little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第129章

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my　lord　into　that　furthest　drawing…room　where　he　is　now　so　profoundly
engaged；　I　will　undertake　to　bring　our　dear　Merdle　into　the　presence；
without　the　possibility　of　getting　away。'

'Done！'　said　Ferdinand。

'Done！'　said　Bar。

Bar　was　a　sight　wondrous　to　behold；　and　full　of　matter；　when；　jauntily
waving　his　double　eye…glass　by　its　ribbon；　and　jauntily　drooping　to　an
Universe　of　jurymen；　he；　in　the　most　accidental　manner　ever　seen；
found　himself　at　Mr　Merdle's　shoulder；　and　embraced　that　opportunity　of
mentioning　a　little　point　to　him；　on　which　he　particularly　wished　to
be　guided　by　the　light　of　his　practical　knowledge。　（Here　he　took　Mr
Merdle's　arm　and　walked　him　gently　away。）　A　banker；　whom　we　would　call
A。　B。；　advanced　a　considerable　sum　of　money；　which　we　would　call　fifteen
thousand　pounds；　to　a　client　or　customer　of　his；　whom　he　would　call　P。
q。　（Here；　as　they　were　getting　towards　Lord　Decimus；　he　held　Mr　Merdle
tight。）　As　a　security　for　the　repayment　of　this　advance　to　P。　Q。　whom
we　would　call　a　widow　lady；　there　were　placed　in　A。　B。's　hands　the
title…deeds　of　a　freehold　estate；　which　we　would　call　Blinkiter　Doddles。
Now；　the　point　was　this。　A　limited　right　of　felling　and　lopping　in
the　woods　of　Blinkiter　Doddles；　lay　in　the　son　of　P。　Q。　then　past　his
majority；　and　whom　we　would　call　X。　Y。……but　really　this　was　too　bad！　In
the　presence　of　Lord　Decimus；　to　detain　the　host　with　chopping　our　dry
chaff　of　law；　was　really　too　bad！　Another　time！　Bar　was　truly　repentant；
and　would　not　say　another　syllable。　Would　Bishop　favour　him　with
half…a…dozen　words？　（He　had　now　set　Mr　Merdle　down　on　a　couch；　side　by
side　with　Lord　Decimus；　and　to　it　they　must　go；　now　or　never。）

And　now　the　rest　of　the　pany；　highly　excited　and　interested；　always
excepting　Bishop；　who　had　not　the　slightest　idea　that　anything　was　going
on；　formed　in　one　group　round　the　fire　in　the　next　drawing…room；　and
pretended　to　be　chatting　easily　on　the　infinite　variety　of　small　topics；
while　everybody's　thoughts　and　eyes　were　secretly　straying　towards　the
secluded　pair。　The　Chorus　were　excessively　nervous；　perhaps　as　labouring
under　the　dreadful　apprehension　that　some　good　thing　was　going　to
be　diverted　from　them！　Bishop　alone　talked　steadily　and　evenly。　He
conversed　with　the　great　Physician　on　that　relaxation　of　the　throat　with
which　young　curates　were　too　frequently　afflicted；　and　on　the　means
of　lessening　the　great　prevalence　of　that　disorder　in　the　church。
Physician；　as　a　general　rule；　was　of　opinion　that　the　best　way　to　avoid
it　was　to　know　how　to　read；　before　you　made　a　profession　of　reading。
Bishop　said　dubiously；　did　he　really　think　so？　And　Physician　said；
decidedly；　yes　he　did。

Ferdinand；　meanwhile；　was　the　only　one　of　the　party　who　skirmished　on
the　outside　of　the　circle；　he　kept　about　mid…way　between　it　and　the
two；　as　if　some　sort　of　surgical　operation　were　being　performed　by　Lord
Decimus　on　Mr　Merdle；　or　by　Mr　Merdle　on　Lord　Decimus；　and　his　services
might　at　any　moment　be　required　as　Dresser。　In　fact；　within　a　quarter
of　an　hour　Lord　Decimus　called　to　him　'Ferdinand！'　and　he　went；　and
took　his　place　in　the　conference　for　some　five　minutes　more。　Then　a
half…suppressed　gasp　broke　out　among　the　Chorus；　for　Lord　Decimus　rose
to　take　his　leave。　Again　coached　up　by　Ferdinand　to　the　point　of　making
himself　popular；　he　shook　hands　in　the　most　brilliant　manner　with　the
whole　pany；　and　even　said　to　Bar；　'I　hope　you　were　not　bored　by　my
pears？'　To　which　Bar　retorted；　'Eton；　my　lord；　or　Parliamentary？'　neatly
showing　that　he　had　mastered　the　joke；　and　delicately　insinuating　that
he　could　never　forget　it　while　his　life　remained。

All　the　grave　importance　that　was　buttoned　up　in　Mr　Tite　Barnacle；　took
itself　away　next；　and　Ferdinand　took　himself　away　next；　to　the　opera。
Some　of　the　rest　lingered　a　little；　marrying　golden　liqueur　glasses　to
Buhl　tables　with　sticky　rings；　on　the　desperate　chance　of　Mr　Merdle's
saying　something。　But　Merdle；　as　usual；　oozed　sluggishly　and　muddily
about　his　drawing…room；　saying　never　a　word。

In　a　day　or　two　it　was　announced　to　all　the　town；　that　Edmund　Sparkler；
Esquire；　son…in…law　of　the　eminent　Mr　Merdle　of　worldwide　renown；　was
made　one　of　the　Lords　of　the　Circumlocution　Office；　and　proclamation　was
issued；　to　all　true　believers；　that　this　admirable　appointment　was　to
be　hailed　as　a　graceful　and　gracious　mark　of　homage；　rendered　by　the
graceful　and　gracious　Decimus；　to　that　mercial　interest　which　must
ever　in　a　great　mercial　country……and　all　the　rest　of　it；　with
blast　of　trumpet。　So；　bolstered　by　this　mark　of　Government　homage；　the
wonderful　Bank　and　all　the　other　wonderful　undertakings　went　on　and　went
up；　and　gapers　came　to　Harley　Street；　Cavendish　Square；　only　to　look　at
the　house　where　the　golden　wonder　lived。

And　when　they　saw　the　Chief　Butler　looking　out　at　the　hall…door　in
his　moments　of　condescension；　the　gapers　said　how　rich　he　looked；　and
wondered　how　much　money　he　had　in　the　wonderful　Bank。　But；　if　they　had
known　that　respectable　Nemesis　better；　they　would　not　have　wondered
about　it；　and　might　have　stated　the　amount　with　the　utmost　precision。




CHAPTER　13。　The　Progress　of　an　Epidemic


That　it　is　at　least　as　difficult　to　stay　a　moral　infection　as　a　physical
one；　that　such　a　disease　will　spread　with　the　malignity　and　rapidity　of
the　Plague；　that　the　contagion；　when　it　has　once　made　head；　will　spare
no　pursuit　or　condition；　but　will　lay　hold　on　people　in　the　soundest
health；　and　bee　developed　in　the　most　unlikely　constitutions：　is
a　fact　as　firmly　established　by　experience　as　that　we　human　creatures
breathe　an　atmosphere。　A　blessing　beyond　appreciation　would　be　conferred
upon　mankind；　if　the　tainted；　in　whose　weakness　or　wickedness　these
virulent　disorders　are　bred；　could　be　instantly　seized　and　placed　in
close　confinement　（not　to　say　summarily　smothered）　before　the　poison　is
municable。

As　a　vast　fire　will　fill　the　air　to　a　great　distance　with　its　roar；　so
the　sacred　flame　which　the　mighty　Barnacles　had　fanned　caused　the　air　to
resound　more　and　more　with　the　name　of　Merdle。　It　was　deposited　on　every
lip；　and　carried　into　every　ear。　There　never　was；　there　never　had
been；　there　never　again　should　be；　such　a　man　as　Mr　Merdle。　Nobody；
as　aforesaid；　knew　what　he　had　done；　but　everybody　knew　him　to　be　the
greatest　that　had　appeared。

Down　in　Bleeding　Heart　Yard；　where　there　was　not　one　unappropriated
halfpenny；　as　lively　an　interest　was　taken　in　this　paragon　of　men　as　on
the　Stock　Exchange。　Mrs　Plornish；　now　established　in　the　small　grocery
and　general　trade　in　a　snug　little　shop　at　the　crack　end　of　the　Yard；
at　the　top　of　the　steps；　with　her　little　old　father　and　Maggy　acting
as　assistants；　habitually　held　forth　about　him　over　the　counter　in
conversation　with　her　customers。　Mr　Plornish；　who　had　a　small　share　in　a
small　builder's　business　in　the　neighbourhood；　said；　trowel　in　hand；　on
the　tops　of　scaffolds　and　on　the　tiles　of　houses；　that　people　did　tell
him　as　Mr　Merdle　was　the　one；　mind　you；　to　put　us　all　to　rights　in
respects　of　that　which　all　on　us　looked　to；　and　to　bring　us　all　safe
home　as　much　as　we　needed；　mind　you；　fur　toe　be　brought。　Mr　Baptist；
sole　lodger　of　Mr　and　Mrs　Plornish　was　reputed　in　whispers　to　lay　by
the　savings　which　were　the　result　of　his　simple　and　moderate　life；
for　investment　in　one　of　Mr　Merdle's　certain　enterprises。　The　female
Bleeding　Hearts；　when　they　came　for　ounces　of　tea；　and　hundredweights　of
talk；　gave　Mrs　Plornish　to　understand；　That　how；　ma'am；　they　had　heard
from　their　cousin　Mary　Anne；　which　worked　in　the　line；　that　his　lady's
dresses　would　fill　three　waggons。　That　how　she　was　as　handsome　a　lady；
ma'am；　as　lived；　no　matter　wheres；　and　a　busk　like　marble　itself。　That
how；　according　to　what　they　was　told；　ma'am；　it　was　her　son　by　a　former
husband　as　was　took　into　the　Government；　and　a　General　he　had　been；　and
armies　he　had　marched　again　and　victory　crowned；　if　all　you　heard　was　to
be　believed。　That　how　it　was　reported　that　Mr　Merdle's　words　had　been；
that　if　they　could　have　made　it　worth　his　while　to　take　the　whole
Government　he　would　have　took　it　without　a　profit；　but　that　take　it　he
could　not　and　stand　a　loss。　That　how　it　was　not　to　be　expected；　ma'am；
that　he　should　lose　by　it；　his　ways　being；　as　you　might　say　and　utter
no　falsehood；　paved　with　gold；　but　that　how　it　was　much　to　be　regretted
that　something　handsome　hadn't　been　got　up　to　make　it　worth　his　while；
for　it　was　such　and　only　such　that　knowed　the　heighth　to　which　the　bread
and　butchers'　meat　had　rose；　and　it　was　such　and　only　such　that　both
could　and　would　bring　that　heighth　down。

So　rife　and　potent　was　the　fever　in　Bleeding　Heart　Yard；　that　Mr
Pancks's　rent…days　caused　no　interval　in　the　patients。　The　disease　took
the　singular　form；　on　those　occasions；　of　causing　the　infected　to　find
an　unfathomable　excuse　and　consolation　in　allusions　to　the　magic　name。

'Now；　then！'　Mr　Pancks　would　say；　to　a　defaulting　lodger。　'Pay　up！

e　on！'

'I　haven't　got　it；　Mr　Pancks；'　Defaulter　would　reply。　'I　tell　you　the
truth；　sir；　when　I　say　I　haven't　got　so　much　as　a　single　sixpence　of　it
to　bless　myself　with。'

'This　won't　do；　you　know；'　Mr　Pancks　would　retort。　'You　don't　expect　it
will　do；　do　you？'　Defaulter　would　admit；　with　a　low…spirited　'No；　sir；'
having　no　such　expectation。

'My　proprietor　isn't　going　to　stand　this；　you　know；'　Mr　Pancks　would
proceed。　'He　don't　send　me　here　for　this。　Pay　up！　e！'

The　Defaulter　would　make　answer；　'Ah；　Mr　Pancks。　If　I　was　the　rich
gentleman　whose　name　is　in　everybody's　mouth……if　my　name　was　Merdle；
sir……I'd　soon　pay　up；　and　be　glad　to　do　it。'

Dialogues　on　the　rent…question　usually　took　place　at　the　house…doors
or　in　the　entries；　and　in　the　presence　of　several　deeply　interested
Bleeding　Hearts。　They　always　received　a　reference　of　this　kind　with　a
low　murmur　of　response；　as　if　it　were　convincing；　and　the　Defaulter；
however　black　and　disfited　before；　always　cheered　up　a　little　in
making　it。

'If　I　was　Mr　Merdle；　sir；　you　wouldn't　have　cause　to　plain　of　me
then。　No；　believe　me！'　the　Defaulter　would　proceed　with　a　shake　of　the
head。　'I'd　pay　up　so　quick　t