“好了，你现在安静了，是不是，老弟？”船长对戴奥吉尼斯说道，“那里没有什么人，我的小姑娘夫人，上帝保佑您！”
戴奥吉尼斯对这一点倒并不是那么确信无疑。门仍不时吸引他的注意。他嗅嗅它，嗥叫着。没有把这件事忘记。这个情况，以及船长注意到弗洛伦斯的疲倦和虚弱，使卡特尔船长决定立即把所尔•吉尔斯的卧房收拾收拾，作为她隐居休息的地方。因此他急忙跑到房屋顶层，凭着他的想象和他能够动用的材料，把它尽可能布置得好一些。
房间已经很干净了；船长是个有条理的人，习惯于把东西收拾得像船里一样整整齐齐；他把床改成一张躺椅，在上面盖一块干净的白布；船长采用类似的设计，把化妆台改成一个类似圣坛似的东西；他在上面摆了两只银茶匙，一个花盆，一架望远镜，他的有名的表，一只可以随身携带的梳子，一本歌曲集；这些珍品集合在一起，看上去十分优美。船长把窗帘拉下，使房间的光线阴暗一些，又把地板上的地毯拉平，然后十分高兴地把这些布置好了的物品打量了一番以后，又走到楼下的小客厅里去把弗洛伦斯安置到她的闺房里来。
船长无论如何也不会相信弗洛伦斯有力气走上楼去；如果他真以为她有力气上去的话，那么他也认为让弗洛伦斯独自上楼，是粗暴地违反了他殷勤款待客人的规则。弗洛伦斯太虚弱了，不能不同意他的这个看法，所以船长立即用手把她托着送上楼，然后放下来，用航海值班时穿着的一件厚大衣盖在她身上。
“我的小姑娘夫人，”船长说道，“我把梯子抽掉以后，您在这里就像待在圣保罗大教堂里一样安全了。您首先需要睡觉；您的受了创伤的心还有一些痛，但采用香膏治疗之后，也许能使你精神愉快起来！我的心的喜悦，如果您需要什么东西，这个粗陋的住宅或这个城市能够提供的话，那么请您就对爱德华•卡特尔说一句；他将到门外去给您站岗放哨，这样您就会使他心里高兴，精神振奋的。”船长说完之后，像一位老游侠骑士一样，崇敬有礼地吻了吻弗洛伦斯向他伸出的手，并踮着脚尖走出了房间。
卡特尔船长走到楼下小会客室里，心里急忙琢磨了一番之后，决定把店门打开几分钟，使他自己放心，至少现在没有什么人在附近闲逛。因此，他打开门，站在门槛上，小心戒备，戴上眼镜，扫视着整个街道。
“您好，吉尔斯船长！”他身旁的一个声音说道。船长低头看，发现当他向远处扫视的时候，图茨先生已经靠近他了。
“您好吗，我的孩子，”船长回答道。
“唔，我很好，谢谢您，吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生说道，“您知道，我从没有像现在感觉得这么好，这正是我所希望的。
我也不指望今后什么时候还能会这样好的了。”
图茨先生跟卡特尔船长谈话的时候，从来没有像现在这样明白地暗示过他生活中的这个重要的话题，因为他遵守他们之间达成的协议。
“吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生说道，“如果我能荣幸地跟您谈一句话的话，这是——这是一件重要的事情。”
“啊，您听我说，我的孩子，”船长回答道，一边把他领到客厅里，“今天早上我不很空；所以您如果能急忙张帆的话，那么我将会十分感谢。”
“当然，吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生回答道，他不太明白船长话中的含意。“急忙张帆，这正是我希望要做的事情。这是很自然的。”
“如果是这样的话，我的孩子，”船长回答道，“那就请这么做吧。”
船长由于保守着那极大的秘密——董贝小姐这时候就在他的家里，而天真的图茨先生则坐在他的对面，对这一无所知——，心神十分不定，额上都冒出了一颗汗珠。当他手里拿着上了光的帽子，慢条斯理地把它擦干的时候，他觉得他不能把眼睛从图茨先生的脸上移开。看来，图茨先生本人也有一些秘密的理由使他感到紧张不安；船长的凝视使他心烦意乱；他默默地、发呆地向他看了一些时候，很不自在地在椅子上移来移去，然后说道：
“请原谅，吉尔斯船长，您没有看到我有什么特殊的地方吧，是不是？”
“没有，我的孩子，”船长回答道，“没有。”
“因为您知道，”图茨先生吃吃地笑了一下，说道，“我知道我瘦了。您丝毫不必顾虑，指出这一点好了。我——我喜欢这样。我瘦得这个样子，伯吉斯公司已经重新量了我的尺寸。我感到满意。我——我喜欢这样。如果我能做得到的话，那么我真十分愿意衰弱下去。您知道，我只不过是一头在地面上吃草的畜牲罢了。吉尔斯船长。”
图茨先生愈是这样滔滔不绝地说下去，船长被他自己的秘密压得愈是难受，也就愈是凝神地注视着他。由于存在这样一个使他感到不安的原因，又由于他一心想摆脱掉图茨先生，所以他当时处在十分惶恐与奇怪的状态中；如果他是在跟一个鬼怪交谈的话，那么他也未必会露出更为心绪不宁的神色的。
“可是我现在想跟您谈一下，吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生说道，“今天早上我正好往这里走过来，——说老实话吧，我想来跟您一道吃早饭。至于睡觉，您知道，我现在完全不睡觉了。我可以说跟一位更夫一样，所不同的是，没有人给我发工资，更夫也没有什么沉重的心事。”
“说下去，我的孩子！”船长用警告的语气说道。
“当然，吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生说道。“完全正确！今天早上我正好往这里走过来（大概在一个小时以前），发现门关着——”
“怎么！是•您在门口等候着呀，老弟？”船长问道。
“完全不是，吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生回答道。“我片刻也没有停留。我以为您出去了。可是那人说——顺便问一下，您家里没有养狗吧，•是•不•是，吉尔斯船长？”
船长摇摇头。
“不错，”图茨先生说道，“我也正是这样说的。我知道您没有养狗。有一条狗，吉尔斯船长，是属于——不过对不起。
那是禁区。”
船长凝神看着图茨先生，直到他的身形似乎比原来的大出一倍为止；当船长想到戴奥吉尼斯忽然想要跑到楼下来，成为客厅里的第三者的时候，他的额上又冒汗了。
“那个人说，“图茨先生继续说道，“他听见有条狗在这店里叫；但我知道这是不可能的，我也是这样对他说的；可是他说得那么斩钉截铁，仿佛他亲眼看到那条狗似的。”
“是个什么人，我的孩子？”船长问道。
“唔，您看，事情是这样的，吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生神态显得更加紧张不安，说道，“这不该由我来说什么事情可能发生或什么事情可能不会发生。确实，我不知道。我把我不十分明白的各种事情全混淆了，我觉得我的——直截了当地说吧，我觉得我的脑子有些差劲。”
船长点点头，表示同意。
“可是当我们离开的时候，”图茨先生继续说道，“那个人说，您知道在目前情况下•可•能会发生什么事情——他说‘可能’这两个字的时候是很富于表情的。——他还说，如果请您做好准备的话，那么您无疑就会做好准备的。”
“这是个什么人，我的孩子？”船长重复问道。
“确实，我不知道这是个什么人，吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生回答道，“我一点也不知道。不过我走到门口的时候，发现他在那里等候着；他问我是不是还回来，我说还回来，他问我是不是认识您，我说是的，在我向您请求之后，我荣幸地跟您结识了；他说，如果是这样的话，那么我是不是跟您说一说我刚才已经对您说过的，关于在目前情况下和做好准备等等那些话；他还说，是不是我一见到您，就请您拐过这条街角，到经纪人布罗格利先生那里去一下。哪怕去一分钟也好，因为有一件极为重要的事情。我不知道这是一件什么事情，但我相信那是很重要的；如果您高兴现在就去，那么我可以在这里等您回来。”
船长担心不去会在某些方面连累到弗洛伦斯，但又怕把图茨先生单独留在屋子里，他可能碰巧会发现那个秘密，这左右为难的考虑使他心烦意乱，甚至连图茨先生也看出来了。不过这位年轻的先生以为他这位海员朋友只不过是在为即将进行的会晤进行准备，所以感到很满意，当他回想到自己谨慎的行为时，他还吃吃地笑了几声。
两害相权取其轻。船长终于决定到经纪人布罗格利那里去，并事先把通到楼上的门锁上，钥匙放在他自己的衣袋中。
“如果是这样的话，”船长不是毫无羞愧与犹豫地对图茨先生说道，“请您原谅我这么做吧，老弟。”
“吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生回答道，“不论您做什么，我都是满意的。”
船长由衷地感谢他，答应在不到五分钟的时间内回来，然后就出去寻找那位托图茨先生捎带这神秘口讯的人。可怜的图茨先生在独自留下的时候，躺在沙发上，根本没有猜想到谁曾经在这里躺过，同时仰望着天窗，沉陷在对董贝小姐的胡思乱想之中，忘记了时间与地点。
对他来说这样倒也有好处；因为船长虽然走了不久，但比他原先提出的时间还是长久好多。他回来的时候，脸色苍白，情绪十分激动，甚至看去仿佛流过眼泪似的。他似乎失去了说话的能力，直到他走到碗柜跟前，深深地吸了一口气，用手捂着脸，在椅子中坐下来为止。
“吉尔斯船长，”图茨亲切地问道，“我希望，而且我也相信，没有什么不好的事情吧？”
“谢谢您，我的孩子，一点也没有。”船长说道，“情况恰恰相反。”
“从您的神态看，您太激动了，吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生说道。
“唔，我的孩子，我被吓了一跳，”船长承认道，“确实是这样。”
“我能帮助您做点事情吗，吉尔斯船长？”图茨先生说道。
“如果有什么事情需要我帮助的话，那么您就指派我去做吧。”
船长把手从脸上拿下来，露出某种异常怜悯与亲切的表情看着他，并拉住他的手，紧紧地握着。
“没有，谢谢您，”船长说道。“没有什么事。不过如果您现在跟我告别的话，那么我就觉得您是给我做了一件好事了。我相信，老弟，”他又紧握着他的手，“除了沃尔特，您是世界上最好的孩子了，虽然您跟他是不同的类型。”
“说实话，我以荣誉发誓，吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生回答道，他先轻轻地拍了一下船长的手，然后又握着它，“我真高兴能得到您的好评。谢谢您。”
“请您帮个忙，高兴起来吧，”船长拍拍他的背，说道。
“有什么了不起！世界上可爱的姑娘不止一个哪！”
“对我来说不是这样，吉尔斯船长，”图茨先生一本正经地回答道。“请相信我，对我来说不是这样。我对董贝小姐的感情是难以形容的；我的心是一个荒岛，只有她一个人住在上面。我一天天地消瘦下去，我对这感到自豪。如果您能看到我脱掉靴子以后的腿，那么您对什么是单恋就可以有一点概念了。医生给我开药方，让我服规那皮，可是我没有服，因为我根本不想增强我的体质。是的，我不想。不过，这是禁区。吉尔斯船长，再见！”
卡特尔船长真心诚意地回答了图茨先生热情的告别，然后把门锁上，一边露出和他刚才看图茨时同样异常的怜悯与亲切的表情，摇着头，一边上楼去看看弗洛伦斯是否需要他帮忙。
船长上楼去的时候，脸上的表情完全改变了。他用手绢抹去眼泪，又像他这天早上所做的那样，用袖子擦亮他的鼻梁；可是他脸上的表情是截然不同地改变了。他一会儿看上去是无比地快乐，一会儿看上去又像是怀着悲伤的心情；但是在他脸上有一种庄重的神色，却是过去从来没有过的，它使他的容貌变得漂亮起来了，仿佛他的脸已经历过某种升华的过程似的。
他用钩子轻轻地在弗洛伦斯的门上敲了两、三下；但是得不到任何回答，他就大胆地先往里窥探了一下，然后走进去；他之所以大胆地采取了后一个步骤，也许是因为戴奥吉尼斯把他当做熟人来欢迎的缘故。戴奥吉尼斯伸直身子，躺在她的睡椅旁边的地上，向船长摇着尾巴，眨巴着眼睛，但却懒得起来。
她正在酣睡，在睡眠中还哼叫着。卡特尔船长对她的年轻、美丽和忧伤怀着完全崇敬的心情，抬起她的头，把这时已经掉落的大衣重新拉好，复盖在她身上，并把窗帘遮蔽得更严密一些，使她可以继续好好地睡觉，然后又踮着脚尖，走出房间，在楼梯上守卫。他所做的这一切，不论是接触一下还是移动一下脚步，全都是轻悄悄的，就像弗洛伦斯自己的一样。
在这复杂的世界上可能还会长久留下一个不易判断的问题：哪一个能更美好地证明全能的上帝的慈善？——是那创造出来，为了进行同情的、温存的抚摸，并用来减轻痛苦与悲哀的巧妙的手指呢？还是那只由心灵进行教育、指导并能在片刻间使它变得温柔起来的、卡特尔船长的粗糙的、坚硬的手呢？
弗洛伦斯在她的躺椅中睡着，忘记了她无家可归、孤苦伶仃的处境；卡特尔船长则在楼梯上守卫着。一声比平常更响的抽泣或哼叫有时促使他走到她的门口，但是逐渐地，她睡得比较沉静了；船长的守卫也没有再受到干扰。
Chapter 49
The Midshipman makes a Discovery
It was long before Florence awoke. The day was in its prime, the day was in its wane, and still, uneasy in mind and body, she slept on; unconscious of her strange bed, of the noise and turmoil in the street, and of the light that shone outside the shaded window. Perfect unconsciousness of what had happened in the home that existed no more, even the deep slumber of exhaustion could not produce. Some undefined and mournful recollection of it, dozing uneasily but never sleeping, pervaded all her rest. A dull sorrow, like a half-lulled sense of pain, was always present to her; and her pale cheek was oftener wet with tears than the honest Captain, softly putting in his head from time to time at the half-closed door, could have desired to see it.
The sun was getting low in the west, and, glancing out of a red mist, pierced with its rays opposite loopholes and pieces of fretwork in the spires of city churches, as if with golden arrows that struck through and through them - and far away athwart the river and its flat banks, it was gleaming like a path of fire - and out at sea it was irradiating sails of ships - and, looked towards, from quiet churchyards, upon hill-tops in the country, it was steeping distant prospects in a flush and glow that seemed to mingle earth and sky together in one glorious suffusion - when Florence, opening her heavy eyes, lay at first, looking without interest or recognition at the unfamiliar walls around her, and listening in the same regardless manner to the noises in the street. But presently she started up upon her couch, gazed round with a surprised and vacant look, and recollected all.
'My pretty,' said the Captain, knocking at the door, 'what cheer?'
'Dear friend,' cried Florence, hurrying to him, 'is it you?'
The Captain felt so much pride in the name, and was so pleased by the gleam of pleasure in her face, when she saw him, that he kissed his hook, by way of reply, in speechless gratification.
'What cheer, bright di'mond?' said the Captain.
'I have surely slept very long,' returned Florence. 'When did I come here? Yesterday?'
'This here blessed day, my lady lass,' replied the Captain.
'Has there been no night? Is it still day?' asked Florence.
'Getting on for evening now, my pretty,' said the Captain, drawing back the curtain of the window. 'See!'
Florence, with her hand upon the Captain's arm, so sorrowful and timid, and the Captain with his rough face and burly figure, so quietly protective of her, stood in the rosy light of the bright evening sky, without saying a word. However strange the form of speech into which he might have fashioned the feeling, if he had had to give it utterance, the Captain felt, as sensibly as the most eloquent of men could have done, that there was something in the tranquil time and in its softened beauty that would make the wounded heart of Florence overflow; and that it was better that such tears should have their way. So not a word spake Captain Cuttle. But when he felt his arm clasped closer, and when he felt the lonely head come nearer to it, and lay itself against his homely coarse blue sleeve, he pressed it gently with his rugged hand, and understood it, and was understood.
'Better now, my pretty!' said the Captain. 'Cheerily, cheerily, I'll go down below, and get some dinner ready. Will you come down of your own self, arterwards, pretty, or shall Ed'ard Cuttle come and fetch you?'
As Florence assured him that she was quite able to walk downstairs, the Captain, though evidently doubtful of his own hospitality in permitting it, left her to do so, and immediately set about roasting a fowl at the fire in the little parlour. To achieve his cookery with the greater skill, he pulled off his coat, tucked up his wristbands, and put on his glazed hat, without which assistant he never applied himself to any nice or difficult undertaking.
After cooling her aching head and burning face in the fresh water which the Captain's care had provided for her while she slept, Florence went to the little mirror to bind up her disordered hair. Then she knew - in a moment, for she shunned it instantly, that on her breast there was the darkening mark of an angry hand.
Her tears burst forth afresh at the sight; she was ashamed and afraid of it; but it moved her to no anger against him. Homeless and fatherless, she forgave him everything; hardly thought that she had need to forgive him, or that she did; but she fled from the idea of him as she had fled from the reality, and he was utterly gone and lost. There was no such Being in the world.
What to do, or where to live, Florence - poor, inexperienced girl! - could not yet consider. She had indistinct dreams of finding, a long way off, some little sisters to instruct, who would be gentle with her, and to whom, under some feigned name, she might attach herself, and who would grow up in their happy home, and marry, and be good to their old governess, and perhaps entrust her, in time, with the education of their own daughters. And she thought how strange and sorrowful it would be, thus to become a grey-haired woman, carrying her secret to the grave, when Florence Dombey was forgotten. But it was all dim and clouded to her now. She only knew that she had no Father upon earth, and she said so, many times, with her suppliant head hidden from all, but her Father who was in Heaven.
Her little stock of money amounted to but a few guineas. With a part of this, it would be necessary to buy some clothes, for she had none but those she wore. She was too desolate to think how soon her money would be gone - too much a child in worldly matters to be greatly troubled on that score yet, even if her other trouble had been less. She tried to calm her thoughts and stay her tears; to quiet the hurry in her throbbing head, and bring herself to believe that what had happened were but the events of a few hours ago, instead of weeks or months, as they appeared; and went down to her kind protector.
The Captain had spread the cloth with great care, and was making some egg-sauce in a little saucepan: basting the fowl from time to time during the process with a strong interest, as it turned and browned on a string before the fire. Having propped Florence up with cushions on the sofa, which was already wheeled into a warm corner for her greater comfort, the Captain pursued his cooking with extraordinary skill, making hot gravy in a second little saucepan, boiling a handful of potatoes in a third, never forgetting the egg-sauce in the first, and making an impartial round of basting and stirring with the most useful of spoons every minute. Besides these cares, the Captain had to keep his eye on a diminutive frying-pan, in which some sausages were hissing and bubbling in a most musical manner; and there was never such a radiant cook as the Captain looked, in the height and heat of these functions: it being impossible to say whether his face or his glazed hat shone the brighter.
The dinner being at length quite ready, Captain Cuttle dished and served it up, with no less dexterity than he had cooked it. He then dressed for dinner, by taking off his glazed hat and putting on his coat. That done, he wheeled the table close against Florence on the sofa, said grace, unscrewed his hook, screwed his fork into its place, and did the honours of the table
'My lady lass,' said the Captain, 'cheer up, and try to eat a deal. Stand by, my deary! Liver wing it is. Sarse it is. Sassage it is. And potato!' all which the Captain ranged symmetrically on a plate, and pouring hot gravy on the whole with the useful spoon, set before his cherished guest.
'The whole row o' dead lights is up, for'ard, lady lass,' observed the Captain, encouragingly, 'and everythink is made snug. Try and pick a bit, my pretty. If Wal'r was here - '
'Ah! If I had him for my brother now!' cried Florence.
'Don't! don't take on, my pretty!' said the Captain, 'awast, to obleege me! He was your nat'ral born friend like, warn't he, Pet?'
Florence had no words to answer with. She only said, 'Oh, dear, dear Paul! oh, Walter!'
'The wery planks she walked on,' murmured the Captain, looking at her drooping face, 'was as high esteemed by Wal'r, as the water brooks is by the hart which never rejices! I see him now, the wery day as he was rated on them Dombey books, a speaking of her with his face a glistening with doo - leastways with his modest sentiments - like a new blowed rose, at dinner. Well, well! If our poor Wal'r was here, my lady lass - or if he could be - for he's drownded, ain't he?'
Florence shook her head.
'Yes, yes; drownded,' said the Captain, soothingly; 'as I was saying, if he could be here he'd beg and pray of you, my precious, to pick a leetle bit, with a look-out for your own sweet health. Whereby, hold your own, my lady lass, as if it was for Wal'r's sake, and lay your pretty head to the wind.'
Florence essayed to eat a morsel, for the Captain's pleasure. The Captain, meanwhile, who seemed to have quite forgotten his own dinner, laid down his knife and fork, and drew his chair to the sofa.
'Wal'r was a trim lad, warn't he, precious?' said the Captain, after sitting for some time silently rubbing his chin, with his eyes fixed upon her, 'and a brave lad, and a good lad?'
Florence tearfully assented.
'And he's drownded, Beauty, ain't he?' said the Captain, in a soothing voice.
Florence could not but assent again.
'He was older than you, my lady lass,' pursued the Captain, 'but you was like two children together, at first; wam't you?'
