little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第150节

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'Well；　my　little　sister；'　said　Fanny　with　a　sigh；　'I　suppose　you　know
what　this　means？'

'She's　as　beautiful　as　she's　doated　on；'　stammered　Mr　Sparkler……'and
there's　no　nonsense　about　her……it's　arranged……'

'You　needn't　explain；　Edmund；'　said　Fanny。

'No；　my　love；'　said　Mr　Sparkler。

'In　short；　pet；'　proceeded　Fanny；　'on　the　whole；　we　are　engaged。　We
must　tell　papa　about　it　either　to…night　or　to…morrow；　according　to　the
opportunities。　Then　it's　done；　and　very　little　more　need　be　said。'

'My　dear　Fanny；'　said　Mr　Sparkler；　with　deference；　'I　should　like　to　say
a　word　to　Amy。'

'Well；　well！　Say　it　for　goodness'　sake；'　returned　the　young　lady。

'I　am　convinced；　my　dear　Amy；'　said　Mr　Sparkler；　'that　if　ever　there
was　a　girl；　next　to　your　highly　endowed　and　beautiful　sister；　who　had　no
nonsense　about　her……'

'We　know　all　about　that；　Edmund；'　interposed　Miss　Fanny。　'Never　mind
that。　Pray　go　on　to　something　else　besides　our　having　no　nonsense　about
us。'

'Yes；　my　love；'　said　Mr　Sparkler。　'And　I　assure　you；　Amy；　that　nothing
can　be　a　greater　happiness　to　myself；　myself……next　to　the　happiness　of
being　so　highly　honoured　with　the　choice　of　a　glorious　girl　who　hasn't
an　atom　of……'

'Pray；　Edmund；　pray！'　interrupted　Fanny；　with　a　slight　pat　of　her　pretty
foot　upon　the　floor。

'My　love；　you're　quite　right；'　said　Mr　Sparkler；　'and　I　know　I　have　a
habit　of　it。　What　I　wished　to　declare　was；　that　nothing　can　be　a　greater
happiness　to　myself；　myself…next　to　the　happiness　of　being　united　to
pre…eminently　the　most　glorious　of　girls……than　to　have　the　happiness
of　cultivating　the　affectionate　acquaintance　of　Amy。　I　may　not　myself；'
said　Mr　Sparkler　manfully；　'be　up　to　the　mark　on　some　other　subjects
at　a　short　notice；　and　I　am　aware　that　if　you　were　to　poll　Society　the
general　opinion　would　be　that　I　am　not；　but　on　the　subject　of　Amy　I　am
up　to　the　mark！'

Mr　Sparkler　kissed　her；　in　witness　thereof。

'A　knife　and　fork　and　an　apartment；'　proceeded　Mr　Sparkler；　growing；　in
parison　with　his　oratorical　antecedents；　quite　diffuse；　'will　ever
be　at　Amy's　disposal。　My　Governor；　I　am　sure；　will　always　be　proud　to
entertain　one　whom　I　so　much　esteem。　And　regarding　my　mother；'　said　Mr
Sparkler；　'who　is　a　remarkably　fine　woman；　with……'

'Edmund；　Edmund！'　cried　Miss　Fanny；　as　before。

'With　submission；　my　soul；'　pleaded　Mr　Sparkler。　'I　know　I　have　a　habit
of　it；　and　I　thank　you　very　much；　my　adorable　girl；　for　taking　the
trouble　to　correct　it；　but　my　mother　is　admitted　on　all　sides　to　be　a
remarkably　fine　woman；　and　she　really　hasn't　any。'

'That　may　be；　or　may　not　be；'　returned　Fanny；　'but　pray　don't　mention　it
any　more。'

'I　will　not；　my　love；'　said　Mr　Sparkler。

'Then；　in　fact；　you　have　nothing　more　to　say；　Edmund；　have　you？'
inquired　Fanny。

'So　far　from　it；　my　adorable　girl；'　answered　Mr　Sparkler；　'I　apologise
for　having　said　so　much。'

Mr　Sparkler　perceived；　by　a　kind　of　inspiration；　that　the　question
implied　had　he　not　better　go？　He　therefore　withdrew　the　fraternal
railing；　and　neatly　said　that　he　thought　he　would；　with　submission；　take
his　leave。　He　did　not　go　without　being　congratulated　by　Amy；　as　well
as　she　could　discharge　that　office　in　the　flutter　and　distress　of　her
spirits。

When　he　was　gone；　she　said；　'O　Fanny；　Fanny！'　and　turned　to　her　sister
in　the　bright　window；　and　fell　upon　her　bosom　and　cried　there。　Fanny
laughed　at　first；　but　soon　laid　her　face　against　her　sister's　and　cried
too……a　little。　It　was　the　last　time　Fanny　ever　showed　that　there　was　any
hidden；　suppressed；　or　conquered　feeling　in　her　on　the　matter。　From　that
hour　the　way　she　had　chosen　lay　before　her；　and　she　trod　it　with　her　own
imperious　self…willed　step。




CHAPTER　15。　No　just　Cause　or　Impediment　why　these　Two　Persons
should　not　be　joined　together


Mr　Dorrit；　on　being　informed　by　his　elder　daughter　that　she　had　accepted
matrimonial　overtures　from　Mr　Sparkler；　to　whom　she　had　plighted　her
troth；　received　the　munication　at　once　with　great　dignity　and　with　a
large　display　of　parental　pride；　his　dignity　dilating　with　the　widened
prospect　of　advantageous　ground　from　which　to　make　acquaintances；　and
his　parental　pride　being　developed　by　Miss　Fanny's　ready　sympathy　with
that　great　object　of　his　existence。　He　gave　her　to　understand　that　her
noble　ambition　found　harmonious　echoes　in　his　heart；　and　bestowed
his　blessing　on　her；　as　a　child　brimful　of　duty　and　good　principle；
self…devoted　to　the　aggrandisement　of　the　family　name。

To　Mr　Sparkler；　when　Miss　Fanny　permitted　him　to　appear；　Mr　Dorrit　said；
he　would　not　disguise　that　the　alliance　Mr　Sparkler　did　him　the　honour
to　propose　was　highly　congenial　to　his　feelings；　both　as　being　in　unison
with　the　spontaneous　affections　of　his　daughter　Fanny；　and　as　opening
a　family　connection　of　a　gratifying　nature　with　Mr　Merdle；　the
master　spirit　of　the　age。　Mrs　Merdle　also；　as　a　leading　lady　rich　in
distinction；　elegance；　grace；　and　beauty；　he　mentioned　in　very　laudatory
terms。　He　felt　it　his　duty　to　remark　（he　was　sure　a　gentleman　of　Mr
Sparkler's　fine　sense　would　interpret　him　with　all　delicacy）；　that　he
could　not　consider　this　proposal　definitely　determined　on；　until　he
should　have　had　the　privilege　of　holding　some　correspondence　with　Mr
Merdle；　and　of　ascertaining　it　to　be　so　far　accordant　with　the　views
of　that　eminent　gentleman　as　that　his　（Mr　Dorrit's）　daughter　would　be
received　on　that　footing　which　her　station　in　life　and　her　dowry　and
expectations　warranted　him　in　requiring　that　she　should　maintain　in
what　he　trusted　he　might　be　allowed；　without　the　appearance　of　being
mercenary；　to　call　the　Eye　of　the　Great　World。　While　saying　this；　which
his　character　as　a　gentleman　of　some　little　station；　and　his　character
as　a　father；　equally　demanded　of　him；　he　would　not　be　so　diplomatic
as　to　conceal　that　the　proposal　remained　in　hopeful　abeyance　and
under　conditional　acceptance；　and　that　he　thanked　Mr　Sparkler　for　the
pliment　rendered　to　himself　and　to　his　family。　He　concluded　with
some　further　and　more　general　observations　on　the……ha……character　of　an
independent　gentleman；　and　the……hum……character　of　a　possibly　too
partial　and　admiring　parent。　To　sum　the　whole　up　shortly；　he　received
Mr　Sparkler's　offer　very　much　as　he　would　have　received　three　or　four
half…crowns　from　him　in　the　days　that　were　gone。

Mr　Sparkler；　finding　himself　stunned　by　the　words　thus　heaped　upon　his
inoffensive　head；　made　a　brief　though　pertinent　rejoinder；　the　same
being　neither　more　nor　less　than　that　he　had　long　perceived　Miss　Fanny
to　have　no　nonsense　about　her；　and　that　he　had　no　doubt　of　its　being　all
right　with　his　Governor。　At　that　point　the　object　of　his　affections　shut
him　up　like　a　box　with　a　spring　lid；　and　sent　him　away。

Proceeding　shortly　afterwards　to　pay　his　respects　to　the　Bosom；　Mr
Dorrit　was　received　by　it　with　great　consideration。　Mrs　Merdle　had　heard
of　this　affair　from　Edmund。　She　had　been　surprised　at　first；　because　she
had　not　thought　Edmund　a　marrying　man。　Society　had　not　thought　Edmund
a　marrying　man。　Still；　of　course　she　had　seen；　as　a　woman　（we　women
did　instinctively　see　these　things；　Mr　Dorrit！）；　that　Edmund　had　been
immensely　captivated　by　Miss　Dorrit；　and　she　had　openly　said　that　Mr
Dorrit　had　much　to　answer　for　in　bringing　so　charming　a　girl　abroad　to
turn　the　heads　of　his　countrymen。

'Have　I　the　honour　to　conclude；　madam；'　said　Mr　Dorrit；　'that　the
direction　which　Mr　Sparkler's　affections　have　taken；　is……ha…approved　of
by　you？'

'I　assure　you；　Mr　Dorrit；'　returned　the　lady；　'that；　personally；　I　am
charmed。'

That　was　very　gratifying　to　Mr　Dorrit。

'Personally；'　repeated　Mrs　Merdle；　'charmed。'

This　casual　repetition　of　the　word　'personally；'　moved　Mr　Dorrit　to
express　his　hope　that　Mr　Merdle's　approval；　too；　would　not　be　wanting？

'I　cannot；'　said　Mrs　Merdle；　'take　upon　myself　to　answer　positively　for
Mr　Merdle；　gentlemen；　especially　gentlemen　who　are　what　Society　calls
capitalists；　having　their　own　ideas　of　these　matters。　But　I　should
think……merely　giving　an　opinion；　Mr　Dorrit……I　should　think　Mr　Merdle
would　be　upon　the　whole；'　here　she　held　a　review　of　herself　before
adding　at　her　leisure；　'quite　charmed。'

At　the　mention　of　gentlemen　whom　Society　called　capitalists；　Mr　Dorrit
had　coughed；　as　if　some　internal　demur　were　breaking　out　of　him。　Mrs
Merdle　had　observed　it；　and　went　on　to　take　up　the　cue。

'Though；　indeed；　Mr　Dorrit；　it　is　scarcely　necessary　for　me　to　make　that
remark；　except　in　the　mere　openness　of　saying　what　is　uppermost　to　one
whom　I　so　highly　regard；　and　with　whom　I　hope　I　may　have　the　pleasure
of　being　brought　into　still　more　agreeable　relations。　For　one　cannot
but　see　the　great　probability　of　your　considering　such　things　from　Mr
Merdle's　own　point　of　view；　except　indeed　that　circumstances　have　made
it　Mr　Merdle's　accidental　fortune；　or　misfortune；　to　be　engaged　in
business　transactions；　and　that　they；　however　vast；　may　a　little　cramp
his　horizons。　I　am　a　very　child　as　to　having　any　notion　of　business；'
said　Mrs　Merdle；　'but　I　am　afraid；　Mr　Dorrit；　it　may　have　that
tendency。'

This　skilful　see…saw　of　Mr　Dorrit　and　Mrs　Merdle；　so　that　each　of　the