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05-01-远大前程 [19]

By Root 3744 0
sister,as we arrived,‘so you've finished visiting your fine ladies,have you? I'm surprised you bother to come home at all!’
  ‘Miss Havisham asked me to send,'said Joe,as if trying to remember the exact words,‘her-best wishes,was it,Pip?to Mrs J.Gargery…'
  ‘Best wishes,'I agreed.
  ‘And apologized for not being well enough,what was it,Pip?’
  ‘To have the pleasure,'I said.
  ‘To have the pleasure of a lady 's company,’he nodded,giving the impression of a man glad to pass on a message ocr-rectly .
  ‘Well!'said my sister,pleased.‘She could have sent that message earlier,but better late than never.And what did she give the boy?’
  ‘Nothing,'said Joe firmly,stopping Mrs Joe from speaking by raising his hand.‘What she gave,she gave to his sister,Mrs J.Gargery.That' s what she said.Didn't she,Pip?’
  ‘And how much did she give?asked my sister,laughing.She was actually laughing!
  ‘What would you say to ten pounds?’ asked Joe.
  ‘Not bad,'said my sister.
  ‘It's more than that.What would you say to twenty pounds?’ ‘That's good!'said my sister, ‘Well,here you are,it s twenty-five pounds!'said Joe de-lightedly,handing the bag to my sister.


■ 4 一份从陌生人那里来的礼品
  我不顾死活地想被艾丝黛拉所接受。我认识到,只参加陈旧的伍甫赛夫人的夜校,不可能成为有良好教养的人。因此,我要求伍甫赛先生的表妹毕蒂,把她所有的知识都教给我,她尽全力帮助我。但是,我知道要达到艾丝黛拉的水平,需要花费很长的时间。
  一天晚上,我想去镇上的小酒店接乔。有时,我姐姐允许他在这儿抽烟斗和喝点啤酒。伍甫赛先生和乔正在同一个陌生人坐着,这个人我以前从没见过。他的一只眼半闭着,戴着一顶大帽子几乎把他的头都盖住。当我到来时,他突然感兴趣地看着,并用一种奇特的方式,磨蹭着腿。他刚为他们三人要了热朗姆酒。
  “这里周围是一个孤独的农村吗?先生们。”他说。
  “是的,”乔说,“过了沼泽地就是河。”
  “人们总是要天黑才到沼泽地里吗?”
  “不是,”乔回答说,“有时除了逃犯,他们很难去发现。我和伍甫赛先生,还有这儿的小匹普出去寻找过一次,是吗?匹普。”
  “是的,乔。”
  陌生人用他的好眼睛看着我。
  “他的名字叫什么?匹普?你的儿子,是吗?”
  “这个孩子是铁匠妻子的弟弟,”伍甫赛先生用他那正式的教堂职员腔调解释说。
  当酒上来时,那个陌生人要的东西除了我没有人看见。搅拌着他的热朗姆酒和水,不是用勺子,而是用一把锉。搅拌好后,他把锉放进口袋。我一看到这把锉,就知道是我从乔那儿偷的那一把;就知道这个人了解我那个囚犯,我用恐慌的目光盯着他。
  直到乔站起来,拉着我的手要离开,他们才终止友好的谈话。
  “等一会儿,”陌生人说,“我想给这孩子点东西,”并从他的口袋里拿出一枚用旧报纸裹着的硬币递给我,“这是你的!”他告诉我,并使了个意味深长的眼神。
  “谢谢你,先生,”我说,仍然盯着他。我和乔一起往家走,乔一路上张着嘴,以便我姐姐不会在他呼吸时发现朗姆酒味。
  当我到达家里时,我发现那个陌生人给我的相当两镑钞票的硬币。我姐姐认为,那一定是搞错了,用盒子保存起来,万一他回来要。可是,我知道它们来自我那个囚犯,这使我感觉到有犯罪的朋友比以前更低贱。
  第二次我拜访郝薇香小姐的家,我被领进另一间屋子等候。有几个太太和先生在那儿,都是她的亲戚。当艾丝黛拉第
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