As soon as Richard and I had held the conversation of which I havegiven an account, Richard communicated the state of his mind to Mr.
Jarndyce. I doubt if my guardian1 were altogether taken by surprisewhen he received the representation, though it caused him muchuneasiness and disappointment. He and Richard were often closetedtogether, late at night and early in the morning, and passed wholedays in London, and had innumerable appointments with Mr. Kenge,and laboured through a quantity of disagreeable business. Whilethey were thus employed, my guardian, though he underwentconsiderable inconvenience from the state of the wind and rubbedhis head so constantly that not a single hair upon it ever restedin its right place, was as genial2 with Ada and me as at any othertime, but maintained a steady reserve on these matters. And as ourutmost endeavours could only elicit3 from Richard himself sweepingassurances that everything was going on capitally and that itreally was all right at last, our anxiety was not much relieved byhim.
We learnt, however, as the time went on, that a new application wasmade to the Lord Chancellor4 on Richard's behalf as an infant and award, and I don't know what, and that there was a quantity oftalking, and that the Lord Chancellor described him in open courtas a vexatious and capricious infant, and that the matter wasadjourned and readjourned, and referred, and reported on, andpetitioned about until Richard began to doubt (as he told us)whether, if he entered the army at all, it would not be as aveteran of seventy or eighty years of age. At last an appointmentwas made for him to see the Lord Chancellor again in his privateroom, and there the Lord Chancellor very seriously reproved him fortrifling with time and not knowing his mind--"a pretty good joke, Ithink," said Richard, "from that quarter!"--and at last it wassettled that his application should be granted. His name wasentered at the Horse Guards as an applicant5 for an ensign'scommission; the purchase-money was deposited at an agent's; andRichard, in his usual characteristic way, plunged6 into a violentcourse of military study and got up at five o'clock every morningto practise the broadsword exercise.
Thus, vacation succeeded term, and term succeeded vacation. Wesometimes heard of Jarndyce and Jarndyce as being in the paper orout of the paper, or as being to be mentioned, or as being to bespoken7 to; and it came on, and it went off. Richard, who was nowin a professor's house in London, was able to be with us lessfrequently than before; my guardian still maintained the samereserve; and so time passed until the commission was obtained andRichard received directions with it to join a regiment10 in Ireland.
He arrived post-haste with the intelligence one evening, and had along conference with my guardian. Upwards11 of an hour elapsedbefore my guardian put his head into the room where Ada and I weresitting and said, "Come in, my dears!" We went in and foundRichard, whom we had last seen in high spirits, leaning on thechimney-piece looking mortified12 and angry.
"Rick and I, Ada," said Mr. Jarndyce, "are not quite of one mind.
Come, come, Rick, put a brighter face upon it!""You are very hard with me, sir," said Richard. "The harderbecause you have been so considerate to me in all other respectsand have done me kindnesses that I can never acknowledge. I nevercould have been set right without you, sir.""Well, well!" said Mr. Jarndyce. "I want to set you more rightyet. I want to set you more right with yourself.""I hope you will excuse my saying, sir," returned Richard in afiery way, but yet respectfully, "that I think I am the best judgeabout myself.""I hope you will excuse my saying, my dear Rick," observed Mr.
Jarndyce with the sweetest cheerfulness and good humour, "that'sit's quite natural in you to think so, but I don't think so. Imust do my duty, Rick, or you could never care for me in coolblood; and I hope you will always care for me, cool and hot."Ada had turned so pale that he made her sit down in his reading-chair and sat beside her.
"It's nothing, my dear," he said, "it's nothing. Rick and I haveonly had a friendly difference, which we must state to you, for youare the theme. Now you are afraid of what's coming.""I am not indeed, cousin John," replied Ada with a smile, "if it isto come from you.""Thank you, my dear. Do you give me a minute's calm attention,without looking at Rick. And, little woman, do you likewise. Mydear girl," putting his hand on hers as it lay on the side of theeasy-chair, "you recollect15 the talk we had, we four when the littlewoman told me of a little love affair?""It is not likely that either Richard or I can ever forget yourkindness that day, cousin John.""I can never forget it," said Richard.
"And I can never forget it," said Ada.
"So much the easier what I have to say, and so much the easier forus to agree," returned my guardian, his face irradiated by thegentleness and honour of his heart. "Ada, my bird, you should knowthat Rick has now chosen his profession for the last time. Allthat he has of certainty will be expended16 when he is fullyequipped. He has exhausted17 his resources and is bound henceforwardto the tree he has planted.""Quite true that I have exhausted my present resources, and I amquite content to know it. But what I have of certainty, sir," saidRichard, "is not all I have.""Rick, Rick!" cried my guardian with a sudden terror in his manner,and in an altered voice, and putting up his hands as if he wouldhave stopped his ears. "For the love of God, don't found a hope orexpectation on the family curse! Whatever you do on this side thegrave, never give one lingering glance towards the horrible phantomthat has haunted us so many years. Better to borrow, better tobeg, better to die!"We were all startled by the fervour of this warning. Richard bithis lip and held his breath, and glanced at me as if he felt, andknew that I felt too, how much he needed it.
"Ada, my dear," said Mr. Jarndyce, recovering his cheerfulness,"these are strong words of advice, but I live in Bleak18 House andhave seen a sight here. Enough of that. All Richard had to starthim in the race of life is ventured. I recommend to him and you,for his sake and your own, that he should depart from us with theunderstanding that there is no sort of contract between you. Imust go further. 1 will be plain with you both. You were toconfide freely in me, and I will confide20 freely in you. I ask youwholly to relinquish21, for the present, any tie but yourrelationship.""Better to say at once, sir," returned Richard, "that you renounceall confidence in me and that you advise Ada to do the same.""Better to say nothing of the sort, Rick, because I don't mean it.""You think I have begun ill, sir," retorted Richard. "I HAVE, Iknow.""How I hoped you would begin, and how go on, I told you when wespoke of these things last," said Mr. Jarndyce in a cordial andencouraging manner. "You have not made that beginning yet, butthere is a time for all things, and yours is not gone by; rather,it is just now fully13 come. Make a clear beginning altogether. Youtwo (very young, my dears) are cousins. As yet, you are nothingmore. What more may come must come of being worked out, Rick, andno sooner.""You are very hard with me, sir," said Richard. "Harder than Icould have supposed you would be.""My dear boy," said Mr. Jarndyce, "I am harder with myself when Ido anything that gives you pain. You have your remedy in your ownhands. Ada, it is better for him that he should be free and thatthere should be no youthful engagement between you. Rick, it isbetter for her, much better; you owe it to her. Come! Each of youwill do what is best for the other, if not what is best foryourselves.""Why is it best, sir?" returned Richard hastily. "It was not whenwe opened our hearts to you. You did not say so then.""I have had experience since. I don't blame you, Rick, but I havehad experience since.""You mean of me, sir.""Well! Yes, of both of you," said Mr. Jarndyce kindly22. "The timeis not come for your standing19 pledged to one another. It is notright, and I must not recognize it. Come, come, my young cousins,begin afresh! Bygones shall be bygones, and a new page turned foryou to write your lives in."Richard gave an anxious glance at Ada but said nothing.
"I have avoided saying one word to either of you or to Esther,"said Mr. Jarndyce, "until now, in order that we might be open asthe day, and all on equal terms. I now affectionately advise, Inow most earnestly entreat23, you two to part as you came here.
Leave all else to time, truth, and steadfastness24. If you dootherwise, you will do wrong, and you will have made me do wrong inever bringing you together."A long silence succeeded.
"Cousin Richard," said Ada then, raising her blue eyes tenderly tohis face, "after what our cousin John has said, I think no choiceis left us. Your mind may he quite at ease about me, for you willleave me here under his care and will be sure that I can havenothing to wish for--quite sure if I guide myself by his advice.
I--I don't doubt, cousin Richard," said Ada, a little confused,"that you are very fond of me, and I--I don't think you will fallin love with anybody else. But I should like you to consider wellabout it too, as I should like you to be in all things very happy.
You may trust in me, cousin Richard. I am not at all changeable;but I am not unreasonable25, and should never blame you. Evencousins may be sorry to part; and in truth I am very, very sorry,Richard, though I know it's for your welfare. I shall always thinkof you affectionately, and often talk of you with Esther, and--andperhaps you will sometimes think a little of me, cousin Richard.
So now," said Ada, going up to him and giving him her tremblinghand, "we are only cousins again, Richard--for the time perhaps--and I pray for a blessing26 on my dear cousin, wherever he goes!"It was strange to me that Richard should not be able to forgive myguardian for entertaining the very same opinion of him which hehimself had expressed of himself in much stronger terms to me. Butit was certainly the case. I observed with great regret that fromthis hour he never was as free and open with Mr. Jarndyce as he hadbeen before. He had every reason given him to be so, but he wasnot; and solely27 on his side, an estrangement28 began to arise betweenthem.
In the business of preparation and equipment he soon lost himself,and even his grief at parting from Ada, who remained inHertfordshire while he, Mr. Jarndyce, and I went up to London for aweek. He remembered her by fits and starts, even with bursts oftears, and at such times would confide to me the heaviest self-reproaches. But in a few minutes he would recklessly conjure29 upsome undefinable means by which they were both to be made rich andhappy for ever, and would become as gay as possible.
It was a busy time, and I trotted30 about with him all day long,buying a variety of things of which he stood in need. Of thethings he would have bought if he had been left to his own ways Isay nothing. He was perfectly31 confidential32 with me, and oftentalked so sensibly and feelingly about his faults and his vigorousresolutions, and dwelt so much upon the encouragement he derivedfrom these conversations that I could never have been tired if Ihad tried.
There used, in that week, to come backward and forward to ourlodging to fence with Richard a person who had formerly33 been acavalry soldier; he was a fine bluff-looking man, of a frank freebearing, with whom Richard had practised for some months. I heardso much about him, not only from Richard, but from my guardian too,that I was purposely in the room with my work one morning afterbreakfast when he came.
"Good morning, Mr. George," said my guardian, who happened to bealone with me. "Mr. Carstone will be here directly. Meanwhile,Miss Summerson is very happy to see you, I know. Sit down."He sat down, a little disconcerted by my presence, I thought, andwithout looking at me, drew his heavy sunburnt hand across andacross his upper lip.
"You are as punctual as the sun," said Mr. Jarndyce.
"Military time, sir," he replied. "Force of habit. A mere9 habitin me, sir. I am not at all business-like.""Yet you have a large establishment, too, I am told?" said Mr.
Jarndyce.
"Not much of a one, sir. I keep a shooting gallery, but not muchof a one.""And what kind of a shot and what kind of a swordsman do you makeof Mr. Carstone?" said my guardian.
"Pretty good, sir," he replied, folding his arms upon his broadchest and looking very large. "If Mr. Carstone was to give hisfull mind to it, he would come out very good.""But he don't, I suppose?" said my guardian.
"He did at first, sir, but not afterwards. Not his full mind.
Perhaps he has something else upon it--some young lady, perhaps."His bright dark eyes glanced at me for the first time.
"He has not me upon his mind, I assure you, Mr. George," said I,laughing, "though you seem to suspect me."He reddened a little through his brown and made me a trooper's bow.
"No offence, I hope, miss. I am one of the roughs.""Not at all," said I. "I take it as a compliment."If he had not looked at me before, he looked at me now in three orfour quick successive glances. "I beg your pardon, sir," he saidto my guardian with a manly34 kind of diffidence, "but you did me thehonour to mention the young lady's name--""Miss Summerson.""Miss Summerson," he repeated, and looked at me again.
"Do you know the name?" I asked.
"No, miss. To my knowledge I never heard it. I thought I had seenyou somewhere.""I think not," I returned, raising my head from my work to look athim; and there was something so genuine in his speech and mannerthat I was glad of the opportunity. "I remember faces very well.""So do I, miss!" he returned, meeting my look with the fullness ofhis dark eyes and broad forehead. "Humph! What set me off, now,upon that!"His once more reddening through his brown and being disconcerted byhis efforts to remember the association brought my guardian to hisrelief.
"Have you many pupils, Mr. George?""They vary in their number, sir. Mostly they're but a small lot tolive by.""And what classes of chance people come to practise at yourgallery?""All sorts, sir. Natives and foreigners. From gentlemen to'prentices. I have had Frenchwomen come, before now, and showthemselves dabs35 at pistol-shooting. Mad people out of number, ofcourse, but THEY go everywhere where the doors stand open.""People don't come with grudges36 and schemes of finishing theirpractice with live targets, I hope?" said my guardian, smiling.
"Not much of that, sir, though that HAS happened. Mostly they comefor skill--or idleness. Six of one, and half-a-dozen of the other.
I beg your pardon," said Mr. George, sitting stiffly upright andsquaring an elbow on each knee, "but I believe you're a Chancerysuitor, if I have heard correct?""I am sorry to say I am.""I have had one of YOUR compatriots in my time, sir.""A Chancery suitor?" returned my guardian. "How was that?""Why, the man was so badgered and worried and tortured by beingknocked about from post to pillar, and from pillar to post," saidMr. George, "that he got out of sorts. I don't believe he had anyidea of taking aim at anybody, but he was in that condition ofresentment and violence that he would come and pay for fifty shotsand fire away till he was red hot. One day I said to him whenthere was nobody by and he had been talking to me angrily about hiswrongs, 'If this practice is a safety-valve, comrade, well andgood; but I don't altogether like your being so bent37 upon it inyour present state of mind; I'd rather you took to something else.'
I was on my guard for a blow, he was that passionate38; but hereceived it in very good part and left off directly. We shookhands and struck up a sort of friendship.""What was that man?" asked my guardian in a new tone of interest.
"Why, he began by being a small Shropshire farmer before they madea baited bull of him," said Mr. George.
"Was his name Gridley?""It was, sir."Mr. George directed another succession of quick bright glances atme as my guardian and I exchanged a word or two of surprise at thecoincidence, and I therefore explained to him how we knew the name.
He made me another of his soldierly bows in acknowledgment of whathe called my condescension39.
"I don't know," he said as he looked at me, "what it is that setsme off again--but--bosh! What's my head running against!" Hepassed one of his heavy hands over his crisp dark hair as if tosweep the broken thoughts out of his mind and sat a little forward,with one arm akimbo and the other resting on his leg, looking in abrown study at the ground.
"I am sorry to learn that the same state of mind has got thisGridley into new troubles and that he is in hiding," said myguardian.
"So I am told, sir," returned Mr. George, still musing40 and lookingon the ground. "So I am told.""You don't know where?""No, sir," returned the trooper, lifting up his eyes and coming outof his reverie. "I can't say anything about him. He will be wornout soon, I expect. You may file a strong man's heart away for agood many years, but it will tell all of a sudden at last."Richard's entrance stopped the conversation. Mr. George rose, mademe another of his soldierly bows, wished my guardian a good day,and strode heavily out of the room.
This was the morning of the day appointed for Richard's departure.
We had no more purchases to make now; I had completed all hispacking early in the afternoon; and our time was disengaged untilnight, when he was to go to Liverpool for Holyhead. Jarndyce andJarndyce being again expected to come on that day, Richard proposedto me that we should go down to the court and hear what passed. Asit was his last day, and he was eager to go, and I had never beenthere, I gave my consent and we walked down to Westminster, wherethe court was then sitting. We beguiled41 the way with arrangementsconcerning the letters that Richard was to write to me and theletters that I was to write to him and with a great many hopefulprojects. My guardian knew where we were going and therefore wasnot with us.
When we came to the court, there was the Lord Chancellor--the samewhom I had seen in his private room in Lincoln's Inn--sitting ingreat state and gravity on the bench, with the mace42 and seals on ared table below him and an immense flat nosegay, like a littlegarden, which scented43 the whole court. Below the table, again, wasa long row of solicitors44, with bundles of papers on the matting attheir feet; and then there were the gentlemen of the bar in wigsand gowns--some awake and some asleep, and one talking, and nobodypaying much attention to what he said. The Lord Chancellor leanedback in his very easy chair with his elbow on the cushioned arm andhis forehead resting on his hand; some of those who were presentdozed; some read the newspapers; some walked about or whispered ingroups: all seemed perfectly at their ease, by no means in a hurry,very unconcerned, and extremely comfortable.
To see everything going on so smoothly46 and to think of theroughness of the suitors' lives and deaths; to see all that fulldress and ceremony and to think of the waste, and want, andbeggared misery47 it represented; to consider that while the sicknessof hope deferred48 was raging in so many hearts this polite show wentcalmly on from day to day, and year to year, in such good order andcomposure; to behold49 the Lord Chancellor and the whole array ofpractitioners under him looking at one another and at thespectators as if nobody had ever heard that all over England thename in which they were assembled was a bitter jest, was held inuniversal horror, contempt, and indignation, was known forsomething so flagrant and bad that little short of a miracle couldbring any good out of it to any one--this was so curious and self-contradictory to me, who had no experience of it, that it was atfirst incredible, and I could not comprehend it. I sat whereRichard put me, and tried to listen, and looked about me; but thereseemed to be no reality in the whole scene except poor little MissFlite, the madwoman, standing on a bench and nodding at it.
Miss Flite soon espied50 us and came to where we sat. She gave me agracious welcome to her domain51 and indicated, with muchgratification and pride, its principal attractions. Mr. Kenge alsocame to speak to us and did the honours of the place in much thesame way, with the bland52 modesty53 of a proprietor54. It was not avery good day for a visit, he said; he would have preferred thefirst day of term; but it was imposing55, it was imposing.
When we had been there half an hour or so, the case in progress--ifI may use a phrase so ridiculous in such a connexion--seemed to dieout of its own vapidity56, without coming, or being by anybodyexpected to come, to any resuIt. The Lord Chancellor then threwdown a bundle of papers from his desk to the gentlemen below him,and somebody said, "Jarndyce and Jarndyce." Upon this there was abuzz, and a laugh, and a general withdrawal57 of the bystanders, anda bringing in of great heaps, and piles, and bags and bags full ofpapers.
I think it came on "for further directions"--about some bill ofcosts, to the best of my understanding, which was confused enough.
But I counted twenty-three gentlemen in wigs45 who said they were "init," and none of them appeared to understand it much better than I.
They chatted about it with the Lord Chancellor, and contradictedand explained among themselves, and some of them said it was thisway, and some of them said it was that way, and some of themjocosely proposed to read huge volumes of affidavits58, and there wasmore buzzing and laughing, and everybody concerned was in a stateof idle entertainment, and nothing could be made of it by anybody.
After an hour or so of this, and a good many speeches being begunand cut short, it was "referred back for the present," as Mr. Kengesaid, and the papers were bundled up again before the clerks hadfinished bringing them in.
I glanced at Richard on the termination of these hopelessproceedings and was shocked to see the worn look of his handsomeyoung face. "It can't last for ever, Dame59 Durden. Better lucknext time!" was all he said.
I had seen Mr. Guppy bringing in papers and arranging them for Mr.
Kenge; and he had seen me and made me a forlorn bow, which renderedme desirous to get out of the court. Richard had given me his armand was taking me away when Mr. Guppy came up.
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Carstone," said he in a whisper, "and MissSummerson's also, but there's a lady here, a friend of mine, whoknows her and wishes to have the pleasure of shaking hands." As hespoke, I saw before me, as if she had started into bodily shapefrom my remembrance, Mrs. Rachael of my godmother's house.
"How do you do, Esther?" said she. "Do you recollect me?"I gave her my hand and told her yes and that she was very littlealtered.
"I wonder you remember those times, Esther," she returned with herold asperity60. "They are changed now. Well! I am glad to see you,and glad you are not too proud to know me." But indeed she seemeddisappointed that I was not.
"Proud, Mrs. Rachael!" I remonstrated61.
"I am married, Esther," she returned, coldly correcting me, "and amMrs. Chadband. Well! I wish you good day, and I hope you'll dowell."Mr. Guppy, who had been attentive62 to this short dialogue, heaved asigh in my ear and elbowed his own and Mrs. Rachael's way throughthe confused little crowd of people coming in and going out, whichwe were in the midst of and which the change in the business hadbrought together. Richard and I were making our way through it,and I was yet in the first chill of the late unexpected recognitionwhen I saw, coming towards us, but not seeing us, no less a personthan Mr. George. He made nothing of the people about him as hetramped on, staring over their heads into the body of the court.
"George!" said Richard as I called his attention to him.
"You are well met, sir," he returned. "And you, miss. Could youpoint a person out for me, I want? I don't understand theseplaces."Turning as he spoke8 and making an easy way for us, he stopped whenwe were out of the press in a corner behind a great red curtain.
"There's a little cracked old woman," he began, "that--"I put up my finger, for Miss Flite was close by me, having keptbeside me all the time and having called the attention of severalof her legal acquaintance to me (as I had overheard to myconfusion) by whispering in their ears, "Hush63! Fitz Jarndyce on myleft!""Hem14!" said Mr. George. "You remember, miss, that we passed someconversation on a certain man this morning? Gridley," in a lowwhisper behind his hand.
"Yes," said I.
"He is hiding at my place. I couldn't mention it. Hadn't hisauthority. He is on his last march, miss, and has a whim64 to seeher. He says they can feel for one another, and she has beenalmost as good as a friend to him here. I came down to look forher, for when I sat by Gridley this afternoon, I seemed to hear theroll of the muffled65 drums.""Shall I tell her?" said I.
"Would you be so good?" he returned with a glance of something likeapprehension at Miss Flite. "It's a providence66 I met you, miss; Idoubt if I should have known how to get on with that lady." And heput one hand in his breast and stood upright in a martial67 attitudeas I informed little Miss Flite, in her ear, of the purport68 of hiskind errand.
"My angry friend from Shropshire! Almost as celebrated69 as myself!"she exclaimed. "Now really! My dear, I will wait upon him withthe greatest pleasure.""He is living concealed70 at Mr. George's," said I. "Hush! This isMr. George.""In--deed!" returned Miss Flite. "Very proud to have the honour!
A military man, my dear. You know, a perfect general!" shewhispered to me.
Poor Miss Flite deemed it necessary to be so courtly and polite, asa mark of her respect for the army, and to curtsy so very oftenthat it was no easy matter to get her out of the court. When thiswas at last done, and addressing Mr. George as "General," she gavehim her arm, to the great entertainment of some idlers who werelooking on, he was so discomposed and begged me so respectfully"not to desert him" that I could not make up my mind to do it,especially as Miss Flite was always tractable71 with me and as shetoo said, "Fitz Jarndyce, my dear, you will accompany us, ofcourse." As Richard seemed quite willing, and even anxious, thatwe should see them safely to their destination, we agreed to do so.
And as Mr. George informed us that Gridley's mind had run on Mr.
Jarndyce all the afternoon after hearing of their interview in themorning, I wrote a hasty note in pencil to my guardian to say wherewe were gone and why. Mr. George sealed it at a coffee-house, thatit might lead to no discovery, and we sent it off by a ticket-porter.
We then took a hackney-coach and drove away to the neighbourhood ofLeicester Square. We walked through some narrow courts, for whichMr. George apologized, and soon came to the shooting gallery, thedoor of which was closed. As he pulled a bell-handle which hung bya chain to the door-post, a very respectable old gentleman withgrey hair, wearing spectacles, and dressed in a black spencer andgaiters and a broad-brimmed hat, and carrying a large gold-beadedcane, addressed him.
"I ask your pardon, my good friend," said he, "but is this George'sShooting Gallery?""It is, sir," returned Mr. George, glancing up at the great lettersin which that inscription72 was painted on the whitewashed73 wall.
"Oh! To be sure!" said the old gentleman, following his eyes.
"Thank you. Have you rung the bell?""My name is George, sir, and I have rung the bell.""Oh, indeed?" said the old gentleman. "Your name is George? ThenI am here as soon as you, you see. You came for me, no doubt?""No, sir. You have the advantage of me.""Oh, indeed?" said the old gentleman. "Then it was your young manwho came for me. I am a physician and was requested--five minutesago--to come and visit a sick man at George's Shooting Gallery.""The muffled drums," said Mr. George, turning to Richard and me andgravely shaking his head. "It's quite correct, sir. Will youplease to walk in."The door being at that moment opened by a very singular-lookinglittle man in a green-baize cap and apron74, whose face and hands anddress were blackened all over, we passed along a dreary75 passageinto a large building with bare brick walls where there weretargets, and guns, and swords, and other things of that kind. Whenwe had all arrived here, the physician stopped, and taking off hishat, appeared to vanish by magic and to leave another and quite adifferent man in his place.
"Now lookee here, George," said the man, turning quickly round uponhim and tapping him on the breast with a large forefinger76. "Youknow me, and I know you. You're a man of the world, and I'm a manof the world. My name's Bucket, as you are aware, and I have got apeace-warrant against Gridley. You have kept him out of the way along time, and you have been artful in it, and it does you credit."Mr. George, looking hard at him, bit his lip and shook his head.
"Now, George," said the other, keeping close to him, "you're asensible man and a well-conducted man; that's what YOU are, beyonda doubt. And mind you, I don't talk to you as a common character,because you have served your country and you know that when dutycalls we must obey. Consequently you're very far from wanting togive trouble. If I required assistance, you'd assist me; that'swhat YOU'D do. Phil Squod, don't you go a-sidling round thegallery like that"--the dirty little man was shuffling77 about withhis shoulder against the wall, and his eyes on the intruder, in amanner that looked threatening--"because I know you and won't haveit.""Phil!" said Mr. George.
"Yes, guv'ner.""Be quiet."The little man, with a low growl78, stood still.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said Mr. Bucket, "you'll excuse anythingthat may appear to be disagreeable in this, for my name's InspectorBucket of the Detective, and I have a duty to perform. George, Iknow where my man is because I was on the roof last night and sawhim through the skylight, and you along with him. He is in there,you know," pointing; "that's where HE is--on a sofy. Now I mustsee my man, and I must tell my man to consider himself in custody;but you know me, and you know I don't want to take anyuncomfortable measures. You give me your word, as from one man toanother (and an old soldier, mind you, likewise), that it'shonourable between us two, and I'll accommodate you to the utmostof my power.""I give it," was the reply. '"But it wasn't handsome in you, Mr.
Bucket.""Gammon, George! Not handsome?" said Mr. Bucket, tapping him onhis broad breast again and shaking hands with him. "I don't say itwasn't handsome in you to keep my man so close, do I? Be equallygood-tempered to me, old boy! Old William Tell, Old Shaw, the LifeGuardsman! Why, he's a model of the whole British army in himself,ladies and gentlemen. I'd give a fifty-pun' note to be such afigure of a man!"The affair being brought to this head, Mr. George, after a littleconsideration, proposed to go in first to his comrade (as he calledhim), taking Miss Flite with him. Mr. Bucket agreeing, they wentaway to the further end of the gallery, leaving us sitting andstanding by a table covered with guns. Mr. Bucket took thisopportunity of entering into a little light conversation, asking meif I were afraid of fire-arms, as most young ladies were; askingRichard if he were a good shot; asking Phil Squod which heconsidered the best of those rifles and what it might be worthfirst-hand, telling him in return that it was a pity he ever gaveway to his temper, for he was naturally so amiable79 that he mighthave been a young woman, and making himself generally agreeable.
After a time he followed us to the further end of the gallery, andRichard and I were going quietly away when Mr. George came afterus. He said that if we had no objection to see his comrade, hewould take a visit from us very kindly. The words had hardlypassed his lips when the bell was rung and my guardian appeared,"on the chance," he slightly observed, "of being able to do anylittle thing for a poor fellow involved in the same misfortune ashimself." We all four went back together and went into the placewhere Gridley was.
It was a bare room, partitioned off from the gallery with unpaintedwood. As the screening was not more than eight or ten feet highand only enclosed the sides, not the top, the rafters of the highgallery roof were overhead, and the skylight through which Mr.
Bucket had looked down. The sun was low--near setting--and itslight came redly in above, without descending80 to the ground. Upona plain canvas-covered sofa lay the man from Shropshire, dressedmuch as we had seen him last, but so changed that at first Irecognized no likeness81 in his colourless face to what Irecollected.
He had been still writing in his hiding-place, and still dwellingon his grievances82, hour after hour. A table and some shelves werecovered with manuscript papers and with worn pens and a medley83 ofsuch tokens. Touchingly84 and awfully85 drawn86 together, he and thelittle mad woman were side by side and, as it were, alone. She saton a chair holding his hand, and none of us went close to them.
His voice had faded, with the old expression of his face, with hisstrength, with his anger, with his resistance to the wrongs thathad at last subdued87 him. The faintest shadow of an object full ofform and colour is such a picture of it as he was of the man fromShropshire whom we had spoken with before.
He inclined his head to Richard and me and spoke to my guardian.
"Mr. Jarndyce, it is very kind of you to come to see me. I am notlong to be seen, I think. I am very glad to take your hand, sir.
You are a good man, superior to injustice88, and God knows I honouryou."They shook hands earnestly, and my guardian said some words ofcomfort to him.
"It may seem strange to you, sir," returned Gridley; "I should nothave liked to see you if this had been the flrst time of ourmeeting. But you know I made a fight for it, you know I stood upwith my single hand against them all, you know I told them thetruth to the last, and told them what they were, and what they haddone to me; so I don't mind your seeing me, this wreck89.""You have been courageous90 with them many and many a time," returnedmy guardian.
"Sir, I have been," with a faint smile. "I told you what wouldcome of it when I ceased to be so, and see here! Look at us--lookat us!" He drew the hand Miss Flite held through her arm andbrought her something nearer to him.
"This ends it. Of all my old associations, of all my old pursuitsand hopes, of all the living and the dead world, this one poor soulalone comes natural to me, and I am fit for. There is a tie ofmany suffering years between us two, and it is the only tie I everhad on earth that Chancery has not broken.""Accept my blessing, Gridley," said Miss Flite in tears. "Acceptmy blessing!""I thought, boastfully, that they never could break my heart, Mr.
Jarndyce. I was resolved that they should not. I did believe thatI could, and would, charge them with being the mockery they wereuntil I died of some bodily disorder91. But I am worn out. How longI have been wearing out, I don't know; I seemed to break down in anhour. I hope they may never come to hear of it. I hope everybodyhere will lead them to believe that I died defying them,consistently and perseveringly92, as I did through so many years."Here Mr. Bucket, who was sitting in a corner by the door, good-naturedly offered such consolation93 as he could administer.
"Come, come!" he said from his corner. "Don't go on in that way,Mr. Gridley. You are only a little low. We are all of us a littlelow sometimes. I am. Hold up, hold up! You'll lose your temperwith the whole round of 'em, again and again; and I shall take youon a score of warrants yet, if I have luck."He only shook his head.
"Don't shake your head," said Mr. Bucket. "Nod it; that's what Iwant to see you do. Why, Lord bless your soul, what times we havehad together! Haven't I seen you in the Fleet over and over againfor contempt? Haven't I come into court, twenty afternoons for noother purpose than to see you pin the Chancellor like a bull-dog?
Don't you remember when you first began to threaten the lawyers,and the peace was sworn against you two or three times a week? Askthe little old lady there; she has been always present. Hold up,Mr. Gridley, hold up, sir!""What are you going to do about him?" asked George in a low voice.
"I don't know yet," said Bucket in the same tone. Then resuminghis encouragement, he pursued aloud: "Worn out, Mr. Gridley? Afterdodging me for all these weeks and forcing me to climb the roofhere like a tom cat and to come to see you as a doctor? That ain'tlike being worn out. I should think not! Now I tell you what youwant. You want excitement, you know, to keep YOU up; that's whatYOU want. You're used to it, and you can't do without it. Icouldn't myself. Very well, then; here's this warrant got by Mr.
Tulkinghorn of Lincoln's Inn Fields, and backed into half-a-dozencounties since. What do you say to coming along with me, upon thiswarrant, and having a good angry argument before the magistrates94?
It'll do you good; it'll freshen you up and get you into trainingfor another turn at the Chancellor. Give in? Why, I am surprisedto hear a man of your energy talk of giving in. You mustn't dothat. You're half the fun of the fair in the Court of Chancery.
George, you lend Mr. Gridley a hand, and let's see now whether hewon't be better up than down.""He is very weak," said the trooper in a low voice.
"Is he?" returned Bucket anxiously. "I only want to rouse him. Idon't like to see an old acquaintance giving in like this. Itwould cheer him up more than anything if I could make him a littlewaxy with me. He's welcome to drop into me, right and left, if helikes. I shall never take advantage of it."The roof rang with a scream from Miss Flite, which still rings inmy ears.
"Oh, no, Gridley!" she cried as he fell heavily and calmly backfrom before her. "Not without my blessing. After so many years!"The sun was down, the light had gradually stolen from the roof, andthe shadow had crept upward. But to me the shadow of that pair,one living and one dead, fell heavier on Richard's departure thanthe darkness of the darkest night. And through Richard's farewellwords I heard it echoed: "Of all my old associations, of all my oldpursuits and hopes, of all the living and the dead world, this onepoor soul alone comes natural to me, and I am fit for. There is atie of many suffering years between us two, and it is the only tieI ever had on earth that Chancery has not broken!"
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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elicit
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| v.引出,抽出,引起 | |
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chancellor
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| n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长 | |
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applicant
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| n.申请人，求职者，请求者 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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bespoken
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| v.预定( bespeak的过去分词 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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hem
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| n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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expended
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| v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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relinquish
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| v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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steadfastness
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| n.坚定，稳当 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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estrangement
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| n.疏远，失和，不和 | |
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conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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dabs
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| 少许( dab的名词复数 )； 是…能手； 做某事很在行； 在某方面技术熟练 | |
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grudges
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| 不满，怨恨，妒忌( grudge的名词复数 ) | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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beguiled
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| v.欺骗( beguile的过去式和过去分词 )；使陶醉；使高兴；消磨（时间等） | |
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mace
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| n.狼牙棒，豆蔻干皮 | |
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scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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solicitors
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| 初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
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wigs
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| n.假发，法官帽( wig的名词复数 ) | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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deferred
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| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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vapidity
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| n.乏味；无滋味；无生气；无趣 | |
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withdrawal
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| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
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affidavits
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| n.宣誓书，（经陈述者宣誓在法律上可采作证据的）书面陈述( affidavit的名词复数 ) | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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asperity
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| n.粗鲁，艰苦 | |
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remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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purport
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| n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是... | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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tractable
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| adj.易驾驭的；温顺的 | |
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inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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whitewashed
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| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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medley
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| n.混合 | |
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touchingly
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| adv.令人同情地，感人地，动人地 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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perseveringly
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| 坚定地 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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