狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第38章Part7

'Thank'ee, Mum,' said Mr Toodle. 'Yes; I'll take my bit of backer.'
'Very good of you to say so, Sir,' rejoined Miss Tox, 'and I really do assure you now, unfeignedly, that it will be a great comfort to me, and that whatever good I may be fortunate enough to do the children, you will more than pay back to me, if you'll enter into this little bargain comfortably, and easily, and good-naturedly, without another word about it.'
The bargain was ratified on the spot; and Miss Tox found herself so much at home already, that without delay she instituted a preliminary examination of the children all round - which Mr Toodle much admired - and booked their ages, names, and acquirements, on a piece of paper. This ceremony, and a little attendant gossip, prolonged the time until after their usual hour of going to bed, and detained Miss Tox at the Toodle fireside until it was too late for her to walk home alone. The gallant Grinder, however, being still there, politely offered to attend her to her own door; and as it was something to Miss Tox to be seen home by a youth whom Mr Dombey had first inducted into those manly garments which are rarely mentioned by name,' she very readily accepted the proposal.
After shaking hands with Mr Toodle and Polly, and kissing all the children, Miss Tox left the house, therefore, with unlimited popularity, and carrying away with her so light a heart that it might have given Mrs Chick offence if that good lady could have weighed it.
Rob the Grinder, in his modesty, would have walked behind, but Miss Tox desired him to keep beside her, for conversational purposes; and, as she afterwards expressed it to his mother, 'drew him out,' upon the road.
He drew out so bright, and clear, and shining, that Miss Tox was charmed with him. The more Miss Tox drew him out, the finer he came - like wire. There never was a better or more promising youth - a more affectionate, steady, prudent, sober, honest, meek, candid young man - than Rob drew out, that night.
'I am quite glad,' said Miss Tox, arrived at her own door, 'to know you. I hope you'll consider me your friend, and that you'll come and see me as often as you like. Do you keep a money-box?'
'Yes, Ma'am,' returned Rob; 'I'm saving up, against I've got enough to put in the Bank, Ma'am.
'Very laudable indeed,' said Miss Tox. 'I'm glad to hear it. Put this half-crown into it, if you please.'
'Oh thank you, Ma'am,' replied Rob, 'but really I couldn't think of depriving you.'
'I commend your independent spirit,' said Miss Tox, 'but it's no deprivation, I assure you. I shall be offended if you don't take it, as a mark of my good-will. Good-night, Robin.'
'Good-night, Ma'am,' said Rob, 'and thank you!'
Who ran sniggering off to get change, and tossed it away with a pieman. But they never taught honour at the Grinders' School, where the system that prevailed was particularly strong in the engendering of hypocrisy. Insomuch, that many of the friends and masters of past Grinders said, if this were what came of education for the common people, let us have none. Some more rational said, let us have a better one. But the governing powers of the Grinders' Company were always ready for them, by picking out a few boys who had turned out well in spite of the system, and roundly asserting that they could have only turned out well because of it. Which settled the business of those objectors out of hand, and established the glory of the Grinders' Institution.

“謝謝您，夫人，”圖德爾先生說道，”不錯，我將抽上幾菸斗。”
“您真好，先生，”托克斯小姐回答道，”說真的，我毫不掩飾地對您說，這對我將是個極大的安慰；不論我能幸運地給孩子們做點什麼好事，如果您能輕鬆地、愉快地、善意地達成我們這小小的協議，而不用說什麼別的話，那就比給我什麼報酬都強。”
這個協議當場就批准了；托克斯小姐覺得自己早已像在自己家裏似的，所以她毫不遲延地對周圍的孩子們來一番預先的考查（圖德爾先生對這十分讚揚），把他們的年齡、名字和知識情況記在一張紙上。這個儀式和伴隨的閒聊一直持續到超過了全家人通常上牀睡覺的時間，並把托克斯小姐在圖德爾先生的爐邊一直耽擱到讓她一個人回家已經太晚的時候。可是殷勤的磨工還沒有離開，他彬彬有禮地提議陪送她到她家門口；由於由董貝先生第一次讓他穿上那些叫不出名稱的、有着雄赳赳氣概的服裝的一位年輕人護送回家，對托克斯小姐來說是有一些意義的，所以她立即高興地接受了這個建議。
因此，托克斯小姐跟圖德爾先生和波利握了手，並吻了所有的孩子們之後，離開這座房子的時候，她得到了全家大小無限的喜愛，心情十分輕鬆愉快；如果這時奇剋夫人能把她的心稱一稱的話，那麼它也許會使這位好夫人生氣的哩！
磨工羅布由於謙遜，本想走在後面，可是托克斯小姐要他跟隨在身旁，以便交談，並像他以後對他母親所說的，”一路上從他嘴巴里掏出些東西來。”
他十分機靈、痛快和出色地從自己嘴巴里往外吐露情況，托克斯小姐對他喜歡極了。托克斯小姐從他嘴巴里掏出得愈多，他就愈發顯得可愛，就像拉細了的金屬絲一樣。那天夜裏從羅布嘴巴里吐露出的事情來看，世界上沒有一個小夥子比羅布更好，前途更有希望的了--沒有一位年輕人比他更有情誼、更可靠、更謹慎、更冷靜、更誠實、更溫順和更耿直的了。
“我很高興認識您，”托克斯小姐到達家門口的時候，說道，”我希望您把我當作您的朋友，並希望您高興的時候，時常來看我。您有沒有撲滿？”
“有，夫人，”羅布回答道，”我把錢存在裏面，等多了再存到銀行裏，夫人。”
“真值得稱讚，”托克斯小姐說道，”我很高興聽您這麼說。請把這個半克朗存到裏面去吧。”
“啊，謝謝您，夫人，”羅布回答道，”不過說真的，我不能把這筆錢從您那裏剝奪過來呀。”
“我很喜歡您這種獨立的精神，”托克斯小姐說道，”可是我肯定地對您說，這不是剝奪。這是表示我的一點心意，如果您不拿去的話，那麼我是會生氣的。”
“再見，夫人。”羅布說道，”謝謝您！”
然後，他就嬉皮笑臉地跑去把它換成零錢，在擲錢的賭博中把它輸給一個賣餡餅的人了。不過，在磨工學校中是從來不教人正直的，在這個學校中盛行的制度特別有助於僞善的產生，所以過去磨工的許多朋友和老師曾說過：”如果這就是對普通人進行教育的結果，那麼就讓我們乾脆不要這種教育吧。”有些比較有理智的人則說，”讓我們要一種更好的教育吧。”可是磨工公司的管轄人員對這些人的回答總是挑選出幾個不受現行制度影響，表現良好的孩子，並斷然聲稱，他們之所以表現良好，正是由於有這種制度的緣故。這樣一來就使責難的人們啞口無言，並從而確立了磨工制度的榮譽。