狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第50章Part3

'Well, my lad,' growled the Captain slowly, 'I won't deny but what I find myself wery much down by the head, along o' this here, or but what I've gone clean about. But as to Lady lass, Wal'r, mind you, wot's respect and duty to her, is respect and duty in my articles, howsumever disapinting; and therefore I follows in your wake, my lad, and feel as you are, no doubt, acting up to yourself. And there ain't no other character, ain't there?' said the Captain, musing over the ruins of his fallen castle, with a very despondent face.
'Now, Captain Cuttle,' said Walter, starting a fresh point with a gayer air, to cheer the Captain up - but nothing could do that; he was too much concerned - 'I think we should exert ourselves to find someone who would be a proper attendant for Miss Dombey while she remains here, and who may be trusted. None of her relations may. It's clear Miss Dombey feels that they are all subservient to her father. What has become of Susan?'
'The young woman?' returned the Captain. 'It's my belief as she was sent away again the will of Heart's Delight. I made a signal for her when Lady lass first come, and she rated of her wery high, and said she had been gone a long time.'
'Then,' said Walter, 'do you ask Miss Dombey where she's gone, and we'll try to find her. The morning's getting on, and Miss Dombey will soon be rising. You are her best friend. Wait for her upstairs, and leave me to take care of all down here.'
The Captain, very crest-fallen indeed, echoed the sigh with which Walter said this, and complied. Florence was delighted with her new room, anxious to see Walter, and overjoyed at the prospect of greeting her old friend Susan. But Florence could not say where Susan was gone, except that it was in Essex, and no one could say, she remembered, unless it were Mr Toots.
With this information the melancholy Captain returned to Walter, and gave him to understand that Mr Toots was the young gentleman whom he had encountered on the door-step, and that he was a friend of his, and that he was a young gentleman of property, and that he hopelessly adored Miss Dombey. The Captain also related how the intelligence of Walter's supposed fate had first made him acquainted with Mr Toots, and how there was solemn treaty and compact between them, that Mr Toots should be mute upon the subject of his love.
The question then was, whether Florence could trust Mr Toots; and Florence saying, with a smile, 'Oh, yes, with her whole heart!' it became important to find out where Mr Toots lived. This, Florence didn't know, and the Captain had forgotten; and the Captain was telling Walter, in the little parlour, that Mr Toots was sure to be there soon, when in came Mr Toots himself.
'Captain Gills,' said Mr Toots, rushing into the parlour without any ceremony, 'I'm in a state of mind bordering on distraction!'
Mr Toots had discharged those words, as from a mortar, before he observed Walter, whom he recognised with what may be described as a chuckle of misery.
'You'll excuse me, Sir,' said Mr Toots, holding his forehead, 'but I'm at present in that state that my brain is going, if not gone, and anything approaching to politeness in an individual so situated would be a hollow mockery. Captain Gills, I beg to request the favour of a private interview.'
'Why, Brother,' returned the Captain, taking him by the hand, 'you are the man as we was on the look-out for.'
'Oh, Captain Gills,' said Mr Toots, 'what a look-out that must be, of which I am the object! I haven't dared to shave, I'm in that rash state. I haven't had my clothes brushed. My hair is matted together. I told the Chicken that if he offered to clean my boots, I'd stretch him a Corpse before me!'
All these indications of a disordered mind were verified in Mr Toots's appearance, which was wild and savage.
'See here, Brother,' said the Captain. 'This here's old Sol Gills's nevy Wal'r. Him as was supposed to have perished at sea'
Mr Toots took his hand from his forehead, and stared at Walter.

“唔，我的孩子，”船長慢吞吞地，用低沉的說道，”我不想否認，我覺得我自己在這件事情上頭腦有些糊塗。至於小姑娘夫人，沃爾，你聽着，不論我多麼失望，我認爲尊敬她是我應盡的責任，因此，我跟隨在你的後面航行，我的孩子，我覺得你做得很合適。這麼說，就沒有別的身份了嗎？難道就沒有了嗎？”船長重複問道，一邊心灰意冷地面對着他的倒塌了的城堡的廢墟沉思着。
“卡特爾船長，”沃爾特用快活一些的神態，換了一個新的話題，使船長高興起來--可是他太憂慮了，沒有什麼能使他高興起來--”當董貝小姐住在這裏的時候，我們應該設法找個人來，可以服侍她。這個人是可以信任的。她的親屬一個也不行。毫無疑問，董貝小姐覺得他們都是奉承她的父親的。蘇珊現在怎麼樣了？”
“那位姑娘嗎？”船長回答道，”我相信她已被辭退了。當小姑娘夫人剛到這裏來的時候，我發出了一個試探她情況的信號，小姑娘夫人對她的評價是很高的，說她好久以前就走了。”
“如果是這樣的話，”沃爾特說道，”那麼請您問一問董貝小姐，她到哪裏去了，我們將設法把她找到。時間過得很快，董貝小姐不久就要起牀了。您是她最好的朋友。請您在樓上等候她，樓下的一切都由我來照料。”
船長確實十分垂頭喪氣，沃爾特說完話時嘆了一口氣，船長跟着也嘆了一口氣，並答應照沃爾特的話去做。弗洛倫斯很喜歡她的新房間，急着想見到沃爾特；當知道今後有可能會見她的老朋友蘇珊時，她開心得簡直要發狂似的。可是弗洛倫斯說不出蘇珊到哪裏去了，而只知道她在埃塞克斯；她記得，除了圖茨先生一人之外，誰也說不出她到哪裏去了。
得到這個消息之後，鬱鬱不樂的船長回到了沃爾特的身邊，並讓他了解，圖茨先生就是他在門口的臺階上遇見的那位年輕的先生；他是他的一位朋友，自己有一份財產，並毫無希望地迷戀着董貝小姐。船長也談到原以爲沃爾特已經死去的消息怎樣使他與圖茨先生相識，以及他們兩人怎樣達成莊嚴的協議，圖茨先生必須閉口不談他的愛情問題。
接着的問題是，弗洛倫斯是不是能信賴圖茨先生；弗洛倫斯笑嘻嘻地說道，”哦，我完全信賴！”，於是打聽出圖茨先生住在哪裏就很重要了。弗洛倫斯不知道這一點，船長則已經忘記了；船長在小客廳裏對沃爾特說，圖茨先生一定很快就會到這裏來的，正在這時候，圖茨先生本人進來了。
“吉爾斯船長，”圖茨先生不顧什麼禮節，跑進客廳裏，說道，”我已接近於精神錯亂的地步了！”
圖茨先生好像是從迫擊炮裏把這些話打出來似的，在這之後他才注意到沃爾特，並吃吃地笑了一聲來打招呼，這笑聲可以說是很可憐的。
“請原諒我，先生，”圖茨先生抱住前額，說道，”可是我現在如果還沒有失去理智的話，那麼也正在失去它了；一個處於這種狀態中的人如果還想講究什麼禮貌的話，那就是虛僞的嘲弄了。吉爾斯船長，我冒昧地請求您允許我單獨跟您談談。”
“哎呀，老弟，”船長握住他的手，說道，”你正是我們想要尋找的人。”
“啊，吉爾斯船長，”圖茨先生說道，”我都成了尋找的對象了，那該是什麼樣的尋找啊！我不敢刮鬍子--我是處於這樣忙忙亂亂的狀態之中。我沒有把我的衣服刷過。我的頭髮蓬亂成一團。我告訴鬥雞，如果他想把我的靴子擦乾淨的話，那麼我就讓他死在我面前！”
所有這些精神錯亂的症狀，從圖茨先生那古怪的、野蠻的外貌中也得到了證實。
“看這裏，老弟，”船長說道，”這是老所爾?吉爾斯的外甥沃爾，就是那位我們都以爲已經在海上死去的人。”
圖茨先生把手從前額上拿下來，目不轉睛地看着沃爾特。