狄更斯的小说特点 狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第41章Part4

狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第41章Part4  

Briggs is still grinding in the mill of knowledge; and Tozer
too; and Johnson
too; and all the rest; the older pupils being principally engaged in fetting
with prodigious labour
everything they knew when they were younger. All are as polite and as pale as ever; and among them
Mr Feeder
B.A.
with his bony hand and bristly head
is still hard at it; with his Herodotus stop on just at present
and his other barrels on a shelf behind him.
A mighty sensation is created
even among these grave young gentlemen
by a visit from the emancipated Toots; who is regarded with a kind of awe
as one who has passed the Rubicon
and is pledged never to e back
and concerning the cut of whose clothes
and fashion of whose jewellery
whispers go about
behind hands; the bilious Bitherstone
who is not of Mr Toots's time
affecting to despise the latter to the smaller boys
and saying he knows better
and that he should like to see him ing that sort of thing in Bengal
where his mother had got an emerald belonging to him that was taken out of the footstool of a Rajah. Come now!Bewildering emotions are awakened also by the sight of Florence
with whom every young gentleman immediately falls in love
again; except
as aforesaid
the bilious Bitherstone
who declines to do so
out of contradiction. Black jealousies of Mr Toots arise
and Briggs is of opinion that he ain't so very old after all. But this disparaging insinuation is speedily made nought by Mr Toots saying aloud to Mr Feeder
B.A.
'How are you
Feeder?' and asking him to e and dine with him to-day at the Bedford; in right of which feats he might set up as Old Parr
if he chose
unquestioned.
There is much shaking of hands
and much bowing
and a great desire on the part of each young gentleman to take Toots down in Miss Dombey's good graces; and then
Mr Toots having bestowed a chuckle on his old desk
Florence and he withdraw with Mrs Blimber and Cornelia; and Doctor Blimber is heard to observe behind them as he es out last
and shuts the door
'Gentlemen
we will now resume our studies
' For that and little else is what the Doctor hears the sea say
or has heard it saying all his life.
Florence then steals away and goes upstairs to the old bedroom with Mrs Blimber and Cornelia; Mr Toots
who feels that neither he nor anybody else is wanted there
stands talking to the Doctor at the study-door
or rather hearing the Doctor talk to him
and wondering how he ever thought the study a great sanctuary
and the Doctor
with his round turned legs
like a clerical pianoforte
an awful man. Florence soon es down and takes leave; Mr Toots takes leave; and Diogenes
who has been worrying the weak-eyed young man pitilessly all the time
shoots out at the door
and barks a glad defiance down the cliff; while Melia
and another of the Doctor's female domestics
looks out of an upper window
laughing 'at that there Toots
' and saying of Miss Dombey
'But really though
now - ain't she like her brother
only prettier?'
Mr Toots
who saw when Florence came down that there were tears upon her face
is desperately anxious and uneasy
and at first fears that he did wrong in proposing the visit. But he is soon relieved by her saying she is very glad to have been there again
and by her talking quite cheerfully about it all
as they walked on by the sea. What with the voices there
and her sweet voice
when they e near Mr Dombey's house
and Mr Toots must leave her
he is so enslaved that he has not a scrap of free-will left; when she gives him her hand at parting
he cannot let it go.
'Miss Dombey
I beg your pardon
' says Mr Toots
in a sad fluster
'but if you would allow me to - to -
The smiling and unconscious look of Florence brings him to a dead stop.
'If you would allow me to - if you would not consider it a liberty
Miss Dombey
if I was to - without any encouragement at all
if I was to hope
you know
' says Mr Toots.
Florence looks at him inquiringly.
'Miss Dombey
' says Mr Toots
who feels that he is in for it now
'I really am in that state of adoration of you that I don't know what to do with myself. I am the most deplorable wretch. If it wasn't at the corner of the Square at present
I should go down on my knees
and beg and entreat of you
without any encouragement at all
just to let me hope that I may - may think it possible that you -
'Oh
if you please
don't!' cries Florence
for the moment quite alarmed and distressed. 'Oh
pray don't
Mr Toots. Stop
if you please. Don't say any more. As a kindness and a favour to me
don't.'
Mr Toots is dreadfully abashed
and his mouth opens.
'You have been so good to me
' says Florence
'I am so grateful to you
I have such reason to like you for being a kind friend to me
and I do like you so much;' and here the ingenuous face smiles upon him with the pleasantest look of honesty in the world; 'that I am sure you are only going to say good-bye!'
'Certainly
Miss Dombey
' says Mr Toots
'I - I - that's exactly what I mean. It's of no consequence.'
'Good-bye!' cries Florence.