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第46章

silas marner(织工马南)-第46章

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wonderful handy wi’ children。 The men are awk’ard and contrairy 

mostly; God help ’em—but when the drink’s out of ’em; they aren’t 

unsensible;   though   they’re   bad   for   leeching   and          bandaging—so 

fiery    and    unpatient。     You     see   this   goes   first;  next    the   skin;” 

proceeded Dolly; taking up the little shirt; and putting it on。 



George Eliot                                                           ElecBook Classics 


… Page 166…

                                 Silas Marner                                        166 



    “Yes;” said Marner; docilely; bringing his   eyes  very  close;   that 

they might be initiated in   the   mysteries;  whereupon   Baby  seized 

his   head   with   both   her   small   arms;   and   put   her   lips   against   his 

face with purring noises。 

    “See     there;”   said   Dolly;    with   a  woman’s      tender     tact;  “she’s 

fondest o’ you。 She wants to go o’ your lap; I’ll be bound。 Go then: 

take her; Master Marner; you can put the things on; and then you 

can say as you’ve done for her from the first of her coming to you。” 

    Marner       took    her   on    his  lap;   trembling       with    an   emotion 

mysterious to himself; at something unknown dawning on his life。 

Thought  and   feeling  were   so  confused   within   him   that   if   he   had 

tried to give them utterance; he could only have said that the child 

was   come instead   of  the   gold—that  the   gold   had   turned   into   the 

child。   He   took   the   garments   from   Dolly;   and   put   them   on   under 

her teaching; interrupted; of course; by Baby’s gymnastics。 

    “There;   then!   why;   you   take   to   it   quite   easy;   Master   Marner;” 

said Dolly; “but what shall you do when you’re forced to sit in your 

loom? For she’ll get busier and mischievouser every day—she will; 

bless   her。   It’s   lucky   as   you’ve   got   that   high   hearth   i’stead   of   a 

grate; for that keeps the fire more out of her  reach;   but  if  you’ve 

got anything as can be spilt or broke; or as is fit to cut her fingers 

off; she’ll be at it—and it is but right you should know。” 

    Silas meditated a little while in some perplexity。 “I’ll tie her to 

the leg o’ the loom;” he said at last—”tie her with a good long strip 

o’ something。” 

    “Well;   mayhap   that’ll   do;   as   it’s   a   little   gell;   for   they’re   easier 

persuaded to sit i’ one place nor the lads。 I know what the lads are; 

for   I’ve   had   four—four   I’ve   had;   God   knows—and   if   you   was   to 

take and tie ’em up they’d make a fighting and a crying as if you 



George Eliot                                                           ElecBook Classics 


… Page 167…

                                 Silas Marner                                        167 



was ringing the pigs。 But  I’ll  bring  you  my  little  chair; and   some 

bits   o’   red   rag   and   things   for   her   to   play   wi’;   an’   she’ll   sit   and 

chatter to ’em as if they was alive。 Eh; if it wasn’t a sin to the lads 

to wish ’em   made different; bless   ’em;   I should   ha’   been   glad  for 

one of ’em to be a little gell; and to think as I could ha’ taught her 

to   scour;   and   mend;   and   the   knitting;   and   everything!   But   I   can 

teach     ’em    this   little  un;   Master     Marner;      when     she   gets    old 

enough。” 

    “But she’ll be my little un;” said Marner; rather hastily。 “She’ll 

be nobody else’s。” 

    “No; to be sure; you’ll have a right to her; if you’re a father  to 

her;   and bring  her  up   according。   But;”   added  Dolly; coming  to  a 

point which she had determined beforehand to touch upon; “you 

must bring her up like christened folks’s children; and take her to 

church; and let her learn her catechise; as my little Aaron can say 

off—the ‘I believe’; and everything;   and   ‘hurt  nobody  by  word   or 

deed’—as   well   as   if   he   was   the   clerk。   That’s   what   you   must   do; 

Master Marner; if you’d do the right thing by the orphin child。” 

    Marner’s pale face flushed  suddenly  under a   new  anxiety。   His 

mind was too busy trying to give some definite bearing to Dolly’s 

words for him to think of answering her。 

    “And   it’s   my   belief;”   she   went   on;   “as   the   poor   little   creature 

has never been christened; and it’s nothing but right as the parson 

should   be   spoke   to;   and   if   you   was   noways   unwilling;   I’d   talk   to 

Mr。    Macey     about     it  this  very   day。   For   if  the   child   ever   went 

anyways       wrong;     and   you    hadn’t    done    your   part    by  it;  Master 

Marner—’noculation; and everything to save it from harm—it ’ud 

be   a   thorn   i’   your   bed   forever   o’   this   side   the   grave;   and   I   can’t 

think as it ’ud be easy lying down for anybody when they’d got to 



George Eliot                                                           ElecBook Classics 


… Page 168…

                                Silas Marner                                       168 



another      world    if  they   hadn’t    done    their   part   by   the  helpless 

children as come wi’out their own asking。” 

    Dolly herself  was   disposed   to  be silent  for  some   time now;   for 

she had spoken from the depths of her own simple belief; and was 

much  concerned   to  know  whether  her  words   would   produce   the 

desired   effect   on   Silas。   He   was   puzzled   and   anxious;   for   Dolly’s 

word “christened”  conveyed no  distinct  meaning  to  him。   He  had 

only heard of baptism; and had only seen the baptism of grown…up 

men and women。 

    “What      is  it  as  you  mean     by   ‘christened’?”      he   said  at   last; 

timidly。 “Won’t folks be good to her without it?” 

    “Dear;   dear!   Master   Marner;”   said   Dolly;   with   gentle   distress 

and compassion。 “Had you never no father nor mother  as   taught 

you   to   say   your   prayers;    and    as  there’s   good    words    and   good 

things to keep us from harm?” 

    “Yes;”   said   Silas;   in   a   low   voice;   “I   know   a   deal   about   that— 

used   to;   used   to。   But   your   ways   are   different:   my   country   was   a 

good way off。” He paused a few moments; and then added; more 

decidedly;   “But   I   want   to   do   everything   as   can   be   done   for   the 

child; and whatever’s right for it i’ this country; and you think ’ull 

do it good; I’ll act according; if you’ll tell me。” 

    “Well; then; Master Marner;” said Dolly; inwardly rejoiced; “I’ll 

ask Mr。 Macey to speak to the parson about it; and you must fix on 

a   name     for  it;  because    it  must   have    a  name     giv’  it  when    it’s 

christened。” 

    “My mother’s name was Hephzibah;” said Silas; “and my little 

sister was named after her。” 

    “Eh;   that’s   a   hard   name;”   said   Dolly。   “I   partly   think   it   isn’t   a 

christened name。” 



George Eliot                                                         ElecBook Classics 


… Page 169…

                                 Silas Marner                                       169 



    “It’s a Bible name;” said Silas; old ideas recurring。 

    “Then I’ve no call to speak again’ it;” said Dolly; rather startled 

by Silas’s knowledge on this head;   “but  you  see  I’m   no  scholard; 

and  I’m slow at  catching   the   words。   My   husband   says   I’m   allays 

like   as   if   I   was   putting   the   haft   for   the   handle—that’s   what   he 

says—for he’s very sharp; God help him。 But it was awk’ard calling 

your little sister by such a hard name; when you’d got nothing big 

to say; like—

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