尽管这样，卡特尔船长把场面支撑得还不错；他在一、两个小时内受到了小麦克斯廷杰们残酷的、粗暴的折磨。这些小家伙们在儿戏中把他的上了光的帽子损坏了一点，因为他们两个一起坐在里面，就像坐在鸟窠里一样，还用鞋子像打鼓似地踩踏着帽顶的里面。最后船长伤心地打发他们回去，就像一个就要被处决死刑的人一样，怀着深沉的悔恨与悲痛和这些小天使们告别。
船长在寂静的夜间把比较重的财产装在一只箱子里，上了锁，打算把它留下，十之八九就永远留在那里了，因为以后要找一个胆大包天的人，能不顾一切地跑来把它取走，这种机会几乎是不会有的。船长把比较轻的东西打成一个包裹，并把餐具塞在衣袋里，准备逃走。午夜，当布里格广场正在酣睡，麦克斯廷杰太太身旁围躺着婴儿，正香甜甜地沉没在迷迷蒙蒙的状态之中的时候，犯罪的船长踮着脚尖，在黑暗中偷偷地下了楼，打开门，轻轻地把它关上，然后拔起脚来就跑。
卡特尔船长仿佛看到麦克斯廷杰太太从床上跳起，不顾穿衣服，就从后面赶来，把他抓回去；她的这个形象一直在紧追着他，他已犯下了弥天大罪的感觉也在紧追着他，所以从布里格广场到仪器制造商的家门之间，他一直迈开大步，飞快奔跑，脚步践踏到的地方野草就休想长出来了。他一敲门，门就开了——因为罗布正在值夜——；当把门闩上、上了锁之后，卡特尔船长才觉得自己比较安全了。
“哎呀！”船长向四周看看，喊道，“这真是叫人直喘大气的激烈运动啊！”
“出什么事了没有，船长？”目瞪口呆的罗布问道。
“没有，没有，”卡特尔船长脸色发白，听着街道上走过的脚步声之后说，“不过，我的孩子，你得记住：除了那天你看到的那两位小姐外，如果有什么女人跑来打听卡特尔船长的话，你一定要对她说，这里根本不知道有这样一个人，从来也没听说起过他。你要遵照这些命令行事，听见没有？”
“我会提防的，船长，”罗布回答道。
“你可以说——如果你愿意的话，”船长迟疑不定地说，“你在报纸上念到一则消息，有一个同姓的船长已经移居到澳大利亚去了，同去的还有整船的人，他们全都发誓再也不回来了。”
罗布点点头，表示明白这些指示；卡特尔船长答应如果他遵从这些命令的话，那么他就把他教养成一个有出息的人，然后就把直打呵欠的孩子打发到柜台下面去睡觉，他自己则上楼到所罗门•吉尔斯的房间里去。
第二天，每当一顶女帽从窗口走过的时候，船长就多么胆战心惊地害怕，或者他多少次从店铺中冲出，避开想象中的麦克斯廷杰们，到顶楼中寻求安全，这一切都是不能用笔墨形容的。但是为了避免采取这种自卫方式所产生的疲劳，船长就在店铺通接客厅之间的玻璃门里面挂上帘子，从老人交给他的一串钥匙中间取出一把套在门上，又在墙上挖了一个用来侦察的小洞。这套防御工事的好处是显而易见的。船长一看到女帽出现，就立即溜进他的堡垒，把自己锁在里面，然后偷偷地观察敌人。当发现这是一场虚惊时，船长就立即溜了出来。街上的女帽非常之多，它们每一出现又必定要引起一场惊慌，所以船长几乎整天都不断地溜进溜出。
不过在这使人疲劳不堪的紧张活动中间，卡特尔船长倒找到时间来检点存货。在检点过程中，他得到一个概念（对罗布来说，这是很累人的），就是：货品擦得愈久、愈亮就愈好。然后他在几个外表引人注目的物品上贴上标签，瞎估乱猜地标上价格，从十五先令到五十镑。他把它们陈列在橱窗中，使公众大为惊奇。
卡特尔船长完成了这些改进后，被包围在仪器中间，开始觉得自己也跟科学沾边了。夜间，当他上床睡觉之前，在小后客厅中抽着烟斗的时候，他通过天窗仰望群星，仿佛它们已成为他的财产似的。作为一个在城市里做生意的人，他开始对市长、郡长和同业公会发生了兴趣；他还觉得每天应当阅读有价证券行情表，虽然不能根据航海的原理看懂这些数字的意义；对他来说，没有那些小数也是完全可以的。卡特尔船长在占有了海军军官候补生之后，就立即带着所尔舅舅的奇怪消息前去拜访弗洛伦斯，但是她却已经离开家了。这样，船长就在他的新的生活岗位上安定下来，除了磨工罗布之外，没有别的伴侣。他就像生活中发生了极大变化的人们一样，记不清日子是怎么过去的；他默默地思念着沃尔特，思念着所罗门•吉尔斯，甚至在回顾往事时，还想到那位麦克斯廷杰太太。
Chapter 26
Shadows of the Past and Future
'Your most obedient, Sir,' said the Major. 'Damme, Sir, a friend of my friend Dombey's is a friend of mine, and I'm glad to see you!'
'I am infinitely obliged, Carker,' explained Mr Dombey, 'to Major Bagstock, for his company and conversation. 'Major Bagstock has rendered me great service, Carker.'
Mr Carker the Manager, hat in hand, just arrived at Leamington, and just introduced to the Major, showed the Major his whole double range of teeth, and trusted he might take the liberty of thanking him with all his heart for having effected so great an Improvement in Mr Dombey's looks and spirits'
'By Gad, Sir,' said the Major, in reply, 'there are no thanks due to me, for it's a give and take affair. A great creature like our friend Dombey, Sir,' said the Major, lowering his voice, but not lowering it so much as to render it inaudible to that gentleman, 'cannot help improving and exalting his friends. He strengthens and invigorates a man, Sir, does Dombey, in his moral nature.'
Mr Carker snapped at the expression. In his moral nature. Exactly. The very words he had been on the point of suggesting.
'But when my friend Dombey, Sir,' added the Major, 'talks to you of Major Bagstock, I must crave leave to set him and you right. He means plain Joe, Sir - Joey B. - Josh. Bagstock - Joseph- rough and tough Old J., Sir. At your service.'
Mr Carker's excessively friendly inclinations towards the Major, and Mr Carker's admiration of his roughness, toughness, and plainness, gleamed out of every tooth in Mr Carker's head.
'And now, Sir,' said the Major, 'you and Dombey have the devil's own amount of business to talk over.'
'By no means, Major,' observed Mr Dombey.
'Dombey,' said the Major, defiantly, 'I know better; a man of your mark - the Colossus of commerce - is not to be interrupted. Your moments are precious. We shall meet at dinner-time. In the interval, old Joseph will be scarce. The dinner-hour is a sharp seven, Mr Carker.'
With that, the Major, greatly swollen as to his face, withdrew; but immediately putting in his head at the door again, said:
'I beg your pardon. Dombey, have you any message to 'em?'
Mr Dombey in some embarrassment, and not without a glance at the courteous keeper of his business confidence, entrusted the Major with his compliments.
'By the Lord, Sir,' said the Major, 'you must make it something warmer than that, or old Joe will be far from welcome.'
'Regards then, if you will, Major,' returned Mr Dombey.
'Damme, Sir,' said the Major, shaking his shoulders and his great cheeks jocularly: 'make it something warmer than that.'
'What you please, then, Major,' observed Mr Dombey.
'Our friend is sly, Sir, sly, Sir, de-vilish sly,' said the Major, staring round the door at Carker. 'So is Bagstock.' But stopping in the midst of a chuckle, and drawing himself up to his full height, the Major solemnly exclaimed, as he struck himself on the chest, 'Dombey! I envy your feelings. God bless you!' and withdrew.
'You must have found the gentleman a great resource,' said Carker, following him with his teeth.
'Very great indeed,' said Mr Dombey.
'He has friends here, no doubt,' pursued Carker. 'I perceive, from what he has said, that you go into society here. Do you know,' smiling horribly, 'I am so very glad that you go into society!'
Mr Dombey acknowledged this display of interest on the part of his second in command, by twirling his watch-chain, and slightly moving his head.
'You were formed for society,' said Carker. 'Of all the men I know, you are the best adapted, by nature and by position, for society. Do you know I have been frequently amazed that you should have held it at arm's length so long!'
'I have had my reasons, Carker. I have been alone, and indifferent to it. But you have great social qualifications yourself, and are the more likely to have been surprised.'
'Oh! I!' returned the other, with ready self-disparagement. 'It's quite another matter in the case of a man like me. I don't come into comparison with you.'
Mr Dombey put his hand to his neckcloth, settled his chin in it, coughed, and stood looking at his faithful friend and servant for a few moments in silence.
'I shall have the pleasure, Carker,' said Mr Dombey at length: making as if he swallowed something a little too large for his throat: 'to present you to my - to the Major's friends. Highly agreeable people.'
'Ladies among them, I presume?' insinuated the smooth Manager.
'They are all - that is to say, they are both - ladies,' replied Mr Dombey.
'Only two?' smiled Carker.
'They are only two. I have confined my visits to their residence, and have made no other acquaintance here.'
'Sisters, perhaps?' quoth Carker.
'Mother and daughter,' replied Mr Dombey.
As Mr Dombey dropped his eyes, and adjusted his neckcloth again, the smiling face of Mr Carker the Manager became in a moment, and without any stage of transition, transformed into a most intent and frowning face, scanning his closely, and with an ugly sneer. As Mr Dombey raised his eyes, it changed back, no less quickly, to its old expression, and showed him every gum of which it stood possessed.
'You are very kind,' said Carker, 'I shall be delighted to know them. Speaking of daughters, I have seen Miss Dombey.'
There was a sudden rush of blood to Mr Dombey's face.
'I took the liberty of waiting on her,' said Carker, 'to inquire if she could charge me with any little commission. I am not so fortunate as to be the bearer of any but her - but her dear love.'
Wolf's face that it was then, with even the hot tongue revealing itself through the stretched mouth, as the eyes encountered Mr Dombey's!
'What business intelligence is there?' inquired the latter gentleman, after a silence, during which Mr Carker had produced some memoranda and other papers.
'There is very little,' returned Carker. 'Upon the whole we have not had our usual good fortune of late, but that is of little moment to you. At Lloyd's, they give up the Son and Heir for lost. Well, she was insured, from her keel to her masthead.'
'Carker,' said Mr Dombey, taking a chair near him, 'I cannot say that young man, Gay, ever impressed me favourably
'Nor me,' interposed the Manager.
'But I wish,' said Mr Dombey, without heeding the interruption, 'he had never gone on board that ship. I wish he had never been sent out.
'It is a pity you didn't say so, in good time, is it not?' retorted Carker, coolly. 'However, I think it's all for the best. I really, think it's all for the best. Did I mention that there was something like a little confidence between Miss Dombey and myself?'
'No,' said Mr Dombey, sternly.
'I have no doubt,' returned Mr Carker, after an impressive pause, 'that wherever Gay is, he is much better where he is, than at home here. If I were, or could be, in your place, I should be satisfied of that. I am quite satisfied of it myself. Miss Dombey is confiding and young - perhaps hardly proud enough, for your daughter - if she have a fault. Not that that is much though, I am sure. Will you check these balances with me?'
Mr Dombey leaned back in his chair, instead of bending over the papers that were laid before him, and looked the Manager steadily in the face. The Manager, with his eyelids slightly raised, affected to be glancing at his figures, and to await the leisure of his principal. He showed that he affected this, as if from great delicacy, and with a design to spare Mr Dombey's feelings; and the latter, as he looked at him, was cognizant of his intended consideration, and felt that but for it, this confidential Carker would have said a great deal more, which he, Mr Dombey, was too proud to ask for. It was his way in business, often. Little by little, Mr Dombey's gaze relaxed, and his attention became diverted to the papers before him; but while busy with the occupation they afforded him, he frequently stopped, and looked at Mr Carker again. Whenever he did so, Mr Carker was demonstrative, as before, in his delicacy, and impressed it on his great chief more and more.
While they were thus engaged; and under the skilful culture of the Manager, angry thoughts in reference to poor Florence brooded and bred in Mr Dombey's breast, usurping the place of the cold dislike that generally reigned there; Major Bagstock, much admired by the old ladies of Leamington, and followed by the Native, carrying the usual amount of light baggage, straddled along the shady side of the way, to make a morning call on Mrs Skewton. It being midday when the Major reached the bower of Cleopatra, he had the good fortune to find his Princess on her usual sofa, languishing over a cup of coffee, with the room so darkened and shaded for her more luxurious repose, that Withers, who was in attendance on her, loomed like a phantom page.
'What insupportable creature is this, coming in?' said Mrs Skewton, 'I cannot hear it. Go away, whoever you are!'
'You have not the heart to banish J. B., Ma'am!' said the Major halting midway, to remonstrate, with his cane over his shoulder.
'Oh it's you, is it? On second thoughts, you may enter,' observed Cleopatra.
The Major entered accordingly, and advancing to the sofa pressed her charming hand to his lips.
'Sit down,' said Cleopatra, listlessly waving her fan, 'a long way off. Don't come too near me, for I am frightfully faint and sensitive this morning, and you smell of the Sun. You are absolutely tropical.'
'By George, Ma'am,' said the Major, 'the time has been when Joseph Bagstock has been grilled and blistered by the Sun; then time was, when he was forced, Ma'am, into such full blow, by high hothouse heat in the West Indies, that he was known as the Flower. A man never heard of Bagstock, Ma'am, in those days; he heard of the Flower - the Flower of Ours. The Flower may have faded, more or less, Ma'am,' observed the Major, dropping into a much nearer chair than had been indicated by his cruel Divinity, 'but it is a tough plant yet, and constant as the evergreen.'
Here the Major, under cover of the dark room, shut up one eye, rolled his head like a Harlequin, and, in his great self-satisfaction, perhaps went nearer to the confines of apoplexy than he had ever gone before.
'Where is Mrs Granger?' inquired Cleopatra of her page.
Withers believed she was in her own room.
'Very well,' said Mrs Skewton. 'Go away, and shut the door. I am engaged.'
As Withers disappeared, Mrs Skewton turned her head languidly towards the Major, without otherwise moving, and asked him how his friend was.
'Dombey, Ma'am,' returned the Major, with a facetious gurgling in his throat, 'is as well as a man in his condition can be. His condition is a desperate one, Ma'am. He is touched, is Dombey! Touched!' cried the Major. 'He is bayonetted through the body.'
Cleopatra cast a sharp look at the Major, that contrasted forcibly with the affected drawl in which she presently said:
'Major Bagstock, although I know but little of the world, - nor can I really regret my experience, for I fear it is a false place, full of withering conventionalities: where Nature is but little regarded, and where the music of the heart, and the gushing of the soul, and all that sort of thing, which is so truly poetical, is seldom heard, - I cannot misunderstand your meaning. There is an allusion to Edith - to my extremely dear child,' said Mrs Skewton, tracing the outline of her eyebrows with her forefinger, 'in your words, to which the tenderest of chords vibrates excessively.'
'Bluntness, Ma'am,' returned the Major, 'has ever been the characteristic of the Bagstock breed. You are right. Joe admits it.'
'And that allusion,' pursued Cleopatra, 'would involve one of the most - if not positively the most - touching, and thrilling, and sacred emotions of which our sadly-fallen nature is susceptible, I conceive.'
The Major laid his hand upon his lips, and wafted a kiss to Cleopatra, as if to identify the emotion in question.
'I feel that I am weak. I feel that I am wanting in that energy, which should sustain a Mama: not to say a parent: on such a subject,' said Mrs Skewton, trimming her lips with the laced edge of her pocket-handkerchief; 'but I can hardly approach a topic so excessively momentous to my dearest Edith without a feeling of faintness. Nevertheless, bad man, as you have boldly remarked upon it, and as it has occasioned me great anguish:' Mrs Skewton touched her left side with her fan: 'I will not shrink from my duty.'
