狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》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.

"现在很快了，弗洛伦斯，很快了。"
伊迪丝把头稍微低下一些，以便把她的脸颊紧贴着弗洛伦斯鲜嫩美丽的脸颊上；她们这样沉默地保持了几秒钟。她的态度中包含着极为亲切的感情，弗洛伦斯甚至比她们第一次见面时更深切地感觉到它。
她把弗洛伦斯领到身旁的一张椅子那里，坐下来；弗洛伦斯看着她的脸孔，对它的美丽感到十分惊奇，并乐意地把手放在她的手里。
"自从我上次到这里来以后，你一直是一个人吗，弗洛伦斯？"
"是的！"弗洛伦斯微笑着急忙回答道。
她迟疑着，低垂下眼睛，因为她的新妈妈的眼光十分恳切，那眼光在聚精会神地、若有所思地注视着她的脸孔。
"我--我--一个人已经习惯了，"弗洛伦斯说道，"我根本不在乎。有时就是戴和我两个在一起度过整整几天。"弗洛伦斯本来可以说整整几个星期和整整几个月的。
"戴是你的侍女吗，亲爱的？"
"是我的狗，妈妈，"弗洛伦斯大笑着说道，"我的侍女是苏珊。"
"这些就是你的房间吧？"伊迪丝向四周看看，说道，"那天没领我来看这些房间。我们一定把它们修缮得更好，弗洛伦斯。它们应当成为这座房屋中最漂亮的房间。"
"如果我可以掉换它们的话，妈妈，"弗洛伦斯回答道，"那么我更喜欢楼上的一间。"
"难道这里还不够高吗，亲爱的孩子？"伊迪丝微笑着问道。
"那里是我的弟弟的房间，"弗洛伦斯说道，"我很喜欢它。我回家的时候，发现工人们在这里，什么都在改变着，我本想把我的这个意见跟爸爸说的，可是--"
弗洛伦斯低下眼睛，只怕那同样的眼光又会使她结巴起来。
"--可是我担心那会使他痛苦，而且，妈妈，你又说过你很快就要回来的，并且将是这里支配一切的女主人，所以我就决定鼓起勇气向你请求。"
伊迪丝坐在那里看着她，发亮的眼睛一直在注视着她的脸孔，直到弗洛伦斯抬起眼睛的时候，这才轮到她把眼光收回去，改看着地面。就在这时候，弗洛伦斯想到这位夫人的美丽和她初次见面时所想的是多么不同。她曾经以为她是高傲的、难以接近的，可是她现在的态度是这么和蔼、温柔，即使她的年龄和性格与弗洛伦斯一模一样，她也未必能比现在取得更大的信任。
但当一种勉强和奇怪地克制自己的沉着的神色悄悄笼罩着她的时候，情况就不同了。这时候，仿佛在弗洛伦斯面前，她看上去感到自己卑贱和很不自在似的（不过弗洛伦斯对这很不理解，虽然不能不注意到它和想到它）。当她刚才说她现在还不是妈妈的时候，当弗洛伦斯称她是这里支配一切的女主人的时候，她身上的这种变化是迅速的和令人惊异的；现在，当弗洛伦斯的眼睛凝视着她的脸孔的时候，她坐在那里，好像恨不得把身子收缩起来，隐藏起来，不让弗洛伦斯看见似的，而不像是个根据这种近亲的权利，将要喜爱她和抚育她的人。