bleak house(凄凉的房子)-第58章
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“Is it Gridley that’s wanted？” he said； fixing his eyes on me with
an angry stare。
“No； sir；” said I； “I am going higher up。”
He looked at Ada； and at Mr Jarndyce； and at Mr Skimpole：
fixing the same angry stare on each in succession； as they passed
and followed me。 Mr Jarndyce gave him good day。 “Good day！” he
said； abruptly and fiercely。 He was a tall sallow man with a
careworn head； on which but little hair remained； a deeply lined
face； and prominent eyes。 He had a combative look； and a chafing；
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irritable manner； which； associated with his figure—still large and
powerful； though evidently in its decline—rather alarmed me。 He
had a pen in his hand； and； in the glimpse I caught of his room in
passing； I saw that it was covered with a litter of papers。
Leaving him standing there； we went up to the top room。 I
tapped at the door； and a little shrill voice inside said； “We are
locked in。 Mrs Blinder’s got the key！”
I applied the key on hearing this； and opened the door。 In a
poor room； with a sloping ceiling； and containing very little
furniture； was a mite of a boy； some five or six years old； nursing
and hushing a heavy child of eighteen months。 There was no fire；
though the weather was cold； both children were wrapped in some
poor shawls and tippets； as a substitute。 Their clothing was not so
warm； however； but that their noses looked red and pinched； and
their small figures shrunken； as the boy walked up and down；
nursing and hushing the child with its head on his shoulder。
“Who has locked you up her alone？” we naturally asked。
“Charley；” said the boy； standing still to gaze at us。
“Is Charley your brother？”
“No。 She’s my sister Charlotte。 Father called her Charley。”
“Are there any more of you besides Charley？”
“Me；” said the boy； “and Emma；” patting the limp bonnet of the
child he was nursing。 “And Charley。”
“Where is Charley now？”
“Out a…washing；” said the boy； beginning to walk up and down
again； and taking the nankeen bonnet much too near the
bedstead； by trying to gaze at us at the same time。
We were looking at one another； and at these two children；
when there came into the room a very little girl； childish in figure
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but shrewd and older…looking in the face—pretty…faced too—
wearing a womanly sort of bonnet much too large for her； and
drying her bare arms on a womanly sort of apron。 Her fingers
were white and wrinkled with washing； and the soap…suds were
yet smoking which she wiped off her arms。 But for this； she might
have been a child； playing at washing； and imitating a poor
working…woman with a quick observation of the truth。
She had come running from some place in the neighbourhood；
and had made all the haste she could。 Consequently； though she
was very light； she was out of breath； and could not speak at first；
as she stood panting； and wiping her arms； and looking quietly at
us。
“O； here’s Charley！” said the boy。
The child he was nursing； stretched forth its arms； and cried
out to be taken by Charley。 The little girl took it； in a womanly sort
of manner belonging to the apron and the bonnet； and stood
looking at us over the burden that clung to her most affectionately。
“Is it possible；” whispered my Guardian； as we put a chair for
the little creature； and got her to sit down with her load： the boy
keeping close to her； holding to her apron； “that this child works
for the rest？ Look at this！ For God’s sake look at this！”
It was a thing to look at。 The three children close together； and
two of them relying solely on the third； and the third so young and
yet with an air of age and steadiness that sat so strangely on the
childish figure。
“Charley； Charley！” said my Guardian。 “How old are you？”
“Over thirteen； sir；” replied the child。
“O！ What a great age；” said my Guardian。 “What a great age；
Charley！”
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I cannot describe the tenderness with which he spoke to her；
half playfully； yet all the more compassionately and mournfully。
“And do you live alone here with these babies； Charley？” said
my Guardian。
“Yes； sir；” returned the child； looking up into his face with
perfect confidence； “since father died。”
“And how do you live； Charley？ O！ Charley；” said my Guardian；
turning his face away for a moment； “how do you live？”
“Since father died； sir； I’ve gone out to work。 I’m out washing
today。”
“God help you； Charley！” said my Guardian。 “You’re not tall
enough to reach the tub！”
“In pattens I am； sir；” she said； quickly。 “I’ve got a high pair as
belonged to mother。”
“And when did mother die？ Poor mother！”
“Mother died； just after Emma was born；” said the child；
glancing at the face upon her bosom。 “Then father said I was to be
as good a mother to her as I could。 And so I tried。 And so I worked
at home； and did cleaning and nursing and washing； for a long
time before I began to go out。 And that’s how I know how； don’t
you see； sir？”
“And do you often go out？”
“As often as I can；” said Charley； opening her eyes； and smiling；
“because of earning sixpences and shillings！”
“And do you always lock the babies up when you go out？”
“To keep ’em safe； sir； don’t you see？” said Charley。 “Mrs
Blinder comes up now and then； and Mr Gridley comes up
sometimes； and perhaps I can run in sometimes； and they can
play； you know； and Tom ain’t afraid of being locked up； are you；
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Tom？”
“No…o！” said Tom； stoutly。
“When it comes on dark； the lamps are lighted down in the
court； and they show up here quite bright—almost quite bright。
Don’t they； Tom？”
“Yes； Charley；” said Tom； “almost quite bright。”
“Then he’s as good as gold；” said the little creature—O！ in such
a motherly； womanly way！ “And when Emma’s tired； he puts her
to bed。 And when he’s tired he goes to bed himself。 And when I
come home and light the candle； and has a bit of supper； he sits up
again and has it with me。 Don’t you； Tom？”
“O yes； Charley；” said Tom。 “That I do！” And either in this
glimpse of the great pleasure of his life； or in gratitude and love for
Charley； who was all in all to him； he laid his face among the
scanty folds of her frock； and passed from laughing into crying。
It was the first time since our entry that a tear had been shed
among these children。 The little orphan girl had spoken of their
father； and their mother； as if all that sorrow were subdued by the
necessity of taking courage； and by her childish importance in
being able to work； and by her bustling busy way。 But now； when
Tom cried； although she sat quite tranquil； looking quietly at us；
and did not by any movement disturb a hair of the head of either
of her little charges； I saw two silent tears fall down her face。
I stood at the window with Ada； pretending to look at the
housetops； and the blackened stack of chimneys； and the poor
plants； and the birds in little cages belonging to the neighbours；
when I found that Mrs Blinder； from the shop below； had come in
（perhaps it had taken her all this time to get upstairs） and was
talking to my Guardian。
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“It’s not much to forgive ’em the rent； sir；” she said： “who could
take it from them！”
“Well； well！” said my Guardian to us two。 “It is enough that the
time will come when this good woman will find that it was much；
and that forasmuch as she did it unto the least of these —！” This
child；” he added； after a few moments； “could she possibly
continue this？”
“Really； sir； I think she might；” said Mrs Blinder； getting her
heavy breath by painful degrees。 “She’s as handy as is possible to
be。 Bless you； sir； the way she tended them two children； after the
mother died； was the talk of the yard！ And it was a wonder to see
her with him after he was took ill； it really was！ ‘Mrs Blinder；’ he
said to me the very last he spoke—he was lying there—’Mrs
Blinder； whatever my calling may have been； I see a Angel sitting
in this room last night along with my child； and I trust her to Our
Father！’“ “He had no other calling？” said my Guardian。
“No； sir；” returned Mrs Blinder； “he was nothing but a follerer。
When he first came to lodge here； I didn’t know what he was； and I
confess that when I found out I gave him notice。 It wasn’t liked in
the yard。 It wasn’t approved by the other lodgers。 It is not a
genteel calling；” said Mrs Blinder； “and most people do object to
it。 Mr Gridley objected to it very strong； and he is a good lodger；
though his temper has been hard tried。”
“So you gave him notice？” said my Guardian。
“So I gave him notice；” said Miss Blinder。 “But really when the
time came and I knew no other ill of him； I was in doubts。 H
