狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第33章Part 7

'Restored!' cried the gentleman, quickly. 'How can that be hoped for? In whose hands does the power of any restoration lie? It is no mistake of mine, surely, to suppose that his having gained the priceless blessing of his life, is one cause of the animosity shown to him by his brother.'
'You touch upon a subject that is never breathed between us; not even between us,' said Harriet.
'I beg your forgiveness,' said the visitor. 'I should have known it. I entreat you to forget that I have done so, inadvertently. And now, as I dare urge no more - as I am not sure that I have a right to do so - though Heaven knows, even that doubt may be habit,' said the gentleman, rubbing his head, as despondently as before, 'let me; though a stranger, yet no stranger; ask two favours.'
'What are they?' she inquired.
'The first, that if you should see cause to change your resolution, you will suffer me to be as your right hand. My name shall then be at your service; it is useless now, and always insignificant.'
'Our choice of friends,' she answered, smiling faintly, 'is not so great, that I need any time for consideration. I can promise that.'
'The second, that you will allow me sometimes, say every Monday morning, at nine o'clock - habit again - I must be businesslike,' said the gentleman, with a whimsical inclination to quarrel with himself on that head, 'in walking past, to see you at the door or window. I don't ask to come in, as your brother will be gone out at that hour. I don't ask to speak to you. I merely ask to see, for the satisfaction of my own mind, that you are well, and without intrusion to remind you, by the sight of me, that you have a friend - an elderly friend, grey-haired already, and fast growing greyer - whom you may ever command.'
The cordial face looked up in his; confided in it; and promised.
'I understand, as before,' said the gentleman, rising, 'that you purpose not to mention my visit to John Carker, lest he should be at all distressed by my acquaintance with his history. I am glad of it, for it is out of the ordinary course of things, and - habit again!' said the gentleman, checking himself impatiently, 'as if there were no better course than the ordinary course!'
With that he turned to go, and walking, bareheaded, to the outside of the little porch, took leave of her with such a happy mixture of unconstrained respect and unaffected interest, as no breeding could have taught, no truth mistrusted, and nothing but a pure and single heart expressed.
Many half-forgotten emotions were awakened in the sister's mind by this visit. It was so very long since any other visitor had crossed their threshold; it was so very long since any voice of apathy had made sad music in her ears; that the stranger's figure remained present to her, hours afterwards, when she sat at the window, plying her needle; and his words seemed newly spoken, again and again. He had touched the spring that opened her whole life; and if she lost him for a short space, it was only among the many shapes of the one great recollection of which that life was made.

“恢復！”那位先生很快地喊道，”怎麼能希望發生這樣的事情？恢復的權力掌握在誰的手裏？我想，他得到了他生活中無價的幸福，這是他弟弟對他顯示敵意的一個原因。我的這個想法一定沒有錯。”
“您提到了一個我們兩人從來不談的問題，甚至在我們兩人之間也是從來不談的，”哈里特說道。
“我請您原諒，”來訪的客人說道，”我應當知道這點纔好。我請求您忘掉我由於疏忽而提到它了。現在，我不敢再勸您一定接受我的建議--因爲我不太清楚，我是不是有權利這樣做--雖然天知道，甚至這種懷疑也是一種習慣，”那位先生又像剛纔一樣失望地擦着前額，說道，”我對您來說是一位陌生人，但同時也不算是個陌生人，請允許我請求您答應我的兩點請求。”
“是什麼？”她問道。
“第一點，如果您認爲有理由改變您的決心，那麼請允許我成爲您的左右手，那時候我將把我的姓名告訴您，聽隨您呼喚。現在告訴您沒有用，而且我的姓名是微不足道的。”
“我們選擇朋友，並不是鄭重得了不得，需要我花時間考慮一番才行。”她微微露出笑容，回答道，”我可以答應這一點。”
“第二點，請您允許我有時，就說每星期一早上九點鐘吧--又是習慣--我一定是個循規蹈矩的人了，”那位先生說道，他奇怪地喜愛在這方面責怪自己，”請允許我走過這裏，看到您在門口或窗口。我並不請求進來，因爲那時您弟弟不在家。我並不請求跟您談話。我只是爲使伐自己安心，請讓我看到您身體健康，同時毫不強迫地提醒您，您有一位朋友--一位年紀很大的朋友，他的頭髮已經斑白，很快就會變得更白--您隨時可以囑咐他爲您效勞。”
那張懇摯的臉孔擡起來，信任地望着他的臉孔。她答應了他的請求。
“像先前一樣，我知道，”那位先生站起身來，說道，”您不準備把我的訪問告訴約翰?卡克，以免他因爲我知道他的歷史而苦惱。我對這感到很高興，因爲這越出了事物通常的軌道和--習慣，又是習慣！”那位先生不耐煩地中斷了自己的話，說道，”彷彿除了通常的軌道之外，就沒有更好的軌道似的！”
他一邊說着這些話，一邊轉過身子，手裏拿着帽子，走到那條小門廊的外面，無限尊敬和真誠關切地向她告辭；這種尊敬和關切不是任何教養所能教出來，而只有純潔與誠實的心才能表露出來的；它們的真實性是不會引起任何懷疑的。
這次訪問在這位姐姐的心中喚醒了幾乎已被忘卻了的許多情感。很久沒有客人跨進他們家的門檻，很久沒有同情的像悲哀的音樂一樣在她耳邊鳴響，所以在這以後的好幾個鐘頭中，當她坐在窗口一針一針在辛勤縫着的時候，這位陌生人的形象一直出現在她的眼前；他的話似乎一次又一次地重新說給她聽。他已經觸動了打開她整個生活的那根心絃；如果說她在一個短時間內忘掉了他，那麼那是因爲與一個偉大的回憶有關的許多思想把它暫時遮蔽了，整個生命就是從這個偉大的回憶所產生的。