狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第19章Part 08

Had Florence any misgiving of which she was hardly conscious: any misgiving that had sprung into an indistinct and undefined existence since that recent night when she had gone down to her father's room: that Walter's accidental interest in her, and early knowledge of her, might have involved him in that powerful displeasure and dislike? Had Walter any such idea, or any sudden thought that it was in her mind at that moment? Neither of them hinted at it. Neither of them spoke at all, for some short time. Susan, walking on the other side of Walter, eyed them both sharply; and certainly Miss Nipper's thoughts travelled in that direction, and very confidently too.
'You may come back very soon,' said Florence, 'perhaps, Walter.'
'I may come back,' said Walter, 'an old man, and find you an old lady. But I hope for better things.'
'Papa,' said Florence, after a moment, 'will - will recover from his grief, and - speak more freely to me one day, perhaps; and if he should, I will tell him how much I wish to see you back again, and ask him to recall you for my sake.'
There was a touching modulation in these words about her father, that Walter understood too well.
The coach being close at hand, he would have left her without speaking, for now he felt what parting was; but Florence held his hand when she was seated, and then he found there was a little packet in her own.
'Walter,' she said, looking full upon him with her affectionate eyes, 'like you, I hope for better things. I will pray for them, and believe that they will arrive. I made this little gift for Paul. Pray take it with my love, and do not look at it until you are gone away. And now, God bless you, Walter! never forget me. You are my brother, dear!'
He was glad that Susan Nipper came between them, or he might have left her with a sorrowful remembrance of him. He was glad too that she did not look out of the coach again, but waved the little hand to him instead, as long as he could see it.
In spite of her request, he could not help opening the packet that night when he went to bed. It was a little purse: and there was was money in it.
Bright rose the sun next morning, from his absence in strange countries and up rose Walter with it to receive the Captain, who was already at the door: having turned out earlier than was necessary, in order to get under weigh while Mrs MacStinger was still slumbering. The Captain pretended to be in tip-top spirits, and brought a very smoky tongue in one of the pockets of the of the broad blue coat for breakfast.

在弗洛倫斯心上是不是有着她還不怎麼意識到的憂慮，是不是自從最近那天夜間她走到樓下她父親房間去以後她心中產生出一種模糊不清和不可名狀的憂慮：沃爾特由於偶然的原因對她產生興趣以及過早地認識她，這會引起她父親對他強烈的不快和討厭？在沃爾特心中是不是也有這樣的想法，或者突然想到在這個時刻她的心中也正在這麼想？在短短的一段時間中，他們兩人誰也沒有說話。走在沃爾特另一邊的蘇珊敏銳地注視着他們兩人；尼珀姑娘的思想肯定也朝着那個方向轉悠，並且十分相信自己的看法是正確的。
“您可能很快就會回來的，”弗洛倫斯說道，“也許會這樣的，沃爾特。”
“我可能回來時已成了個老頭子了，”沃爾特說道，“並且看到您已成了個老太太了。不過我往好裏希望。”
“爸爸，”弗洛倫斯沉默了片刻之後說，“也許會——會從悲痛中恢復過來，有一天會——更無拘無束地跟我說話；如果那樣的話，那麼我將告訴他，我是多麼希望看到您重新回來，並請求他爲了我的緣故把您調回來。”
她談到她父親的這些話聲調壓抑，缺乏信心，令人感動，沃爾特聽得很明白。
馬車就在近旁，他本來會默默無言地跟她分手的，因爲他這時真正感覺到離別的滋味了；可是弗洛倫斯坐下以後握住他的手，這時他覺得她手中有一個小包包。
“沃爾特，”她用感情深厚的眼光望着他的臉，說道，“我像您一樣，也希望有美好的將來。我將祈求它，相信它會來臨。我爲保羅準備了這個小小的禮物，請隨同我的愛把它拿走吧，在您離別之前別去看它。願上帝保佑您，沃爾特！千萬別忘記我。您是我的哥哥呀，親愛的！”
他感到高興的是，蘇珊·尼珀這時走到他們中間，要不然他就會給她留下一個關於他的悲傷的回憶了。他又感到高興的是，她沒有再從馬車裏往外望，而是向他揮着小手，一直到他望不見爲止。
他在當天夜裏睡覺之前，不顧她的請求，還是忍不住把那小包包打開了。這是個小小的錢包，裏面裝着錢。
第二天早晨，太陽從異國他鄉返回，光輝燦爛地升起，沃爾特也隨同它一道起來，去迎接早已在門口的船長。船長本不需要這麼早就起牀，但他是爲了在麥克斯廷傑太太還在睡覺的時候就上路才這麼做的；他假裝情緒高昂，在他寬大的藍色外衣的一個口袋中帶來一條薰得很黑的舌頭作爲早餐。