首页 >出版文学> LITTLE DORRIT>第88章

第88章

  Othermuleshadarrivednotlongbefore,somewithpeasantridersandsomewithgoods,andhadtroddenthesnowaboutthedoorintoapoolofmud。Riding-saddlesandbridles,pack-saddlesandstringsofbells,mulesandmen,lanterns,torches,sacks,provender,barrels,cheeses,kegsofhoneyandbutter,strawbundlesandpackagesofmanyshapes,werecrowdedconfusedlytogetherinthisthawedquagmireandaboutthesteps。Uphereintheclouds,everythingwasseenthroughcloud,andseemeddissolvingintocloud。Thebreathofthemenwascloud,thebreathofthemuleswascloud,thelightswereencircledbycloud,speakerscloseathandwerenotseenforcloud,thoughtheirvoicesandallothersoundsweresurprisinglyclear。Ofthecloudylineofmuleshastilytiedtoringsinthewall,onewouldbiteanother,orkickanother,andthenthewholemistwouldbedisturbed:withmendivingintoit,andcriesofmenandbeastscomingoutofit,andnobystanderdiscerningwhatwaswrong。Inthemidstofthis,thegreatstableoftheconvent,occupyingthebasementstoryandenteredbythebasementdoor,outsidewhichallthedisorderwas,pouredforthitscontributionofcloud,asifthewholeruggededificewerefilledwithnothingelse,andwouldcollapseassoonasithademptieditself,leavingthesnowtofalluponthebaremountainsummit。
  Whileallthisnoiseandhurrywererifeamongthelivingtravellers,there,too,silentlyassembledinagratedhousehalf-
  a-dozenpacesremoved,withthesamecloudenfoldingthemandthesamesnowflakesdriftinginuponthem,werethedeadtravellersfounduponthemountain。Themother,storm-belatedmanywintersago,stillstandinginthecornerwithherbabyatherbreast;themanwhohadfrozenwithhisarmraisedtohismouthinfearorhunger,stillpressingitwithhisdrylipsafteryearsandyears。
  Anawfulcompany,mysteriouslycometogether!Awilddestinyforthatmothertohaveforeseen!’SurroundedbysomanyandsuchcompanionsuponwhomIneverlooked,andnevershalllook,Iandmychildwilldwelltogetherinseparable,ontheGreatSaintBernard,outlastinggenerationswhowillcometoseeus,andwillneverknowourname,oronewordofourstorybuttheend。’
  Thelivingtravellersthoughtlittleornothingofthedeadjustthen。Theythoughtmuchmoreofalightingattheconventdoor,andwarmingthemselvesattheconventfire。Disengagedfromtheturmoil,whichwasalreadycalmingdownasthecrowdofmulesbegantobebestowedinthestable,theyhurriedshiveringupthestepsandintothebuilding。Therewasasmellwithin,comingupfromthefloor,oftetheredbeasts,likethesmellofamenagerieofwildanimals。Therewerestrongarchedgallerieswithin,hugestonepiers,greatstaircases,andthickwallspiercedwithsmallsunkenwindows——fortificationsagainstthemountainstorms,asiftheyhadbeenhumanenemies。Thereweregloomyvaultedsleeping-
  roomswithin,intenselycold,butcleanandhospitablypreparedforguests。Finally,therewasaparlourforgueststositinandsupin,whereatablewasalreadylaid,andwhereablazingfireshoneredandhigh。
  Inthisroom,afterhavinghadtheirquartersforthenightallottedtothembytwoyoungFathers,thetravellerspresentlydrewroundthehearth。Theywereinthreeparties;ofwhomthefirst,asthemostnumerousandimportant,wastheslowest,andhadbeenovertakenbyoneoftheothersonthewayup。Itconsistedofanelderlylady,twogrey-hairedgentlemen,twoyoungladies,andtheirbrother。Thesewereattendednottomentionfourguides,byacourier,twofootmen,andtwowaiting-maids:whichstrongbodyofinconveniencewasaccommodatedelsewhereunderthesameroof。
  Thepartythathadovertakenthem,andfollowedintheirtrain,consistedofonlythreemembers:oneladyandtwogentlemen。Thethirdparty,whichhadascendedfromthevalleyontheItaliansideofthePass,andhadarrivedfirst,werefourinnumber:aplethoric,hungry,andsilentGermantutorinspectacles,onatourwiththreeyoungmen,hispupils,allplethoric,hungry,andsilent,andallinspectacles。
  Thesethreegroupssatroundthefireeyeingeachotherdrily,andwaitingforsupper。Onlyoneamongthem,oneofthegentlemenbelongingtothepartyofthree,madeadvancestowardsconversation。ThrowingouthislinesfortheChiefoftheimportanttribe,whileaddressinghimselftohisowncompanions,heremarked,inatoneofvoicewhichincludedallthecompanyiftheychosetobeincluded,thatithadbeenalongday,andthathefeltfortheladies。Thathefearedoneoftheyoungladieswasnotastrongoraccustomedtraveller,andhadbeenover-fatiguedtwoorthreehoursago。Thathehadobserved,fromhisstationintherear,thatshesathermuleasifshewereexhausted。Thathehad,twiceorthriceafterwards,donehimselfthehonourofinquiringofoneoftheguides,whenhefellbehind,howtheladydid。Thathehadbeenenchantedtolearnthatshehadrecoveredherspirits,andthatithadbeenbutapassingdiscomfort。ThathetrustedbythistimehehadsecuredtheeyesoftheChief,andaddressedhim
  hemightbepermittedtoexpresshishopethatshewasnownonetheworse,andthatshewouldnotregrethavingmadethejourney。
  ’Mydaughter,Iamobligedtoyou,sir,’returnedtheChief,’isquiterestored,andhasbeengreatlyinterested。’
  ’Newtomountains,perhaps?’saidtheinsinuatingtraveller。
  ’Newto——ha——tomountains,’saidtheChief。
  ’Butyouarefamiliarwiththem,sir?’theinsinuatingtravellerassumed。
  ’Iam——hum——tolerablyfamiliar。Notoflateyears。Notoflateyears,’repliedtheChief,withaflourishofhishand。
  Theinsinuatingtraveller,acknowledgingtheflourishwithaninclinationofhishead,passedfromtheChieftothesecondyounglady,whohadnotyetbeenreferredtootherwisethanasoneoftheladiesinwhosebehalfhefeltsosensitiveaninterest。
  Hehopedshewasnotincommodedbythefatiguesoftheday。
  ’Incommoded,certainly,’returnedtheyounglady,’butnottired。’
  Theinsinuatingtravellercomplimentedheronthejusticeofthedistinction。Itwaswhathehadmeanttosay。Everyladymustdoubtlessbeincommodedbyhavingtodowiththatproverbiallyunaccommodatinganimal,themule。
  ’Wehavehad,ofcourse,’saidtheyounglady,whowasratherreservedandhaughty,’toleavethecarriagesandfourgonatMartigny。Andtheimpossibilityofbringinganythingthatonewantstothisinaccessibleplace,andthenecessityofleavingeverycomfortbehind,isnotconvenient。’
  ’Asavageplaceindeed,’saidtheinsinuatingtraveller。
  Theelderlylady,whowasamodelofaccuratedressing,andwhosemannerwasperfect,consideredasapieceofmachinery,hereinterposedaremarkinalowsoftvoice。
  ’But,likeotherinconvenientplaces,’sheobserved,’itmustbeseen。Asaplacemuchspokenof,itisnecessarytoseeit。’
  ’O!Ihavenottheleastobjectiontoseeingit,Iassureyou,MrsGeneral,’returnedtheother,carelessly。
  ’You,madam,’saidtheinsinuatingtraveller,’havevisitedthisspotbefore?’
  ’Yes,’returnedMrsGeneral。’Ihavebeenherebefore。Letmecommendyou,mydear,’totheformeryounglady,’toshadeyourfacefromthehotwood,afterexposuretothemountainairandsnow。You,too,mydear,’totheotherandyoungerlady,whoimmediatelydidso;whiletheformermerelysaid,’Thankyou,MrsGeneral,IamPerfectlycomfortable,andpreferremainingasIam。’
  Thebrother,whohadlefthischairtoopenapianothatstoodintheroom,andwhohadwhistledintoitandshutitupagain,nowcamestrollingbacktothefirewithhisglassinhiseye。Hewasdressedintheveryfullestandcompletesttravellingtrim。Theworldseemedhardlylargeenoughtoyieldhimanamountoftravelproportionatetohisequipment。
  ’Thesefellowsareanimmensetimewithsupper,’hedrawled。’I
  wonderwhatthey’llgiveus!Hasanybodyanyidea?’
  ’Notroastman,Ibelieve,’repliedthevoiceofthesecondgentlemanofthepartyofthree。
  ’Isupposenot。Whatd’yemean?’heinquired。
  ’That,asyouarenottobeservedforthegeneralsupper,perhapsyouwilldousthefavourofnotcookingyourselfatthegeneralfire,’returnedtheother。
  Theyounggentlemanwhowasstandinginaneasyattitudeonthehearth,cockinghisglassatthecompany,withhisbacktotheblazeandhiscoattuckedunderhisarms,somethingasifhewereOfthePoultryspeciesandweretrussedforroasting,lostcountenanceatthisreply;heseemedabouttodemandfurtherexplanation,whenitwasdiscovered——throughalleyesturningonthespeaker——thattheladywithhim,whowasyoungandbeautiful,hadnotheardwhathadpassedthroughhavingfaintedwithherheaduponhisshoulder。
  ’Ithink,’saidthegentlemaninasubduedtone,’Ihadbestcarryherstraighttoherroom。Willyoucalltosomeonetobringalight?’addressinghiscompanion,’andtoshowtheway?InthisstrangeramblingplaceIdon’tknowthatIcouldfindit。’
  ’Pray,letmecallmymaid,’criedthetalleroftheyoungladies。
  ’Pray,letmeputthiswatertoherlips,’saidtheshorter,whohadnotspokenyet。
  Eachdoingwhatshesuggested,therewasnowantofassistance。
  Indeed,whenthetwomaidscameinescortedbythecourier,lestanyoneshouldstrikethemdumbbyaddressingaforeignlanguagetothemontheroad,therewasaprospectoftoomuchassistance。
  Seeingthis,andsayingasmuchinafewwordstotheslighterandyoungerofthetwoladies,thegentlemanputhiswife’sarmoverhisshoulder,liftedherup,andcarriedheraway。
  Hisfriend,beingleftalonewiththeothervisitors,walkedslowlyupanddowntheroomwithoutcomingtothefireagain,pullinghisblackmoustacheinacontemplativemanner,asifhefelthimselfcommittedtothelateretort。Whilethesubjectofitwasbreathinginjuryinacorner,theChiefloftilyaddressedthisgentleman。
  ’Yourfriend,sir,’saidhe,’is——ha——isalittleimpatient;and,inhisimpatience,isnotperhapsfullysensibleofwhatheowesto——hum——to——butwewillwaivethat,wewillwaivethat。Yourfriendisalittleimpatient,sir。’
  ’Itmaybeso,sir,’returnedtheother。’Buthavinghadthehonourofmakingthatgentleman’sacquaintanceatthehotelatGeneva,whereweandmuchgoodcompanymetsometimeago,andhavinghadthehonourofexchangingcompanyandconversationwiththatgentlemanonseveralsubsequentexcursions,Icanhearnothing——no,notevenfromoneofyourappearanceandstation,sir——detrimentaltothatgentleman。’
  ’Youareinnodanger,sir,ofhearinganysuchthingfromme。Inremarkingthatyourfriendhasshownimpatience,Isaynosuchthing。Imakethatremark,becauseitisnottobedoubtedthatmyson,beingbybirthandby——ha——byeducationa——hum——agentleman,wouldhavereadilyadaptedhimselftoanyobliginglyexpressedwishonthesubjectofthefirebeingequallyaccessibletothewholeofthepresentcircle。Which,inprinciple,I——ha——forallare——hum——
  equalontheseoccasions——Iconsiderright。’
  ’Good,’wasthereply。’Andthereitends!Iamyourson’sobedientservant。Ibegyoursontoreceivetheassuranceofmyprofoundconsideration。Andnow,sir,Imayadmit,freelyadmit,thatmyfriendissometimesofasarcastictemper。’
  ’Theladyisyourfriend’swife,sir?’
  ’Theladyismyfriend’swife,sir。’
  ’Sheisveryhandsome。’
  ’Sir,sheispeerless。Theyarestillinthefirstyearoftheirmarriage。Theyarestillpartlyonamarriage,andpartlyonanartistic,tour。’
  ’Yourfriendisanartist,sir?’
  Thegentlemanrepliedbykissingthefingersofhisrighthand,andwaftingthekissthelengthofhisarmtowardsHeaven。Aswhoshouldsay,IdevotehimtothecelestialPowersasanimmortalartist!
  ’Butheisamanoffamily,’headded。’Hisconnectionsareofthebest。Heismorethananartist:heishighlyconnected。Hemay,ineffect,haverepudiatedhisconnections,proudly,impatiently,sarcasticallyImaketheconcessionofbothwords;buthehasthem。Sparksthathavebeenstruckoutduringourintercoursehaveshownmethis。’
  ’Well!Ihope,’saidtheloftygentleman,withtheairoffinallydisposingofthesubject,’thatthelady’sindispositionmaybeonlytemporary。’
  ’Sir,Ihopeso。’
  ’Merefatigue,Idaresay。’