狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》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.'

“我很早就离开这里，”伊迪丝继续说道，”我想在楼上坐着，跟你谈话。可是我到了你的房间里，发现我的小鸟飞走啦，我就一直坐在那里等待着，盼望小鸟飞回来。”
如果这真是一只小鸟的话，那么她也不能比她现在对弗洛伦斯那样更亲切、更温柔地把它搂在她胸前了。
“走吧，亲爱的！”
“爸爸醒来的时候发现我走了，不会觉得奇怪吧？”弗洛伦斯迟疑地说道。
“你想他会吗，弗洛伦斯？”伊迪丝注视着她的脸孔，说道。
弗洛伦斯低下头，站起来，拿起针线篮子。伊迪丝挽着她的手，她们像姐妹俩似地走出了房间。她的每一个步伐对他来说，都是与往常不同的，是他所不熟悉的。当董贝先生目送她到门口时，他这样想。
那天夜晚，他在他那阴暗的角落里坐了很久，直到教堂里的时钟敲打了三下，他才开始走动。他的眼睛一直继续注视着弗洛伦斯坐过的地方。当蜡烛逐渐燃尽和熄灭的时候，房间里更加黑暗了；可是在他的脸上凝集着一层阴影，比任何深夜投下的阴影都更黑暗，而且一直停留在他的脸上。
弗洛伦斯和伊迪丝坐在小保罗死去的那间偏僻的房间里的壁炉前，长时间地交谈。戴奥吉尼斯也跟她们在一起；它最初反对伊迪丝进去，后来虽然尊重他女主人的愿望，但也还是在表示抗议的吠叫之下才勉强同意的。可是它怒气冲冲地跑到接待室中去休息之后不久，就悄悄地爬了出来，好像它已明白：虽然它用心很好，但却犯了一个错误，这是那些受过最好训练的狗有时也难免会犯的错误。为了友好地表示歉意，它就直挺挺地坐在她们两人中间、壁炉前面一个很热的地方，伸出舌头，露出一副傻里傻气的嘴脸，对着炉火，喘着气，并听着她们谈话。
谈话最初涉及弗洛伦斯的书本和她所喜爱研究的问题，也谈到结婚那天以来她是怎么消磨掉这段时间的。这最后的话题引起她谈到一个藏在她内心的问题。她涌出眼泪，说道：”啊，妈妈！从那天以来我一直沉陷在极大的悲痛之中。”
“你--极大的悲痛，弗洛伦斯！”
“是的，可怜的沃尔特淹死了。”
弗洛伦斯两只手捂着脸，尽情地痛哭着。沃尔特的命运曾使她暗暗地流过许多眼泪，可是每当想到他或谈到他的时候，泪水却仍然汪汪地涌出。
“不过请告诉我，亲爱的，”伊迪丝安慰着她，说道，”沃尔特是谁？他是你的什么人？”
“他是我的哥哥，妈妈。亲爱的保罗死了以后，我们相互约定，结为兄妹。我认识他很久了。他认识保罗，保罗非常喜欢他；保罗临终的时候还说，‘请关怀沃尔特吧，亲爱的爸爸！我喜欢他！’当时爸爸曾经派人把沃尔特领进来看他，就在这里--在这个房间里。”
“他真的关怀沃尔特了吗？”伊迪丝严厉地问道。
“你是说爸爸吗？他派他到国外去。他在航行中由于船失事而淹死了。”
“你知道他死了吗？”伊迪丝问道。
“我不知道，妈妈，我没法子知道。亲爱的妈妈！”弗洛伦斯哭道，一边紧贴着她，好像哀求她帮助似的，同时把脸掩藏在她胸前，”我知道，你已经看到--”
“等一等！别说，弗洛伦斯！”伊迪丝脸色变得十分苍白，话又说得十分恳切，所以弗洛伦斯不待她用手捂住她的嘴巴，就没有再说下去了，”首先告诉我沃尔特的一切情形；让我从头到尾了解这全部历史。”