little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第28章

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to　be　an　innocent　citizen；　and　bees　a　culprit。

He　is　treated　from　that　instant　as　a　man　who　has　done　some　infernal
action。　He　is　a　man　to　be　shirked；　put　off；　brow…beaten；　sneered　at；
handed　over　by　this　highly…connected　young　or　old　gentleman；　to　that
highly…connected　young　or　old　gentleman；　and　dodged　back　again；　he　is　a
man　with　no　rights　in　his　own　time；　or　his　own　property；　a　mere　outlaw；
whom　it　is　justifiable　to　get　rid　of　anyhow；　a　man　to　be　worn　out　by　all
possible　means。'

It　was　not　so　difficult　to　believe；　after　the　morning's　experience；　as
Mr　Meagles　supposed。

'Don't　stand　there；　Doyce；　turning　your　spectacle…case　over　and　over；'
cried　Mr　Meagles；　'but　tell　Mr　Clennam　what　you　confessed　to　me。'

'I　undoubtedly　was　made　to　feel；'　said　the　inventor；　'as　if　I　had
mitted　an　offence。　In　dancing　attendance　at　the　various　offices；　I
was　always　treated；　more　or　less；　as　if　it　was　a　very　bad　offence。　I
have　frequently　found　it　necessary　to　reflect；　for　my　own　self…support；
that　I　really　had　not　done　anything　to　bring　myself　into　the　Newgate
Calendar；　but　only　wanted　to　effect　a　great　saving　and　a　great
improvement。'

'There！'　said　Mr　Meagles。　'Judge　whether　I　exaggerate。　Now　you'll　be
able　to　believe　me　when　I　tell　you　the　rest　of　the　case。'

With　this　prelude；　Mr　Meagles　went　through　the　narrative；　the
established　narrative；　which　has　bee　tiresome；　the　matter…of…course
narrative　which　we　all　know　by　heart。　How；　after　interminable　attendance
and　correspondence；　after　infinite　impertinences；　ignorances；　and
insults；　my　lords　made　a　Minute；　number　three　thousand　four　hundred
and　seventy…two；　allowing　the　culprit　to　make　certain　trials　of　his
invention　at　his　own　expense。

How　the　trials　were　made　in　the　presence　of　a　board　of　six；　of　whom　two
ancient　members　were　too　blind　to　see　it；　two　other　ancient　members　were
too　deaf　to　hear　it；　one　other　ancient　member　was　too　lame　to　get　near
it；　and　the　final　ancient　member　was　too　pig…headed　to　look　at　it。　How
there　were　more　years；　more　impertinences；　ignorances；　and　insults。　How
my　lords　then　made　a　Minute；　number　five　thousand　one　hundred　and　three；
whereby　they　resigned　the　business　to　the　Circumlocution　Office。　How　the
Circumlocution　Office；　in　course　of　time；　took　up　the　business　as　if
it　were　a　bran　new　thing　of　yesterday；　which　had　never　been　heard　of
before；　muddled　the　business；　addled　the　business；　tossed　the　business
in　a　wet　blanket。　How　the　impertinences；　ignorances；　and　insults　went
through　the　multiplication　table。　How　there　was　a　reference　of　the
invention　to　three　Barnacles　and　a　Stiltstalking；　who　knew　nothing　about
it；　into　whose　heads　nothing　could　be　hammered　about　it；　who　got　bored
about　it；　and　reported　physical　impossibilities　about　it。　How　the
Circumlocution　Office；　in　a　Minute；　number　eight　thousand　seven　hundred
and　forty；　'saw　no　reason　to　reverse　the　decision　at　which　my　lords　had
arrived。'　How　the　Circumlocution　Office；　being　reminded　that　my　lords
had　arrived　at　no　decision；　shelved　the　business。　How　there　had　been
a　final　interview　with　the　head　of　the　Circumlocution　Office　that　very
morning；　and　how　the　Brazen　Head　had　spoken；　and　had　been；　upon　the
whole；　and　under　all　the　circumstances；　and　looking　at　it　from　the
various　points　of　view；　of　opinion　that　one　of　two　courses　was　to　be
pursued　in　respect　of　the　business：　that　was　to　say；　either　to　leave　it
alone　for　evermore；　or　to　begin　it　all　over　again。

'Upon　which；'　said　Mr　Meagles；　'as　a　practical　man；　I　then　and　there；　in
that　presence；　took　Doyce　by　the　collar；　and　told　him　it　was　plain　to
me　that　he　was　an　infamous　rascal　and　treasonable　disturber　of　the
government　peace；　and　took　him　away。　I　brought　him　out　of　the　office
door　by　the　collar；　that　the　very　porter　might　know　I　was　a　practical
man　who　appreciated　the　official　estimate　of　such　characters；　and　here
we　are！'

If　that　airy　young　Barnacle　had　been　there；　he　would　have　frankly　told
them　perhaps　that　the　Circumlocution　Office　had　achieved　its　function。
That　what　the　Barnacles　had　to　do；　was　to　stick　on　to　the　national　ship
as　long　as　they　could。　That　to　trim　the　ship；　lighten　the　ship；　clean
the　ship；　would　be　to　knock　them　off；　that　they　could　but　be　knocked　off
once；　and　that　if　the　ship　went　down　with　them　yet　sticking　to　it；　that
was　the　ship's　look　out；　and　not　theirs。

'There！'　said　Mr　Meagles；　'now　you　know　all　about　Doyce。　Except；　which　I
own　does　not　improve　my　state　of　mind；　that　even　now　you　don't　hear　him
plain。'

'You　must　have　great　patience；'　said　Arthur　Clennam；　looking　at　him　with
some　wonder；　'great　forbearance。'

'No；'　he　returned；　'I　don't　know　that　I　have　more　than　another　man。'

'By　the　Lord；　you　have　more　than　I　have；　though！'　cried　Mr　Meagles。

Doyce　smiled；　as　he　said　to　Clennam；　'You　see；　my　experience　of　these
things　does　not　begin　with　myself。　It　has　been　in　my　way　to　know　a
little　about　them　from　time　to　time。　Mine　is　not　a　particular　case。　I　am
not　worse　used　than　a　hundred　others　who　have　put　themselves　in　the　same
position……than　all　the　others；　I　was　going　to　say。'

'I　don't　know　that　I　should　find　that　a　consolation；　if　it　were　my　case；
but　I　am　very　glad　that　you　do。'

'Understand　me！　I　don't　say；'　he　replied　in　his　steady；　planning
way；　and　looking　into　the　distance　before　him　as　if　his　grey　eye　were
measuring　it；　'that　it's　repense　for　a　man's　toil　and　hope；　but　it's
a　certain　sort　of　relief　to　know　that　I　might　have　counted　on　this。'

He　spoke　in　that　quiet　deliberate　manner；　and　in　that　undertone；　which
is　often　observable　in　mechanics　who　consider　and　adjust　with　great
nicety。　It　belonged　to　him　like　his　suppleness　of　thumb；　or　his　peculiar
way　of　tilting　up　his　hat　at　the　back　every　now　and　then；　as　if　he　were
contemplating　some　half…finished　work　of　his　hand　and　thinking　about　it。

'Disappointed？'　he　went　on；　as　he　walked　between　them　under　the　trees。
'Yes。　No　doubt　I　am　disappointed。　Hurt？　Yes。　No　doubt　I　am　hurt。　That's
only　natural。　But　what　I　mean　when　I　say　that　people　who　put　themselves
in　the　same　position　are　mostly　used　in　the　same　way……'

'In　England；'　said　Mr　Meagles。

'Oh！　of　course　I　mean　in　England。　When　they　take　their　inventions　into
foreign　countries；　that's　quite　different。　And　that's　the　reason　why　so
many　go　there。'

Mr　Meagles　very　hot　indeed　again。

'What　I　mean　is；　that　however　this　es　to　be　the　regular　way　of　our
government；　it　is　its　regular　way。　Have　you　ever　heard　of　any　projector
or　inventor　who　failed　to　find　it　all　but　inaccessible；　and　whom　it　did
not　discourage　and　ill…treat？'

'I　cannot　say　that　I　ever　have。'

'Have　you　ever　known　it　to　be　beforehand　in　the　adoption　of　any　useful
thing？　Ever　known　it　to　set　an　example　of　any　useful　kind？'

'I　am　a　good　deal　older　than　my　friend　here；'　said　Mr　Meagles；　'and　I'll
answer　that。　Never。'

'But　we　all　three　have　known；　I　expect；'　said　the　inventor；　'a　pretty
many　cases　of　its　fixed　determination　to　be　miles　upon　miles；　and　years
upon　years；　behind　the　rest　of　us；　and　of　its　being　found　out　persisting
in　the　use　of　things　long　superseded；　even　after　the　better　things　were
well　known　and　generally　taken　up？'

They　all　agreed　upon　that。

'Well　then；'　said　Doyce；　with　a　sigh；　'as　I　know　what　such　a　metal　will
do　at　such　a　temperature；　and　such　a　body　under　such　a　pressure；　so　I
may　know　（if　I　will　only　consider）；　how　these　great　lords　and　gentlemen
will　certainly　deal　with　such　a　matter　as　mine。

I　have　no　right　to　be　surprised；　with　a　head　upon　my　shoulders；　and
memory　in　it；　that　I　fall　into　the　ranks　with　all　who　came　before　me。　I
ought　to　have　let　it　alone。　I　have　had　warning　enough；　I　am　sure。'


With　that　he　put　up　his　spectacle…case；　and　said　to　Arthur；　'If　I　don't
plain；　Mr　Clennam；　I　can　feel　gratitude；　and　I　assure　you　that　I
feel　it　towards　our　mutual　friend。　Many's　the　day；　and　many's　the　way　in
which　he　has　backed　me。'

'Stuff　and　nonsense；'　said　Mr　Meagles。

Arthur　could　not　but　glance　at　Daniel　Doyce　in　the　ensuing　silence。

Though　it　was　evidently　in　the　grain　of　his　character；　and　of　his
respect　for　his　own　case；　that　he　should　abstain　from　idle　murmuring；
it　was　evident　that　he　had　grown　the　older；　the　sterner；　and　the　poorer；
for　his　long　endeavour。　He　could　not　but　think　what　a　blessed　thing
it　would　have　been　for　this　man；　if　he　had　taken　a　lesson　from　the
gentlemen　who　were　so　kind　as　to　take　a　nation's　affairs　in　charge；　and
had　learnt　How　not　to　do　it。

Mr　Meagles　was　hot　and　despondent　for　about　five　minutes；　and　then　began
to　cool　and　clear　up。

'e；　e！'　said　he。　'We　shall　not　make　this　the　better　by　being　grim。
Where　do　you　think　of　going；　Dan？'

'I　shall　go　back　to　the　factory；'　said　Dan。　'Why　then；　we'll　all　go
back　to　the　factory；　or　walk　in　that　direction；'　returned　Mr　Meagles
cheerfully。　'Mr　Clennam　won't　be　deterred　by　its　being　in　Bleeding　Heart
Yard。'

'Bleeding　Heart　Yard？'　said　Clennam。　'I　want　to　go　there。'

'So　much　the　better；'　cried　Mr　Meagles。　'e　along！'

As　they　went　along；　certainly　one　of　the　party；　and　probably　more　than
one；　thought　that　Bleeding　Heart　Yard　was　no　inappropriate　destination
for　a　man　who　had　been　in　official　correspondence　with　my　lords　and　the
Barnacles……and　perhaps　had　a　misgiving　also　that　Britannia　herself　might
e　to　look　for　lodgings　in　Bleeding　Heart　Yard　some　ugly　day　or　other；
if　she　over…did　the　Circumlocution　Office。



CHAPTER　11。　Let　Loose


A　late；　dull　autumn　night　was　closing　in　upon　the　river　Saone。　The
stream；　like　a　sullied　looking…glass　in　a　gloomy　place；　reflected　the
clouds　heavily；　and　the　low　banks　leaned　over　here　and　there；　as　if　they
were　half　curious；　and　half　afraid；　to　see　their　darkening　pictures　in
the　water。　The　flat　expanse　of　country　about　Chalons　lay　a　long　heavy
streak；　occasionally　made　a　little　ragged　by　a　row　of　poplar　trees
against　the　wrathful　sunset。　On　the　banks　of　the　river　Saone　it　was　wet；
depressing；　solitary；　and　the　night　deepened　fast。

One　man　slowly　moving　on　towards　Chalons　was　the　only　visible　figure　in
the　landscape。　Cain　might　have　looked　as　lonely　and　avoided。　With　an　old
sheepskin　knapsack　at　his　back；　and　a　rough；　u