狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第35章Part6

'I left here early,' pursued Edith, 'purposely to sit upstairs and talk with you. But, going to your room, I found my bird was flown, and I have been waiting there ever since, expecting its return.
If it had been a bird, indeed, she could not have taken it more tenderly and gently to her breast, than she did Florence.
'Come, dear!'
'Papa will not expect to find me, I suppose, when he wakes,' hesitated Florence.
'Do you think he will, Florence?' said Edith, looking full upon her.
Florence drooped her head, and rose, and put up her work-basket Edith drew her hand through her arm, and they went out of the room like sisters. Her very step was different and new to him' Mr Dombey thought, as his eyes followed her to the door.
He sat in his shadowy corner so long, that the church clocks struck the hour three times before he moved that night. All that while his face was still intent upon the spot where Florence had been seated. The room grew darker, as the candles waned and went out; but a darkness gathered on his face, exceeding any that the night could cast, and rested there.
Florence and Edith, seated before the fire in the remote room where little Paul had died, talked together for a long time. Diogenes, who was of the party, had at first objected to the admission of Edith, and, even In deference to his mistress's wish, had only permitted it under growling protest. But, emerging by little and little from the ante-room, whither he had retired in dudgeon, he soon appeared to comprehend, that with the most amiable intentions he had made one of those mistakes which will occasionally arise in the best-regulated dogs' minds; as a friendly apology for which he stuck himself up on end between the two, in a very hot place in front of the fire, and sat panting at it, with his tongue out, and a most imbecile expression of countenance, listening to the conversation.
It turned, at first, on Florence's books and favourite pursuits, and on the manner in which she had beguiled the interval since the marriage. The last theme opened up to her a subject which lay very near her heart, and she said, with the tears starting to her eyes: 'Oh, Mama! I have had a great sorrow since that day.'
'You a great sorrow, Florence!'
'Yes. Poor Walter is drowned.'
Florence spread her hands before her face, and wept with all her heart. Many as were the secret tears which Walter's fate had cost her, they flowed yet, when she thought or spoke of him.
'But tell me, dear,' said Edith, soothing her. 'Who was Walter? What was he to you?'
'He was my brother, Mama. After dear Paul died, we said we would be brother and sister. I had known him a long time - from a little child. He knew Paul, who liked him very much; Paul said, almost at the last, "Take care of Walter, dear Papa! I was fond of him!" Walter had been brought in to see him, and was there then - in this room.
'And did he take care of Walter?' inquired Edith, sternly.
'Papa? He appointed him to go abroad. He was drowned in shipwreck on his voyage,' said Florence, sobbing.
'Does he know that he is dead?' asked Edith.
'I cannot tell, Mama. I have no means of knowing. Dear Mama!' cried Florence, clinging to her as for help, and hiding her face upon her bosom, 'I know that you have seen - '
'Stay! Stop, Florence.' Edith turned so pale, and spoke so earnestly, that Florence did not need her restraining hand upon her lips. 'Tell me all about Walter first; let me understand this history all through.'

“我很早就離開這裏，”伊迪絲繼續說道，”我想在樓上坐着，跟你談話。可是我到了你的房間裏，發現我的小鳥飛走啦，我就一直坐在那裏等待着，盼望小鳥飛回來。”
如果這真是一隻小鳥的話，那麼她也不能比她現在對弗洛倫斯那樣更親切、更溫柔地把它摟在她胸前了。
“走吧，親愛的！”
“爸爸醒來的時候發現我走了，不會覺得奇怪吧？”弗洛倫斯遲疑地說道。
“你想他會嗎，弗洛倫斯？”伊迪絲注視着她的臉孔，說道。
弗洛倫斯低下頭，站起來，拿起針線籃子。伊迪絲挽着她的手，她們像姐妹倆似地走出了房間。她的每一個步伐對他來說，都是與往常不同的，是他所不熟悉的。當董貝先生目送她到門口時，他這樣想。
那天夜晚，他在他那陰暗的角落裏坐了很久，直到教堂裏的時鐘敲打了三下，他纔開始走動。他的眼睛一直繼續注視着弗洛倫斯坐過的地方。當蠟燭逐漸燃盡和熄滅的時候，房間裏更加黑暗了；可是在他的臉上凝集着一層陰影，比任何深夜投下的陰影都更黑暗，而且一直停留在他的臉上。
弗洛倫斯和伊迪絲坐在小保羅死去的那間偏僻的房間裏的壁爐前，長時間地交談。戴奧吉尼斯也跟她們在一起；它最初反對伊迪絲進去，後來雖然尊重他女主人的願望，但也還是在表示抗議的吠叫之下才勉強同意的。可是它怒氣衝衝地跑到接待室中去休息之後不久，就悄悄地爬了出來，好像它已明白：雖然它用心很好，但卻犯了一個錯誤，這是那些受過最好訓練的狗有時也難免會犯的錯誤。爲了友好地表示歉意，它就直挺挺地坐在她們兩人中間、壁爐前面一個很熱的地方，伸出舌頭，露出一副傻里傻氣的嘴臉，對着爐火，喘着氣，並聽着她們談話。
談話最初涉及弗洛倫斯的書本和她所喜愛研究的問題，也談到結婚那天以來她是怎麼消磨掉這段時間的。這最後的話題引起她談到一個藏在她內心的問題。她涌出眼淚，說道：”啊，媽媽！從那天以來我一直沉陷在極大的悲痛之中。”
“你--極大的悲痛，弗洛倫斯！”
“是的，可憐的沃爾特淹死了。”
弗洛倫斯兩隻手捂着臉，盡情地痛哭着。沃爾特的命運曾使她暗暗地流過許多眼淚，可是每當想到他或談到他的時候，淚水卻仍然汪汪地涌出。
“不過請告訴我，親愛的，”伊迪絲安慰着她，說道，”沃爾特是誰？他是你的什麼人？”
“他是我的哥哥，媽媽。親愛的保羅死了以後，我們相互約定，結爲兄妹。我認識他很久了。他認識保羅，保羅非常喜歡他；保羅臨終的時候還說，‘請關懷沃爾特吧，親愛的爸爸！我喜歡他！’當時爸爸曾經派人把沃爾特領進來看他，就在這裏--在這個房間裏。”
“他真的關懷沃爾特了嗎？”伊迪絲嚴厲地問道。
“你是說爸爸嗎？他派他到國外去。他在航行中由於船失事而淹死了。”
“你知道他死了嗎？”伊迪絲問道。
“我不知道，媽媽，我沒法子知道。親愛的媽媽！”弗洛倫斯哭道，一邊緊貼着她，好像哀求她幫助似的，同時把臉掩藏在她胸前，”我知道，你已經看到--”
“等一等！別說，弗洛倫斯！”伊迪絲臉色變得十分蒼白，話又說得十分懇切，所以弗洛倫斯不待她用手捂住她的嘴巴，就沒有再說下去了，”首先告訴我沃爾特的一切情形；讓我從頭到尾瞭解這全部歷史。”