狄更斯的小说特点 狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第21章Part 4

狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第21章Part 4  

'She impresses me as being perfectly genteel
' said Mr Dombey.
'Genteel
Sir
' said the Major
stopping short
and staring in his panion's face. 'The Honourable Mrs Skewton
Sir
is sister to the late Lord Feenix
and aunt to the present Lord. The family are not wealthy - they're poor
indeed - and she lives upon a small jointure; but if you e to blood
Sir!' The Major gave a flourish with his stick and walked on again
in despair of being able to say what you came to
if you came to that.
'You addressed the daughter
I observed
' said Mr Dombey
after a short pause
'as Mrs Granger.'
'Edith Skewton
Sir
' returned the Major
stopping short again
and punching a mark in the ground with his cane
to represent her
'married (at eighteen) Granger of Ours;' whom the Major indicated by another punch. 'Granger
Sir
' said the Major
tapping the last ideal portrait
and rolling his head emphatically
'was Colonel of Ours; a de-vilish handsome fellow
Sir
of forty-one. He died
Sir
in the second year of his marriage.' The Major ran the representative of the deceased Granger through and through the body with his walking-stick
and went on again
carrying his stick over his shoulder.
'How long is this ago?' asked Mr Dombey
making another halt.
'Edith Granger
Sir
' replied the Major
shutting one eye
putting his head on one side
passing his cane into his left hand
and smoothing his shirt-frill with his right
'is
at this present time
not quite thirty. And damme
Sir
' said the Major
shouldering his stick once more
and walking on again
'she's a peerless woman!'
'Was there any family?' asked Mr Dombey presently.
'Yes
Sir
' said the Major. 'There was a boy.'
Mr Dombey's eyes sought the ground
and a shade came over his face.
'Who was drowned
Sir
' pursued the Major. 'When a child of four or five years old.'
'Indeed?' said Mr Dombey
raising his head.
'By the upsetting of a boat in which his nurse had no business to have put him
' said the Major. 'That's his history. Edith Granger is Edith Granger still; but if tough old Joey B.
Sir
were a little younger and a little richer
the name of that immortal paragon should be Bagstock.'
The Major heaved his shoulders
and his cheeks
and laughed more like an over-fed Mephistopheles than ever
as he said the words.
'Provided the lady made no objection
I suppose?' said Mr Dombey coldly.
'By Gad
Sir
' said the Major
'the Bagstock breed are not accustomed to that sort of obstacle. Though it's true enough that Edith might have married enty times
but for being proud
Sir
proud.'
Mr Dombey seemed
by his face
to think no worse of her for that.
'It's a great quality after all
' said the Major. 'By the Lord
it's a high quality! Dombey! You are proud yourself
and your friend
Old Joe
respects you for it
Sir.'
With this tribute to the character of his ally
which seemed to be wrung from him by the force of circumstances and the irresistible tendency of their conversation
the Major closed the subject
and glided into a general exposition of the extent to which he had been beloved and doted on by splendid women and brilliant creatures.
On the next day but one
Mr Dombey and the Major encountered the Honourable Mrs Skewton and her daughter in the Pump-room; on the day after
they met them again very near the place where they had met them first. After meeting them thus
three or four times in all
it became a point of mere civility to old acquaintances that the Major should go there one evening. Mr Dombey had not originally intended to pay visits
but on the Major announcing this intention
he said he would have the pleasure of acpanying him. So the Major told the Native to go round before dinner
and say
with his and Mr Dombey's pliments
that they would have the honour of visiting the ladies that same evening
if the ladies were alone. In answer to which message
the Native brought back a very small note with a very large quantity of scent about it
indited by the Honourable Mrs Skewton to Major Bagstock
and briefly saying
'You are a shocking bear and I have a great mind not to five you
but if you are very good indeed
' which was underlined
'you may e. Compliments (in which Edith unites) to Mr Dombey.'
The Honourable Mrs Skewton and her daughter
Mrs Granger
resided
while at Leamington
in lodgings that were fashionable enough and dear enough
but rather limited in point of space and conveniences; so that the Honourable Mrs Skewton
being in bed
had her feet in the window and her head in the fireplace
while the Honourable Mrs Skewton's maid was quartered in a closet within the drawing-room
so extremely small
that
to avoid developing the whole of its acmodations
she was obliged to writhe in and out of the door like a beautiful serpent. Withers
the wan page
slept out of the house immediately under the tiles at a neighbouring milk-shop; and the wheeled chair
which was the stone of that young Sisyphus
passed the night in a shed belonging to the same dairy
where new-laid eggs were produced by the poultry connected with the establishment
who roosted on a broken donkey-cart
persuaded
to all appearance
that it grew there
and was a species of tree.
Mr Dombey and the Major found Mrs Skewton arranged
as Cleopatra
among the cushions of a sofa: very airily dressed; and certainly not resembling Shakespeare's Cleopatra
whom age could not wither. On their way upstairs they had heard the sound of a harp
but it had ceased on their being announced
and Edith now stood beside it handsomer and haughtier than ever. It was a remarkable characteristic of this lady's beauty that it appeared to vaunt and assert itself without her aid
and against her will. She knew that she was beautiful: it was impossible that it could be otherwise: but she seemed with her own pride to defy her very self.