登陆注册
38617600000264

第264章

Mr Dorrit's visit was within two days of being out, and he was about to dress for another inspection by the Chief Butler (whose victims were always dressed expressly for him), when one of the servants of the hotel presented himself bearing a card. Mr Dorrit, taking it, read:

'Mrs Finching.'

The servant waited in speechless deference.

'Man, man,' said Mr Dorrit, turning upon him with grievous indignation, 'explain your motive in bringing me this ridiculous name. I am wholly unacquainted with it. Finching, sir?' said Mr Dorrit, perhaps avenging himself on the Chief Butler by Substitute.

'ha! What do you mean by Finching?'

The man, man, seemed to mean Flinching as much as anything else, for he backed away from Mr Dorrit's severe regard, as he replied, 'A lady, sir.'

'I know no such lady, sir,' said Mr Dorrit. 'Take this card away.

I know no Finching of either ***.'

'Ask your pardon, sir. The lady said she was aware she might be unknown by name. But she begged me to say, sir, that she had formerly the honour of being acquainted with Miss Dorrit. The lady said, sir, the youngest Miss Dorrit.'

Mr Dorrit knitted his brows and rejoined, after a moment or two, 'Inform Mrs Finching, sir,' emphasising the name as if the innocent man were solely responsible for it, 'that she can come up.'

He had reflected, in his momentary pause, that unless she were admitted she might leave some message, or might say something below, having a disgraceful reference to that former state of existence. Hence the concession, and hence the appearance of Flora, piloted in by the man, man.

'I have not the pleasure,' said Mr Dorrit, standing with the card in his hand, and with an air which imported that it would scarcely have been a first-class pleasure if he had had it, 'of knowing either this name, or yourself, madam. Place a chair, sir.' The responsible man, with a start, obeyed, and went out on tiptoe.

Flora, putting aside her veil with a bashful tremor upon her, proceeded to introduce herself. At the same time a singular combination of perfumes was diffused through the room, as if some brandy had been put by mistake in a lavender-water bottle, or as if some lavender-water had been put by mistake in a brandy-bottle.

'I beg Mr Dorrit to offer a thousand apologies and indeed they would be far too few for such an intrusion which I know must appear extremely bold in a lady and alone too, but I thought it best upon the whole however difficult and even apparently improper though Mr F.'s Aunt would have willingly accompanied me and as a character of great force and spirit would probably have struck one possessed of such a knowledge of life as no doubt with so many changes must have been acquired, for Mr F. himself said frequently that although well educated in the neighbourhood of Blackheath at as high as eighty guineas which is a good deal for parents and the plate kept back too on going away but that is more a meanness than its value that he had learnt more in his first years as a commercial traveller with a large commission on the sale of an article that nobody would hear of much less buy which preceded the wine trade a long time than in the whole six years in that academy conducted by a college Bachelor, though why a Bachelor more clever than a married man I do not see and never did but pray excuse me that is not the point.'

Mr Dorrit stood rooted to the carpet, a statue of mystification.

'I must openly admit that I have no pretensions,' said Flora, 'but having known the dear little thing which under altered circumstances appears a liberty but is not so intended and Goodness knows there was no favour in half-a-crown a-day to such a needle as herself but quite the other way and as to anything lowering in it far from it the labourer is worthy of his hire and I am sure I only wish he got it oftener and more animal food and less rheumatism in the back and legs poor soul.'

'Madam,' said Mr Dorrit, recovering his breath by a great effort, as the relict of the late Mr Finching stopped to take hers;'madam,' said Mr Dorrit, very red in the face, 'if I understand you to refer to--ha--to anything in the antecedents of--hum--a daughter of mine, involving--ha hum--daily compensation, madam, I beg to observe that the--ha--fact, assuming it--ha--to be fact, never was within my knowledge. Hum. I should not have permitted it. Ha.

Never! Never!'

'Unnecessary to pursue the subject,' returned Flora, 'and would not have mentioned it on any account except as supposing it a favourable and only letter of introduction but as to being fact no doubt whatever and you may set your mind at rest for the very dress I have on now can prove it and sweetly made though there is no denying that it would tell better on a better figure for my own is much too fat though how to bring it down I know not, pray excuse me I am roving off again.'

Mr Dorrit backed to his chair in a stony way, and seated himself, as Flora gave him a softening look and played with her parasol.

'The dear little thing,' said Flora, 'having gone off perfectly limp and white and cold in my own house or at least papa's for though not a freehold still a long lease at a peppercorn on the morning when Arthur--foolish habit of our youthful days and Mr Clennam far more adapted to existing circumstances particularly addressing a stranger and that stranger a gentleman in an elevated station--communicated the glad tidings imparted by a person of name of Pancks emboldens me.'

At the mention of these two names, Mr Dorrit frowned, stared, frowned again, hesitated with his fingers at his lips, as he had hesitated long ago, and said, 'Do me the favour to--ha--state your pleasure, madam.'

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 吾家娇女

    吾家娇女

    穿越了,穿到名门望族、清贵之家。祖父祖母慈祥可亲,爹疼娘爱哥哥宠,一家子把她视若珍宝,捧在手心怕摔,含在嘴里怕化,生活优厚,无忧无虑,日子顺心。可是早产、体弱、恐子嗣艰难。晏家千宠万娇的姑娘,嫁不出去,这可怎么办?祖母说:“嫁回我娘家去,我有七个侄孙。”母亲说:“嫁回我娘家去,我有七个侄子。”太子妃说:“我家老三愿娶。”对储君位虎视眈眈的楚王说:“世子愿娶。”怀恩公夫人说:“我家小五与令媛十分匹配。”保清侯夫人说:“小儿愿娶令媛为妻。”大长公主一挥手,“都一边去,这是我的孙媳妇,”这么多人求娶,嫁给谁?某人一声轻咳。某女立刻怂了,“就嫁给你吧!”“嫁给我,难道还辱没了你?”“不辱没,是我高攀了。”握住她的小手,某男笑得天光失色,“没有高攀,我们是天生一对。”
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 仙门遍地是奇葩

    仙门遍地是奇葩

    原来仙门竟是这般不以为耻,当真是脸皮厚到极致。师傅喜欢徒弟,徒弟却为魔界鬼祭哭得死去活来。好一个郎艳独绝,遗世独立的灵澈仙人。又好一个不知羞耻,仙门之辱的徒弟。不愧是仙门之境,遍地奇葩,魔为仙成仙,仙为魔堕魔;不疯不魔,不魔不仙(ps:纯属瞎七八扯,毫无逻辑。)
  • 晏晏

    晏晏

    谁人不知晏姐儿是弦思楼的妈妈,虽是这样一个身份,却依然有许多为之赴汤蹈火......
  • 都市医圣系统

    都市医圣系统

    医圣传人赵小白,携带医圣系统悬壶济世,都市争锋!小弟无数皆拜伏,美女无数都追逐,医术争锋,尽在都市医圣系统!
  • 黑天使之泪

    黑天使之泪

    暗域黑天使王子查尔斯因不满于娶来和亲的仙域公主丽贝卡,逃到人间,化名钟向阳与平民女子陈紫萱相爱,并结婚生育。一次意外,使大女儿天使能力觉醒,而他们,也暴露了藏身之处,暗域国王想要带回王子,三番两次派人去,为了保护家人,为了自己来之不易的爱情,一场亲情与王朝之间的大战展开。
  • 救世鬼王

    救世鬼王

    简介:黑洞当空,异形入侵,病毒蔓延,人类濒临灭绝之时,有人类觉醒异能……这是一个充满了异能的危险科幻世界。异魂为锋,天骄争王,有人是为了生存,有人是为了荣耀……而宫千俊肩负拯救全人类的重任!“少年,我见你骨骼惊奇,是一个练武奇才,我这里有一本明人俞天诀,你把那个姑娘的贴身内衣偷给老夫,老夫就送给你,让你做救世英雄!”……
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 欲强则强

    欲强则强

    成长流,土著女主,cp未定,主角配角都没有恋爱脑,智商在线,女主生逢非男女平等的时代以超前的思想妄图主宰自身的自由,三观不正亦可死守底线,以一生与一身做赌注只不过想抗争到底,爱情和自由本就不可分割。单纯土著生存日记
  • 涕泗之路

    涕泗之路

    古代爽文,看男主如何在古代闯出一片天,成就逆袭之路