狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第25章Part 6

But as this step involved the relinquishment of his apartments at Mrs MacStinger's, and he knew that resolute woman would never hear of his deserting them, the Captain took the desperate determination of running away.
'Now, look ye here, my lad,' said the Captain to Rob, when he had matured this notable scheme, 'to-morrow, I shan't be found in this here roadstead till night - not till arter midnight p'rhaps. But you keep watch till you hear me knock, and the moment you do, turn-to, and open the door.'
'Very good, Captain,' said Rob.
'You'll continue to be rated on these here books,' pursued the Captain condescendingly, 'and I don't say but what you may get promotion, if you and me should pull together with a will. But the moment you hear me knock to-morrow night, whatever time it is, turn-to and show yourself smart with the door.'
'I'll be sure to do it, Captain,' replied Rob.
'Because you understand,' resumed the Captain, coming back again to enforce this charge upon his mind, 'there may be, for anything I can say, a chase; and I might be took while I was waiting, if you didn't show yourself smart with the door.'
Rob again assured the Captain that he would be prompt and wakeful; and the Captain having made this prudent arrangement, went home to Mrs MacStinger's for the last time.
The sense the Captain had of its being the last time, and of the awful purpose hidden beneath his blue waistcoat, inspired him with such a mortal dread of Mrs MacStinger, that the sound of that lady's foot downstairs at any time of the day, was sufficient to throw him into a fit of trembling. It fell out, too, that Mrs MacStinger was in a charming temper - mild and placid as a house- lamb; and Captain Cuttle's conscience suffered terrible twinges, when she came up to inquire if she could cook him nothing for his dinner.
'A nice small kidney-pudding now, Cap'en Cuttle,' said his landlady: 'or a sheep's heart. Don't mind my trouble.'
'No thank'ee, Ma'am,' returned the Captain.

但是採取這個步驟需要從麥克斯廷傑太太家的房間中搬出來，而他知道那位獨斷專行的女人是決不肯答應他把房間退掉的。所以他決定不顧一切，偷偷地逃走。
“我的孩子，現在你聽着，”船長想好這個巧妙的計劃後，對羅布說，“在明天夜間，也許還是半夜之前，在這個錨地將看不到我。但是，請你一直在這裏看守着，直到你聽到我敲門，那時候請你立刻跑來把門打開。”
“我一定遵命，船長，”羅布說道。
“你還跟過去一樣在這裏記帳，”船長平易近人地繼續說道，“不用說，如果你和我配合得好，你甚至還可能得到提升。不過，明天夜間，你只要一聽到我敲門，不論那是什麼時候，你就得快手快腳地跑來，把門打開。”
“我一定這麼做，船長，”羅布回答道。
“因爲你知道，”船長解釋道，他又重新回到原來的話題，想讓這個指示牢牢地印刻在羅布的頭腦中，“說不定後面會有人追來。如果你不快手快腳地把門打開，我在門外等待的時候就可能會被逮住。”
羅布重新向船長保證，他將會動作敏捷，清醒機警。船長作了這番謹慎周到的安排之後，最後一次回到麥克斯廷傑太太的住所。
船長知道，他是最後一次待在那裏；在他藍色的背心下面正隱藏着殘酷無情的決心。這樣一種感覺，使他在心中對麥克斯廷傑太太感到非常害怕；這一天不論在什麼時候，只要一聽到這位太太在樓下的腳步聲，都可以使他直打哆嗦。再說，這天又碰巧麥克斯廷傑太太的脾氣又極好，就像小羊羔一般溫厚善良，心平氣和；當她上樓來問她能爲他準備點什麼晚飯的時候，卡特爾船長的良心受到了可怕的責備。
“用腰子做個美味的小布丁怎麼樣，卡特爾船長？”他的房東太太問道，“要不就來個羊心。我做起來費事些，這您可不用擔心。”
“不，謝謝您，夫人。”船長回答道。