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It was a declaration in a Christian spirit, and Mrs Chick felt that it did her good. Not that she had anything particular to forgive in her sister-in-law, nor indeed anything at all, except her having married her brother in itself a species of audacity and her having, in the course of events, given birth to a girl instead of a boy: which, as Mrs Chick had frequently observed, was not quite what she had expected of her, and was not a pleasant return for all the attention and distinction she had met with. Mr Dombey being hastily summoned out of the room at this moment, the two ladies were left alone together. Miss Tox immediately became spasmodic.
'I knew you would admire my brother. I told you so beforehand, my dear,' said Louisa. Miss Tox's hands and eyes expressed how much. 'And as to his property, my dear!'
'Ah!' said Miss Tox, with deep feeling. 'Im-mense!'
'But his deportment, my dear Louisa!' said Miss Tox. 'His presence! His dignity! No portrait that I have ever seen of anyone has been half so replete with those qualities. Something so stately, you know: so uncompromising: so very wide across the chest: so upright! A pecuniary Duke of York, my love, and nothing short of it!' said Miss Tox. 'That's what I should designate him.'
'Why, my dear Paul!' exclaimed his sister, as he returned, 'you look quite pale! There's nothing the matter?'
'I am sorry to say, Louisa, that they tell me that Fanny - '
'Now, my dear Paul,' returned his sister rising, 'don't believe it. Do not allow yourself to receive a turn unnecessarily. Remember of what importance you are to society, and do not allow yourself to be worried by what is so very inconsiderately told you by people who ought to know better. Really I'm surprised at them.'
'I hope I know, Louisa,' said Mr Dombey, stiffly, 'how to bear myself before the world.'
'Nobody better, my dear Paul. Nobody half so well. They would be ignorant and base indeed who doubted it.'
'Ignorant and base indeed!' echoed Miss Tox softly.
'But,' pursued Louisa, 'if you have any reliance on my experience, Paul, you may rest assured that there is nothing wanting but an effort on Fanny's part. And that effort,' she continued, taking off her bonnet, and adjusting her cap and gloves, in a business-like manner, 'she must be encouraged, and really, if necessary, urged to make. Now, my dear ,Paul, come upstairs with me.'
这是按照基督精神所作的一项声明，奇克夫人说了以后觉得心情轻松了。并不是她有什么具体的事情需要宽恕她的嫂子，确实也没有任何事情需要她宽恕的，只有一个例外，就是她嫁给了她的哥哥——这件事情本身是大胆无礼的——，而且随着时间的推移，又生了一个女孩子，而不是男孩子；奇克夫人常常提起这件事，说这完全不符合她的期望，也不是她这位嫂子对她所受到的一切厚待与光荣所应作出的令人愉快的报答。
董贝先生这时被急忙请求离开，房间里只剩下两位女士在一起。托克斯小姐立刻痉挛起来。
“我早知道您会仰慕我哥哥的。我以前跟您说过，我亲爱的，”路易莎说道。
托克斯小姐的手和眼睛表示出她是多么仰慕。
“至于他的财产，我亲爱的！”
“啊！”托克斯小姐怀着深切的感情说道。
“大得——不得了！”
“啊，他的品行，我亲爱的路易莎！”托克斯小姐说道，“他的仪表！他的尊严！我这一生中所见到过的肖像没有一个能完全具备这些优美的品质，一半也没有。多么庄严，您知道，多么坚决，胸膛是多么宽阔，身躯是多么挺直！他是一位财力雄厚的约克郡①公爵，我亲爱的，不比约克郡公爵欠缺什么！”托克斯小姐说道。“我要这样称呼他。”
“你怎么了，我亲爱的保罗！”他妹妹看到他回来的时候，高声喊道，“你的脸色这么苍白！没出什么事吧？”
“我很遗憾地告诉你，路易莎，他们告诉我，范妮——”
“啊，我亲爱的保罗！”他的妹妹站起来，说道，“别相信它！如果你觉得我的经验可靠的话，那么，保罗，你尽可以放心，只要范妮作出努力就行；”她有条有理地脱下软帽，整整便帽和手套，继续说道，“应该鼓励她作出那个努力；真的，如果必要的话，那就应该强迫她作出那个努力。我亲爱的保罗，现在请跟我一起上楼去。”
注释: have reliance on: 对......有依赖; 相信
1. Don't place too much reliance on his advice.
别太相信他的意见。
2. A child has reliance on his or her mother.
孩子都依赖于母亲。
