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第226章

little dorrit-信丽(英文版)-第226章

小说: little dorrit-信丽(英文版) 字数: 每页3500字

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draught of his mixture。 'Anything more?'

'Yes; sir; yes; sir; something more。 I am not at all pleased; Mr Pancks;
with my daughter; not at all pleased。 Besides calling much too often
to inquire for Mrs Clennam; Mrs Clennam; who is not just now in
circumstances that are by any means calculated to……to be satisfactory to
all parties; she goes; Mr Pancks; unless I am much deceived; to inquire
for Mr Clennam in jail。 In jail。'

'He's laid up; you know;' said Pancks。 'Perhaps it's kind。'

'Pooh; pooh; Mr Pancks。 She has nothing to do with that; nothing to do
with that。 I can't allow it。 Let him pay his debts and e out; e
out; pay his debts; and e out。'

Although Mr Pancks's hair was standing up like strong wire; he gave it
another double…handed impulse in the perpendicular direction; and smiled
at his proprietor in a most hideous manner。

'You will please to mention to my daughter; Mr Pancks; that I can't
allow it; can't allow it;' said the Patriarch blandly。

'Oh!' said Pancks。 'You couldn't mention it yourself?'

'No; sir; no; you are paid to mention it;' the blundering old booby
could not resist the temptation of trying it again; 'and you must
mention it to pay; mention it to pay。'

'Oh!' said Pancks。 'Anything more?'

'Yes; sir。 It appears to me; Mr Pancks; that you yourself are too often
and too much in that direction; that direction。 I remend you; Mr
Pancks; to dismiss from your attention both your own losses and other
people's losses; and to mind your business; mind your business。'

Mr Pancks acknowledged this remendation with such an extraordinarily
abrupt; short; and loud utterance of the monosyllable 'Oh!' that even
the unwieldy Patriarch moved his blue eyes in something of a hurry; to
look at him。 Mr Pancks; with a sniff of corresponding intensity; then
added; 'Anything more?'

'Not at present; sir; not at present。 I am going;' said the Patriarch;
finishing his mixture; and rising with an amiable air; 'to take a little
stroll; a little stroll。 Perhaps I shall find you here when I e back。
If not; sir; duty; duty; squeeze; squeeze; squeeze; on Monday; squeeze
on Monday!'

Mr Pancks; after another stiffening of his hair; looked on at the
Patriarchal assumption of the broad…brimmed hat; with a momentary
appearance of indecision contending with a sense of injury。 He was also
hotter than at first; and breathed harder。 But he suffered Mr Casby to
go out; without offering any further remark; and then took a peep at
him over the little green window…blinds。 'I thought so;' he observed。 'I
knew where you were bound to。 Good!' He then steamed back to his Dock;
put it carefully in order; took down his hat; looked round the Dock;
said 'Good…bye!' and puffed away on his own account。 He steered straight
for Mrs Plornish's end of Bleeding Heart Yard; and arrived there; at the
top of the steps; hotter than ever。

At the top of the steps; resisting Mrs Plornish's invitations to e
and sit along with father in Happy Cottage……which to his relief were not
so numerous as they would have been on any other night than Saturday;
when the connection who so gallantly supported the business with
everything but money gave their orders freely……at the top of the steps
Mr Pancks remained until he beheld the Patriarch; who always entered
the Yard at the other end; slowly advancing; beaming; and surrounded
by suitors。 Then Mr Pancks descended and bore down upon him; with his
utmost pressure of steam on。

The Patriarch; approaching with his usual benignity; was surprised to
see Mr Pancks; but supposed him to have been stimulated to an immediate
squeeze instead of postponing that operation until Monday。 The
population of the Yard were astonished at the meeting; for the two
powers had never been seen there together; within the memory of the
oldest Bleeding Heart。 But they were overe by unutterable amazement
when Mr Pancks; going close up to the most venerable of men and halting
in front of the bottle…green waistcoat; made a trigger of his right
thumb and forefinger; applied the same to the brim of the broad…brimmed
hat; and; with singular smartness and precision; shot it off the
polished head as if it had been a large marble。

Having taken this little liberty with the Patriarchal person; Mr Pancks
further astounded and attracted the Bleeding Hearts by saying in an
audible voice; 'Now; you sugary swindler; I mean to have it out with
you!'

Mr Pancks and the Patriarch were instantly the centre of a press; all
eyes and ears; windows were thrown open; and door…steps were thronged。

'What do you pretend to be?' said Mr Pancks。 'What's your moral game?
What do you go in for? Benevolence; an't it? You benevolent!' Here Mr
Pancks; apparently without the intention of hitting him; but merely to
relieve his mind and expend his superfluous power in wholesome exercise;
aimed a blow at the bumpy head; which the bumpy head ducked to
avoid。 This singular performance was repeated; to the ever…increasing
admiration of the spectators; at the end of every succeeding article of
Mr Pancks's oration。

'I have discharged myself from your service;' said Pancks; 'that I may
tell you what you are。 You're one of a lot of impostors that are the
worst lot of all the lots to be met with。 Speaking as a sufferer by
both; I don't know that I wouldn't as soon have the Merdle lot as your
lot。 You're a driver in disguise; a screwer by deputy; a wringer; and
squeezer; and shaver by substitute。 You're a philanthropic sneak。 You're
a shabby deceiver!' (The repetition of the performance at this point was
received with a burst of laughter。)

'Ask these good people who's the hard man here。 They'll tell you Pancks;
I believe。'

This was confirmed with cries of 'Certainly;' and 'Hear!'

'But I tell you; good people……Casby! This mound of meekness; this lump
of love; this bottle…green smiler; this is your driver!' said Pancks。
'If you want to see the man who would flay you alive……here he is! Don't
look for him in me; at thirty shillings a week; but look for him in
Casby; at I don't know how much a year!'

'Good!' cried several voices。 'Hear Mr Pancks!'

'Hear Mr Pancks?' cried that gentleman (after repeating the popular
performance)。 'Yes; I should think so! It's almost time to hear Mr
Pancks。 Mr Pancks has e down into the Yard to…night on purpose that
you should hear him。 Pancks is only the Works; but here's the Winder!'

The audience would have gone over to Mr Pancks; as one man; woman; and
child; but for the long; grey; silken locks; and the broad…brimmed hat。

'Here's the Stop;' said Pancks; 'that sets the tune to be ground。 And
there is but one tune; and its name is Grind; Grind; Grind! Here's the
Proprietor; and here's his Grubber。 Why; good people; when he es
smoothly spinning through the Yard to…night; like a slow…going
benevolent Humming…Top; and when you e about him with your plaints
of the Grubber; you don't know what a cheat the Proprietor is! What do
you think of his showing himself to…night; that I may have all the blame
on Monday? What do you think of his having had me over the coals this
very evening; because I don't squeeze you enough? What do you think of
my being; at the present moment; under special orders to squeeze you dry
on Monday?'

The reply was given in a murmur of 'Shame!' and 'Shabby!'

'Shabby?' snorted Pancks。 'Yes; I should think so! The lot that your
Casby belongs to; is the shabbiest of all the lots。 Setting their
Grubbers on; at a wretched pittance; to do what they're ashamed and
afraid to do and pretend not to do; but what they will have done; or
give a man no rest! Imposing on you to give their Grubbers nothing but
blame; and to give them nothing but credit! Why; the worst…looking
cheat in all this town who gets the value of eighteenpence under false
pretences; an't half such a cheat as this sign…post of The Casby's Head
here!'

Cries of 'That's true!' and 'No more he an't!'

'And see what you get of these fellows; besides;' said Pancks' 'See what
more you get of these precious Humming…Tops; revolving among you with
such smoothness that you've no idea of the pattern painted on 'em; or
the little window in 'em。 I wish to cal

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