起頭來(lái)，向她吹了個(gè)口哨?！澳悴幌敫@位漂亮的小姐講句話嗎？”
女孩子縮縮肩膀，做了個(gè)不耐煩的姿態(tài)，把頭朝向另一邊。她面貌丑陋，身體畸形，脾氣暴躁，家境貧困，衣衫襤褸，骯骯臟臟，但是卻被愛(ài)著！啊，是的！弗洛倫斯從她父親望著她的眼光中看到了這一點(diǎn)，她知道誰(shuí)的眼光與這毫不相同。
“我可憐的女孩子！我擔(dān)心她今天早上更不好了，”那男子停止工作，說(shuō)道，一邊懷著憐憫，望著他那外貌不揚(yáng)的女兒；他的憐憫的方式不是很細(xì)致的，但卻因而更為親切動(dòng)人。
“這么說(shuō)，她是病了？”弗洛倫斯說(shuō)。
那人深深地嘆了一口氣。“在這長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的五年當(dāng)中，”他依舊望著她，回答道，“我想，我的馬撒就連短短五天的健康日子也沒(méi)有過(guò)?！?BR> “唉，還不止五年呢，約翰，”前來(lái)幫助他修船的一位鄰居說(shuō)。
“您認(rèn)為還不止五年嗎？”另一位把他那頂戴舊了的帽子推向后面，用手摸摸前額，喊道，“很可能。好像是很久、很久的時(shí)間了?！?BR> “約翰，”鄰居繼續(xù)說(shuō)道，“時(shí)間愈久，您就愈寵愛(ài)她，愈遷就她，直到她已成了她自己和其他所有人的累贅了?！?BR> “對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)，她沒(méi)有成為累贅，”她的父親重新干起活來(lái)，說(shuō)道，“對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)她沒(méi)有?！?BR> 弗洛倫斯感到——誰(shuí)還能比她更能感到這一點(diǎn)呢？——他說(shuō)得十分真實(shí)。她向前更走近一些，真想能高興地摸一下他那起繭的手，謝謝他對(duì)那可憐的人兒所懷的慈腸善心；他望著她的眼光跟別人的是多么不同呵。
“就算這是寵愛(ài)吧，如果·我不寵愛(ài)她，誰(shuí)還會(huì)寵愛(ài)我這可憐的女孩子呢？”那父親說(shuō)道。
“是的，這話說(shuō)得不錯(cuò)，”鄰居大聲說(shuō)道，“不過(guò)，約翰，凡事總得合情合理，有個(gè)分寸才好。而您呢！您犧牲了自己的一切，全都給了她。您為了她把自己的手腳全都給束縛起來(lái)了。您為了她過(guò)著牛馬一般的生活，而·她心里想著的是什么呢！您以為她能體會(huì)到這一點(diǎn)嗎？”
父親又抬起頭來(lái)，向她吹口哨；馬撒又跟先前一樣，縮縮肩膀，做了個(gè)不耐煩的姿態(tài)，作為回答；他卻感到高興和滿意。
“只是為了這，小姐，”鄰居微笑著說(shuō)道；在他的笑容中包含著內(nèi)心的同情，比他表露出來(lái)的還多，“只是為了看到這，他就永遠(yuǎn)不讓她離開他！”
“因?yàn)檫@一天將會(huì)來(lái)到，它離現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)不遠(yuǎn)了，”另一位低低地彎下身去干活，說(shuō)道，“那時(shí)候甚至看一看我那不幸的孩子，看一看她的指頭怎么顫抖，或者她的頭發(fā)怎么飄動(dòng)，都會(huì)使死者復(fù)活的?！?BR> 弗洛倫斯在那只舊船上挨近他手邊的地方悄悄地放了一些錢，然后離開了他。
這時(shí)弗洛倫斯開始想，如果她像她弟弟那樣生了病，消瘦下去，那時(shí)候她父親會(huì)知道她曾經(jīng)愛(ài)過(guò)他嗎？那時(shí)候他會(huì)覺(jué)得她比現(xiàn)在親愛(ài)一些嗎？當(dāng)她虛弱無(wú)力、視力模糊的時(shí)候，他會(huì)來(lái)到她的床邊，把她抱入懷中，把過(guò)去的一切全都一筆勾銷嗎？在改變了的情況下，他會(huì)原諒她沒(méi)能向他敞開她孩子的心懷嗎？他能原諒她，使她能毫不困難地告訴他，她那天夜里是懷著什么樣的心情走出他的房間的，告訴他，如果她有勇氣的話，那么她曾經(jīng)想做什么，告訴他，她后來(lái)怎樣努力學(xué)習(xí)她在嬰兒時(shí)代從來(lái)不知道的方法的嗎？
是的，她想，如果她快要死了，那么他會(huì)變得寬厚起來(lái)的。她想，如果她安詳?shù)靥稍趻熘鴰ぷ拥拇采希翢o(wú)難色地等待著死神來(lái)臨，使他們回憶起他們那親愛(ài)的小男孩的話，那么他將會(huì)被刺痛了心，對(duì)她說(shuō)，“親愛(ài)的弗洛倫斯，為了我而活著吧，我們將彼此相愛(ài)，這些年來(lái)我們本可以這樣相愛(ài)的；我們將會(huì)幸福，這些年來(lái)我們本可以這樣幸福的！”她想，如果她聽到這些話，她的胳膊摟抱著他的話，那么她會(huì)微笑著回答說(shuō)，“一切都已經(jīng)太晚了！但有一點(diǎn)：我從來(lái)沒(méi)有像現(xiàn)在這樣幸福過(guò)，親愛(ài)的爸爸！”然后在嘴唇上帶著她的祝福離開了他。
由于這樣一些思索的結(jié)果，弗洛倫斯所記得的墻上的金黃色的水，對(duì)她來(lái)說(shuō)，只不過(guò)像是流向安息的水流，它流向一個(gè)地方，比她早去的親人們正在那里手挽手地等待著她；有好多次，當(dāng)她望著腳邊潺潺流過(guò)的黑漆漆的河流時(shí)，她就懷著非常的驚奇，而不是恐怖，想起了那條她弟弟曾經(jīng)時(shí)常說(shuō)是把他漂走的河流。
弗洛倫斯和那位父親和他生病的女兒相遇之后不到一個(gè)星期，她對(duì)他們還記憶猶新的時(shí)候，有一天下午，巴尼特爵士和他的夫人出外到鄉(xiāng)間的小路上散步，他們建議弗洛倫斯陪他們一道走走。弗洛倫斯欣然同意，斯克特爾斯夫人自然就命令小巴尼特一道出去。因?yàn)樗箍颂貭査狗蛉丝吹剿拇髢鹤油熘ヂ鍌愃沟母觳彩窃僖哺吲d不過(guò)的了。
說(shuō)實(shí)在的，小巴尼特在這種事情上的思想感情看來(lái)跟他母親完全相反；在這種場(chǎng)合他時(shí)常把他的情緒大聲地表露出來(lái)，雖然是含糊其詞地嘟囔著什么“一群毛丫頭”。可是要使弗洛倫斯溫柔的性情生氣是不容易的，所以她一般經(jīng)過(guò)幾分鐘之后就能使那位年輕的先生安心于自己的命運(yùn)；他們和睦地向前游逛，斯克特爾斯夫人和巴尼特爵士則洋洋得意、十分高興地跟在后面。
就在這一天的下午，正當(dāng)他們這樣向前走著，弗洛倫斯幾乎就要平息小斯克特爾斯的怨言，使他聽從命運(yùn)擺布的時(shí)候，一位騎馬的先生經(jīng)過(guò)他們身旁時(shí)，注意地看著他們，然后勒住馬，掉轉(zhuǎn)馬頭，手里握著帽子，重新向他們騎回來(lái)。
這位先生特別注意地看著弗洛倫斯；當(dāng)這一小群人站住看著他騎回來(lái)的時(shí)候，他先向她鞠躬，然后才向巴尼特爵士和他的夫人行禮致敬。弗洛倫斯記不得過(guò)去曾經(jīng)看見過(guò)他，但是當(dāng)他向她騎近的時(shí)候，她不由自主地感到吃驚并向后退縮。
“請(qǐng)放心，我的馬是十分馴服的，”那位先生說(shuō)道。
可是并不是馬，而是那位先生身上的什么東西——弗洛倫斯說(shuō)不出那是什么——，使得她像被刺痛似地畏縮。
“我想我有榮幸向董貝小姐致意吧？”那位先生露出極為奉承取悅的笑容，說(shuō)道。當(dāng)弗洛倫斯把頭低下的時(shí)候，他繼續(xù)說(shuō)道，“我姓卡克。我想除了我的姓卡克之外，董貝小姐不會(huì)記得我了?！?BR> 雖然天氣炎熱，弗洛倫斯卻奇怪地感到直想打寒顫；她把他介紹給她的主人和女主人。他們十分客氣地接待了他。
“一千次地請(qǐng)您原諒，”卡克先生說(shuō)道，“不過(guò)明天早上我就去萊明頓，到董貝先生那里。如果董貝小姐有什么任務(wù)能交托給我去辦理，我將會(huì)感到萬(wàn)分榮幸，難道這還需要我說(shuō)嗎？”
巴尼特爵士立即揣度弗洛倫斯要想給她父親寫信，所以建議回家去，并請(qǐng)求卡克先生跟他們一道去，在他家吃晚飯，不用卸去騎馬的服裝。不幸的是，卡克先生早已接受別人的邀請(qǐng)，不能再在這里吃晚飯，但是如果董貝小姐想要寫信，他就再也高興不過(guò)地陪他們回去，并充當(dāng)她忠實(shí)的奴仆，隨她喜歡要他等待多久就等待多久。當(dāng)他露出他那最寬闊的微笑說(shuō)這些話，并彎下身子靠近她，拍拍馬脖子的時(shí)候，弗洛倫斯碰到了他的眼光，可以說(shuō)是看到而不是聽到他說(shuō)，“那條船杳無(wú)音訊！”
弗洛倫斯惶惑不安，驚恐萬(wàn)分，從他身邊往后退縮，甚至根本不能肯定他是不是說(shuō)了這些話，因?yàn)樗坪跏且援惡鯇こ５姆绞?，通過(guò)他的微笑把這些話顯示給她看，而不是說(shuō)出來(lái)的。她用微弱的聲音說(shuō)，她謝謝他，但是她不打算寫信；
她沒(méi)有什么話要說(shuō)的。
“不捎點(diǎn)東西去嗎？”露出牙齒的人問(wèn)道。
“不捎什么東西，”弗洛倫斯說(shuō)道，“除了勞駕您轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)我的——我的親切的愛(ài)之外?！?BR> 雖然弗洛倫斯心緒煩亂，但是她還是抬起眼睛，用哀求的和意味深長(zhǎng)的眼光望著他的臉；這眼光清楚地請(qǐng)求他寬恕她，如果他知道——他同樣清楚地知道這一點(diǎn)——，她和她父親之間相互傳遞口訊是一件很不尋常的事情，而像現(xiàn)在這樣的傳遞口訊，那更是異乎尋常的?？讼壬⑿χ钌畹鼐瞎?；巴尼特爵士請(qǐng)求他向董貝先生轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)他本人和斯克特爾斯夫人衷心的問(wèn)候，于是卡克先生向大家告別，騎著馬離開了，在那德高望重的老兩口心中留下了一個(gè)良好的印象。這時(shí)弗洛倫斯開始渾身打顫，巴尼特爵士相信當(dāng)時(shí)流行的一種迷信說(shuō)法，認(rèn)為這時(shí)正有人走過(guò)她的墳地?？讼壬@時(shí)拐了個(gè)彎，往后看看，鞠著躬，然后消失不見了，仿佛他為了達(dá)到這個(gè)目的，正直向教堂墓地騎去。
Sir Barnet and Lady Skettles, very good people, resided in a pretty villa at Fulham, on the banks of the Thames; which was one of the most desirable residences in the world when a rowing-match happened to be going past, but had its little inconveniences at other times, among which may be enumerated the occasional appearance of the river in the drawing-room, and the contemporaneous disappearance of the lawn and shrubbery.
Sir Barnet Skettles expressed his personal consequence chiefly through an antique gold snuffbox, and a ponderous silk pocket-kerchief, which he had an imposing manner of drawing out of his pocket like a banner and using with both hands at once. Sir Barnet's object in life was constantly to extend the range of his acquaintance. Like a heavy body dropped into water - not to disparage so worthy a gentleman by the comparison - it was in the nature of things that Sir Barnet must spread an ever widening circle about him, until there was no room left. Or, like a sound in air, the vibration of which, according to the speculation of an ingenious modern philosopher, may go on travelling for ever through the interminable fields of space, nothing but coming to the end of his moral tether could stop Sir Barnet Skettles in his voyage of discovery through the social system.
Sir Barnet was proud of making people acquainted with people. He liked the thing for its own sake, and it advanced his favourite object too. For example, if Sir Barnet had the good fortune to get hold of a law recruit, or a country gentleman, and ensnared him to his hospitable villa, Sir Barnet would say to him, on the morning after his arrival, 'Now, my dear Sir, is there anybody you would like to know? Who is there you would wish to meet? Do you take any interest in writing people, or in painting or sculpturing people, or in acting people, or in anything of that sort?' Possibly the patient answered yes, and mentioned somebody, of whom Sir Barnet had no more personal knowledge than of Ptolemy the Great. Sir Barnet replied, that nothing on earth was easier, as he knew him very well: immediately called on the aforesaid somebody, left his card, wrote a short note, - 'My dear Sir - penalty of your eminent position - friend at my house naturally desirous - Lady Skettles and myself participate - trust that genius being superior to ceremonies, you will do us the distinguished favour of giving us the pleasure,' etc, etc. - and so killed a brace of birds with one stone, dead as door-nails.
With the snuff-box and banner in full force, Sir Barnet Skettles propounded his usual inquiry to Florence on the first morning of her visit. When Florence thanked him, and said there was no one in particular whom she desired to see, it was natural she should think with a pang, of poor lost Walter. When Sir Barnet Skettles, urging his kind offer, said, 'My dear Miss Dombey, are you sure you can remember no one whom your good Papa - to whom I beg you present the best compliments of myself and Lady Skettles when you write - might wish you to know?' it was natural, perhaps, that her poor head should droop a little, and that her voice should tremble as it softly answered in the negative.
Skettles Junior, much stiffened as to his cravat, and sobered down as to his spirits' was at home for the holidays, and appeared to feel himself aggrieved by the solicitude of his excellent mother that he should be attentive to Florence. Another and a deeper injury under which the soul of young Barnet chafed, was the company of Dr and Mrs Blimber, who had been invited on a visit to the paternal roof-tree, and of whom the young gentleman often said he would have preferred their passing the vacation at Jericho.
'Is there anybody you can suggest now, Doctor Blimber?' said Sir Barnet Skettles, turning to that gentleman.
'You are very kind, Sir Barnet,' returned Doctor Blimber. 'Really I am not aware that there is, in particular. I like to know my fellow-men in general, Sir Barnet. What does Terence say? Anyone who is the parent of a son is interesting to me.
'Has Mrs Blimber any wish to see any remarkable person?' asked Sir Barnet, courteously.
Mrs Blimber replied, with a sweet smile and a shake of her sky-blue cap, that if Sir Barnet could have made her known to Cicero, she would have troubled him; but such an introduction not being feasible, and she already enjoying the friendship of himself and his amiable lady, and possessing with the Doctor her husband their joint confidence in regard to their dear son - here young Barnet was observed to curl his nose - she asked no more.
Sir Barnet was fain, under these circumstances, to content himself for the time with the company assembled. Florence was glad of that; for she had a study to pursue among them, and it lay too near her heart, and was too precious and momentous, to yield to any other interest.
There were some children staying in the house. Children who were as frank and happy with fathers and with mothers as those rosy faces opposite home. Children who had no restraint upon their love. and freely showed it. Florence sought to learn their secret; sought to find out what it was she had missed; what simple art they knew, and she knew not; how she could be taught by them to show her father that she loved him, and to win his love again.
Many a day did Florence thoughtfully observe these children. On many a bright morning did she leave her bed when the glorious sun rose, and walking up and down upon the river's bank' before anyone in the house was stirring, look up at the windows of their rooms, and think of them, asleep, so gently tended and affectionately thought of. Florence would feel more lonely then, than in the great house all alone; and would think sometimes that she was better there than here, and that there was greater peace in hiding herself than in mingling with others of her age, and finding how unlike them all she was. But attentive to her study, though it touched her to the quick at every little leaf she turned in the hard book, Florence remained among them, and tried with patient hope, to gain the knowledge that she wearied for.
Ah! how to gain it! how to know the charm in its beginning! There were daughters here, who rose up in the morning, and lay down to rest at night, possessed of fathers' hearts already. They had no repulse to overcome, no coldness to dread, no frown to smooth away. As the morning advanced, and the windows opened one by one, and the dew began to dry upon the flowers and and youthful feet began to move upon the lawn, Florence, glancing round at the bright faces, thought what was there she could learn from these children? It was too late to learn from them; each could approach her father fearlessly, and put up her lips to meet the ready kiss, and wind her arm about the neck that bent down to caress her. She could not begin by being so bold. Oh! could it be that there was less and less hope as she studied more and more!
She remembered well, that even the old woman who had robbed her when a little child - whose image and whose house, and all she had said and done, were stamped upon her recollection, with the enduring sharpness of a fearful impression made at that early period of life - had spoken fondly of her daughter, and how terribly even she had cried out in the pain of hopeless separation from her child But her own mother, she would think again, when she recalled this, had loved her well. Then, sometimes, when her thoughts reverted swiftly to the void between herself and her father, Florence would tremble, and the tears would start upon her face, as she pictured to herself her mother living on, and coming also to dislike her, because of her wanting the unknown grace that should conciliate that father naturally, and had never done so from her cradle She knew that this imagination did wrong to her mother's memory, and had no truth in it, or base to rest upon; and yet she tried so hard to justify him, and to find the whole blame in herself, that she could not resist its passing, like a wild cloud, through the distance of her mind.
There came among the other visitors, soon after Florence, one beautiful girl, three or four years younger than she, who was an orphan child, and who was accompanied by her aunt, a grey-haired lady, who spoke much to Florence, and who greatly liked (but that they all did) to hear her sing of an evening, and would always sit near her at that time, with motherly interest. They had only been two days in the house, when Florence, being in an arbour in the garden one warm morning, musingly observant of a youthful group upon the turf, through some intervening boughs, - and wreathing flowers for the head of one little creature among them who was the pet and plaything of the rest, heard this same lady and her niece, in pacing up and down a sheltered nook close by, speak of herself.
'Is Florence an orphan like me, aunt?' said the child.
'No, my love. She has no mother, but her father is living.'
'Is she in mourning for her poor Mama, now?' inquired the child quickly.
'No; for her only brother.'
'Has she no other brother?'
'None.'
'No sister?'
'None,'
'I am very, very sorry!' said the little girL
As they stopped soon afterwards to watch some boats, and had been silent in the meantime, Florence, who had risen when she heard her name, and had gathered up her flowers to go and meet them, that they might know of her being within hearing, resumed her seat and work, expecting to hear no more; but the conversation recommenced next moment.
'Florence is a favourite with everyone here, and deserves to be, I am sure,' said the child, earnestly. 'Where is her Papa?'
The aunt replied, after a moment's pause, that she did not know. Her tone of voice arrested Florence, who had started from her seat again; and held her fastened to the spot, with her work hastily caught up to her bosom, and her two hands saving it from being scattered on the ground.
'He is in England, I hope, aunt?' said the child.
'I believe so. Yes; I know he is, indeed.'
'Has he ever been here?'
'I believe not. No.'
'Is he coming here to see her?'
'I believe not.
'Is he lame, or blind, or ill, aunt?' asked the child.
The flowers that Florence held to her breast began to fall when she heard those words, so wonderingly spoke She held them closer; and her face hung down upon them'
'Kate,' said the lady, after another moment of silence, 'I will tell you the whole truth about Florence as I have heard it, and believe it to be. Tell no one else, my dear, because it may be little known here, and your doing so would give her pain.'
'I never will!' exclaimed the child.
'I know you never will,' returned the lady. 'I can trust you as myself. I fear then, Kate, that Florence's father cares little for her, very seldom sees her, never was kind to her in her life, and now quite shuns her and avoids her. She would love him dearly if he would suffer her, but he will not - though for no fault of hers; and she is greatly to be loved and pitied by all gentle hearts.'
More of the flowers that Florence held fell scattering on the ground; those that remained were wet, but not with dew; and her face dropped upon her laden hands.
'Poor Florence! Dear, good Florence!' cried the child.
'Do you know why I have told you this, Kate?' said the lady.
'That I may be very kind to her, and take great care to try to please her. Is that the reason, aunt?'
'Partly,' said the lady, 'but not all. Though we see her so cheerful; with a pleasant smile for everyone; ready to oblige us all, and bearing her part in every amusement here: she can hardly be quite happy, do you think she can, Kate?'
'I am afraid not,' said the little girl.
'And you can understand,' pursued the lady, 'why her observation of children who have parents who are fond of them, and proud of them - like many here, just now - should make her sorrowful in secret?'
'Yes, dear aunt,' said the child, 'I understand that very well. Poor Florence!'
More flowers strayed upon the ground, and those she yet held to her breast trembled as if a wintry wind were rustling them.
'My Kate,' said the lady, whose voice was serious, but very calm and sweet, and had so impressed Florence from the first moment of her hearing it, 'of all the youthful people here, you are her natural and harmless friend; you have not the innocent means, that happier children have - '
'There are none happier, aunt!' exclaimed the child, who seemed to cling about her.
'As other children have, dear Kate, of reminding her of her misfortune. Therefore I would have you, when you try to be her little friend, try all the more for that, and feel that the bereavement you sustained - thank Heaven! before you knew its weight- gives you claim and hold upon poor Florence.'
'But I am not without a parent's love, aunt, and I never have been,' said the child, 'with you.'
'However that may be, my dear,' returned the lady, 'your misfortune is a lighter one than Florence's; for not an orphan in the wide world can be so deserted as the child who is an outcast from a living parent's love.'
The flowers were scattered on the ground like dust; the empty hands were spread upon the face; and orphaned Florence, shrinking down upon the ground, wept long and bitterly.
But true of heart and resolute in her good purpose, Florence held to it as her dying mother held by her upon the day that gave Paul life. He did not know how much she loved him. However long the time in coming, and however slow the interval, she must try to bring that knowledge to her father's heart one day or other. Meantime she must be careful in no thoughtless word, or look, or burst of feeling awakened by any chance circumstance, to complain against him, or to give occasion for these whispers to his prejudice.
Even in the response she made the orphan child, to whom she was attracted strongly, and whom she had such occasion to remember, Florence was mindful of him' If she singled her out too plainly (Florence thought) from among the rest, she would confirm - in one mind certainly: perhaps in more - the belief that he was cruel and unnatural. Her own delight was no set-off to this, 'What she had overheard was a reason, not for soothing herself, but for saving him; and Florence did it, in pursuance of the study of her heart.
She did so always. If a book were read aloud, and there were anything in the story that pointed at an unkind father, she was in pain for their application of it to him; not for herself. So with any trifle of an interlude that was acted, or picture that was shown, or game that was played, among them. The occasions for such tenderness towards him were so many, that her mind misgave her often, it would indeed be better to go back to the old house, and live again within the shadow of its dull walls, undisturbed. How few who saw sweet Florence, in her spring of womanhood, the modest little queen of those small revels, imagined what a load of sacred care lay heavy in her breast! How few of those who stiffened in her father's freezing atmosphere, suspected what a heap of fiery coals was piled upon his head!
Florence pursued her study patiently, and, failing to acquire the secret of the nameless grace she sought, among the youthful company who were assembled in the house, often walked out alone, in the early morning, among the children of the poor. But still she found them all too far advanced to learn from. They had won their household places long ago, and did not stand without, as she did, with a bar across the door.
There was one man whom she several times observed at work very early, and often with a girl of about her own age seated near him' He was a very poor man, who seemed to have no regular employment, but now went roaming about the banks of the river when the tide was low, looking out for bits and scraps in the mud; and now worked at the unpromising little patch of garden-ground before his cottage; and now tinkered up a miserable old boat that belonged to him; or did some job of that kind for a neighbour, as chance occurred. Whatever the man's labour, the girl was never employed; but sat, when she was with him, in a listless, moping state, and idle.
Florence had often wished to speak to this man; yet she had never taken courage to do so, as he made no movement towards her. But one morning when she happened to come upon him suddenly, from a by-path among some pollard willows which terminated in the little shelving piece of stony ground that lay between his dwelling and the water, where he was bending over a fire he had made to caulk the old boat which was lying bottom upwards, close by, he raised his head at the sound of her footstep, and gave her Good morning.
'Good morning,' said Florence, approaching nearer, 'you are at work early.'
'I'd be glad to be often at work earlier, Miss, if I had work to do.'
'Is it so hard to get?' asked Florence.
'I find it so,' replied the man.
Florence glanced to where the girl was sitting, drawn together, with her elbows on her knees, and her chin on her hands, and said:
'Is that your daughter?'
He raised his head quickly, and looking towards the girl with a brightened face, nodded to her, and said 'Yes,' Florence looked towards her too, and gave her a kind salutation; the girl muttered something in return, ungraciously and sullenly.
'Is she in want of employment also?' said Florence.
The man shook his head. 'No, Miss,' he said. 'I work for both,'
'Are there only you two, then?' inquired Florence.
'Only us two,' said the man. 'Her mother his been dead these ten year. Martha!' lifted up his head again, and whistled to her) 'won't you say a word to the pretty young lady?'
The girl made an impatient gesture with her cowering shoulders, and turned her head another way. Ugly, misshapen, peevish, ill-conditioned, ragged, dirty - but beloved! Oh yes! Florence had seen her father's look towards her, and she knew whose look it had no likeness to.
'I'm afraid she's worse this morning, my poor girl!' said the man, suspending his work, and contemplating his ill-favoured child, with a compassion that was the more tender for being rougher.
'She is ill, then!' said Florence,
The man drew a deep sigh 'I don't believe my Martha's had five short days' good health,' he answered, looking at her still, 'in as many long years'
'Ay! and more than that, John,' said a neighbour, who had come down to help him with the boat.
'More than that, you say, do you?' cried the other, pushing back his battered hat, and drawing his hand across his forehead. 'Very like. It seems a long, long time.'
'And the more the time,' pursued the neighbour, 'the more you've favoured and humoured her, John, till she's got to be a burden to herself, and everybody else'
'Not to me,' said her father, falling to his work. 'Not to me.'
Florence could feel - who better? - how truly he spoke. She drew a little closer to him, and would have been glad to touch his rugged hand, and thank him for his goodness to the miserable object that he looked upon with eyes so different from any other man's.
'Who would favour my poor girl - to call it favouring - if I didn't?' said the father.
'Ay, ay,' cried the neighbour. 'In reason, John. But you! You rob yourself to give to her. You bind yourself hand and foot on her account. You make your life miserable along of her. And what does she care! You don't believe she knows it?'
The father lifted up his head again, and whistled to her. Martha made the same impatient gesture with her crouching shoulders, in reply; and he was glad and happy.
'Only for that, Miss,' said the neighbour, with a smile, in which there was more of secret sympathy than he expressed; 'only to get that, he never lets her out of his sight!'
'Because the day'll come, and has been coming a long while,' observed the other, bending low over his work, 'when to get half as much from that unfort'nate child of mine - to get the trembling of a finger, or the waving of a hair - would be to raise the dead.'
Florence softly put some money near his hand on the old boat, and left him.
And now Florence began to think, if she were to fall ill, if she were to fade like her dear brother, would he then know that she had loved him; would she then grow dear to him; would he come to her bedside, when she was weak and dim of sight, and take her into his embrace, and cancel all the past? Would he so forgive her, in that changed condition, for not having been able to lay open her childish heart to him, as to make it easy to relate with what emotions she had gone out of his room that night; what she had meant to say if she had had the courage; and how she had endeavoured, afterwards, to learn the way she never knew in infancy?
Yes, she thought if she were dying, he would relent. She thought, that if she lay, serene and not unwilling to depart, upon the bed that was curtained round with recollections of their darling boy, he would be touched home, and would say, 'Dear Florence, live for me, and we will love each other as we might have done, and be as happy as we might have been these many years!' She thought that if she heard such words from him, and had her arms clasped round him' she could answer with a smile, 'It is too late for anything but this; I never could be happier, dear father!' and so leave him, with a blessing on her lips.
The golden water she remembered on the wall, appeared to Florence, in the light of such reflections, only as a current flowing on to rest, and to a region where the dear ones, gone before, were waiting, hand in hand; and often when she looked upon the darker river rippling at her feet, she thought with awful wonder, but not terror, of that river which her brother had so often said was bearing him away.
The father and his sick daughter were yet fresh in Florence's mind, and, indeed, that incident was not a week old, when Sir Barnet and his lady going out walking in the lanes one afternoon, proposed to her to bear them company. Florence readily consenting, Lady Skettles ordered out young Barnet as a matter of course. For nothing delighted Lady Skettles so much, as beholding her eldest son with Florence on his arm.
Barnet, to say the truth, appeared to entertain an opposite sentiment on the subject, and on such occasions frequently expressed himself audibly, though indefinitely, in reference to 'a parcel of girls.' As it was not easy to ruffle her sweet temper, however, Florence generally reconciled the young gentleman to his fate after a few minutes, and they strolled on amicably: Lady Skettles and Sir Barnet following, in a state of perfect complacency and high gratification.
This was the order of procedure on the afternoon in question; and Florence had almost succeeded in overruling the present objections of Skettles Junior to his destiny, when a gentleman on horseback came riding by, looked at them earnestly as he passed, drew in his rein, wheeled round, and came riding back again, hat in hand.
The gentleman had looked particularly at Florence; and when the little party stopped, on his riding back, he bowed to her, before saluting Sir Barnet and his lady. Florence had no remembrance of having ever seen him, but she started involuntarily when he came near her, and drew back.
'My horse is perfectly quiet, I assure you,' said the gentleman.
It was not that, but something in the gentleman himself - Florence could not have said what - that made her recoil as if she had been stung.
'I have the honour to address Miss Dombey, I believe?' said the gentleman, with a most persuasive smile. On Florence inclining her head, he added, 'My name is Carker. I can hardly hope to be remembered by Miss Dombey, except by name. Carker.'
Florence, sensible of a strange inclination to shiver, though the day was hot, presented him to her host and hostess; by whom he was very graciously received.
'I beg pardon,' said Mr Carker, 'a thousand times! But I am going down tomorrow morning to Mr Dombey, at Leamington, and if Miss Dombey can entrust me with any commission, need I say how very happy I shall be?'
Sir Barnet immediately divining that Florence would desire to write a letter to her father, proposed to return, and besought Mr Carker to come home and dine in his riding gear. Mr Carker had the misfortune to be engaged to dinner, but if Miss Dombey wished to write, nothing would delight him more than to accompany them back, and to be her faithful slave in waiting as long as she pleased. As he said this with his widest smile, and bent down close to her to pat his horse's neck, Florence meeting his eyes, saw, rather than heard him say, 'There is no news of the ship!'
Confused, frightened, shrinking from him, and not even sure that he had said those words, for he seemed to have shown them to her in some extraordinary manner through his smile, instead of uttering them, Florence faintly said that she was obliged to him, but she would not write; she had nothing to say.
'Nothing to send, Miss Dombey?' said the man of teeth.
'Nothing,' said Florence, 'but my - but my dear love- if you please.'
Disturbed as Florence was, she raised her eyes to his face with an imploring and expressive look, that plainly besought him, if he knew - which he as plainly did - that any message between her and her father was an uncommon charge, but that one most of all, to spare her. Mr Carker smiled and bowed low, and being charged by Sir Barnet with the best compliments of himself and Lady Skettles, took his leave, and rode away: leaving a favourable impression on that worthy couple. Florence was seized with such a shudder as he went, that Sir Barnet, adopting the popular superstition, supposed somebody was passing over her grave. Mr Carker turning a corner, on the instant, looked back, and bowed, and disappeared, as if he rode off to the churchyard straight, to do it.
巴尼特爵士和斯克特爾斯夫人是很善良的人們，居住在泰晤士河畔富勒姆的一座精致的別墅中；在舉行劃船競(jìng)賽的時(shí)候，這是世界上最令人羨慕的住宅之一，但在其他時(shí)候它卻也有一些麻煩的小事，其中可以提到的是，河水偶爾會(huì)流進(jìn)客廳，并會(huì)把草坪的灌木暫時(shí)淹沒(méi)。
巴尼特爵士主要是通過(guò)一個(gè)老式的金制鼻煙壺和一塊笨大的綢手絹來(lái)顯示他本人的重要身份；他用莊嚴(yán)的神態(tài)把這塊手絹從衣袋中像一面旗子一般抽出來(lái)，同時(shí)用兩只手使用它。巴尼特爵士生活的目的是不斷擴(kuò)大交游的范圍。這是合乎事物的本性的：巴尼特爵士就像一個(gè)沉重的物體掉進(jìn)水里一樣——我們決不是想用這個(gè)比方來(lái)貶低這樣一位德高望重的紳士——，必須在他的周圍展開愈來(lái)愈大的圈子，直到?jīng)]有什么地方可以再擴(kuò)展為止。或者他像空氣中的聲音一樣，根據(jù)一位機(jī)智的現(xiàn)代的哲學(xué)家的猜測(cè)，它的振動(dòng)可以通過(guò)無(wú)止境的空間接連不斷地進(jìn)行下去；除非壽終正寢，沒(méi)有任何其他事物能阻止巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士通過(guò)社會(huì)制度來(lái)尋找新朋友的行程。
巴尼特爵士感到自豪的是，他能使人們與人們相互認(rèn)識(shí)。他喜歡做這種事是由于這種事情本身的原因，而這同時(shí)又促進(jìn)了他所喜愛(ài)的目的。舉個(gè)例子來(lái)說(shuō)，如果巴尼特先生有幸找到了一個(gè)生手或是一位鄉(xiāng)下的紳士，并千方百計(jì)把他請(qǐng)到他好客的別墅中的話，那么，巴尼特爵士就會(huì)在他到達(dá)的當(dāng)天早上對(duì)他說(shuō)，“唔，我親愛(ài)的先生，您想要認(rèn)識(shí)什么人嗎？您希望跟誰(shuí)會(huì)晤？您是不是對(duì)作家、畫家、雕刻家、演員或者這一類的人物有興趣？”這位落到他手里的人可能會(huì)答復(fù)說(shuō)是的，并點(diǎn)了某個(gè)人的名字；雖然巴尼特爵士對(duì)這個(gè)人并不比對(duì)托勒密大帝①更認(rèn)識(shí)，但是巴尼特爵士卻會(huì)回答說(shuō)，世界上沒(méi)有什么比這更容易的事了，因?yàn)樗苁煜ぃ挥谑撬⒓淳腿グ菰L上面所提到的那個(gè)人，留下名片，寫了一張短箋：“我尊敬的先生，——久仰您崇高的地位——住在我家的朋友——斯克特爾斯夫人和我本人也和他一起——相信天才是超越于虛禮客套之上的，因此自然地渴望您將賜予我們無(wú)上光榮，滿足我們謁見尊容的要求”等等，等等，就這樣用一塊石頭同時(shí)打死兩只鳥。
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①托勒密大帝（PtolemytheGneat，公元前367A366或364—283A282年）：埃及馬其頓國(guó)王。
弗洛倫斯前來(lái)訪問(wèn)的第二天早上，巴尼特·斯克特爾斯充分動(dòng)用了鼻煙壺和旗子，向她提出了他通常所提的問(wèn)題。當(dāng)弗洛倫斯謝謝他，說(shuō)她并不特別想要見什么人的時(shí)候，她自然懷著悲痛想到了可憐的、下落不明的沃爾特。巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士又提出他的好意的建議，說(shuō)，“我親愛(ài)的董貝小姐，您相信您就記不起您的好爸爸可能希望您去認(rèn)識(shí)的一個(gè)人了嗎？——我請(qǐng)求您在寫信時(shí)向他轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)我本人和斯克特爾斯夫人最親切的問(wèn)候”，這時(shí)候，也許是很自然的，當(dāng)她輕聲地作了否定的答復(fù)時(shí)，她那可憐的頭向下稍稍低垂，她的聲音是顫抖的。
小斯克特爾斯佩帶著漿得筆挺的領(lǐng)帶，情緒莊重沉著，在這段放假的日子里待在家中；由于他的卓越非凡的母親殷切地希望他必須對(duì)弗洛倫斯殷勤關(guān)切，他似乎感到十分煩惱。小巴尼特心靈受到折磨的另一個(gè)和更深的傷害是跟布林伯博士和夫人在一起；他們被邀請(qǐng)前來(lái)訪問(wèn)，并住在他父親的房屋中。這位年輕的先生不時(shí)說(shuō)，他真巴不得他們到耶里哥①去度假。
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①耶里哥（Jericho）：死海以北的古城。
“您能建議去訪問(wèn)什么人嗎，布林伯博士？”巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士向那位先生問(wèn)道。
“謝謝您的好意，巴尼特爵士，”布林伯博士回答道，“我確實(shí)不知道特別想見誰(shuí)。總的來(lái)說(shuō)，我是喜歡認(rèn)識(shí)我的同胞的，巴尼特爵士。泰倫斯說(shuō)過(guò)什么？所有兒子的父、母親都使我感到興趣?！?BR> “布林伯夫人是不是希望認(rèn)識(shí)什么杰出的人物？”巴尼特爵士彬彬有禮地問(wèn)道。
布林伯夫人眉開眼笑地把天藍(lán)色的帽子揮了一揮，回答說(shuō)，如果巴尼特爵士能把她介紹給西塞羅認(rèn)識(shí)，她可真想要?jiǎng)隈{他一下；但是這是不可能辦到的，她又早已領(lǐng)受了他本人和他的和藹可親的夫人的友情，而且她和她的博士丈夫在教育他們的親愛(ài)的兒子上又得到了他們共同的信任——這時(shí)可以看到小巴尼特皺一皺鼻子——，因此，她就不再要求別的了。
在這樣的情況下，巴尼特爵士只好暫且滿足于和聚集起來(lái)的朋友們待在一起。弗洛倫斯對(duì)這感到高興，因?yàn)樗谒麄儺?dāng)中要進(jìn)行一項(xiàng)研究，她的心是太關(guān)切它了，它對(duì)她來(lái)說(shuō)是太寶貴太重要了，所以她不能再去關(guān)心其他什么事情。
有幾個(gè)孩子住在這個(gè)屋子里。這些孩子們跟他們的父母在一起的時(shí)候，真摯坦率，快快活活，就跟她家對(duì)面那些臉色紅潤(rùn)的女孩子們一樣。這些孩子們毫不抑制他們的愛(ài)，而是隨心隨意地把它表露出來(lái)。弗洛倫斯想要探索他們的秘密，想要找出她所缺少的是什么；他們懂得什么簡(jiǎn)單的技巧而她卻不懂；她怎樣從他們那里吸取智慧，去向她的父親表示她愛(ài)他，并重新贏得他的愛(ài)。
弗洛倫斯好多天若有所思地觀察著這些孩子。好多個(gè)晴朗的早晨，當(dāng)燦爛的太陽(yáng)升起的時(shí)候，屋子中還沒(méi)有任何人起身，她就離開了床，在河邊來(lái)回散步，仰望著他們的窗子，想著他們正在熟睡之中，受到父母細(xì)心的照料和親切的關(guān)懷。這時(shí)候弗洛倫斯感到比獨(dú)自一人住在自己家宏偉的宅第中更為孤獨(dú)；有時(shí)她覺(jué)得在家里反比在這里更好，把自己隱藏起來(lái)比混雜在和她年齡相仿的其他孩子們中間，看到她和他們很不一樣的時(shí)候，心中能夠得到更大的安寧。雖然這本難念的書每翻過(guò)小小的一頁(yè)都使她心中產(chǎn)生劇烈的痛苦，但是弗洛倫斯還是全神貫注地進(jìn)行著研究；她留在他們中間，耐心地懷著希望，設(shè)法得到她渴望得到的知識(shí)。
唉！怎樣才能得到它呢？怎樣才能在那能獲得父親喜愛(ài)的魅力剛剛產(chǎn)生的時(shí)候就知道它呢？這里有些做女兒的，早上從床上起來(lái)，晚上躺下休息，早已掌握了父親的心。她們不需要克服父親對(duì)她們的嫌惡，不需要畏懼父親對(duì)她們的冷淡，不需要撫平父親對(duì)她們的皺眉。當(dāng)早晨來(lái)臨，窗子一個(gè)一個(gè)地打開，花草上的露珠開始干枯，年輕的腳開始在草坪上走動(dòng)的時(shí)候，弗洛倫斯望著這些喜氣洋洋的臉孔，心想她能從這些女孩子們身上學(xué)到什么呢？向她們學(xué)習(xí)已經(jīng)太晚了。每個(gè)女孩子都能毫無(wú)畏懼地走近父親身邊，湊上嘴唇迎接那喜悅的親吻，伸出胳膊摟住那低下來(lái)?yè)釔?ài)她的脖子。她不能這樣大膽地開始。啊，她研究得愈來(lái)愈深，希望就顯得愈來(lái)愈少，這是可能的嗎？
她清楚地記得，當(dāng)她還是個(gè)小女孩的時(shí)候，甚至連那個(gè)曾經(jīng)拐騙過(guò)她的老太婆——她的形象，她的住所，她所說(shuō)所做的一切，都以童年時(shí)期恐怖印象所具有的那種經(jīng)久不滅的鮮明性，深深地印刻在她的記憶中——，也曾懷著親切的感情談到她的女兒，甚至連她也由于和她的孩子絕望地分離而十分可怕地痛苦哭泣。可是當(dāng)弗洛倫斯回想到這一點(diǎn)的時(shí)候，她又會(huì)這樣想：她自己的母親也曾經(jīng)熱愛(ài)過(guò)她。于是，有時(shí)當(dāng)她的思想迅速地返回到她和父親之間空曠的深淵時(shí)，她在面前呈現(xiàn)出一幅圖景：她的母親還活著，也不喜歡起她來(lái)了，因?yàn)樗狈δ欠N自然一定會(huì)獲得父親歡心的還不知道的魅力（她打從躺在搖籃里的時(shí)候起直到現(xiàn)在，從來(lái)不曾獲得過(guò)父親的這種歡心），這時(shí)候弗洛倫斯的身子會(huì)顫抖，眼淚會(huì)流到臉上。她知道，這樣的臆想對(duì)不起對(duì)她的母親的回憶，一點(diǎn)也不真實(shí)，也沒(méi)有一點(diǎn)根據(jù)，可是她是多么處心積慮地想要證明父親是正確的，并把一切過(guò)失都?xì)w到她自己身上，因此她不能抗拒這個(gè)念頭像雷雨時(shí)的烏云一樣地掠過(guò)她的心頭。
弗洛倫斯來(lái)后不久，又來(lái)了其他一些客人；其中有一位漂亮的女孩，比她小三、四歲，是個(gè)孤兒，由她的姑媽陪伴；這位姑媽是一位頭發(fā)斑白的夫人，她跟弗洛倫斯談了不少的話，還非常喜歡（不過(guò)，他們?nèi)枷矚g）聽她在晚上唱歌，那時(shí)候她常常懷著母親般的關(guān)心，坐在她的身旁。在一個(gè)溫暖的上午，她們到這屋子里來(lái)剛只兩天，弗洛倫斯坐在花園里的一個(gè)小藤架中，通過(guò)擋在中間的一些樹枝，沉思地觀看著草地上的一群孩子，同時(shí)在編織一個(gè)花冠，這是準(zhǔn)備給這些孩子當(dāng)中的一個(gè)小家伙戴的，他是大家最喜愛(ài)的寶貝和逗樂(lè)的對(duì)象。這時(shí)候，她聽到這位夫人和她的侄女在附近一個(gè)被樹蔭遮蔽住的偏僻角落里走來(lái)走去時(shí)談到了她。
“姑媽，弗洛倫斯是不是跟我一樣，也是個(gè)孤兒？”女孩子問(wèn)道。
“不是，我親愛(ài)的。她沒(méi)有媽媽，但是爸爸還活著。”
“她現(xiàn)在是不是給她的媽媽服喪？”女孩子很快地問(wèn)道。
“不是，她是給她的弟弟服喪?！?BR> “她就沒(méi)有別的兄弟了嗎？”
“沒(méi)有?！?BR> “也沒(méi)有姐妹嗎？”
“沒(méi)有?！?BR> “我真為她感到非常、非常難過(guò)?！?BR> 弗洛倫斯原先在聽到她的名字時(shí)，本已經(jīng)站起身來(lái)，搜集花朵，準(zhǔn)備走去迎接她們，好讓她們知道她就在可以聽到她們講話的近處，可是由于在這之后不久，她們停住觀看小船，不再說(shuō)話，所以弗洛倫斯又坐下來(lái)編織，以為不會(huì)再聽到什么了；然而片刻之后，談話又重新開始了。
“這里人人都喜歡弗洛倫斯，當(dāng)然，她也值得大家喜歡，”
女孩子熱情地說(shuō)道。“她的爸爸在哪里？”
姑媽沉默了片刻之后，回答說(shuō)，她不知道。她的聲調(diào)引起了弗洛倫斯的注意，她本來(lái)又已經(jīng)從座位上站起來(lái)，這時(shí)它使她固定在原地不動(dòng)；她急忙把花冠緊貼在胸上，兩手抱住花朵，以免它們散落到地上。
“他是在英國(guó)嗎，姑媽？”女孩子問(wèn)道。
“我想是的，不錯(cuò)，他是在英國(guó)，一點(diǎn)不錯(cuò)?！?BR> “他到這里來(lái)過(guò)嗎？”
“不，我想他不曾來(lái)過(guò)?！?BR> “他是不是將要到這里來(lái)看她？”
“我想他不會(huì)來(lái)。”
“他是不是腳跛了，眼瞎了還是生病了，姑媽？”女孩子問(wèn)道。
當(dāng)弗洛倫斯聽到這些這樣驚奇地說(shuō)出的話語(yǔ)時(shí)，她緊貼在胸膛的花朵開始掉落。她把它們貼得更緊，她的臉向著它們低垂下來(lái)。
“凱特，”那位夫人又沉默了片刻之后，說(shuō)道，“我將把有關(guān)弗洛倫斯的全部真情告訴你，這是我所聽到的和相信的。不要告訴別人，我親愛(ài)的，因?yàn)檫@里可能很少有人知道這，你要是告訴了別人，就會(huì)使她痛苦?！?BR> “我決不會(huì)告訴別人！”女孩子喊道。
“我知道你決不會(huì)，”那位夫人回答道，“我相信你就像相信我自己一樣。那么我就告訴你吧，凱特；我擔(dān)心弗洛倫斯的父親很少關(guān)心她，很少看到她；他從來(lái)沒(méi)有對(duì)她表示過(guò)溫存，現(xiàn)在差不多完全躲開她，避免跟她見面。如果他允許的話，那么她會(huì)深深地愛(ài)他，可是他卻不想這么做，雖然她一點(diǎn)兒過(guò)錯(cuò)也沒(méi)有；所有善良的心都會(huì)深切地愛(ài)她，可憐她?！?BR> 弗洛倫斯抱著的花朵，又有好些散落到地上，那些留下來(lái)的已經(jīng)濕了，并不是由于露水；她的臉低垂到抱著這些花朵的手上。
“可憐的弗洛倫斯！親愛(ài)的善良的弗洛倫斯！”女孩子喊道。
“你知道我為什么把這告訴你嗎，凱特？”那夫人問(wèn)道。
“這樣我可以很親切地對(duì)待她，極力設(shè)法使她高興。是不是這個(gè)緣故，姑媽？”
“那是一部分原因，”那夫人說(shuō)道，“并不是全部。雖然我們看到她快快活活，對(duì)每個(gè)人都和顏悅色地露出笑容，非常樂(lè)意為我們所有的人效勞，并參加這里的一切娛樂(lè)，可是她卻很難是幸福的；你想她能幸福嗎，凱特？”
“我覺(jué)得她不能?！毙∨⒄f(shuō)道。
“你也就可以理解，”那夫人繼續(xù)說(shuō)道，“當(dāng)她看到那些有爸爸媽媽的孩子們，爸爸媽媽喜歡他們，為他們感到自豪——就像現(xiàn)在這里的許多人一樣——，這時(shí)候她的內(nèi)心為什么會(huì)感到痛苦？”
“是的，親愛(ài)的姑媽，”女孩子說(shuō)道，“我完全理解。可憐的弗洛倫斯！”
又有一些花朵落到地上，那些她還抱在胸口的花朵顫抖著，仿佛冬風(fēng)正把它們吹得發(fā)出了颯颯的響聲。
“我的凱特，”那夫人說(shuō)道；她的聲音是嚴(yán)肅的，但卻平靜和親切，從聽到她講話的第一秒鐘起，就在弗洛倫斯心上產(chǎn)生了強(qiáng)烈的印象；“在這里所有的孩子們中間，你是她天然最適宜的、不會(huì)對(duì)她有任何惡意的朋友；你不會(huì)在無(wú)意之中，就像那些比你更幸福的孩子們會(huì)那么做的——”
“沒(méi)有比我更幸福的人啦，姑媽！”女孩子說(shuō)道，她似乎緊貼著她的姑媽。
“親愛(ài)的凱特，你不會(huì)像其他孩子那樣向她提醒她的不幸。所以，當(dāng)你設(shè)法跟她做朋友的時(shí)候，我愿意你，竭盡你的一切努力，記住你被奪去了雙親——謝謝上帝！那時(shí)候你還不知道它那沉重的分量——，這使你有權(quán)利接近弗洛倫斯，享有她的友誼?！?BR> “可是，姑媽，我跟你在一起的時(shí)候，并沒(méi)有失去父母親般的慈愛(ài)，我從來(lái)也沒(méi)有失去過(guò)。”
“不管情況怎么樣，我親愛(ài)的，”那夫人回答道，“你的不幸要比弗洛倫斯輕一些；因?yàn)樵谶@廣闊的世界上，沒(méi)有一個(gè)孤兒能比一個(gè)被活著的父親拋棄不愛(ài)更加冷落可憐的了?！?BR> 花朵像塵埃一般紛紛散落在地上，空著的雙手蒙住臉孔，成為孤兒的弗洛倫斯縮成一團(tuán)，倒在地上，長(zhǎng)久地、痛苦地哭泣著。
但是弗洛倫斯懷著忠誠(chéng)的心和堅(jiān)決的善良的目的，緊緊地抱住這個(gè)目的不放，就像她垂死的母親在生下保羅的那一天緊緊抱住她不放一樣。他不知道她多么熱烈地愛(ài)著他。不管她要等待多么長(zhǎng)久，不管時(shí)間過(guò)得多么緩慢，她遲早總有一天要讓父親的心知道這一點(diǎn)，在這段時(shí)間中，她必須注意不要用未經(jīng)考慮的語(yǔ)言、眼光或由于任何偶然的情況所引起的感情沖動(dòng)去抱怨他，或者給那些損害他的流言蜚語(yǔ)提供口實(shí)。
弗洛倫斯對(duì)那個(gè)孤兒產(chǎn)生了強(qiáng)烈的興趣，也很有理由記得她，可是甚至在回答她的情誼時(shí)，弗洛倫斯心中也記著父親。如果在所有的孩子中，她對(duì)她表示了太突出的感情（弗洛倫斯這么想），她就無(wú)疑會(huì)在一個(gè)人的心中，也許還會(huì)在更多人的心中加強(qiáng)這樣的信念：他是殘酷的，不近人情的。她把她自己的快樂(lè)完全置之度外。她暗中聽到的談話只能成為保全他，而不是成為撫慰她自己的理由。弗洛倫斯在心中進(jìn)行著探索的時(shí)候，就是這樣做的。
她經(jīng)常這樣做。如果他們?cè)诶收b一本書，書中提到一位冷酷的父親的話，那么她感到痛苦的是害怕他們這樣朗誦是在暗指他，而不是為了她自己；當(dāng)他們演出一個(gè)在幕間插入的戲劇的時(shí)候，或展示一幅圖畫的時(shí)候，或做一個(gè)游戲的時(shí)候，也有這樣的情形。為他擔(dān)驚受怕的這一類事情很多，因此她不時(shí)躊躇，是不是回到老家去，重新平靜地生活在它那沉悶無(wú)趣的墻壁的陰影下，反而更好。人們看到，溫柔可愛(ài)的弗洛倫斯正處在豆蔻年華，她是這些孩子聯(lián)歡會(huì)上的謙遜的小皇后；在他們中間，很少有人會(huì)想象到，一副多么神圣的憂慮的擔(dān)子正沉重地壓在她的胸間！那些在她父親的冷冰冰的氣氛中拘謹(jǐn)不安的人們中間，很少有人會(huì)料想到，在他的頭上正堆積著像煤火般熾熱的感情！
弗洛倫斯耐心地進(jìn)行著探索。由于她在聚集在這座房屋中的年輕伴侶中間沒(méi)能求得她所尋找的那難以名狀的魅力的秘密，她就常常在清晨單獨(dú)走出到那些窮人的孩子們中間去。可是她在這里也還是發(fā)現(xiàn)他們?cè)谒懊孀叩锰h(yuǎn)了，她不能從他們那里學(xué)到什么。他們好久以前就已在家庭中取得了他們的地位，不是像她那樣站在被閂上的門外。
她好幾次注意到有一位男子很早就起來(lái)干活。有一位年齡和她差不多的女孩子時(shí)常坐在他的近旁。他是一個(gè)很窮苦的人，似乎沒(méi)有固定的職業(yè)；有時(shí)在退潮以后在河岸上走來(lái)走去，在淤泥中尋找什么碎片和廢物；有時(shí)在他茅舍前可憐的一小塊園地上耕種；有時(shí)修補(bǔ)他的一條小而破爛的舊船；或者碰上機(jī)會(huì)，就給鄰居干這樣一類的活兒。不管這男子干什么活，女孩子從來(lái)不幫著干，而是耷拉著臉，沒(méi)精打采地、無(wú)所事事地坐在他的身邊。
弗洛倫斯時(shí)常想跟這人談話，可是她從來(lái)沒(méi)有鼓起勇氣來(lái)這樣做，因?yàn)樗麖膩?lái)沒(méi)有朝向她。但是有一天早上，當(dāng)她從一些截去樹稍的柳樹中間的一條小路出來(lái)，走到他的住屋和河流中間的一小塊漸次傾斜、石子很多的地中的時(shí)候，她突然間遇見了他；他在那里向著一個(gè)火堆彎下身子；那條老舊的小船底朝天地躺在近旁，那個(gè)火堆是生起來(lái)給這條小船堵縫眼用的；他聽到她的腳步聲，就抬起頭來(lái)，向她問(wèn)候早安。
“早上好，”弗洛倫斯向前走近一些，說(shuō)道，“您這么早就起來(lái)干活了?！?BR> “如果我有活干的話，小姐，我會(huì)高興時(shí)常更早起來(lái)干活的?！?BR> “很難找到活干嗎？”弗洛倫斯問(wèn)道。
“·我覺(jué)得難找，”那人回答道。
弗洛倫斯向女孩子坐的地方看了一眼，她縮成一團(tuán)，胳膊肘支在膝蓋上，兩手托著下巴。弗洛倫斯問(wèn)道：
“她是您的女兒?jiǎn)?？?BR> 他迅速地抬起頭來(lái)，臉上露出笑容，望著女孩子，向她點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，說(shuō)，“是的?！备ヂ鍌愃挂餐?，向她親切地致意。
女孩子沒(méi)有禮貌地、不高興地咕噥了幾句，作為回答。
“她也找不到活干嗎？”弗洛倫斯問(wèn)道。
那人搖搖頭?！安?，小姐，”他說(shuō)，“我為兩個(gè)人干活?！?BR> “這么說(shuō)，你們就只兩個(gè)人嗎？”弗洛倫斯問(wèn)道。
“就只我們兩個(gè)，”那人說(shuō)道，“她的媽媽已經(jīng)死去十年了。馬撒！”他又抬起頭來(lái)，向她吹了個(gè)口哨?！澳悴幌敫@位漂亮的小姐講句話嗎？”
女孩子縮縮肩膀，做了個(gè)不耐煩的姿態(tài)，把頭朝向另一邊。她面貌丑陋，身體畸形，脾氣暴躁，家境貧困，衣衫襤褸，骯骯臟臟，但是卻被愛(ài)著！啊，是的！弗洛倫斯從她父親望著她的眼光中看到了這一點(diǎn)，她知道誰(shuí)的眼光與這毫不相同。
“我可憐的女孩子！我擔(dān)心她今天早上更不好了，”那男子停止工作，說(shuō)道，一邊懷著憐憫，望著他那外貌不揚(yáng)的女兒；他的憐憫的方式不是很細(xì)致的，但卻因而更為親切動(dòng)人。
“這么說(shuō)，她是病了？”弗洛倫斯說(shuō)。
那人深深地嘆了一口氣。“在這長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的五年當(dāng)中，”他依舊望著她，回答道，“我想，我的馬撒就連短短五天的健康日子也沒(méi)有過(guò)?！?BR> “唉，還不止五年呢，約翰，”前來(lái)幫助他修船的一位鄰居說(shuō)。
“您認(rèn)為還不止五年嗎？”另一位把他那頂戴舊了的帽子推向后面，用手摸摸前額，喊道，“很可能。好像是很久、很久的時(shí)間了?！?BR> “約翰，”鄰居繼續(xù)說(shuō)道，“時(shí)間愈久，您就愈寵愛(ài)她，愈遷就她，直到她已成了她自己和其他所有人的累贅了?！?BR> “對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)，她沒(méi)有成為累贅，”她的父親重新干起活來(lái)，說(shuō)道，“對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)她沒(méi)有?！?BR> 弗洛倫斯感到——誰(shuí)還能比她更能感到這一點(diǎn)呢？——他說(shuō)得十分真實(shí)。她向前更走近一些，真想能高興地摸一下他那起繭的手，謝謝他對(duì)那可憐的人兒所懷的慈腸善心；他望著她的眼光跟別人的是多么不同呵。
“就算這是寵愛(ài)吧，如果·我不寵愛(ài)她，誰(shuí)還會(huì)寵愛(ài)我這可憐的女孩子呢？”那父親說(shuō)道。
“是的，這話說(shuō)得不錯(cuò)，”鄰居大聲說(shuō)道，“不過(guò)，約翰，凡事總得合情合理，有個(gè)分寸才好。而您呢！您犧牲了自己的一切，全都給了她。您為了她把自己的手腳全都給束縛起來(lái)了。您為了她過(guò)著牛馬一般的生活，而·她心里想著的是什么呢！您以為她能體會(huì)到這一點(diǎn)嗎？”
父親又抬起頭來(lái)，向她吹口哨；馬撒又跟先前一樣，縮縮肩膀，做了個(gè)不耐煩的姿態(tài)，作為回答；他卻感到高興和滿意。
“只是為了這，小姐，”鄰居微笑著說(shuō)道；在他的笑容中包含著內(nèi)心的同情，比他表露出來(lái)的還多，“只是為了看到這，他就永遠(yuǎn)不讓她離開他！”
“因?yàn)檫@一天將會(huì)來(lái)到，它離現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)不遠(yuǎn)了，”另一位低低地彎下身去干活，說(shuō)道，“那時(shí)候甚至看一看我那不幸的孩子，看一看她的指頭怎么顫抖，或者她的頭發(fā)怎么飄動(dòng)，都會(huì)使死者復(fù)活的?！?BR> 弗洛倫斯在那只舊船上挨近他手邊的地方悄悄地放了一些錢，然后離開了他。
這時(shí)弗洛倫斯開始想，如果她像她弟弟那樣生了病，消瘦下去，那時(shí)候她父親會(huì)知道她曾經(jīng)愛(ài)過(guò)他嗎？那時(shí)候他會(huì)覺(jué)得她比現(xiàn)在親愛(ài)一些嗎？當(dāng)她虛弱無(wú)力、視力模糊的時(shí)候，他會(huì)來(lái)到她的床邊，把她抱入懷中，把過(guò)去的一切全都一筆勾銷嗎？在改變了的情況下，他會(huì)原諒她沒(méi)能向他敞開她孩子的心懷嗎？他能原諒她，使她能毫不困難地告訴他，她那天夜里是懷著什么樣的心情走出他的房間的，告訴他，如果她有勇氣的話，那么她曾經(jīng)想做什么，告訴他，她后來(lái)怎樣努力學(xué)習(xí)她在嬰兒時(shí)代從來(lái)不知道的方法的嗎？
是的，她想，如果她快要死了，那么他會(huì)變得寬厚起來(lái)的。她想，如果她安詳?shù)靥稍趻熘鴰ぷ拥拇采希翢o(wú)難色地等待著死神來(lái)臨，使他們回憶起他們那親愛(ài)的小男孩的話，那么他將會(huì)被刺痛了心，對(duì)她說(shuō)，“親愛(ài)的弗洛倫斯，為了我而活著吧，我們將彼此相愛(ài)，這些年來(lái)我們本可以這樣相愛(ài)的；我們將會(huì)幸福，這些年來(lái)我們本可以這樣幸福的！”她想，如果她聽到這些話，她的胳膊摟抱著他的話，那么她會(huì)微笑著回答說(shuō)，“一切都已經(jīng)太晚了！但有一點(diǎn)：我從來(lái)沒(méi)有像現(xiàn)在這樣幸福過(guò)，親愛(ài)的爸爸！”然后在嘴唇上帶著她的祝福離開了他。
由于這樣一些思索的結(jié)果，弗洛倫斯所記得的墻上的金黃色的水，對(duì)她來(lái)說(shuō)，只不過(guò)像是流向安息的水流，它流向一個(gè)地方，比她早去的親人們正在那里手挽手地等待著她；有好多次，當(dāng)她望著腳邊潺潺流過(guò)的黑漆漆的河流時(shí)，她就懷著非常的驚奇，而不是恐怖，想起了那條她弟弟曾經(jīng)時(shí)常說(shuō)是把他漂走的河流。
弗洛倫斯和那位父親和他生病的女兒相遇之后不到一個(gè)星期，她對(duì)他們還記憶猶新的時(shí)候，有一天下午，巴尼特爵士和他的夫人出外到鄉(xiāng)間的小路上散步，他們建議弗洛倫斯陪他們一道走走。弗洛倫斯欣然同意，斯克特爾斯夫人自然就命令小巴尼特一道出去。因?yàn)樗箍颂貭査狗蛉丝吹剿拇髢鹤油熘ヂ鍌愃沟母觳彩窃僖哺吲d不過(guò)的了。
說(shuō)實(shí)在的，小巴尼特在這種事情上的思想感情看來(lái)跟他母親完全相反；在這種場(chǎng)合他時(shí)常把他的情緒大聲地表露出來(lái)，雖然是含糊其詞地嘟囔著什么“一群毛丫頭”。可是要使弗洛倫斯溫柔的性情生氣是不容易的，所以她一般經(jīng)過(guò)幾分鐘之后就能使那位年輕的先生安心于自己的命運(yùn)；他們和睦地向前游逛，斯克特爾斯夫人和巴尼特爵士則洋洋得意、十分高興地跟在后面。
就在這一天的下午，正當(dāng)他們這樣向前走著，弗洛倫斯幾乎就要平息小斯克特爾斯的怨言，使他聽從命運(yùn)擺布的時(shí)候，一位騎馬的先生經(jīng)過(guò)他們身旁時(shí)，注意地看著他們，然后勒住馬，掉轉(zhuǎn)馬頭，手里握著帽子，重新向他們騎回來(lái)。
這位先生特別注意地看著弗洛倫斯；當(dāng)這一小群人站住看著他騎回來(lái)的時(shí)候，他先向她鞠躬，然后才向巴尼特爵士和他的夫人行禮致敬。弗洛倫斯記不得過(guò)去曾經(jīng)看見過(guò)他，但是當(dāng)他向她騎近的時(shí)候，她不由自主地感到吃驚并向后退縮。
“請(qǐng)放心，我的馬是十分馴服的，”那位先生說(shuō)道。
可是并不是馬，而是那位先生身上的什么東西——弗洛倫斯說(shuō)不出那是什么——，使得她像被刺痛似地畏縮。
“我想我有榮幸向董貝小姐致意吧？”那位先生露出極為奉承取悅的笑容，說(shuō)道。當(dāng)弗洛倫斯把頭低下的時(shí)候，他繼續(xù)說(shuō)道，“我姓卡克。我想除了我的姓卡克之外，董貝小姐不會(huì)記得我了?！?BR> 雖然天氣炎熱，弗洛倫斯卻奇怪地感到直想打寒顫；她把他介紹給她的主人和女主人。他們十分客氣地接待了他。
“一千次地請(qǐng)您原諒，”卡克先生說(shuō)道，“不過(guò)明天早上我就去萊明頓，到董貝先生那里。如果董貝小姐有什么任務(wù)能交托給我去辦理，我將會(huì)感到萬(wàn)分榮幸，難道這還需要我說(shuō)嗎？”
巴尼特爵士立即揣度弗洛倫斯要想給她父親寫信，所以建議回家去，并請(qǐng)求卡克先生跟他們一道去，在他家吃晚飯，不用卸去騎馬的服裝。不幸的是，卡克先生早已接受別人的邀請(qǐng)，不能再在這里吃晚飯，但是如果董貝小姐想要寫信，他就再也高興不過(guò)地陪他們回去，并充當(dāng)她忠實(shí)的奴仆，隨她喜歡要他等待多久就等待多久。當(dāng)他露出他那最寬闊的微笑說(shuō)這些話，并彎下身子靠近她，拍拍馬脖子的時(shí)候，弗洛倫斯碰到了他的眼光，可以說(shuō)是看到而不是聽到他說(shuō)，“那條船杳無(wú)音訊！”
弗洛倫斯惶惑不安，驚恐萬(wàn)分，從他身邊往后退縮，甚至根本不能肯定他是不是說(shuō)了這些話，因?yàn)樗坪跏且援惡鯇こ５姆绞?，通過(guò)他的微笑把這些話顯示給她看，而不是說(shuō)出來(lái)的。她用微弱的聲音說(shuō)，她謝謝他，但是她不打算寫信；
她沒(méi)有什么話要說(shuō)的。
“不捎點(diǎn)東西去嗎？”露出牙齒的人問(wèn)道。
“不捎什么東西，”弗洛倫斯說(shuō)道，“除了勞駕您轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)我的——我的親切的愛(ài)之外?！?BR> 雖然弗洛倫斯心緒煩亂，但是她還是抬起眼睛，用哀求的和意味深長(zhǎng)的眼光望著他的臉；這眼光清楚地請(qǐng)求他寬恕她，如果他知道——他同樣清楚地知道這一點(diǎn)——，她和她父親之間相互傳遞口訊是一件很不尋常的事情，而像現(xiàn)在這樣的傳遞口訊，那更是異乎尋常的?？讼壬⑿χ钌畹鼐瞎?；巴尼特爵士請(qǐng)求他向董貝先生轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)他本人和斯克特爾斯夫人衷心的問(wèn)候，于是卡克先生向大家告別，騎著馬離開了，在那德高望重的老兩口心中留下了一個(gè)良好的印象。這時(shí)弗洛倫斯開始渾身打顫，巴尼特爵士相信當(dāng)時(shí)流行的一種迷信說(shuō)法，認(rèn)為這時(shí)正有人走過(guò)她的墳地?？讼壬@時(shí)拐了個(gè)彎，往后看看，鞠著躬，然后消失不見了，仿佛他為了達(dá)到這個(gè)目的，正直向教堂墓地騎去。