Крошка Доррит

Chapter 12. Bleeding Heart Yard

           

           ‘It’snotforwantoflookingafterjobs,Iamsure,’saidMrsPlornish,liftinguphereyebrows,andsearchingforasolutionoftheproblembetweenthebarsofthegrate;‘noryetforwantofworkingatthemwhentheyaretobegot.Nooneeverheardmyhusbandcomplainofwork.’

           Somehoworother,thiswasthegeneralmisfortuneofBleedingHeartYard.Fromtimetotimetherewerepubliccomplaints,patheticallygoingabout,oflabourbeingscarce—whichcertainpeopleseemedtotakeextraordinarilyill,asthoughtheyhadanabsoluterighttoitontheirownterms—butBleedingHeartYard,thoughaswillingaYardasanyinBritain,wasneverthebetterforthedemand.Thathigholdfamily,theBarnacles,hadlongbeentoobusywiththeirgreatprincipletolookintothematter;andindeedthematterhadnothingtodowiththeirwatchfulnessinout-generallingallotherhigholdfamiliesexcepttheStiltstalkings.

           WhileMrsPlornishspokeinthesewordsofherabsentlord,herlordreturned.Asmooth-cheeked,fresh-coloured,sandy-whiskeredmanofthirty.Longinthelegs,yieldingattheknees,foolishintheface,flannel-jacketed,lime-whitened.

           ‘ThisisPlornish,sir.’

           ‘Icame,’saidClennam,rising,‘tobegthefavourofalittleconversationwithyouonthesubjectoftheDorritfamily.’

           Plornishbecamesuspicious.Seemedtoscentacreditor.Said,‘Ah,yes.Well.Hedidn’tknowwhatsatisfactionhecouldgiveanygentleman,respectingthatfamily.Whatmightitbeabout,now?’

           ‘Iknowyoubetter,’saidClennam,smiling,‘thanyousuppose.

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 209 из 1266