第 1 节
作者:套牢      更新:2021-04-30 16:06      字数:9322
  Hunted Down
  Hunted Down
  by Charles Dickens
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  I。
  Most   of   us   see   some   romances   in   life。   In   my   capacity   as   Chief
  Manager of a Life Assurance Office; I think I have within the last thirty
  years     seen    more     romances      than    the   generality     of   men;    however
  unpromising the opportunity may; at first sight; seem。
  As I have retired; and live at my ease; I possess the means that I used
  to   want;   of   considering   what   I   have   seen;   at   leisure。  My   experiences
  have   a   more   remarkable   aspect;   so   reviewed;   than   they   had   when   they
  were in progress。        I have come home from the Play now; and can recall
  the scenes of the Drama upon which the curtain has fallen; free from the
  glare; bewilderment; and bustle of the Theatre。
  Let me recall one of these Romances of the real world。
  There   is   nothing   truer   than   physiognomy;   taken   in   connection   with
  manner。      The art of reading that book of which Eternal Wisdom obliges
  every human creature to present his or her own page with the individual
  character written on it; is a difficult one; perhaps; and is little studied。               It
  may   require   some   natural   aptitude;   and   it   must   require   (for   everything
  does) some patience and some pains。               That these are not usually given to
  it; … that numbers of people accept a few stock commonplace expressions
  of the face as the whole list of characteristics; and neither seek nor know
  the refinements that are truest; … that You; for instance; give a great deal of
  time and attention to the reading of music; Greek; Latin; French; Italian;
  Hebrew; if you please; and do not qualify yourself to read the face of the
  master   or   mistress   looking   over   your   shoulder   teaching   it   to     you;   …   I
  assume      to   be   five   hundred     times    more     probable     than   improbable。
  Perhaps      a  little  self…sufficiency    may    be   at  the  bottom     of  this;  facial
  expression requires no study from  you;  you think; it comes by nature to
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  you to know enough about it; and you are not to be taken in。
  I confess; for my part; that I HAVE been taken in; over and over again。
  I have been taken in by acquaintances; and I have been taken in (of course)
  by   friends;   far   oftener   by   friends   than   by   any   other   class   of   persons。
  How came I to be so deceived?           Had I quite misread their faces?
  No
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  II。
  The partition which separated my own office from our general outer
  office   in   the   City  was   of   thick   plate…glass。 I   could see   through   it   what
  passed   in   the   outer   office;   without   hearing   a   word。   I   had   it   put   up   in
  place of a wall that had been there for years; … ever since the house was
  built。    It is no matter whether I did or did not make the change in order
  that I might derive my  first impression of   strangers; who came   to us   on
  business;   from   their   faces   alone;   without   being   influenced   by   anything
  they   said。   Enough   to   mention   that   I   turned     my   glass   partition   to   that
  account;   and   that   a   Life Assurance   Office   is   at   all   times   exposed   to   be
  practised upon by the most crafty and cruel of the human race。
  It was through my glass partition that I first saw the gentleman whose
  story I am going to tell。
  He   had   come   in   without   my   observing   it;   and   had   put   his   hat   and
  umbrella   on   the   broad   counter;   and   was   bending   over   it   to   take   some
  papers     from    one    of  the   clerks。     He    was    about    forty   or   so;  dark;
  exceedingly well dressed in black; … being in mourning; … and the hand he
  extended with a polite air; had a particularly well…fitting black…kid glove
  upon it。     His hair; which was elaborately brushed and oiled; was parted
  straight up the middle; and he presented this parting to the clerk; exactly
  (to my thinking) as if he had said; in so many words: 'You must take me; if
  you   please;   my   friend;   just   as   I   show   myself。   Come   straight   up   here;
  follow the gravel path; keep off the grass; I allow no trespassing。'
  I conceived a very great aversion to that man the moment I thus saw
  him。
  He had asked for some of our printed forms; and the clerk was giving
  them to him and explaining them。               An obliged and agreeable smile was
  on his face; and his eyes met those of the clerk with a sprightly look。                     (I
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  have known a vast quantity of nonsense talked about bad men not looking
  you   in   the   face。  Don't   trust   that   conventional   idea。     Dishonesty   will
  stare honesty out of countenance; any day in the week; if there is anything
  to be got by it。)
  I saw; in the corner of his eyelash; that he became aware of my looking
  at   him。   Immediately   he   turned   the   parting   in   his   hair   toward   the   glass
  partition; as if he said to me with a sweet smile; 'Straight up here; if you
  please。     Off the grass!'
  In a few moments he had put on his hat and taken up his umbrella; and
  was gone。
  I beckoned the clerk into my room; and asked; 'Who was that?'
  He had the gentleman's card in his hand。             'Mr。 Julius Slinkton; Middle
  Temple。'
  'A barrister; Mr。 Adams?'
  'I think not; sir。'
  'I  should    have    thought    him    a  clergyman;     but   for  his   having    no
  Reverend here;' said I。
  'Probably; from his appearance;' Mr。 Adams replied; 'he is reading for
  orders。'
  I should mention that he wore a dainty white cravat; and dainty linen
  altogether。
  'What did he want; Mr。 Adams?'
  'Merely a form of proposal; sir; and form of reference。'
  'Recommended here?           Did he say?'
  'Yes;   he   said   he   was   recommended   here   by   a   friend   of   yours。  He
  noticed   you;   but   said   that   as   he   had   not   the   pleasure   of   your   personal
  acquaintance he would not trouble you。'
  'Did he know my name?'
  'O yes; sir!    He said; 〃There IS Mr。 Sampson; I see!〃'
  'A well…spoken gentleman; apparently?'
  'Remarkably so; sir。'
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  'Insinuating manners; apparently?'
  'Very much so; indeed; sir。'
  'Hah!' said I。    'I want nothing at present; Mr。 Adams。'
  Within a fortnight of that day I went to dine with a friend of mine; a
  merchant; a man of taste; who buys pictures and books; and the first man I
  saw among the company was Mr。 Julius Slinkton。 There he was; standing
  before the fire; with good large eyes and an open expression of face; but
  still (I thought) requiring everybody to come at him by the prepared way
  he offered; and by no other。
  I noticed him ask my friend to introduce him to Mr。 Sampson; and my
  friend did so。      Mr。 Slinkton was very happy to see me。               Not too happy;
  there was no over…doing of the matter; happy in a thoroughly well…bred;
  perfectly unmeaning way。
  'I thought you had met;' our host observed。
  'No;'   said   Mr。   Slinkton。   'I   did   look   in   at   Mr。   Sampson's   office;   on
  your recommendation; but I really did not feel justified in troubling   Mr。
  Sampson himself; on a point in the everyday; routine of an ordinary clerk。'
  I   said   I   should   have   been   glad   to   show   him   any   attention   on   our
  friend's introduction。
  'I am sure of that;' said he; 'and am much obliged。               At another time;
  perhaps; I may be less delicate。           Only; however; if I have real business;
  for I know; Mr。 Sampson; how precious business time is; and what a vast
  number of impertinent people there are in the world。'
  I  acknowledged        his  consideration     with    a  slight  bow。     'You    were
  thinking;' said I; 'of effecting a policy on your life。'
  'O   dear   no!   I   am   afraid   I   am   not   so   prudent   as   you   pay   me   the
  complim