little dorrit-信丽(英文版)- 第103部分

'The　people？'

'Yes。　The　Miggles　people。'

'I　really　cannot　say；'　said　Clennam；　'where　my　friend　Mr　Meagles　first
presented　Mr　Henry　Gowan　to　his　daughter。'

'I　am　pretty　sure　he　picked　her　up　at　Rome；　but　never　mind
where……somewhere。　Now　（this　is　entirely　between　ourselves）；　is　she　very
plebeian？'

'Really；　ma'am；'　returned　Clennam；　'I　am　so　undoubtedly　plebeian　myself；
that　I　do　not　feel　qualified　to　judge。'

'Very　neat！'　said　Mrs　Gowan；　coolly　unfurling　her　screen。　'Very　happy！
From　which　I　infer　that　you　secretly　think　her　manner　equal　to　her
looks？'

Clennam；　after　a　moment's　stiffness；　bowed。

'That's　forting；　and　I　hope　you　may　be　right。　Did　Henry　tell　me　you
had　travelled　with　them？'　'I　travelled　with　my　friend　Mr　Meagles；　and
his　wife　and　daughter；　during　some　months。'　（Nobody's　heart　might　have
been　wrung　by　the　remembrance。）

'Really　forting；　because　you　must　have　had　a　large　experience　of
them。　You　see；　Mr　Clennam；　this　thing　has　been　going　on　for　a　long　time；
and　I　find　no　improvement　in　it。　Therefore　to　have　the　opportunity　of
speaking　to　one　so　well　informed　about　it　as　yourself；　is　an　immense
relief　to　me。　Quite　a　boon。　Quite　a　blessing；　I　am　sure。'

'Pardon　me；'　returned　Clennam；　'but　I　am　not　in　Mr　Henry　Gowan's
confidence。　I　am　far　from　being　so　well　informed　as　you　suppose　me　to
be。　Your　mistake　makes　my　position　a　very　delicate　one。　No　word　on　this
topic　has　ever　passed　between　Mr　Henry　Gowan　and　myself。'

Mrs　Gowan　glanced　at　the　other　end　of　the　room；　where　her　son　was
playing　ecarte　on　a　sofa；　with　the　old　lady　who　was　for　a　charge　of
cavalry。

'Not　in　his　confidence？　No；'　said　Mrs　Gowan。　'No　word　has　passed　between
you？　No。　That　I　can　imagine。　But　there　are　unexpressed　confidences；　Mr
Clennam；　and　as　you　have　been　together　intimately　among　these　people；　I
cannot　doubt　that　a　confidence　of　that　sort　exists　in　the　present　case。
Perhaps　you　have　heard　that　I　have　suffered　the　keenest　distress　of
mind　from　Henry's　having　taken　to　a　pursuit　which……well！'　shrugging　her
shoulders；　'a　very　respectable　pursuit；　I　dare　say；　and　some　artists
are；　as　artists；　quite　superior　persons；　still；　we　never　yet　in　our
family　have　gone　beyond　an　Amateur；　and　it　is　a　pardonable　weakness　to
feel　a　little……'

As　Mrs　Gowan　broke　off　to　heave　a　sigh；　Clennam；　however　resolute　to
be　magnanimous；　could　not　keep　down　the　thought　that　there　was　mighty
little　danger　of　the　family's　ever　going　beyond　an　Amateur；　even　as　it
was。

'Henry；'　the　mother　resumed；　'is　self…willed　and　resolute；　and　as　these
people　naturally　strain　every　nerve　to　catch　him；　I　can　entertain　very
little　hope；　Mr　Clennam；　that　the　thing　will　be　broken　off。　I　apprehend
the　girl's　fortune　will　be　very　small；　Henry　might　have　done　much
better；　there　is　scarcely　anything　to　pensate　for　the　connection：
still；　he　acts　for　himself；　and　if　I　find　no　improvement　within　a　short
time；　I　see　no　other　course　than　to　resign　myself　and　make　the　best　of
these　people。　I　am　infinitely　obliged　to　you　for　what　you　have　told
me。'　As　she　shrugged　her　shoulders；　Clennam　stiffly　bowed　again。　With　an
uneasy　flush　upon　his　face；　and　hesitation　in　his　manner；　he　then　said
in　a　still　lower　tone　than　he　had　adopted　yet：

'Mrs　Gowan；　I　scarcely　knoyself　of　what　I　feel　to　be　a
duty；　and　yet　I　must　ask　you　for　your　kind　consideration　in
attempting　to　discharge　it。　A　misconception　on　your　part；　a　very　great
misconception　if　I　may　venture　to　call　it　so；　seems　to　require　setting
right。　You　have　supposed　Mr　Meagles　and　his　family　to　strain　every
nerve；　I　think　you　said……'

'Every　nerve；'　repeated　Mrs　Gowan；　looking　at　him　in　calm　obstinacy；
with　her　green　fan　between　her　face　and　the　fire。

'To　secure　Mr　Henry　Gowan？'

The　lady　placidly　assented。

'Now　that　is　so　far；'　said　Arthur；　'from　being　the　case；　that　I　know
Mr　Meagles　to　be　unhappy　in　this　matter；　and　to　have　interposed　all
reasonable　obstacles　with　the　hope　of　putting　an　end　to　it。'

Mrs　Gowan　shut　up　her　great　green　fan；　tapped　him　on　the　arm　with　it；
and　tapped　her　smiling　lips。　'Why；　of　course；'　said　she。　'Just　what　I
mean。'

Arthur　watched　her　face　for　some　explanation　of　what　she　did　mean。

'Are　you　really　serious；　Mr　Clennam？　Don't　you　see？'

Arthur　did　not　see；　and　said　so。

'Why；　don't　I　know　my　son；　and　don't　I　know　that　this　is　exactly　the　way
to　hold　him？'　said　Mrs　Gowan；　contemptuously；　'and　do　not　these　Miggles
people　know　it；　at　least　as　well　as　I？　Oh；　shrewd　people；　Mr　Clennam：
evidently　people　of　business！　I　believe　Miggles　belonged　to　a　Bank。　It
ought　to　have　been　a　very　profitable　Bank；　if　he　had　much　to　do　with　its
management。　This　is　very　well　done；　indeed。'

'I　beg　and　entreat　you；　ma'am……'　Arthur　interposed。

'Oh；　Mr　Clennam；　can　you　really　be　so　credulous？'

It　made　such　a　painful　impression　upon　him　to　hear　her　talking　in　this
haughty　tone；　and　to　see　her　patting　her　contemptuous　lips　with　her
fan；　that　he　said　very　earnestly；　'Believe　me；　ma'am；　this　is　unjust；　a
perfectly　groundless　suspicion。'

'Suspicion？'　repeated　Mrs　Gowan。　'Not　suspicion；　Mr　Clennam；　Certainty。
It　is　very　knowingly　done　indeed；　and　seems　to　have　taken　YOU　in
pletely。'　She　laughed；　and　again　sat　tapping　her　lips　with　her　fan；
and　tossing　her　head；　as　if　she　added；　'Don't　tell　me。　I　know　such
people　will　do　anything　for　the　honour　of　such　an　alliance。'

At　this　opportune　moment；　the　cards　were　thrown　up；　and　Mr　Henry　Gowan
came　across　the　room　saying；　'Mother；　if　you　can　spare　Mr　Clennam　for
this　time；　we　have　a　long　way　to　go；　and　it's　getting　late。'　Mr　Clennam
thereupon　rose；　as　he　had　no　choice　but　to　do；　and　Mrs　Gowan　showed　him；
to　the　last；　the　same　look　and　the　same　tapped　contemptuous　lips。

'You　have　had　a　portentously　long　audience　of　my　mother；'　said　Gowan；　as
the　door　closed　upon　them。　'I　fervently　hope　she　has　not　bored　you？'

'Not　at　all；'　said　Clennam。

They　had　a　little　open　phaeton　for　the　journey；　and　were　soon　in　it　on
the　road　home。　Gowan；　driving；　lighted　a　cigar；　Clennam　declined　one。　Do
what　he　would；　he　fell　into　such　a　mood　of　abstraction　that　Gowan　said
again；　'I　am　very　much　afraid　my　mother　has　bored　you？'　To　which　he
roused　himself　to　answer；　'Not　at　all！'　and　soon　relapsed　again。

In　that　state　of　mind　which　rendered　nobody　uneasy；　his　thoughtfulness
would　have　turned　principally　on　the　man　at　his　side。　He　would　have
thought　of　the　morning　when　he　first　saw　him　rooting　out　the　stones　with
his　heel；　and　would　have　asked　himself；　'Does　he　jerk　me　out　of　the
path　in　the　same　careless；　cruel　way？'　He　would　have　thought；　had　this
introduction　to　his　mother　been　brought　about　by　him　because　he　knew
what　she　would　say；　and　that　he　could　thus　place　his　position　before
a　rival　and　loftily　warn　him　off；　without　himself　reposing　a　word　of
confidence　in　him？　He　would　have　thought；　even　if　there　were　no　such
design　as　that；　had　he　brought　him　there　to　play　with　his　repressed
emotions；　and　torment　him？　The　current　of　these　meditations　would　have
been　stayed　sometimes　by　a　rush　of　shame；　bearing　a　remonstrance　to
himself　from　his　own　open　nature；　representing　that　to　shelter　such
suspic