狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第27章Part 13
'I shall be immensely obliged,' said Mr Dombey.
'What do you wish?'
'Piano?' hesitated Mr Dombey.
'Whatever you please. You have only to choose.
Accordingly, she began with the piano. It was the same with the harp; the same with her singing; the same with the selection of the pieces that she sang and played. Such frigid and constrained, yet prompt and pointed acquiescence with the wishes he imposed upon her, and on no one else, was sufficiently remarkable to penetrate through all the mysteries of picquet, and impress itself on Mr Carker's keen attention. Nor did he lose sight of the fact that Mr Dombey was evidently proud of his power, and liked to show it.
Nevertheless, Mr Carker played so well - some games with the Major, and some with Cleopatra, whose vigilance of eye in respect of Mr Dombey and Edith no lynx could have surpassed - that he even heightened his position in the lady-mother's good graces; and when on taking leave he regretted that he would be obliged to return to London next morning, Cleopatra trusted: community of feeling not being met with every day: that it was far from being the last time they would meet.
'I hope so,' said Mr Carker, with an expressive look at the couple in the distance, as he drew towards the door, following the Major. 'I think so.'
Mr Dombey, who had taken a stately leave of Edith, bent, or made some approach to a bend, over Cleopatra's couch, and said, in a low voice:
'I have requested Mrs Granger's permission to call on her to-morrow morning - for a purpose - and she has appointed twelve o'clock. May I hope to have the pleasure of finding you at home, Madam, afterwards?'
“我將非常感謝，”董貝先生說道。
“您希望聽什麼？”
“鋼琴好嗎？”董貝先生遲疑地建議道。
“隨您的便。您只要挑選就行。”
於是她就開始彈鋼琴。演奏豎琴時的情形也與這一樣。在選擇她所唱和所演奏的樂曲時的情形也與這一樣。對於他強加給她，而沒有強加給其他人的願望，她是那麼生硬和勉強地、但卻又是那麼迅速和明顯地順從；這一切是那麼引人注目，所以卡克先生手中的皮基特牌沒有阻擋住他的視線，而是在他敏銳的眼睛中留下了強烈的印象。他也沒有忽略了這個事實：董貝先生顯然對他的權勢感到自豪，並且喜愛顯示它。
雖說如此，卡克先生玩牌還是玩得很高明；他和少校玩了幾局，和克利奧佩特拉玩了幾局（克利奧佩特拉對董貝先生和伊迪絲機警的注意力是任何山貓也難以超過的），他高超的技巧甚至使這位母親夫人增加了對他的好感；告別時他對他明天早晨必須回倫敦去感到惋惜，克利奧佩特拉則相信：感情上的一致不是經常遇見的事情，所以這決不會是他們最後一次見面。
“我希望是這樣，”卡克先生跟着少校走近門口時，意味深長地向着遠處的那一對看了一眼，說道，“我也這麼想。”
董貝先生向伊迪絲作了莊嚴的告別之後，向克利奧佩特拉的長沙發彎了彎身子，或接近於彎了彎身子，低聲說道：
“我已經請求格蘭傑夫人允許我在明天上午去拜訪她——爲了一個目的。她已約定拜訪的時間是十二點鐘。夫人，我是不是可以希望在這以後再高興地在家裏看到您？”
