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bleak house(凄凉的房子)-第46章

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    “Jarndyce! Here we are; sir;” says Mr Snagsby。 “To be sure! I 

might have remembered it。 This was given out; sir; to a Writer who 

lodges just over on the opposite side of the lane。” 



Charles Dickens                                                     ElecBook Classics 


… Page 189…

                                   Bleak House                                    189 



    Mr   Tulkinghorn   has   seen   the   entry;   found   it   before   the   Law… 

stationer; read it while the forefinger was coming down the hill。 

    “What do you call him? Nemo?” says Mr Tulkinghorn。 

    “Nemo;      sir。  Here    it  is。  Forty…two     folio。  Given     out   on   the 

Wednesday   night;   at   eight   o’clock;   brought   in   on   the   Thursday 

morning at half after nine。” 

    “Nemo!” repeats Mr Tulkinghorn。 “Nemo is Latin for no one。” 

    “It   must   be   English   for   some   one;   sir;   I   think;”   Mr   Snagsby 

submits; with his deferential cough。 “It is a person’s name。 Here it 

is; you see; sir! Forty…two folio。 Given out Wednesday night; eight 

o’clock; brought in; Thursday morning; half after nine。” 

    The tail of Mr Snagsby’s eye becomes conscious of the head of 

Mrs Snagsby looking in at the shop…door to know what he means 

by deserting his tea。 Mr Snagsby addresses an explanatory cough 

to Mrs Snagsby; as who should say; “My dear; a customer!” 

    “Half   after   nine;   sir;”   repeats   Mr   Snagsby。   “Our   law…writers; 

who   live   by   job…work;   are   a   queer   lot;   and   this   may   not   be   his 

name; but it’s the name he goes by。 I remember now; sir; that he 

gives it in a written advertisement he sticks up down at the Rule 

Office;   and   the   King’s   Bench   Office;   and   the   Judges’   Chambers; 

and     so  forth。   You    know     the  kind    of  document;      sir—wanting 

employ?” 

    Mr Tulkinghorn glances through the little window at the   back 

of Coavins’s; the sheriff’s officer’s; where lights shine in Coavins’s 

windows。 Coavins’s coffee…room is at the back; and the shadows of 

several   gentlemen   under   a   cloud   loom   cloudily   upon   the   blinds。 

Mr Snagsby takes the opportunity of slightly turning his head; to 

glance     over    his   shoulder     at  his   little  woman;      and   to   make 

apologetic motions with his mouth to this effect: 



Charles Dickens                                                     ElecBook Classics 


… Page 190…

                                   Bleak House                                    190 



    “Tul…king…horn—rich—in…flu…en…tial!” 

    “Have you given this man work before?” asks Mr Tulkinghorn。 

    “O dear; yes; sir! Work of yours。” 

    “Thinking of  more   important matters;   I   forget  where   you  said 

he lived?” 

    “Across   the   lane;   sir。   In   fact;   he   lodges   at   a—”  Mr   Snagsby 

makes      another     bolt;  as   if  the  bit   of  bread    and    butter    were 

insurmountable—“at a Rag and Bottle shop。” 

    “Can you show me the place as I go back?” 

    “With the greatest pleasure; sir!” 

    Mr Snagsby pulls off his sleeves and his grey coat; pulls on his 

black    coat;   takes   his   hat  from    its  peg。   “Oh!   here    is  my   little 

woman!” he says aloud。 “My dear; will you be so kind as to tell one 

of the lads to look after the shop; while I step across the lane with 

Mr Tulkinghorn? Mrs Snagsby; sir—I shan’t  be   two  minutes;  my 

love!” 

    Mrs   Snagsby  bends   to   the   lawyer;   retires   behind   the   counter; 

peeps at them through the window…blind; goes softly into the back 

office; refers to the entries in the book still lying open。 Is evidently 

curious。 

    “You   will   find   that   the   place   is   rough;   sir;”   says   Mr   Snagsby; 

walking      deferentially      in  the    road;    and    leaving    the   narrow 

pavement to the lawyer; “and the party is very rough。 But they’re 

a wild lot in general; sir。 The advantage of this particular man is; 

that he never wants sleep。 He’ll go at it right on end; if you want 

him to; as long as ever you like。” 

    It is quite dark now; and the gas…lamps have acquired their full 

effect。   Jostling   against   clerks   going   to   post   the   day’s   letters;   and 

against counsel and attorneys going  home   to  dinner; and against 



Charles Dickens                                                     ElecBook Classics 


… Page 191…

                                 Bleak House                                  191 



plaintiffs and defendants; and suitors of all sorts; and against the 

general   crowd;     in   whose   way   the  forensic   wisdom     of  ages   has 

interposed      a  million    of  obstacles     to  the   transaction     of  the 

commonest   business   of  life—diving   through   law   and   equity;   and 

through   that   kindred   mystery;   the   street   mud;   which   is   made   of 

nobody knows what; and collects about us nobody knows whence 

or how: we only knowing in general that when there is too much of 

it; we find it necessary to shovel it away—the lawyer and the law… 

stationer come to a Rag and Bottle shop; and general emporium of 

much disregarded merchandise; lying and being in the shadow of 

the wall of Lincoln’s Inn; and kept; as is announced in paint; to all 

whom it may concern; by one Krook。 

   “This is where he lives; sir;” says the law…stationer。 

   “This is where he lives; is it?” says   the lawyer  unconcernedly。 

“Thank you。” 

   “Are you not going in; sir?” 

   “No; thank you; no; I am going on to the Fields at present。 Good 

evening。 Thank you!” Mr Snagsby lifts his hat; and returns to his 

little woman and his tea。 

   But; Mr Tulkinghorn does not go on to the Fields at present。 He 

goes    a  short  way;   turns   back;   comes    again   to  the  shop   of  Mr 

Krook; and enters it straight。 It is dim enough; with a blot…headed 

candle or so in the windows; and an old man and a cat sitting  in 

the back part by a fire。 The old man rises and comes forward; with 

another blot…headed candle in his hand。 

   “Pray is your lodger within?” 

   “Male or female; sir?” says Mr Krook。 

   “Male。 The person who does copying。” 

   Mr Krook has eyed his man narrowly。 Knows him by sight。 Has 



Charles Dickens                                                  ElecBook Classics 


… Page 192…

                                   Bleak House                                     192 



an indistinct impression of his aristocratic repute。 

    “Did you wish to see him; sir?” 

    “Yes。” 

    “It’s   what   I  seldom   do   myself;”   says     Mr   Krook     with   a  grin。 

“Shall I call him down? But it’s a weak chance if he’d come; sir!” 

    “I’ll go up to him; then;” says Mr Tulkinghorn。 

    “Second floor; sir。 Take the candle。 Up there!” Mr Krook; with 

his   cat  beside   him;   stands   at   the   bottom   of   the   staircase   looking 

after Mr Tulkinghorn。 “Hi…hi!” he says; when Mr Tulkinghorn has 

nearly disappeared。 The lawyer looks down over the handrail。 The 

cat expands her wicked mouth; and snarls at him。 

    “Order;   Lady   Jane!   Behave   yourself   to   visitors;   my   lady!   You 

know   what   they   say   of   my   lodger?”   whispers   Krook;   going   up   a 

step or two。 

    “What do they say of him?” 

    “They   say   he   has   sold   himself   to   the   Enemy;   but   you   and   I 

know better—he don’t buy。 I’ll tell you what; though; my lodger is 

so black…humoured and gloomy; that I believe he’d as soon make 

that    bargain    as   any   other。   Don’t    put   him    out;  sir。  That’s    my 

advice!” 

    Mr Tulkinghorn   with  a nod   goes   on   his  way。   He   comes   to  the 

dark   door   on   the   second   floor。   He   knocks;   receives   no   answer; 

opens it; and accidentally extinguishes his candle in doing so。 

    The air of the room is almost bad enough to have extinguished 

it;   if   he   had   not。   It   is   a   small   room;   nearly   black   with   soot;   and 

grease;   and   dirt。   In   the   rusty   skeleton   of   a   grate;   pinched   at   the 

middle as if Poverty had gripped it; a red coke fire burns low。 In 

the corner by the chimney; stand a deal table and a broken desk; a 

wilderness marked with a rain of ink。 In another corner; a ragged 



Charles Dickens                                                      ElecBook Classics 


… Page 193…

                                   Bleak House                                     193 



old   portmanteau   on   one   of   the   two   chairs;   serves   for   cabinet   or 

wardrobe; no larger one is needed; for it collapses like the cheeks 

of   a  starved    man。    The    floor  is  bare;   except    that  one    old  ma
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