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above her。
'You will understand; I dare say; without my telling you; that my
brother has e home to find my dear father's will; and to take
possession of his property。 He says; if there is a will; he is sure I
shall be left rich; and if there is none; that he will make me so。'
He would have spoken; but she put up her trembling hand again; and he
stopped。
'I have no use for money; I have no wish for it。 It would be of no value
at all to me but for your sake。 I could not be rich; and you here。 I
must always be much worse than poor; with you distressed。 Will you let
me lend you all I have? Will you let me give it you? Will you let me
show you that I have never forgotten; that I never can forget; your
protection of me when this was my home? Dear Mr Clennam; make me of all
the world the happiest; by saying Yes。 Make me as happy as I can be in
leaving you here; by saying nothing to…night; and letting me go
away with the hope that you will think of it kindly; and that for my
sake……not for yours; for mine; for nobody's but mine!……you will give me
the greatest joy I can experience on earth; the joy of knowing that I
have been serviceable to you; and that I have paid some little of the
great debt of my affection and gratitude。 I can't say what I wish to
say。 I can't visit you here where I have lived so long; I can't think of
you here where I have seen so much; and be as calm and forting as I
ought。 My tears will make their way。 I cannot keep them back。 But
pray; pray; pray; do not turn from your Little Dorrit; now; in your
affliction! Pray; pray; pray; I beg you and implore you with all my
grieving heart; my friend……my dear!……take all I have; and make it a
Blessing to me!'
The star had shone on her face until now; when her face sank upon his
hand and her own。
It had grown darker when he raised her in his encircling arm; and softly
answered her。
'No; darling Little Dorrit。 No; my child。 I must not hear of such a
sacrifice。 Liberty and hope would be so dear; bought at such a price;
that I could never support their weight; never bear the reproach of
possessing them。 But with what ardent thankfulness and love I say this;
I may call Heaven to witness!'
'And yet you will not let me be faithful to you in your affliction?'
'Say; dearest Little Dorrit; and yet I will try to be faithful to you。
If; in the bygone days when this was your home and when this was your
dress; I had understood myself (I speak only of myself) better; and
had read the secrets of my own breast more distinctly; if; through my
reserve and self…mistrust; I had discerned a light that I see brightly
now when it has passed far away; and my weak footsteps can never
overtake it; if I had then known; and told you that I loved and honoured
you; not as the poor child I used to call you; but as a woman whose
true hand would raise me high above myself and make me a far happier and
better man; if I had so used the opportunity there is no recalling……as
I wish I had; O I wish I had!……and if something had kept us apart then;
when I was moderately thriving; and when you were poor; I might have met
your noble offer of your fortune; dearest girl; with other words than
these; and still have blushed to touch it。 But; as it is; I must never
touch it; never!'
She besought him; more pathetically and earnestly; with her little
supplicatory hand; than she could have done in any words。
'I am disgraced enough; my Little Dorrit。 I must not descend so low as
that; and carry you……so dear; so generous; so good……down with me。 GOD
bless you; GOD reward you! It is past。' He took her in his arms; as if
she had been his daughter。
'Always so much older; so much rougher; and so much less worthy; even
what I was must be dismissed by both of us; and you must see me only as
I am。 I put this parting kiss upon your cheek; my child……who might have
been more near to me; who never could have been more dear……a ruined man
far removed from you; for ever separated from you; whose course is
run while yours is but beginning。 I have not the courage to ask to be
forgotten by you in my humiliation; but I ask to be remembered only as I
am。'
The bell began to ring; warning visitors to depart。 He took her mantle
from the wall; and tenderly wrapped it round her。
'One other word; my Little Dorrit。 A hard one to me; but it is a
necessary one。 The time when you and this prison had anything in mon
has long gone by。 Do you understand?'
'O! you will never say to me;' she cried; weeping bitterly; and holding
up her clasped hands in entreaty; 'that I am not to e back any more!
You will surely not desert me so!'
'I would say it; if I could; but I have not the courage quite to shut
out this dear face; and abandon all hope of its return。 But do not e
soon; do not e often! This is now a tainted place; and I well know
the taint of it clings to me。 You belong to much brighter and better
scenes。 You are not to look back here; my Little Dorrit; you are to look
away to very different and much happier paths。 Again; GOD bless you in
them! GOD reward you!'
Maggy; who had fallen into very low spirits; here cried; 'Oh get him
into a hospital; do get him into a hospital; Mother! He'll never look
like hisself again; if he an't got into a hospital。 And then the little
woman as was always a spinning at her wheel; she can go to the cupboard
with the Princess; and say; what do you keep the Chicking there for? and
then they can take it out and give it to him; and then all be happy!'
The interruption was seasonable; for the bell had nearly rung itself
out。 Again tenderly wrapping her mantle about her; and taking her on his
arm (though; but for her visit; he was almost too weak to walk); Arthur
led Little Dorrit down…stairs。 She was the last visitor to pass out at
the Lodge; and the gate jarred heavily and hopelessly upon her。
With the funeral clang that it sounded into Arthur's heart; his sense of
weakness returned。 It was a toilsome journey up…stairs to his room; and
he re…entered its dark solitary precincts in unutterable misery。
When it was almost midnight; and the prison had long been quiet; a
cautious creak came up the stair