狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第30章Part 2

'Very soon now, Florence: very soon.'
Edith bent her head a little, so as to press the blooming cheek of Florence against her own, and for some few moments remained thus silent. There was something so very tender in her manner, that Florence was even more sensible of it than on the first occasion of their meeting.
She led Florence to a chair beside her, and sat down: Florence looking in her face, quite wondering at its beauty, and willingly leaving her hand In hers.
'Have you been alone, Florence, since I was here last?'
'Oh yes!' smiled Florence, hastily.
She hesitated and cast down her eyes; for her new Mama was very earnest in her look, and the look was intently and thoughtfully fixed upon her face.
'I - I- am used to be alone,' said Florence. 'I don't mind it at all. Di and I pass whole days together, sometimes.' Florence might have said, whole weeks and months.
'Is Di your maid, love?'
'My dog, Mama,' said Florence, laughing. 'Susan is my maid.'
'And these are your rooms,' said Edith, looking round. 'I was not shown these rooms the other day. We must have them improved, Florence. They shall be made the prettiest in the house.'
'If I might change them, Mama,' returned Florence; 'there is one upstairs I should like much better.'
'Is this not high enough, dear girl?' asked Edith, smiling.
'The other was my brother's room,' said Florence, 'and I am very fond of it. I would have spoken to Papa about it when I came home, and found the workmen here, and everything changing; but - '
Florence dropped her eyes, lest the same look should make her falter again.
'but I was afraid it might distress him; and as you said you would be here again soon, Mama, and are the mistress of everything, I determined to take courage and ask you.'
Edith sat looking at her, with her brilliant eyes intent upon her face, until Florence raising her own, she, in her turn, withdrew her gaze, and turned it on the ground. It was then that Florence thought how different this lady's beauty was, from what she had supposed. She had thought it of a proud and lofty kind; yet her manner was so subdued and gentle, that if she had been of Florence's own age and character, it scarcely could have invited confidence more.
Except when a constrained and singular reserve crept over her; and then she seemed (but Florence hardly understood this, though she could not choose but notice it, and think about it) as if she were humbled before Florence, and ill at ease. When she had said that she was not her Mama yet, and when Florence had called her the mistress of everything there, this change in her was quick and startling; and now, while the eyes of Florence rested on her face, she sat as though she would have shrunk and hidden from her, rather than as one about to love and cherish her, in right of such a near connexion.

"現在很快了，弗洛倫斯，很快了。"
伊迪絲把頭稍微低下一些，以便把她的臉頰緊貼着弗洛倫斯鮮嫩美麗的臉頰上；她們這樣沉默地保持了幾秒鐘。她的態度中包含着極爲親切的感情，弗洛倫斯甚至比她們第一次見面時更深切地感覺到它。
她把弗洛倫斯領到身旁的一張椅子那裏，坐下來；弗洛倫斯看着她的臉孔，對它的美麗感到十分驚奇，並樂意地把手放在她的手裏。
"自從我上次到這裏來以後，你一直是一個人嗎，弗洛倫斯？"
"是的！"弗洛倫斯微笑着急忙回答道。
她遲疑着，低垂下眼睛，因爲她的新媽媽的眼光十分懇切，那眼光在聚精會神地、若有所思地注視着她的臉孔。
"我--我--一個人已經習慣了，"弗洛倫斯說道，"我根本不在乎。有時就是戴和我兩個在一起度過整整幾天。"弗洛倫斯本來可以說整整幾個星期和整整幾個月的。
"戴是你的侍女嗎，親愛的？"
"是我的狗，媽媽，"弗洛倫斯大笑着說道，"我的侍女是蘇珊。"
"這些就是你的房間吧？"伊迪絲向四周看看，說道，"那天沒領我來看這些房間。我們一定把它們修繕得更好，弗洛倫斯。它們應當成爲這座房屋中最漂亮的房間。"
"如果我可以掉換它們的話，媽媽，"弗洛倫斯回答道，"那麼我更喜歡樓上的一間。"
"難道這裏還不夠高嗎，親愛的孩子？"伊迪絲微笑着問道。
"那裏是我的弟弟的房間，"弗洛倫斯說道，"我很喜歡它。我回家的時候，發現工人們在這裏，什麼都在改變着，我本想把我的這個意見跟爸爸說的，可是--"
弗洛倫斯低下眼睛，只怕那同樣的眼光又會使她結巴起來。
"--可是我擔心那會使他痛苦，而且，媽媽，你又說過你很快就要回來的，並且將是這裏支配一切的女主人，所以我就決定鼓起勇氣向你請求。"
伊迪絲坐在那裏看着她，發亮的眼睛一直在注視着她的臉孔，直到弗洛倫斯擡起眼睛的時候，這才輪到她把眼光收回去，改看着地面。就在這時候，弗洛倫斯想到這位夫人的美麗和她初次見面時所想的是多麼不同。她曾經以爲她是高傲的、難以接近的，可是她現在的態度是這麼和藹、溫柔，即使她的年齡和性格與弗洛倫斯一模一樣，她也未必能比現在取得更大的信任。
但當一種勉強和奇怪地剋制自己的沉着的神色悄悄籠罩着她的時候，情況就不同了。這時候，彷彿在弗洛倫斯面前，她看上去感到自己卑賤和很不自在似的（不過弗洛倫斯對這很不理解，雖然不能不注意到它和想到它）。當她剛纔說她現在還不是媽媽的時候，當弗洛倫斯稱她是這裏支配一切的女主人的時候，她身上的這種變化是迅速的和令人驚異的；現在，當弗洛倫斯的眼睛凝視着她的臉孔的時候，她坐在那裏，好像恨不得把身子收縮起來，隱藏起來，不讓弗洛倫斯看見似的，而不像是個根據這種近親的權利，將要喜愛她和撫育她的人。