狄更斯的小说特点 狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第47章Part4

狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第47章Part4  

'It is enough
' said Edith
after a pause
'to know what it is; why
matters little. Dear Florence
it is better - it is necessary - it must be - that our association should be less frequent. The confidence there has been beeen us must be broken off.'
'When?' cried Florence. 'Oh
Mama
when?'
'Now
' said Edith.
'For all time to e?' asked Florence.
'I do not say that
' answered Edith. 'I do not know that. Nor will I say that panionship beeen us is
at the best
an ill-assorted and unholy union
of which I might have known no good could e. My way here has been through paths that you will never tread
and my way henceforth may lie - God knows - I do not see it - '
Her voice died away into silence; and she sat
looking at Florence
and almost shrinking from her
with the same strange dread and wild avoidance that Florence had noticed once before. The same dark pride and rage succeeded
sweeping over her form and features like an angry chord across the strings of a wild harp. But no softness or humility ensued on that. She did not lay her head down now
and weep
and say that she had no hope but in Florence. She held it up as if she were a beautiful Medusa
looking on him
face to face
to strike him dead. Yes
and she would have done it
if she had had the charm.
'Mama
' said Florence
anxiously
'there is a change in you
in more than what you say to me
which alarms me. Let me stay with you a little.'
'No
' said Edith
'no
dearest. I am best left alone now
and I do best to keep apart from you
of all else. Ask me no questions
but believe that what I am when I seem fickle or capricious to you
I am not of my own will
or for myself. Believe
though we are stranger to each other than we have been
that I am unchanged to you within. Five me for having ever darkened your dark home - I am a shadow on it
I know well - and let us never speak of this again.'
'Mama
' sobbed Florence
'we are not to part?'
'We do this that we may not part
' said Edith. 'Ask no more. Go
Florence! My love and my remorse go with you!'
She embraced her
and dismissed her; and as Florence passed out of her room
Edith looked on the retiring figure
as if her good angel went out in that form
and left her to the haughty and indignant passions that now claimed her for their own
and set their seal upon her brow.
From that hour
Florence and she were
as they had been
no more. For days together
they would seldom meet
except at table
and when Mr Dombey was present. Then Edith
imperious
inflexible
and silent
never looked at her. Whenever Mr Carker was of the party
as he often was
during the progress of Mr Dombey's recovery
and afterwards
Edith held herself more removed from her
and was more distant towards her
than at other times. Yet she and Florence never encountered
when there was no one by
but she would embrace her as affectionately as of old
though not with the same relenting of her proud aspect; and often
when she had been out late
she would steal up to Florence's room
as she had been used to do
in the dark
and whisper 'Good-night
' on her pillow. When unconscious
in her slumber
of such visits
Florence would sometimes awake
as from a dream of those words
softly spoken
and would seem to feel the touch of lips upon her face. But less and less often as the months went on.