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bleak house(凄凉的房子)-第20章

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matters      very   little。  Pray   excuse   the   introduction      of   such   mean 

topics。” 

    She     partly   drew     aside   the   curtain    of  the   long    low   garret… 

window;       and    called   our   attention     to  a   number      of  bird…cages 

hanging   there:   some   containing   several   birds。   There   were   larks; 

linnets; and goldfinches—I should think at least twenty。 

    “I began to keep the little creatures;” she said; “with an object 

that    the  wards     will  readily    comprehend。       With    the   intention    of 



Charles Dickens                                                       ElecBook Classics 


… Page 83…

                                  Bleak House                                   83 



restoring them to liberty。 When my judgment should be given。 Ye… 

es! They die in prison; though。 Their lives; poor silly things; are so 

short in comparison with Chancery proceedings; that; one by one; 

the whole collection has died over and over again。 I doubt; do you 

know; whether one of these; though they are all young; will live to 

be free! Ve…ry mortifying; is it not?” 

   Although she sometimes asked a question; she never seemed to 

expect a reply; but rambled on as if she were in the habit of doing 

so; when no one but herself was present。 

    “Indeed;”     she   pursued;    “I  positively   doubt    sometimes;     I  do 

assure you; whether while matters are still unsettled; and the sixth 

or Great Seal prevails; I may not one day be found lying stark and 

senseless here; as I have found so many birds!” 

   Richard; answering what he saw in Ada’s compassionate  eyes; 

took the opportunity of laying some money; softly and unobserved; 

on the chimney…piece。 We all drew nearer to the cages; feigning to 

examine the birds。 

    “I can’t allow them to sing much;” said the little   old lady; “for 

(you’ll think this curious) I find my mind confused by the idea that 

they are singing; while I am following the arguments in court。 And 

my mind requires to be so very clear; you know! Another time; I’ll 

tell you their names。 Not at present。 On a day of such good omen; 

they shall sing as much as they like。 In honour of youth;” a smile 

and   curtsey;   “hope;”   a   smile   and   curtsey;   and   “beauty;”   a   smile 

and curtsey。 “There! We’ll let in the full light。” 

   The birds began to stir and chirp。 

    “I cannot admit the air freely;” said the little old lady; the room 

was close; and would have been the better for it; “because the cat 

you  saw  downstairs—called   Lady   Jane—is   greedy   for   their   lives。 



Charles Dickens                                                   ElecBook Classics 


… Page 84…

                                   Bleak House                                     84 



She crouches on the parapet outside for hours and hours。 I have 

discovered;” whispering mysteriously; “that her natural cruelty is 

sharpened       by   a  jealous   fear   of   their   regaining   their   liberty。  In 

consequence of the judgement I expect being shortly given。 She is 

sly; and full of malice。 I half believe; sometimes; that she is no cat; 

but   the   wolf   of   the   old   saying。   It   is   so   very   difficult   to   keep   her 

from the door。” 

    Some neighbouring bells;  reminding   the   poor   soul   that   it   was 

half…past nine; did more for us in the way of bringing our visit to 

an    end;   than    we    could    easily   have    done    for  ourselves。     She 

hurriedly took up her little bag of documents; which she had laid 

upon the table on coming in; and asked if we were also going into 

court?   On   our   answering   no;   and   that   we   would   on   no   account 

detain her; she opened the door to attend us downstairs。 

    “With such an omen; it is even more necessary than usual that I 

should be there before the Chancellor comes in;” said she; “for he 

might mention my case the first thing。 I have a presentiment that 

he will mention it the first thing this morning。” 

    She   stopped   to   tell   us;   in   a   whisper;   as   we   were   going   down; 

that   the   whole   house   was   filled   with   strange   lumber   which   her 

landlord      had   bought     piecemeal;     and    had   no   wish    to  sell;  in 

consequence of being a little—M—。 This was on the first floor。 But 

she   had   made   a   previous   stoppage   on   the   second   floor;   and   had 

silently pointed at a dark door there。 

    “The only other lodger—” she now whispered; in explanation— 

“a   law…writer。     The   children    in  the   lanes   here;   say   he  has   sold 

himself to the devil。 I don’t know what he can have done with the 

money。 Hush!” 

    She appeared to mistrust that the lodger might hear her; even 



Charles Dickens                                                     ElecBook Classics 


… Page 85…

                                  Bleak House                                   85 



there; and repeating “Hush!” went before us on tiptoe; as though 

even the sound of her footsteps might reveal to him what she had 

said。 

   Passing   through   the   shop   on   our   way   out;   as   we   had   passed 

through it on our way in; we found the old man storing a quantity 

of packets of waste paper; in a kind of well in the floor。 He seemed 

to   be   working     hard;    with   the   perspiration      standing    on   his 

forehead; and had a piece of chalk by him; with which; as he put 

each separate package or bundle down; he made a crooked mark 

on the panelling of the wall。 

   Richard and Ada; and Miss Jellyby; and the little old lady; had 

gone by him; and I was going; when he touched me on the arm to 

stay me; and chalked the letter J upon the wall—in a very curious 

manner;      beginning     with   the   end   of  the  letter  and    shaping    it 

backward。 It was a capital letter; not a printed one; but just such a 

letter   as   any   clerk   in   Messrs。   Kenge   and   Carboy’s   office   would 

have made。 

    “Can you read it?” he asked me with a keen glance。 

    “Surely;” said I。 “It’s very plain。” 

    “What is it?” 

    “J。” 

   With another glance at me; and a glance at the door; he rubbed 

it out; and turned an a in its place (not a capital letter this time); 

and said; “What’s that?” 

   I told him。 He then rubbed that out; and turned the letter r; and 

asked   me   the   same   question。   He   went   on   quickly;   until   he   had 

formed; in the same curious and bottoms of the   letters;   the   word 

Jarndyce; without once leaving two letters on the wall together。 

    “What does that spell?” he asked me。 



Charles Dickens                                                   ElecBook Classics 


… Page 86…

                                  Bleak House                                     86 



    When I told him; he laughed。 In the same odd way; yet with the 

same rapidity; he then produced singly; and rubbed out singly; the 

letters     forming     the    words     Bleak     House。     These;     in   some 

astonishment; I also read; and he laughed again。 

    “Hi!” said the old man; laying aside the chalk; “I have a turn for 

copying   from   memory;   you   see;   miss;   though   I   can   neither   read 

nor write。” 

    He   looked   so   disagreeable;   and   his   cat   looked   so   wickedly   at 

me;   as   if  I   were   a  blood…relation   of  the   birds   upstairs;   that   I   was 

quite relieved by Richard’s appearing at the door and saying: 

    “Miss Summerson; I hope you are not bargaining for the sale of 

your hair。 Don’t be tempted。 Three sacks below are quite enough 

for Mr Krook!” 

    I lost no time in wishing Mr Krook good morning; and joining 

my friends outside; where we parted with the little old lady; who 

gave     us  her   blessing    with   great    ceremony;     and    renewed      her 

assurance   of   yesterday   in   reference   to   her   intention      of  settling 

estates on Ada and me。 Before we finally turned out of those lanes; 

we looked back; and saw Mr Krook standing at his shop door; in 

his spectacles; looking after us; with his cat upon his shoulder; and 

her tail sticking up on one side of his hairy cap; like a tall feather。 

    “Quite   an adventure   for  a   morning  in   London!”   said   Richard; 

with a sigh。 “Ah; cousin; cousin; it’s a weary word this Chancery!” 

    “It is to me; and has been ever since I can remember;” returned 

Ada。   “I   am   grieved   that   I   should   be   the   enemy—as   I   suppose   I 

am—of   a     great   number      of  relations   and    others;   and   that  they 

should be my enemies—as I suppose they are; and that we should 

all be ruining one another; without knowing how or why; and be in 

constant doubt and disco
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