bleak house(凄凉的房子)-第42章
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if she says I didn’t; she’s a Lie!”
He had pulled his pipe out of his mouth to say all this; and he
now turned over on his other side; and smoked again。 Mrs
Pardiggle; who had been regarding him through her spectacles
with a forcible composure; calculated; I could not help thinking; to
increase his antagonism; pulled out a good book; as it were a
constable’s staff; and took the whole family into custody。 I mean
into religious custody; of course; but she really did it; as if she were
an inexorable moral Policeman carrying them all off to a station…
house。
Ada and I were very uncomfortable。 We both felt intrusive and
out of place; and we both thought that Mrs Pardiggle would have
got on infinitely better; if she had not had such a mechanical way
of taking possession of people。 The children sulked and stared; the
family took no notice of us whatever; except when the young man
made the dog bark: which he usually did when Mrs Pardiggle was
most emphatic。 We both felt painfully sensible that between us
and these people there was an iron barrier; which could not be
removed by our new friend。 By whom; or how; it could be
removed; we did not know; but we knew that。 Even what she read
and said; seemed to us to be ill chosen for such auditors; if it had
been imparted ever so modestly and with ever so much tact。 As to
the little book to which the man on the floor had referred; we
acquired a knowledge of it afterwards; and Mr Jarndyce said he
doubted if Robinson Crusoe could have read it; though he had had
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no other on his desolate island。
We were much relieved; under these circumstances; when Mrs
Pardiggle left off。 The man on the floor then turning his head
round again; said morosely;—
“Well! You’ve done; have you?”
“For today; I have; my friend。 But I am never fatigued。 I shall
come to you again; in your regular order;” returned Mrs Pardiggle
with demonstrative cheerfulness。
“So long as you goes now;” said he; folding his arms and
shutting his eyes with an oath; “you may do wot you like!”
Mrs Pardiggle accordingly rose; and made a little vortex in the
confined room from which the pipe itself very narrowly escaped。
Taking one of her young family in each hand; and telling the
others to follow closely; and expressing her hope that the
brickmaker and all his house would be improved when she saw
them next; she then proceeded to another cottage。 I hope it is not
unkind in me to say that she certainly did make; in this; as in
everything else; a show that was not conciliatory; of doing charity
by wholesale; and of dealing in it to a large extent。
She supposed that we were following her; but as soon as the
space was left clear; we approached the woman sitting by the fire;
to ask if the baby were ill。
She only looked at it as it lay on her lap。 We had observed
before; that when she looked at it she covered her discoloured eye
with her hand; as though she wished to separate any association
with noise and violence and ill…treatment; from the poor little
child。
Ada; whose gentle heart was moved by its appearance; bent
down to touch its little face。 As she did so; I saw what happened
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and drew her back。 The child died。
“O Esther!” cried Ada; sinking on her knees beside it。 “Look
here! O Esther; my love; the little thing! The suffering; quiet;
pretty little thing! I am so sorry for it。 I am so sorry for the mother。
I never saw a sight so pitiful as this before! O baby; baby!”
Such compassion; such gentleness; as that with which she bent
down weeping; and put her hand upon the mother’s; might have
softened any mother’s heart that ever beat。 The woman at first
gazed at her in astonishment; and then burst into tears。
Presently I took the light burden from her lap; did what I could
to make the baby’s rest the prettier and gentler; laid it on a shelf;
and covered it with my own handkerchief。 We tried to comfort the
mother; and we whispered to her what our Saviour said of
children。 She answered nothing; but sat weeping—weeping very
much。
When I turned; I found that the young man had taken out the
dog; and was standing at the door looking in upon us; with dry
eyes; but quiet。 The girl was quiet too; and sat in a corner looking
on the ground。 The man had risen。 He still smoked his pipe with
an air of defiance; but he was silent。
An ugly woman; very poorly clothed; hurried in while I was
glancing at them; and coming straight up to the mother; said;
“Jenny! Jenny!” The mother rose on being so addressed; and fell
upon the woman’s neck。
She also had upon her face and arms the marks of ill…usage。 She
had no kind of grace about her; but the grace of sympathy; but
when she condoled with the woman; and her own tears fell; she
wanted no beauty。 I say condoled; but her only words were;
“Jenny! Jenny!” All the rest was in the tone in which she said
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them。
I thought it very touching to see these two women; coarse and
shabby and beaten; so united; to see what they could be to one
another; to see how they felt for one another; how the heart of
each to each was softened by the hard trials of their lives。 I think
the best side of such people is almost hidden from us。 What the
poor are to the poor is little known; excepting to themselves and
God。
We felt it better to withdraw and leave them uninterrupted。 We
stole out quietly; and without notice from any one except the man。
He was leaning against the wall near the door; and finding that
there was scarcely room for us to pass; went out before us。 He
seemed to want to hide that he did this on our account; but we
perceived that he did; and thanked him。 He made no answer。
Ada was so full of grief of all the way home; and Richard; whom
we found at home; was so distressed to see her in tears (though he
said to me when she was not present; how beautiful it was too!)
that we arranged to return at night with some little comforts; and
repeat our visit at the brickmaker’s house。 We said as little as we
could to Mr Jarndyce; but the wind changed directly。
Richard accompanied us at night to the scene of our morning
expedition。 On our way there; we had to pass a noisy drinking…
house; where a number of men were flocking about the door。
Among them; and promi