Тяжёлые времена

           ’

           ‘Howmuchmightthatbe?’Stephencalmlyasked.

           ‘Why,you’dhavetogotoDoctors’Commonswithasuit,andyou’dhavetogotoacourtofCommonLawwithasuit,andyou’dhavetogototheHouseofLordswithasuit,andyou’dhavetogetanActofParliamenttoenableyoutomarryagain,anditwouldcostyou(ifitwasacaseofveryplainsailing),Isupposefromathousandtofifteenhundredpound,’saidMr.Bounderby.‘Perhapstwicethemoney.’

           ‘There’snootherlaw?’

           ‘Certainlynot.’

           ‘Whythen,sir,’saidStephen,turningwhite,andmotioningwiththatrighthandofhis,asifhegaveeverythingtothefourwinds,‘’tisamuddle.’Tisjustamuddlea’toogether,an’thesoonerIamdead,thebetter.’

           (Mrs.Sparsitagaindejectedbytheimpietyofthepeople.)

           ‘Pooh,pooh!Don’tyoutalknonsense,mygoodfellow,’saidMr.Bounderby,‘aboutthingsyoudon’tunderstand;anddon’tyoucalltheInstitutionsofyourcountryamuddle,oryou’llgetyourselfintoarealmuddleoneofthesefinemornings.Theinstitutionsofyourcountryarenotyourpiece-work,andtheonlythingyouhavegottodo,is,tomindyourpiece-work.Youdidn’ttakeyourwifeforfastandforloose;butforbetterforworse.Ifshehasturnedoutworse—why,allwehavegottosayis,shemighthaveturnedoutbetter.’

           ‘’Tisamuddle,’saidStephen,shakinghisheadashemovedtothedoor.‘’Tisa’amuddle!’

           ‘Now,I’lltellyouwhat!’Mr.Bounderbyresumed,asavaledictoryaddress