containing the sequel of the midshipman's disaster

major bagstock, after long and frequent observation of paul, across princess's place, through his double-barrelled opera-glass; and after receiving many minute reports, daily, weekly, and monthly, on that subject, from the native who kept himself in constant communication with miss tox's maid for that purpose; came to the conclusion that dombey, sir, was a man to be known, and that j. b. was the boy to make his acquaintance.

miss tox, however, maintaining her reserved behaviour, and frigidly declining to understand the major whenever he called (which he often did) on any little fishing excursion connected with this project, the major, in spite of his constitutional toughness and slyness, was fain to leave the accomplishment of his desire in some measure to chance, 'which,' as he was used to observe with chuckles at his club, 'has been fifty to one in favour of joey b., sir, ever since his elder brother died of yellow jack in the west indies.'

it was some time coming to his aid in the present instance, but it befriended him at last. when the dark servant, with full particulars, reported miss tox absent on brighton service, the major was suddenly touched with affectionate reminiscences of his friend bill bitherstone of bengal, who had written to ask him, if he ever went that way, to bestow a call upon his only son. but when the same dark servant reported paul at mrs pipchin's, and the major, referring to the letter favoured by master bitherstone on his arrival in england - to which he had never had the least idea of paying any attention - saw the opening that presented itself, he was made so rabid by the gout, with which he happened to be then laid up, that he threw a footstool at the dark servant in return for his intelligence, and swore he would be the death of the rascal before he had done with him: which the dark servant was more than half disposed to believe.

at length the major being released from his fit, went one saturday growling down to brighton, with the native behind him; apostrophizing miss tox all the way, and gloating over the prospect of carrying by storm the distinguished friend to whom she attached so much mystery, and for whom she had deserted him,

'would you, ma'am, would you!' said the major, straining with vindictiveness, and swelling every already swollen vein in his head. 'would you give joey b. the go-by, ma'am? not yet, ma'am, not yet! damme, not yet, sir. joe is awake, ma'am. bagstock is alive, sir. j. b. knows a move or two, ma'am. josh has his weather-eye open, sir. you'll find him tough, ma'am. tough, sir, tough is joseph. tough, and de-vilish sly!'

and very tough indeed master bitherstone found him, when he took that young gentleman out for a walk. but the major, with his complexion like a stilton cheese, and his eyes like a prawn's, went roving about, perfectly indifferent to master bitherstone's amusement, and dragging master bitherstone along, while he looked about him high and low, for mr dombey and his children.

in good time the major, previously instructed by mrs pipchin, spied out paul and florence, and bore down upon them; there being a stately gentleman (mr dombey, doubtless) in their company. charging with master bitherstone into the very heart of the little squadron, it fell out, of course, that master bitherstone spoke to his fellow-sufferers. upon that the major stopped to notice and admire them; remembered with amazement that he had seen and spoken to them at his friend miss tox's in princess's place; opined that paul was a devilish fine fellow, and his own little friend; inquired if he remembered joey b. the major; and finally, with a sudden recollection of the conventionalities of life, turned and apologised to mr dombey.

'but my little friend here, sir,' said the major, 'makes a boy of me again: an old soldier, sir - major bagstock, at your service - is not ashamed to confess it.' here the major lifted his hat. 'damme, sir,' cried the major with sudden warmth, 'i envy you.' then he recollected himself, and added, 'excuse my freedom.'

mr dombey begged he wouldn't mention it.

'an old campaigner, sir,' said the major, 'a smoke-dried, sun-burnt, used-up, invalided old dog of a major, sir, was not afraid of being condemned for his whim by a man like mr dombey. i have the honour of addressing mr dombey, i believe?'

'i am the present unworthy representative of that name, major,' returned mr dombey.

'by g-, sir!' said the major, 'it's a great name. it's a name, sir,' said the major firmly, as if he defied mr dombey to contradict him, and would feel it his painful duty to bully him if he did, 'that is known and honoured in the british possessions abroad. it is a name, sir, that a man is proud to recognise. there is nothing adulatory in joseph bagstock, sir. his royal highness the duke of york observed on more than one occasion, "there is no adulation in joey. he is a plain old soldier is joe. he is tough to a fault is joseph:" but it's a great name, sir. by the lord, it's a great name!' said the major, solemnly.

'you are good enough to rate it higher than it deserves, perhaps, major,' returned mr dombey.

'no, sir,' said the major, in a severe tone. no, mr dombey, let us understand each other. that is not the bagstock vein, sir. you don't know joseph b. he is a blunt old blade is josh. no flattery in him, sir. nothing like it.'

mr dombey inclined his head, and said he believed him to be in earnest, and that his high opinion was gratifying.

'my little friend here, sir,' croaked the major, looking as amiably as he could, on paul, 'will certify for joseph bagstock that he is a thorough-going, down-right, plain-spoken, old trump, sir, and nothing more. that boy, sir,' said the major in a lower tone, 'will live in history. that boy, sir, is not a common production. take care of him, mr dombey.'

mr dombey seemed to intimate that he would endeavour to do so.

'here is a boy here, sir,' pursued the major, confidentially, and giving him a thrust with his cane. 'son of bitherstone of bengal. bill bitherstone formerly of ours. that boy's father and myself, sir, were sworn friends. wherever you went, sir, you heard of nothing but bill bitherstone and joe bagstock. am i blind to that boy's defects? by no means. he's a fool, sir.'

mr dombey glanced at the libelled master bitherstone, of whom he knew at least as much as the major did, and said, in quite a complacent manner, 'really?'

'that is what he is, sir,' said the major. 'he's a fool. joe bagstock never minces matters. the son of my old friend bill bitherstone, of bengal, is a born fool, sir.' here the major laughed till he was almost black. 'my little friend is destined for a public school,' i' presume, mr dombey?' said the major when he had recovered.

'i am not quite decided,' returned mr dombey. 'i think not. he is delicate.'

'if he's delicate, sir,' said the major, 'you are right. none but the tough fellows could live through it, sir, at sandhurst. we put each other to the torture there, sir. we roasted the new fellows at a slow fire, and hung 'em out of a three pair of stairs window, with their heads downwards. joseph bagstock, sir, was held out of the window by the heels of his boots, for thirteen minutes by the college clock'

the major might have appealed to his countenance in corroboration of this story. it certainly looked as if he had hung out a little too long.

'but it made us what we were, sir,' said the major, settling his shirt frill. 'we were iron, sir, and it forged us. are you remaining here, mr dombey?'

'i generally come down once a week, major,' returned that gentleman. 'i stay at the bedford.'

'i shall have the honour of calling at the bedford, sir, if you'll permit me,' said the major. 'joey b., sir, is not in general a calling man, but mr dombey's is not a common name. i am much indebted to my little friend, sir, for the honour of this introduction.'

mr dombey made a very gracious reply; and major bagstock, having patted paul on the head, and said of florence that her eyes would play the devil with the youngsters before long - 'and the oldsters too, sir, if you come to that,' added the major, chuckling very much - stirred up master bitherstone with his walking-stick, and departed with that young gentleman, at a kind of half-trot; rolling his head and coughing with great dignity, as he staggered away, with his legs very wide asunder.

in fulfilment of his promise, the major afterwards called on mr dombey; and mr dombey, having referred to the army list, afterwards called on the major. then the major called at mr dombey's house in town; and came down again, in the same coach as mr dombey. in short, mr dombey and the major got on uncommonly well together, and uncommonly fast: and mr dombey observed of the major, to his sister, that besides being quite a military man he was really something more, as he had a very admirable idea of the importance of things unconnected with his own profession.

at length mr dombey, bringing down miss tox and mrs chick to see the children, and finding the major again at brighton, invited him to dinner at the bedford, and complimented miss tox highly, beforehand, on her neighbour and acquaintance.

'my dearest louisa,' said miss tox to mrs chick, when they were alone together, on the morning of the appointed day, 'if i should seem at all reserved to major bagstock, or under any constraint with him, promise me not to notice it.'

'my dear lucretia,' returned mrs chick, 'what mystery is involved in this remarkable request? i must insist upon knowing.'

'since you are resolved to extort a confession from me, louisa,' said miss tox instantly, 'i have no alternative but to confide to you that the major has been particular.'

'particular!' repeated mrs chick.

'the major has long been very particular indeed, my love, in his attentions,' said miss tox, 'occasionally they have been so very marked, that my position has been one of no common difficulty.'

'is he in good circumstances?' inquired mrs chick.

'i have every reason to believe, my dear - indeed i may say i know,' returned miss tox, 'that he is wealthy. he is truly military, and full of anecdote. i have been informed that his valour, when he was in active service, knew no bounds. i am told that he did all sorts of things in the peninsula, with every description of fire-arm; and in the east and west indies, my love, i really couldn't undertake to say what he did not do.'

'very creditable to him indeed,' said mrs chick, 'extremely so; and you have given him no encouragement, my dear?'

'if i were to say, louisa,' replied miss tox, with every demonstration of making an effort that rent her soul, 'that i never encouraged major bagstock slightly, i should not do justice to the friendship which exists between you and me. it is, perhaps, hardly in the nature of woman to receive such attentions as the major once lavished upon myself without betraying some sense of obligation. but that is past - long past. between the major and me there is now a yawning chasm, and i will not feign to give encouragement, louisa, where i cannot give my heart. my affections,' said miss tox - 'but, louisa, this is madness!' and departed from the room.

all this mrs chick communicated to her brother before dinner: and it by no means indisposed mr dombey to receive the major with unwonted cordiality. the major, for his part, was in a state of plethoric satisfaction that knew no bounds: and he coughed, and choked, and chuckled, and gasped, and swelled, until the waiters seemed positively afraid of him.

'your family monopolises joe's light, sir,' said the major, when he had saluted miss tox. 'joe lives in darkness. princess's place is changed into kamschatka in the winter time. there is no ray of sun, sir, for joey b., now.'

'miss tox is good enough to take a great deal of interest in paul, major,' returned mr dombey on behalf of that blushing virgin.

'damme sir,' said the major, 'i'm jealous of my little friend. i'm pining away sir. the bagstock breed is degenerating in the forsaken person of old joe.' and the major, becoming bluer and bluer and puffing his cheeks further and further over the stiff ridge of his tight cravat, stared at miss tox, until his eyes seemed as if he were at that moment being overdone before the slow fire at the military college.

notwithstanding the palpitation of the heart which these allusions occasioned her, they were anything but disagreeable to miss tox, as they enabled her to be extremely interesting, and to manifest an occasional incoherence and distraction which she was not at all unwilling to display. the major gave her abundant opportunities of exhibiting this emotion: being profuse in his complaints, at dinner, of her desertion of him and princess's place: and as he appeared to derive great enjoyment from making them, they all got on very well.

none the worse on account of the major taking charge of the whole conversation, and showing as great an appetite in that respect as in regard of the various dainties on the table, among which he may be almost said to have wallowed: greatly to the aggravation of his inflammatory tendencies. mr dombey's habitual silence and reserve yielding readily to this usurpation, the major felt that he was coming out and shining: and in the flow of spirits thus engendered, rang such an infinite number of new changes on his own name that he quite astonished himself. in a word, they were all very well pleased. the major was considered to possess an inexhaustible fund of conversation; and when he took a late farewell, after a long rubber, mr dombey again complimented the blushing miss tox on her neighbour and acquaintance.

but all the way home to his own hotel, the major incessantly said to himself, and of himself, 'sly, sir - sly, sir - de-vil-ish sly!' and when he got there, sat down in a chair, and fell into a silent fit of laughter, with which he was sometimes seized, and which was always particularly awful. it held him so long on this occasion that the dark servant, who stood watching him at a distance, but dared not for his life approach, twice or thrice gave him over for lost. his whole form, but especially his face and head, dilated beyond all former experience; and presented to the dark man's view, nothing but a heaving mass of indigo. at length he burst into a violent paroxysm of coughing, and when that was a little better burst into such ejaculations as the following:

'would you, ma'am, would you? mrs dombey, eh, ma'am? i think not, ma'am. not while joe b. can put a spoke in your wheel, ma'am. j. b.'s even with you now, ma'am. he isn't altogether bowled out, yet, sir, isn't bagstock. she's deep, sir, deep, but josh is deeper. wide awake is old joe - broad awake, and staring, sir!' there was no doubt of this last assertion being true, and to a very fearful extent; as it continued to be during the greater part of that night, which the major chiefly passed in similar exclamations, diversified with fits of coughing and choking that startled the whole house.

it was on the day after this occasion (being sunday) when, as mr dombey, mrs chick, and miss tox were sitting at breakfast, still eulogising the major, florence came running in: her face suffused with a bright colour, and her eyes sparkling joyfully: and cried,

'papa! papa! here's walter! and he won't come in.'

'who?' cried mr dombey. 'what does she mean? what is this?'

'walter, papa!' said florence timidly; sensible of having approached the presence with too much familiarity. 'who found me when i was lost.'

'does she mean young gay, louisa?' inquired mr dombey, knitting his brows. 'really, this child's manners have become very boisterous. she cannot mean young gay, i think. see what it is, will you?'

mrs chick hurried into the passage, and returned with the information that it was young gay, accompanied by a very strange-looking person; and that young gay said he would not take the liberty of coming in, hearing mr dombey was at breakfast, but would wait until mr dombey should signify that he might approach.

'tell the boy to come in now,' said mr dombey. 'now, gay, what is the matter? who sent you down here? was there nobody else to come?'

'i beg your pardon, sir,' returned walter. 'i have not been sent. i have been so bold as to come on my own account, which i hope you'll pardon when i mention the cause.

but mr dombey, without attending to what he said, was looking impatiently on either side of him (as if he were a pillar in his way) at some object behind.

'what's that?' said mr dombey. 'who is that? i think you have made some mistake in the door, sir.'

'oh, i'm very sorry to intrude with anyone, sir,' cried walter, hastily: 'but this is - this is captain cuttle, sir.'

'wal'r, my lad,' observed the captain in a deep voice: 'stand by!'

at the same time the captain, coming a little further in, brought out his wide suit of blue, his conspicuous shirt-collar, and his knobby nose in full relief, and stood bowing to mr dombey, and waving his hook politely to the ladies, with the hard glazed hat in his one hand, and a red equator round his head which it had newly imprinted there.

mr dombey regarded this phenomenon with amazement and indignation, and seemed by his looks to appeal to mrs chick and miss tox against it. little paul, who had come in after florence, backed towards miss tox as the captain waved his book, and stood on the defensive.

'now, gay,' said mr dombey. 'what have you got to say to me?'

again the captain observed, as a general opening of the conversation that could not fail to propitiate all parties, 'wal'r, standby!'

'i am afraid, sir,' began walter, trembling, and looking down at the ground, 'that i take a very great liberty in coming - indeed, i am sure i do. i should hardly have had the courage to ask to see you, sir, even after coming down, i am afraid, if i had not overtaken miss dombey, and - '

'well!' said mr dombey, following his eyes as he glanced at the attentive florence, and frowning unconsciously as she encouraged him with a smile. 'go on, if you please.'

'ay, ay,' observed the captain, considering it incumbent on him, as a point of good breeding, to support mr dombey. 'well said! go on, wal'r.'

captain cuttle ought to have been withered by the look which mr dombey bestowed upon him in acknowledgment of his patronage. but quite innocent of this, he closed one eye in reply, and gave mr dombey to understand, by certain significant motions of his hook, that walter was a little bashful at first, and might be expected to come out shortly.

'it is entirely a private and personal matter, that has brought me here, sir,' continued walter, faltering, 'and captain cuttle

'here!' interposed the captain, as an assurance that he was at hand, and might be relied upon.

'who is a very old friend of my poor uncle's, and a most excellent man, sir,' pursued walter, raising his eyes with a look of entreaty in the captain's behalf, 'was so good as to offer to come with me, which i could hardly refuse.'

'no, no, no;' observed the captain complacently. 'of course not. no call for refusing. go on, wal'r.'

'and therefore, sir,' said walter, venturing to meet mr dombey's eye, and proceeding with better courage in the very desperation of the case, now that there was no avoiding it, 'therefore i have come, with him, sir, to say that my poor old uncle is in very great affliction and distress. that, through the gradual loss of his business, and not being able to make a payment, the apprehension of which has weighed very heavily upon his mind, months and months, as indeed i know, sir, he has an execution in his house, and is in danger of losing all he has, and breaking his heart. and that if you would, in your kindness, and in your old knowledge of him as a respectable man, do anything to help him out of his difficulty, sir, we never could thank you enough for it.'

walter's eyes filled with tears as he spoke; and so did those of florence. her father saw them glistening, though he appeared to look at walter only.

'it is a very large sum, sir,' said walter. 'more than three hundred pounds. my uncle is quite beaten down by his misfortune, it lies so heavy on him; and is quite unable to do anything for his own relief. he doesn't even know yet, that i have come to speak to you. you would wish me to say, sir,' added walter, after a moment's hesitation, 'exactly what it is i want. i really don't know, sir. there is my uncle's stock, on which i believe i may say, confidently, there are no other demands, and there is captain cuttle, who would wish to be security too. i - i hardly like to mention,' said walter, 'such earnings as mine; but if you would allow them - accumulate - payment - advance - uncle - frugal, honourable, old man.' walter trailed off, through these broken sentences, into silence: and stood with downcast head, before his employer.

considering this a favourable moment for the display of the valuables, captain cuttle advanced to the table; and clearing a space among the breakfast-cups at mr dombey's elbow, produced the silver watch, the ready money, the teaspoons, and the sugar-tongs; and piling them up into a heap that they might look as precious as possible, delivered himself of these words:

'half a loaf's better than no bread, and the same remark holds good with crumbs. there's a few. annuity of one hundred pound premium also ready to be made over. if there is a man chock full of science in the world, it's old sol gills. if there is a lad of promise - one flowing,' added the captain, in one of his happy quotations, 'with milk and honey - it's his nevy!'

the captain then withdrew to his former place, where he stood arranging his scattered locks with the air of a man who had given the finishing touch to a difficult performance.

when walter ceased to speak, mr dombey's eyes were attracted to little paul, who, seeing his sister hanging down her head and silently weeping in her commiseration for the distress she had heard described, went over to her, and tried to comfort her: looking at walter and his father as he did so, with a very expressive face. after the momentary distraction of captain cuttle's address, which he regarded with lofty indifference, mr dombey again turned his eyes upon his son, and sat steadily regarding the child, for some moments, in silence.

'what was this debt contracted for?' asked mr dombey, at length. 'who is the creditor?'

'he don't know,' replied the captain, putting his hand on walter's shoulder. 'i do. it came of helping a man that's dead now, and that's cost my friend gills many a hundred pound already. more particulars in private, if agreeable.'

'people who have enough to do to hold their own way,' said mr dombey, unobservant of the captain's mysterious signs behind walter, and still looking at his son, 'had better be content with their own obligations and difficulties, and not increase them by engaging for other men. it is an act of dishonesty and presumption, too,' said mr dombey, sternly; 'great presumption; for the wealthy could do no more. paul, come here!'

the child obeyed: and mr dombey took him on his knee.

'if you had money now - ' said mr dombey. 'look at me!'

paul, whose eyes had wandered to his sister, and to walter, looked his father in the face.

'if you had money now,' said mr dombey; 'as much money as young gay has talked about; what would you do?'

'give it to his old uncle,' returned paul.

'lend it to his old uncle, eh?' retorted mr dombey. 'well! when you are old enough, you know, you will share my money, and we shall use it together.'

'dombey and son,' interrupted paul, who had been tutored early in the phrase.

'dombey and son,' repeated his father. 'would you like to begin to be dombey and son, now, and lend this money to young gay's uncle?'

'oh! if you please, papa!' said paul: 'and so would florence.'

'girls,' said mr dombey, 'have nothing to do with dombey and son. would you like it?'

'yes, papa, yes!'

'then you shall do it,' returned his father. 'and you see, paul,' he added, dropping his voice, 'how powerful money is, and how anxious people are to get it. young gay comes all this way to beg for money, and you, who are so grand and great, having got it, are going to let him have it, as a great favour and obligation.'

paul turned up the old face for a moment, in which there was a sharp understanding of the reference conveyed in these words: but it was a young and childish face immediately afterwards, when he slipped down from his father's knee, and ran to tell florence not to cry any more, for he was going to let young gay have the money.

mr dombey then turned to a side-table, and wrote a note and sealed it. during the interval, paul and florence whispered to walter, and captain cuttle beamed on the three, with such aspiring and ineffably presumptuous thoughts as mr dombey never could have believed in. the note being finished, mr dombey turned round to his former place, and held it out to walter.

'give that,' he said, 'the first thing to-morrow morning, to mr carker. he will immediately take care that one of my people releases your uncle from his present position, by paying the amount at issue; and that such arrangements are made for its repayment as may be consistent with your uncle's circumstances. you will consider that this is done for you by master paul.'

walter, in the emotion of holding in his hand the means of releasing his good uncle from his trouble, would have endeavoured to express something of his gratitude and joy. but mr dombey stopped him short.

'you will consider that it is done,' he repeated, 'by master paul. i have explained that to him, and he understands it. i wish no more to be said.'

as he motioned towards the door, walter could only bow his head and retire. miss tox, seeing that the captain appeared about to do the same, interposed.

'my dear sir,' she said, addressing mr dombey, at whose munificence both she and mrs chick were shedding tears copiously; 'i think you have overlooked something. pardon me, mr dombey, i think, in the nobility of your character, and its exalted scope, you have omitted a matter of detail.'

'indeed, miss tox!' said mr dombey.

'the gentleman with the - instrument,' pursued miss tox, glancing at captain cuttle, 'has left upon the table, at your elbow - '

'good heaven!' said mr dombey, sweeping the captain's property from him, as if it were so much crumb indeed. 'take these things away. i am obliged to you, miss tox; it is like your usual discretion. have the goodness to take these things away, sir!'

captain cuttle felt he had no alternative but to comply. but he was so much struck by the magnanimity of mr dombey, in refusing treasures lying heaped up to his hand, that when he had deposited the teaspoons and sugar-tongs in one pocket, and the ready money in another, and had lowered the great watch down slowly into its proper vault, he could not refrain from seizing that gentleman's right hand in his own solitary left, and while he held it open with his powerful fingers, bringing the hook down upon its palm in a transport of admiration. at this touch of warm feeling and cold iron, mr dombey shivered all over.

captain cuttle then kissed his hook to the ladies several times, with great elegance and gallantry; and having taken a particular leave of paul and florence, accompanied walter out of the room. florence was running after them in the earnestness of her heart, to send some message to old sol, when mr dombey called her back, and bade her stay where she was.

'will you never be a dombey, my dear child!' said mrs chick, with pathetic reproachfulness.

'dear aunt,' said florence. 'don't be angry with me. i am so thankful to papa!'

she would have run and thrown her arms about his neck if she had dared; but as she did not dare, she glanced with thankful eyes towards him, as he sat musing; sometimes bestowing an uneasy glance on her, but, for the most part, watching paul, who walked about the room with the new-blown dignity of having let young gay have the money.

and young gay - walter- what of him?

he was overjoyed to purge the old man's hearth from bailiffs and brokers, and to hurry back to his uncle with the good tidings. he was overjoyed to have it all arranged and settled next day before noon; and to sit down at evening in the little back parlour with old sol and captain cuttle; and to see the instrument-maker already reviving, and hopeful for the future, and feeling that the wooden midshipman was his own again. but without the least impeachment of his gratitude to mr dombey, it must be confessed that walter was humbled and cast down. it is when our budding hopes are nipped beyond recovery by some rough wind, that we are the most disposed to picture to ourselves what flowers they might have borne, if they had flourished; and now, when walter found himself cut off from that great dombey height, by the depth of a new and terrible tumble, and felt that all his old wild fancies had been scattered to the winds in the fall, he began to suspect that they might have led him on to harmless visions of aspiring to florence in the remote distance of time.

the captain viewed the subject in quite a different light. he appeared to entertain a belief that the interview at which he had assisted was so very satisfactory and encouraging, as to be only a step or two removed from a regular betrothal of florence to walter; and that the late transaction had immensely forwarded, if not thoroughly established, the whittingtonian hopes. stimulated by this conviction, and by the improvement in the spirits of his old friend, and by his own consequent gaiety, he even attempted, in favouring them with the ballad of 'lovely peg' for the third time in one evening, to make an extemporaneous substitution of the name 'florence;' but finding this difficult, on account of the word peg invariably rhyming to leg (in which personal beauty the original was described as having excelled all competitors), he hit upon the happy thought of changing it to fle-e-eg; which he accordingly did, with an archness almost supernatural, and a voice quite vociferous, notwithstanding that the time was close at band when he must seek the abode of the dreadful mrs macstinger.

that same evening the major was diffuse at his club, on the subject of his friend dombey in the city. 'damme, sir,' said the major, 'he's a prince, is my friend dombey in the city. i tell you what, sir. if you had a few more men among you like old joe bagstock and my friend dombey in the city, sir, you'd do!'

白格斯托克少校通过他的看戏用的双筒小望远镜，越过公主广场对保罗进行了长久与频繁的观察之后，在每天、每周、每月从本地人（他为了这个目的与托克斯小姐的女仆经常交往）那里得到有关这个问题的许多详细的报告之后，得出结论说，董贝先生是一位值得结识的人，乔·白是一位设法要与他结识的后生。

可是托克斯小姐一直保持着疏远的态度，少校每次为了这个目的对她进行摸底，想从她那里哄骗出一些有关的情况（他时常这样做）时，她都冷淡地表示她不想弄明白他的意思，所以少校虽然生性坚强不屈，非常狡猾，也不得不把实现他的愿望这件事多少听随机会去摆布了。“先生，”他常常在俱乐部里谈到他的机会时，吃吃地笑着说，“自从他的哥哥在西印度群岛因为黄热病死了之后，五十比一的机会是对乔埃·白有利的。”

这一次是过了好些时候，机会才来帮助他的，但它终于对他亲近了，当黑皮肤的仆人详详细细地报告说，托克斯小姐有事到布赖顿去了，少校突然感情深厚地回忆起他的孟加拉1朋友比尔·比瑟斯通；比瑟斯通曾经写信给他，如果他有便去布赖顿那一带的话，那就请麻烦他去看一下他的独生子。当这同一位黑皮肤的仆人报告说，保罗住在皮普钦太太那里的时候，少校查看了一下比瑟斯通少爷到达英国以后寄给他的信——过去他从来没想过要把它当一回什么事——，看到好机会已经自己送上门来了；可是那时候他因为患痛风病，正躺在床上疗养，痛风病发作时他狂怒得把一只脚凳向黑仆人扔了过去，来报答他所提供的消息，并发誓说，在他自己死去之前，他要把这无赖弄死。黑仆人非常相信这一点。

终于，少校摆脱了痛风病发作的痛苦，在一个星期六，在本地人尾随之下，骂骂咧咧地到布赖顿去了；一路上他与托克斯小姐谈着话，幸灾乐祸地想像着他以突然袭击的方式把她那位高贵的朋友夺到手中的情景（她曾经把她的那位朋友弄得那么神秘兮兮，而且也是为了他她才把少校抛弃的）。

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1孟加拉（bengal）：当时全属于印度。

“您是不是，夫人，您是不是，”少校说道；他由于怀着报复的情绪紧绷着脸，头上每一根早已发涨的血管涨得更粗了，“您是不是要向乔埃·白告别了，夫人？还没到时候呢，夫人，还没到时候！他妈的，还没到时候呢，先生。乔埃没有睡去，夫人。白格斯托克还活着，先生。乔·白是精明的，夫人。乔埃时时警惕着，先生。您会看到，他是坚强不屈的，夫人，坚强不屈，先生，坚强不屈的就是约瑟夫，坚强不屈，而且像魔鬼般地狡猾！”

当他领着比瑟斯通少爷出去散步的时候，这位年轻人看到他的确是很坚强不屈的。少校四处游逛着，脸色像斯蒂尔顿干酪1一样，眼睛像对虾的一样，完全不考虑比瑟斯通少爷的乐趣。当他上下张望，寻找董贝先生和他的孩子们的时候，他把比瑟斯通少爷硬拽着走。

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1斯蒂尔顿干酪（stiltoncheese）：英国产干酪，以亨丁顿郡一村庄命名，乳黄色，带有青霉菌芽胞蓝绿色花纹。正因为带有蓝绿色的花纹，所以说少校的脸色像它。

由于皮普钦太太事先进行过指点，所以少校及时地侦察到了保罗和弗洛伦斯，并且迅速地向他们走近。有一位庄严的绅士跟他们在一起，他无疑就是董贝先生。当他和比瑟斯通少爷闯进这一小群人中间时，结果自然是比瑟斯通少爷跟他那些同样遭难受罪的伴侣们谈起话来。少校在后面停下脚步，注意地看着他们并称赞着他们；他表示惊奇地记起来，他曾经在公主广场他的朋友托克斯小姐的家里看见过他们，跟他们说过话；他说，保罗是一个非常可爱的孩子，是他自己的小朋友；又问他是否记得乔埃·白少校，最后，他突然记起了习俗惯例应有的礼节，就转过身去，向董贝先生道歉。

“可是我在这里的小朋友又使我变成一个孩子了，先生，”少校说道。“一位老兵承认这一点并不感到难为情，先生，他是白格斯托克少校，随时愿意为您效劳；”少校这时脱下帽子敬礼。“他妈的，先生，”少校突然热情地喊道，“我妒嫉您。”

然后他镇静下来，补充了一句，“请原谅我的放肆。”

董贝先生请他别这么客气。

“一位老兵，先生，”少校说道，“一条被烟熏过，被太阳晒黑的、精疲力尽、因伤病而退伍的少校老狗是不怕像董贝先生这样的人指责他忽起的念头的。我想我能荣幸跟董贝先生交谈几句吗？”

“现在我就是姓我们这个姓的家族的卑贱的代表，少校，”

董贝先生回答道。

“可以对着上帝发誓，先生，”少校说道，“这是个伟大的姓，”少校坚决地说道，仿佛他挑起董贝先生来反驳他，而如果董贝先生真的那么做了，那么他就会感到他负有痛苦的责任来争个高低，让他过不去似的，“这是个在不列颠海外领地中享有声望与尊敬的姓。人们以姓这个姓而感到自豪，先生。约瑟夫·白格斯托克不懂得拍马屁，先生。约克郡公爵殿下不止一次说过，‘乔埃不会拍马屁。他是个普通的老兵，这就是乔，他坚强不屈得有点过了头，这就是约瑟夫。’不过这是个伟大的姓，先生。可以对着天主发誓，这是个伟大的姓！”

少校一本正经地说道。

“承蒙您好意赞扬，不过也许评价太高，有些过分了，少校，”董贝先生回答道。

“不，先生，”少校说道。“我在这里的小朋友会给约瑟夫·白格斯托克证明，他是一位耿直的、坦率的、有话直说的老实人，先生，这就是一切。那个孩子，先生，”少校压低了声音，说道，“将会留芳百世，永垂史册。那个孩子，先生，不是个平凡之辈。请好好照看他，董贝先生。”

董贝先生似乎向他暗示说，他将努力这样去做。

“这里有一个孩子，先生，”少校用说知心话的口吻继续说道，一边用手杖戳戳他。“孟加拉比瑟斯通的儿子。比尔·比瑟斯通从前是我们当中的一个。那个孩子的父亲和我本人过去是莫逆之交，先生。不论您走到哪里，先生，您听到人们谈论的全都是有关比尔·比瑟斯通和乔·白格斯托克的事情。难道我看不见那个孩子的缺点吗？决不是。他是个傻瓜，先生。”

董贝先生向那位遭到诽谤的比瑟斯通少爷看了一眼；他跟少校一样，对这孩子丝毫也不了解，他很得意地说道，“真的吗？”

“真的，他就是这样，先生，”少校说道。“他是个傻瓜。乔·白格斯托克从来不粉饰事实。我的孟加拉老朋友比尔·比瑟斯通的儿子生来就是个傻瓜，先生。”少校说到这里，哈哈大笑着，笑到脸色几乎完全发青。“我想，我的小朋友注定要进公学1的吧，董贝先生？”少校恢复过来之后，问道。

“我还没有作出决定，”董贝先生回答道。“我想不送去。

他的体质虚弱。”

“如果他的体质虚弱，先生，”少校说道，“您不送去是对的。只有坚强不屈的小伙子才能在经受了桑赫斯特2的苦难之后活下来。我们在那里互相折磨，先生。我们把新来的人放在慢火上烤，把他们从四层楼往窗子外面头朝下地倒挂着。先生，约瑟夫·白格斯托克曾经被握住靴子后跟，在校钟旁边的窗子外面挂了十三分钟。”

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1公学（publicschool）：英国专为富有子弟而设的私立中等中校，如伊顿（eton）公学、哈罗（harrow）公学等。

2桑赫斯特（sandhurst）是英格兰南部的一个小镇，英国陆军军官学校设在那里。

少校很可以举出他的脸色来证实这段经历，他看上去仿佛确实曾经被倒挂得太久了一些。

“但是它使我们变成了我们那时那样的人，先生，”少校整整衬衫褶边，说道。“我们是铁，先生，它锻造了我们。您住在这里吗，董贝先生？”

“我通常每星期到这里来一次，少校，”那位先生说道。

“我住在贝德福德旅馆。”

“如果您允许，先生，我将荣幸地到贝德福德旅馆去拜访您，”少校说道。“乔埃·白不是个喜爱拜访的人，但是董贝先生不是个平凡的人物。我非常感谢我的小朋友，先生，感谢他使我有幸被介绍跟您认识。”

董贝先生很亲切友好地回答了他的话；白格斯托克少校拍了拍保罗的头之后，说到弗洛伦斯的时候说，她那双眼睛不久就会使年轻人神魂颠倒的。“说实话，也会使老头子神魂颠倒的，先生，”少校补充说道，一边大声地吃吃地笑着。他用手杖捅捅比瑟斯通少爷，迈着急匆匆的快步，跟那位年轻人离开了。当他两只腿分得很开，蹒跚地继续往前走去的时候，他摇晃着脑袋，极为威严地咳嗽着。

少校履行诺言，后来去拜访了董贝先生；董贝先生查阅了军人名册之后，后来也去拜访了少校。然后少校在董贝先生城里的公馆中拜访了他；然后他和董贝先生乘坐着同一辆马车又到布赖顿来。总之，董贝先生与少校相处得异乎寻常地融洽，关系进展得异乎寻常地迅速。董贝先生向他的妹妹谈起少校的时候，说，他不仅是一位真正的军人，而且在他身上还有其他一些东西，因为他对跟他的职业毫无关系的事物，也令人惊叹地了解它们的重要性。

终于，当董贝先生领着托克斯小姐与奇克夫人到布赖顿来看孩子们，并看到少校也在这里的时候，他就邀请他到贝德福德旅馆来吃晚饭，事前还向托克斯小姐极力恭维她有这样一位邻居与熟人。尽管这些暗示使托克斯小姐心房怦怦跳动，但她听起来决不是不愉快的，因为它们使她变得格外有趣，有时使她显得心意烦乱，神志不定，这是她完全不愿意表露出来的。少校给了她很多机会来展现这种情绪，他在晚饭中间不断埋怨她把他和公主广场抛弃了。由于他讲这些话看来是为了取得极大的乐趣，所以他们全都相处得很融洽。

少校掌握着整个谈话；他在这方面的胃口跟他对桌子上的各种美味食品的胃口一样大；几乎可以说他在大吞大咽着这些食品，而这又大大地促使他鼓动他的如簧之舌；这对当时的情况并没有什么不好。由于董贝先生习惯于沉着冷静，不多说话，所以他丝毫没有干预这种喧宾夺主的现象；少校觉得他正在大出风头，因而兴高采烈，把他自己的姓名颠来倒去地说出了无数个新的变化，连他自己也感到十分惊奇。总之，他们全都感到十分高兴。大家觉得少校拥有耗用不尽的谈话资源；当打完一局时间拖得很长的纸牌，少校终于很晚地告别之后，董贝先生又向脸孔羞得通红的托克斯小姐恭维她有这样一位邻居与熟人。

可是在回到自己旅馆的整个路途中，少校不断自言自语地谈着他自己。“狡猾呵，先生——狡猾呵，先生——像魔鬼般地狡猾呵！”到达旅馆以后，他在一张椅子中坐下，默默无声地大笑个不停；他有时是会这样大笑的，而那样子常常是特别可怕的。这一次笑的时间那么长久，所以黑仆人就站在远处看着他，无论如何也不敢走近他，有两三次还以为他已经没有医治的希望了。他的整个身躯，特别是他的脸与头膨胀得比过去任何时候都大，在黑人眼中看到的只是一大堆靛蓝的东西。终于他发出一阵猛烈的咳嗽，在感到好一些以后，他短促地叫喊出以下一些话来：

“您是不是，夫人，您是不是想当董贝夫人，嗯，夫人？我看不成，夫人。只要乔·白能在您的车轮子里插进一根棍子，那就不成，夫人。乔·白现在和您是平等的，夫人。他根本还没有被打倒，退出场外，先生，白格斯托克没有退。她的心计深，先生，心计深，但是乔希的心计更深。老乔清醒着——没有丝毫睡意，而且睁大了眼睛看着，先生！”他最后的一句话无疑是真实的，而且真实到了很可怕的程度；因为在那一夜的大半时间里，继续是这种情形；少校主要是在类似叫喊声中度过那一夜的，有时穿插着一阵阵使整个房屋都感到惊恐的咳嗽与窒息。

就在发生这件事情以后的第二天（这是个星期天），当董贝先生，奇克夫人和托克斯小姐坐着吃早饭，依旧在称赞少校的时候，弗洛伦斯脸上显露出一片明亮的光彩，眼中闪着喜悦的光辉，跑了进来，喊道：

“爸爸！爸爸！沃尔特在这里！他不肯进来。”

“谁？”董贝先生喊道。“她讲的是什么？这是什么意思？”

“沃尔特，爸爸！”弗洛伦斯胆怯地说道；她感到她刚才提到这个人太随随便便了。“我迷路的时候是他把我找到的。”“她是说年轻人盖伊吗，路易莎？”董贝先生皱着眉头，问道。“真的，这孩子的举止变得很吵吵嚷嚷的了。她不会指年轻人盖伊吧，我想。请你去了解一下是什么事情好吗？”

奇克夫人匆忙走进走廊，回来说，是年轻人盖伊，陪他一道来的是一位外貌很古怪的人；年轻人盖伊说，他听说董贝先生正在吃早饭，就不肯冒失地进来；他愿意在外面等候，直到董贝先生允许他进来的时候为止。

“告诉这孩子现在进来吧，”董贝先生说道。“唔，盖伊，发生了什么事情？谁派您到这里来的？没有别的人到这里来了吗？”

“我请您原谅，先生，”沃尔特回答道。“我不是被公司派来的。我是不揣冒昧地为了我的私事到您这里来的；我希望我说明原因以后您会原谅我。”

可是董贝先生没有注意听他讲的话，而是不耐烦地一会儿从他的左边，一会儿从他的右边去看他背后的一个什么目标，仿佛他本人是一根挡住他视线的柱子似的。

“那是什么？”董贝先生说道。“那是谁？我想您走错了门了吧，先生？”

“啊，我很抱歉，我不是一个人来的，先生，”沃尔特急忙喊道；“不过这是——这是卡特尔船长，先生。”

“沃尔，我的孩子，”船长用深沉的声音说道；“做好准备！”

在这同时，船长向前走近一些，十分清楚地显露出了他的宽大的蓝上衣，显眼的衬衫领子和有好多疙瘩的鼻子；他站着向董贝先生鞠躬，并彬彬有礼地向女士们挥着钩子，另一只手中拿着那顶上了光的硬帽子，头的周围显露出一个红色的圆圈，那是帽子新近留下的痕迹。

董贝先生惊奇而愤怒地注视着这个现象，并且以他的脸色要求奇克夫人与托克斯小姐跟他一道表示不满。当船长挥着钩子的时候，跟随弗洛伦斯进来的小保罗背朝着托克斯小姐后退，并站在那里作出了防御的姿态。

“唔，盖伊，”董贝先生说道，“您有什么要对我说的？”

船长又说道，“沃尔，做好准备！”这就算作是谈话的一个开端，它不会不取得所有在场人的好感的。

“我担心，先生，”沃尔特哆嗦着，眼睛向下看着地面，说道，“我到这里来是十分放肆的，——确实，我相信是这样。甚至我到了这里以后，我恐怕也没有勇气请求见您，先生，如果我没有遇见董贝小姐，而且——”

“唔！”董贝先生说道；当沃尔特向注意听他讲话的弗洛伦斯看了一眼的时候，董贝先生跟随着他的眼光；当她微笑着对沃尔特表示鼓励的时候，他不自觉地皱起了眉头。“请继续说下去。”

“是的，是的，”船长说道；他认为，他是一位有教养的人，他有责任来支持董贝先生。“说得很好！继续说下去，沃尔。”

董贝先生表示听到了支持他的话，向他看了一眼；卡特尔船长当时如果看到这个眼光的话，那么他一定是会全身畏缩的。可是他完全不知道这一点，所以他闭了一只眼睛作为回答，并寓有深意地挥了挥钩子，让董贝先生明白，沃尔特开始有些胆怯，但可以期望他很快就会平静下来的。

“我到这里来完全是为了一件私人的事情，先生，”沃尔特结结巴巴地继续说道，“这位卡特尔船长——”

“就在这里！”船长打断了他的话，证明他就在近旁，而且是可以信赖的。

“是我可怜的舅舅的一位很老的朋友，是一个极好的人，先生，”沃尔特抬起眼睛，露出为船长求情的神色，继续说下去，“他一片好心，提出要陪我到这里来，我不能拒绝他的要求。”

“是的，是的，是的，”船长喜洋洋地说道。“当然不能。

哪能拒绝呢。往下说吧，沃尔。”

“因此，先生，”沃尔特说道；他大胆地接触到董贝先生的眼光，在极为绝望的情况下鼓起勇气继续说下去，因为现在已经没法退避了，“因此我就跟他一起到这里来，想告诉您，先生，我的可怜的年老的舅舅正处在极大的痛苦与不幸之中。由于他的营业逐渐亏损，无法偿还欠款——我知道得很清楚，先生，这个恐惧过去好几个月一直沉甸甸地压在他的心头——，他家里的财产就要查封，他将失去他所有的东西，伤心而死；他现在正处在这样的危险之中。如果您由于长久以来一直知道他是一位品德端正的人，慈悲为怀，并因此能做点什么事来帮助他走出困境的话，先生，那么我们对您真将感激不尽。”

沃尔特说话的时候，眼睛里充满了泪水，弗洛伦斯的眼睛里也是一样。她的父亲看上去好像只是看着沃尔特，但他看到她的这些泪水在闪着亮光。

“这是一笔很大的款子，先生，”沃尔特说道。“三百多镑。我的舅舅已经完全被他的不幸压垮了；它是那么沉重地压在他身上，因此他已经完全不能做什么事情来解救自己。他甚至不知道我已经到这里来跟您谈话。您可能希望，先生，”沃尔特迟疑了片刻之后，补充说道，“我确切地说出我究竟需要什么。我确实不知道，先生。我舅舅有一些货物。我想我可以有把握地说，他已经没有别的债务了。还有卡特尔船长，他也愿意出面担保。我——我实在不想提到我挣的那点钱；”沃尔特说道，“但是如果您允许把它们积攒起来——抵偿——借贷给——舅舅——这位节俭的、正直的老人。”沃尔特吃力地说着这些断断续续、支离破碎的句子，声音愈来愈小，终于默不作声，低垂着头，站在他的雇主前面。

卡特尔船长觉得这是显示那些贵重物品的好时机，就向前走到餐桌跟前，在董贝先生身旁的餐杯中间清出一小片地方，取出了银表、现钱、茶匙和方糖箝子；又把它们堆成一堆，使它们看起来显得格外贵重，然后说出了以下的一番话：

“半块面包比没有面包好，就面包屑来说，也同样可以这样说。这里是一些面包屑。以后还准备贡献上一百镑的年金。如果世界上有一位脑子里充满科学的人，那么这个人就是老所尔·吉尔斯。如果世界上有一个前程远大的小伙子——一个‘流着牛奶与蜂蜜’1的小伙子的话”船长引用了他得意的语录，补充说道，“——那么这就是他的外甥！”

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1“流着牛奶与蜂蜜”原是圣经中形容肥沃的土地（巴勒斯坦）的话，船长用它来形容沃尔特年轻有为、前程远大。

然后船长退回到他原先的地方，站在那里梳理梳理那散乱的头发，露出一副刚刚完成一件最艰难的任务的人的神态。

当沃尔特停止讲话的时候，董贝先生的眼光被吸引到小保罗的身上；小保罗看到他姐姐低垂着头，由于怜悯她所听到的不幸正在默默地哭泣着，就向她走过去，设法安慰她；当他这样做的时候，他脸上富于表情地望着沃尔特和他的父亲。董贝先生由于卡特尔船长的谈话暂时转移了注意力（他对这个谈话高傲地漠不关心）之后，又把眼睛转到他的儿子身上，默默地坐了一些时候，专心一意地望着这孩子。

“这笔债是为什么欠下的？”董贝先生终于问道。“谁是债权人？”

“他不知道，”船长把手搁在沃尔特的肩膀上，回答道。

“我知道。那是因为帮助一位现已不在人世的人而欠下的。可是那已经使我的朋友吉尔斯耗费了几百镑了。如果您同意，详细情况我可以在私下里说给您听。”

“那些好不容易自己才能生活下去的人们，”董贝先生没有注意船长在沃尔特背后所做的神秘的手势，仍然看着他的儿子，说道，“最好安安分分地照料他们自己的负担和困难就行了，不要再去替别人担保，增加这种负担和困难了。这是一种不诚实的，而且也是狂妄无礼的行为，”董贝先生严厉地说道；“极大的狂妄无礼；因为那些富有的人所能做的最多也不过如此罢了。保罗，到这里来！”

孩子依从了。董贝先生把他抱到膝盖上。

“如果你现在有钱——”董贝先生说道，“看着我！”

保罗的眼睛原先看着他的姐姐和沃尔特，这时看着他父亲的脸。

“如果你现在有钱，”董贝先生说道，“有年轻人盖伊谈到的那么多的钱的话，那么你将怎么办？”

“把它给他年老的舅舅，”保罗回答道。

“把它借给他年老的舅舅，是不是？”董贝先生对他进行纠正，说道。“唔！你知道，等你长大以后，你将跟我一起享有我的钱。我们将一起使用它。”

“董贝父子，”保罗打断他的话，说道；他很小就被教会说这几个字。

“董贝父子，”他的父亲重复说道。“你愿意现在就来管董贝父子公司的事，把这钱借给盖伊的舅舅吗？”

“啊！如果你愿意的话，爸爸！”保罗说道。“弗洛伦斯也会愿意的。”

“女孩子，”董贝先生说道，“跟董贝父子没有关系。你愿意吗？”

“愿意，爸爸，愿意！”

“那么就由你来办这件事，”他的父亲回答道。“你看到了，保罗，”他压低了声音，补充说道，“钱有多么大的力量；人们多么急切地想要得到它。年轻人盖伊跑这一趟路来是为了恳求借钱，而你是这么高贵、伟大、有钱，你将作为一笔很大的恩惠与人情，让他得到它。”

保罗把那张老气的脸向上抬起一会儿，明白地表示他十分理解这些话的含义，可是当他从他父亲的膝盖上滑溜下来，跑去告诉弗洛伦斯不要再哭，因为他将让年轻的盖伊得到这笔钱的时候，那张脸又立刻变得年轻与孩子气了。

于是董贝先生转身走到一张边桌旁边，写了一张条子，盖了章。在这段时间里，保罗与弗洛伦斯低声地跟沃尔特说话，卡特尔船长则眉开眼笑地看着这三个人，心中怀着那样抱负不凡的、难以形容的狂妄的思想，那是董贝先生决不会相信的。条子处理完毕之后，董贝先生回到他原先的地方，把它交给沃尔特。

“明天早上第一件事，”他说道，“就是把这交给卡克先生。他会立刻作出安排，让我的一位职员支付那笔钱，把您的舅舅从他目前的困境中解脱出来；偿还的条件也是规定得符合您舅舅的境况的。您就把这看作是保罗少爷为您办的吧！”

沃尔特手里拿着把他的善良的舅舅从灾难中解救出来的手段，心中无比激动，本想尽力说些表示感激与喜悦的话。可是董贝先生突然制止了他。

“您就把这看作是保罗少爷为您办的吧，”他重复说道，“我已经向他解释过，他也听明白了，我没有别的话要说的了。”

因为他用手指着门，沃尔特只好向他鞠躬，告别了。托克斯小姐看到船长好像也正要这样做的时候，插嘴道：

“我亲爱的先生，”她对董贝先生说道；她和奇克夫人对他的慷慨都流出了大量的眼泪；“我想您疏忽了一点什么事情了。请原谅我，董贝先生，我觉得，由于您品格高尚，豁达大度，您没有注意到一件小事。”

“真的吗，托克斯小姐！”董贝先生说道。

“那位带着——工具的先生，”托克斯小姐向卡特尔船长看了一眼，说下去，“在餐桌上挨近您的地方留下了——”

“老天爷！”董贝先生说道，一边把船长的财产从他的身边一下推开，仿佛它真是好多面包屑似的。“把这些东西拿走。我感谢您，托克斯小姐；您一向都是考虑得这样周到。劳驾您把这些东西拿走吧，先生。”

卡特尔船长觉得他除了遵命照办外，没有别的选择。可是董贝先生拒绝接受这些堆积在他手边的财宝，表现得那么宽宏大量，这使他十分感动，因此当他把茶匙和方糖箝子装进一只衣袋，把现钱装进另一只衣袋，把那只大表慢慢地往下放到它的合适的洞穴里去的时候，他情不自禁地把这位先生的右手握到他那只单独的左手里，而且当他用有劲的手指把它撑开的时候，他在满怀敬佩的心情中，把钩子接触到它的掌心。董贝先生在热烈的感情与冰冷的铁件的接触下，全身打了个冷颤。

然后，卡特尔船长极为文雅、极为殷勤地把钩子吻了好几次，向女士们致意；在向保罗与弗洛伦斯特别进行了告别之后，他陪着沃尔特走出了房间。弗洛伦斯出自一片热心，追在他们后面，要他们代向老所尔问候，这时候董贝先生喊她回来，吩咐她待在原先的地方。

“难道你永远也不想成为真正的董贝家里的人了吗？我亲爱的孩子！”奇克夫人用感伤与责备的语气说道。

“亲爱的姑妈，”弗洛伦斯说道。“别生我的气，我是多么感谢爸爸啊！”

如果她敢的话，那么她真想跑过去，伸出胳膊搂住他的脖子；可是因为她不敢这样做，所以她就用感激的眼光向他看看；这时他坐在那里沉思着，有时不安地向她看一眼，但大部分时间是注视着保罗；这孩子正在房间里走来走去，摆出一副威风凛凛的气派，那是由于让年轻的盖伊得到了钱而刚刚产生出来的。

那么年轻的盖伊——沃尔特，他的情况怎么样了呢？

他欢天喜地地把法警与经纪人从老人家里清除掉，急忙回到舅舅身边去向他报告好消息；他欢天喜地地在第二天中午以前把一切事情安排妥当，处理完毕，晚上在小后客厅里与老所尔和卡特尔船长坐在一起，并且看到仪器制造商已经重新振作起精神，对未来充满希望，同时感到木制海军军官候补生又属于他自己的了。可是必须承认，沃尔特感到自己丧尽体面，意气消沉。这丝毫也不是责备他对董贝先生不知感激。当我们希望的萌芽已被一阵暴风冻死，无法恢复生机的时候，我们最不愿意向我们自己描绘，如果它们蓬勃生长的话，那么它们可能会开放出什么样的花朵了。现在当沃尔特发现自己又一次从伟大的董贝高峰上可怕地深深地滚落下来，从而和它完全切断，并且感到他旧日的狂妄的幻想已经在滚落时在风中化为乌有的时候，他开始怀疑，这些希望是否还能在遥远的将来，继续引导他走向渴望得到弗洛伦斯的无害的梦幻。

船长却从完全不同的角度来看这个问题。他似乎相信，他曾给予帮助的这次会晤令人十分称心满意和欢欣鼓舞，它离弗洛伦斯与沃尔特正式订婚只差一两步了。在这种信心的激励下，在他老朋友情绪好转以及他自己随之而来的欢乐心情的鼓舞下，有一天晚上，当他第三次为他们唱《可爱的佩格姑娘》这支民歌的时候，他甚至试图即席用“弗洛伦斯”的名字来代替；但他发现“佩格”这个词总是要跟“莱格”1（腿）这个词押韵（民歌中描写女主人公的腿长得十分美丽，她的生理上的这个优点使她压倒了所有的竞争者），于是灵机一动，就把它改成“弗洛—莱格”；虽然他必须回到可怕的麦克斯廷杰太太的住所的时候就要到了，可是他仍旧那样唱起来，唱时那副诡诈的神气几乎是超自然的，而且声音十分喧闹。

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1英文中腿（leg）这个词的发音为莱格。