Chapter 34

AS I had grown accustomed to my expectations, I had insensibly begun to notice their effect upon myself and those around me. Their influence on my own character, I disguised from my recognition as much as possible, but I knew very well that it was not all good. I lived in a state of chronic uneasiness respecting my behaviour to Joe. My conscience was not by any means comfortable about Biddy. When I woke up in the night - like Camilla - I used to think, with a weariness on my spirits, that I should have been happier and better if I had never seen Miss Havisham's face, and had risen to manhood content to be partners with Joe in the honest old forge. Many a time of an evening, when I sat alone looking at the fire, I thought, after all, there was no fire like the forge fire and the kitchen fire at home.
Yet Estella was so inseparable from all my restlessness and disquiet of mind, that I really fell into confusion as to the limits of my own part in its production. That is to say, supposing I had had no expectations, and yet had had Estella to think of, I could not make out to my satisfaction that I should have done much better. Now, concerning the influence of my position on others, I was in no such difficulty, and so I perceived - though dimly enough perhaps - that it was not beneficial to anybody, and, above all, that it was not beneficial to Herbert. My lavish habits led his easy nature into expenses that he could not afford, corrupted the simplicity of his life, and disturbed his peace with anxieties and regrets. I was not at all remorseful for having unwittingly set those other branches of the Pocket family to the poor arts they practised: because such littlenesses were their natural bent, and would have been evoked by anybody else, if I had left them slumbering. But Herbert's was a very different case, and it often caused me a twinge to think that I had done him evil service in crowding his sparely-furnished chambers with incongruous upholstery work, and placing the canary-breasted Avenger at his disposal

So now, as an infallible way of making little ease great ease, I began to contract a quantity of debt. I could hardly begin but Herbert must begin too, so he soon followed. At Startop's suggestion, we put ourselves down for election into a club called The Finches of the Grove: the object of which institution I have never divined, if it were not that the members should dine expensively once a fortnight, to quarrel among themselves as much as possible after dinner, and to cause six waiters to get drunk on the stairs. I Know that these gratifying social ends were so invariably accomplished, that Herbert and I understood nothing else to be referred to in the first standing toast of the society: which ran `Gentlemen, may the present promotion of good feeling ever reign predominant among the Finches of the Grove.'

The Finches spent their money foolishly (the Hotel we dined at was in Covent-garden), and the first Finch I saw, when I had the honour of joining the Grove, was Bentley Drummle: at that time floundering about town in a cab of his own, and doing a great deal of damage to the posts at the street corners. Occasionally, he shot himself out of his equipage head-foremost over the apron; and I saw him on one occasion deliver himself at the door of the Grove in this unintentional way - like coals. But here I anticipate a little for I was not a Finch, and could not be, according to the sacred laws of the society, until I came of age.

In my confidence in my own resources, I would willingly have taken Herbert's expenses on myself; but Herbert was proud, and I could make no such proposal to him. So, he got into difficulties in every direction, and continued to look about him. When we gradually fell into keeping late hours and late company, I noticed that he looked about him with a desponding eye at breakfast-time; that he began to look about him more hopefully about mid-day; that he drooped when he came into dinner; that he seemed to descry Capital in the distance rather clearly, after dinner; that he all but realized Capital towards midnight; and that at about two o'clock in the morning, he became so deeply despondent again as to talk of buying a rifle and going to America, with a general purpose of compelling buffaloes to make his fortune.

I was usually at Hammersmith about half the week, and when I was at Hammersmith I haunted Richmond: whereof separately by-and-by. Herbert would often come to Hammersmith when I was there, and I think at those seasons his father would occasionally have some passing perception that the opening he was looking for, had not appeared yet. But in the general tumbling up of the family, his tumbling out in life somewhere, was a thing to transact itself somehow. In the meantime Mr Pocket grew greyer, and tried oftener to lift himself out of his perplexities by the hair. While Mrs Pocket tripped up the family with her footstool, read her book of dignities, lost her pocket-handkerchief, told us about her grandpapa, and taught the young idea how to shoot, by shooting it into bed whenever it attracted her notice.

As I am now generalizing a period of my life with the object of clearing my way before me, I can scarcely do so better than by at once completing the description of our usual manners and customs at Barnard's Inn

We spent as much money as we could, and got as little for it as people could make up their minds to give us. We were always more or less miserable, and most of our acquaintance were in the same condition. There was a gay fiction among us that we were constantly enjoying ourselves, and a skeleton truth that we never did. To the best of my belief, our case was in the last aspect a rather common one.

Every morning, with an air ever new, Herbert went into the City to look about him. I often paid him a visit in the dark back-room in which he consorted with an ink-jar, a hat-peg, a coal-box, a string-box, an almanack, a desk and stool, and a ruler; and I do not remember that I ever saw him do anything else but look about him. If we all did what we undertake to do, as faithfully as Herbert did, we might live in a Republic of the Virtues. He had nothing else to do, poor fellow, except at a certain hour of every afternoon to `go to Lloyd's' - in observance of a ceremony of seeing his principal, I think. He never did anything else in connexion with Lloyd's that I could find out, except come back again. When he felt his case unusually serious, and that he positively must find an opening, he would go on 'Change at a busy time, and walk in and out, in a kind of gloomy country dance figure, among the assembled magnates. `For,' says Herbert to me, coming home to dinner on one of those special occasions, `I find the truth to be, Handel, that an opening won't come to one, but one must go to it - so I have been.'

If we had been less attached to one another, I think we must have hated one another regularly every morning. I detested the chambers beyond expression at that period of repentance, and could not endure the sight of the Avenger's livery: which had a more expensive and a less remunerative appearance then, than at any other time in the four-and-twenty hours. As we got more and more into debt breakfast became a hollower and hollower form, and, being on one occasion at breakfast-time threatened (by letter) with legal proceedings, `not unwholly unconnected,' as my local paper might put it, `with jewellery,' I went so far as to seize the Avenger by his blue collar and shake him off his feet - so that he was actually in the air, like a booted Cupid - for presuming to suppose that we wanted a roll.

At certain times - meaning at uncertain times, for they depended on our humour - I would say to Herbert, as if it were a remarkable discovery:

`My dear Herbert, we are getting on badly.'

`My dear Handel,' Herbert would say to me, in all sincerity, if you will believe me, those very words were on my lips, by a strange coincidence.'

`Then, Herbert,'I would respond, `let us look into out affairs.'

We always derived profound satisfaction from making an appointment for this purpose. I always thought this was business, this was the way to confront the thing, this was the way to take the foe by the throat. And I know Herbert thought so too.

We ordered something rather special for dinner, with a bottle of something similarly out of the common way, in order that our minds might be fortified for the occasion, and we might come well up to the mark. Dinner over, we produced a bundle of pens, a copious supply of ink, and a goodly show of writing and blotting paper. For, there was something very comfortable in having plenty of stationery.

I would then take a sheet of paper, and write across the top of it, in a neat hand, the heading, `Memorandum of Pip's debts;' with Barnard's Inn and the date very carefully added. Herbert would also take a sheet of paper, and write across it with similar formalities, `Memorandum of Herbert's debts.'

Each of us would then refer to a confused heap of papers at his side, which had been thrown into drawers, worn into holes in Pockets, half-burnt in lighting candles, stuck for weeks into the looking-glass, and otherwise damaged. The sound of our pens going, refreshed us exceedingly, insomuch that I sometimes found it difficult to distinguish between this edifying business proceeding and actually paying the money. In point of meritorious character, the two things seemed about equal.

When we had written a little while, I would ask Herbert how he got on? Herbert probably would have been scratching his head in a most rueful manner at the sight of his accumulating figures.

`They are mounting up, Handel,' Herbert would say; `upon my life, they are mounting up.'

`Be firm, Herbert,' I would retort, plying my own pen with great assiduity. `Look the thing in the face. Look into your affairs. Stare them out of countenance.'

`So I would, Handel, only they are staring me out of countenance.'

However, my determined manner would have its effect, and Herbert would fall to work again. After a time he would give up once more, on the plea that he had not got Cobbs's bill, or Lobbs's, or Nobbs's, as the case might be.

`Then, Herbert, estimate; estimate it in round numbers, and put it down.'

`What a fellow of resource you are!' my friend would reply, with admiration. `Really your business powers are very remarkable.'

I thought so too. I established with myself on these occasions, the reputation of a first-rate man of business - prompt, decisive, energetic, clear, cool-headed. When I had got all my responsibilities down upon my list, I compared each with the bill, and ticked it off. My self-approval when I ticked an entry was quite a luxurious sensation. When I had no more ticks to make, I folded all my bills up uniformly, docketed each on the back, and tied the whole into a symmetrical bundle. Then I did the same for Herbert (who modestly said he had not my administrative genius), and felt that I had brought his affairs into a focus for him.

My business habits had one other bright feature, which i called `leaving a Margin.' For example; supposing Herbert's debts to be one hundred and sixty-four pounds four-and-twopence, I would say, `Leave a margin, and put them down at two hundred.' Or, supposing my own to be four times as much, I would leave a margin, and put them down at seven hundred. I had the highest opinion of the wisdom of this same Margin, but I am bound to acknowledge that on looking back, I deem it to have been an expensive device. For, we always ran into new debt immediately, to the full extent of the margin, and sometimes, in the sense of freedom and solvency it imparted, got pretty far on into another margin.

But there was a calm, a rest, a virtuous hush, consequent on these examinations of our affairs that gave me, for the time, an admirable opinion of myself. Soothed by my exertions, my method, and Herbert's compliments, I would sit with his symmetrical bundle and my own on the table before me among the stationary, and feel like a Bank of some sort, rather than a private individual.

We shut our outer door on these solemn occasions, in order that we might not be interrupted. I had fallen into my serene state one evening, when we heard a letter dropped through the slit in the said door, and fall on the ground. `It's for you, Handel,' said Herbert, going out and coming back with it, `and I hope there is nothing the matter.' This was in allusion to its heavy black seal and border.

The letter was signed TRABB & CO., and its contents were simply, that I was an honoured sir, and that they begged to inform me that Mrs J. Gargery had departed this life on Monday last, at twenty minutes past six in the evening, and that my attendance was requested at the interment on Monday next at three o'clock in the afternoon.

 

我慢慢地习惯了继承遗产的事实，也于不知不觉之中开始注意遗产对我个人的影响，以及对我周围人们的影响。至于遗产对我个人性格上的影响，我总是竭尽全力假装不知道，其实心中却明白得很，这些影响并非都是好的。由于对乔的所做所为，我长期地心神不定，坐立不安，对于毕蒂，我也感到良心上有愧。有时我也像卡美拉一样，在夜里醒来，感到一种精神快要崩溃的疲倦，我想，要是我从来没有见过郝维仙小姐的面孔，一直伴随着乔，在光明磊落的老铁匠炉边，自满自足地长大成人，也许我会更加幸福，更加健康。多少个夜晚，我孤独地坐着，呆呆地望着壁炉，脑海里思忖着，此间哪有火比我那铁匠炉中的火及家中灶间里的火更好的呢？

我的坐立不安和心烦意乱与埃斯苔娜有着不可分割的联系，我自问进入如此心情混乱的状态，无疑有几分责任在于我自己。也就是说，如果没有遇到这笔遗产，却有对埃斯苔娜的相思，我也不会得到安心，也不见得比现在的情况好到哪里。至于我个人的地位现在对别人的影响，倒没有如此地难以面对。我能感知得出，虽然是很模糊的，我的地位对任何人都无利，尤其对于赫伯特是绝对无利的。我已经形成了用钱如泼水一样的性格，而他并没有钱花，我却把他领向了浪费；他单纯朴实的生活本质被我腐蚀，弄得他不得安宁，使他焦躁与悔恨交集。至于鄱凯特家族的其他亲属，他们的天性生来小里小气，我在无意识中对他们施加的影响，也使他们施展出各种穷技。其实，即使我不去触动他们昏沉的天性，任何人都能把他们的天性挑动起来。赫伯特和他们相比，是一个不同类型的人。我一想起我对他施加了坏的影响，不由得内心感到一阵隐痛。在他的几间房屋中塞满了不调和的家具，我还又雇了一名穿鲜黄背心的讨债鬼听他使唤。

因此，我贪图安逸享乐，由小乐而到大乐，这是必经之路，最后弄得一身债务。不管什么事我只要一开头，赫伯特便会跟上来，而且学我的样子还真够快的。斯塔特普曾建议我们申请成为一个叫做林中鸟类的俱乐部的成员。说实话，我真看不出这个学术团体有什么伟大目的，不过是让会员们每隔两个星期聚在一起大吃一顿，过后会员之间尽其本领争争吵吵，连六个端盘送菜的跑堂也吃得烂醉，全都倒在楼梯上。每一次集会都要弄到这个程度才算满意，才算大功告成。赫伯特和我所能了解的只是在好多次集会时祝酒词中的第一段话。这段话是：“诸位会员先生，愿我们林中鸟类俱乐部的成员们情谊常在，友谊长存。”

这些会员鸟儿们花起钱来可真疯狂（我们用餐的饭店就是沽文特花园饭店），我加入俱乐部后看到的第一只鸟居然是本特莱·德鲁莫尔。当时，他驾着他的自备马车狂奔乱跑，在街上干出不少破坏事件，撞倒了不少街角的灯杆子。有时，他竟然会从马车的车慢后头朝下地摔出来。有一次，我看到他把车赶到了树林口，突然如此毫无戒备地从车上像倒煤一样翻滚下来。这里我说得过早了点儿，其实那时我还不是只鸟呢，因为根据学会的神圣章程，不到成年是不能加入的。

我很自信，对自己的经济实力决不担心，很乐意担负赫伯特的一切开销；但是赫伯特颇有自尊心，我无法向他提出这项建议。所以，他每每陷入困境，也只有继续观望形势，等待良机。我们都逐渐养成一个习惯，都要相伴谈到夜深才入睡。我注意到他行为上的变化，在早餐时刻，他的眼睛总是沮丧不已；到了中午似乎有了一点希望；而在晚餐时，又表现出垂头丧气的神色，然后他仿佛在探视着远远的资本，特别是在饭后看得更加清楚；时到午夜，他好像沾沾自喜，似乎马上就能得到这笔资金；待到凌晨二时，他又一次感到失望得很，便说要买一支来福枪到美洲去，在驯猎野牛上大试身手，发家致富。

通常每周我有一半时间在汉莫史密斯，当我在汉莫史密斯时我就会去到雷溪梦去看埃斯苔娜，关于这事的详情现在暂搁起，以后再说。我一来到汉莫史密斯，赫伯特便会常来和我做伴。在这段时间内，他的父亲也偶尔会看出赫伯特还没有观望成功，机会也还没有到来，不过既然这一家的人都是被摔掼大的，那么赫伯特在他自己的生活中被摔来掼去，总是会有些结果的。这时鄱凯特先生又增添了些灰发，每每遇到困惑不解时把自己头发抓得想拎起来的次数也愈来愈多；而鄱凯特夫人，依旧在阅读那本贵族谱，依旧一张被裙子遮住的小脚凳绊得孩子们跌跌倒倒，依旧经常落下手帕，依旧和我们谈起她的祖父当年如何如何，以及她的那套教育孩子的方法；只要小宝宝一引起她的注意，她就把孩子扔到床上，扔孩子上床是她培养幼儿的良策。

现在我要概括一下我这一时期的生活情况，目的是为了把有些事情弄清楚，好继续叙述我的远大前程。我看最好的办法还是先把我们在巴纳德旅馆的通常行为及习惯和盘托出。

我们在花钱方面从不计算，有多少花多少，而我们从别人那里所得到的却要随他们的高兴，因而就很少很少。我们总是处在不幸之中，有时不幸得多些，有时不幸得少些。大部分我们认识的朋友的处境与此也不相上下。我们时常想人非非，自我宽慰，而骨子里却一点儿也不高兴，永远也不会高兴。我坚信，像我们这种情况是很普遍的。

每天清晨，赫伯特都怀着一种新鲜感去到城里观望形势。我时常也去看看他，他坐在一问黑暗的后屋中，和他做伴的是一瓶墨水、一只帽钉、一筐煤、一团线、一本年鉴、一张桌子、一张椅子和一把戒尺。除掉观望形势和等待机会外，我记不清他还干些什么。如果我们做事都能像赫伯特那样忠贞不二，我们就可以生活在具有高尚道德的理想国中了。我的这位可怜的朋友根本无事可做，但每天下午一定按时到罗意德商船协会去，这其实只是例行公事，看看他的老板，当然这是我的想法。在罗意德商船协会的名目下，他什么事也没有干出来，我发现他总是去了又回来。通常在感到形势非常严峻时，他必须去寻找一个机会，便在最繁忙的时刻去到证券交易所，在聚集的各种商业巨富之间进出，就好像在跳一种忧郁的土风舞一样。有一天，赫伯特在办了这一特别事务后回来吃晚饭，他对我说：“汉德尔，我发现了一个真理，机会不会掉到我们身上，我们必须去寻找机会，所以我去寻找机会。”

我和赫伯特如果不是如此地紧密无间，情投意合，我看我们每天早晨会定期地相互埋怨。在这种悔恨交加的时刻，我非常怨恨所住的这几间屋子，特别不能忍受讨债鬼的出现，穿着那件号衣。尤其在早上，一见那号衣就使我觉得自己花费昂贵，而得到的太少。早餐愈来愈少得可怜，而负债却越来越多，甚至于接到了恐吓信，不还债就要到法院去算账。万一我们那份乡下的小报纸得到此新闻，说不定会写出一条“这和珠宝案不无联系”的新闻。这时，讨债鬼竟敢拿出一只面包圈让我们当早餐，我便一把抓住他的蓝色衣领，狠命地摇动他，几乎把他摇得双脚腾空，那副样子就像一个穿长统靴的小爱神丘比特。

每隔一段时期，当然时期的长短是不一定的，而且要根据我们的心境而定，我就会像有了什么新发现一样，对赫伯特说：

“亲爱的赫伯特，我们的日子越来越不好过了。”

“亲爱的汉德尔，”赫伯特总是用那副诚恳的样子答道，“真是奇怪的巧合，你说的话已到了我的嘴边上了，你该相信我们是一致的。”

“那么，赫伯特，”我对他说道，“那么我们合计一下怎么办吧。”

我们一想到要合计一下，这一做法立刻使我们心情舒畅起来。我一直认为这才是办正经事的样子，办事就该面对现实，俗语说杀敌要刺在喉管上，办事要办在点子上。我知道赫伯特的想法和我一样。

这样一来我们又激动了，便叫来一顿不同平常的晚餐，又弄来一瓶同样不同平常的好酒，还自有理由，是为了完成我们的计划，好好干一场，以便重整旗鼓，振作精神。晚饭一过，我们便捧出一大把笔，备好充足的墨水，还有好多好多的写字纸和吸墨纸。因为，文房用具和材料越多，我们的心情也就越舒畅，越充实。

于是我拿出一张纸，在纸的上端清楚整齐地写上一个标题：《皮普债务备忘录》，并注明巴纳德旅馆，又非常仔细地加上日期。赫伯特也抽出一张纸，郑重其事地写上相似的标题人赫伯特债务备忘录》。

我们每一个人身边都有一堆乱七八糟的账单，有的塞在抽屉中，有的因为放在口袋中已磨出小洞，有的用来点蜡烛已烧去了半截，还有的丢在镜子背后几个星期了，被弄得破破烂烂。现在，写字时的沙沙声使我们精神焕发，甚至我有时发现，要区分这种精神启发式的还债和实际上的还债是十分困难的。这两种方式都自有价值，而且两者的价值又是相差无几的。

写了没有一会儿，我就问赫伯特情况怎么样。赫伯特一个劲儿地抓头皮，看着累计的欠债数字，那副懊恼悔恨的样子就不用说了。

“汉德尔，愈加愈没有完，”赫伯特说道，“我敢发誓，愈加愈没有完。

“冷静些，赫伯特。”我反驳他的话，仍是一丝不苟孜孜不倦地写下去，“迎接现实，弄清事情面目，坚持下去，不要慌张。”

“汉德尔，我是在冷静地坚持着，可是这些东西吓得我毛发倒竖。”

无论如何，我坚决的态度起了应有的作用，赫伯特也继续写了下去。过了一会儿，他又一次停下来，并找借口说柯柏公司的账单不见了，要么就是罗柏公司的账单丢了，或者诺柏公司的账单也找不到了。总之他借口不少，理由充分。

“赫伯特，我看你就估算一下。估算出一个大概的数字，把它先记下来。”

“你真是个才智过人的家伙！”我的朋友赞叹地答道，“看来你的处事能力真正是第一流的。”

我何尝不是这样想。在这些场合下，我总是以办事第一流的人自居，自认办起事来迅捷、果断、有力、明确、冷静。我把全部应还的债务列成清单，核对每一笔账款，并一笔一笔打上记号。我在核对登录的账目时，沾沾自喜，心情说不尽的愉快。所有账目核对完后，我把全部账单叠得一般大小，整整齐齐，在每一账单后面附上摘要，然后把它们有序地扎成一捆。然后，我又帮着赫伯特做好这一切，因为他一再谦虚地自认为不具备我的行政管理才干。这样，我才感到帮他把事情也弄出了一点头绪。

我的办事习惯还有另一个光辉的特点，我把它称为“留有余地”。比如说，赫伯特欠债的数字是一百六十四镑四先令二便士，于是我便给他来个留有余地，就算成总共二百镑。又比如，我自己的欠债账目相当于赫伯特的四倍，我也来个留有余地，把数目说成总共七百镑。在那时，我以为留有余地是一种了不起的伟大智慧思想，不过，今天回想起来，才感到留有余地这一种思考方法只会带来更大的危害。因为，我们的新债务会马上接踵而至，填满了旧债的那个留有余地；有时我们以为留有余地能使我们自由运转，觉得既然有偿还能力又何足惧，结果新债不断，不得已只能再来一次新的留有余地。

每逢了结了一次清理债务账单的工作，我们便感到无限的轻松、安逸和道德上的宁静。这时我就会暗自赞叹自己，自以为是个杰出人士。我的尽心尽力、完美的方法和赫伯特的恭维使我昏头转向。我坐在那里，看着面前桌上一叠赫伯特的整齐匀称的账单和另一叠我的整齐匀称的账单，和各种文具放在一起，感到与其说我是一个普通的个体，不如说是拥有了一所银行。

凡遇到这种严肃隆重场合，为了不至于被别人突然干扰，我们总是把外面的一扇门关好。一天晚上，事务处理完毕后，我正沉溺于安静的享受中，听到有投信的声音，只见一封信从门缝中塞了进来，掉在地板上。赫伯特说道：“汉德尔，是你的信。”于是他便走出去把信拿回来。因为这封信有一个黑框，还盖着黑火漆印，所以赫伯特说：“但愿不要有什么事发生。”

信上写着特拉布成衣公司的地址，内容很简单，我被尊称为阁下，然后写着乔·葛奇里夫人已于星期一晚六时二十分谢世，并定于下星期一下午三时安葬，特此通知，希望届时参加。