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Yet Walter did not hold it as he might have held it once, nor did its touch awaken those old day—dreams of his boyhood that had floated past him sometimes even lately, and confused him with their indistinct and broken shapes. The purity and innocence of her endearing manner, and its perfect trustfulness, and the undisguised regard for him that lay so deeply seated in her constant eyes, and glowed upon her fair face through the smile that shaded — for alas! it was a smile too sad to brighten — it, were not of their romantic race. They brought back to his thoughts the early death—bed he had seen her tending, and the love the child had borne her; and on the wings of such remembrances she seemed to rise up, far above his idle fancies, into clearer and serener air.
'I — I am afraid I must call you Walter's Uncle, Sir,' said Florence to the old man, 'if you'll let me.'
'My dear young lady,' cried old Sol. 'Let you! Good gracious!'
'We always knew you by that name, and talked of you,' said Florence, glancing round, and sighing gently. 'The nice old parlour! Just the same! How well I recollect it!'
Old Sol looked first at her, then at his nephew, and then rubbed his hands, and rubbed his spectacles, and said below his breath, 'Ah! time, time, time!'
There was a short silence; during which Susan Nipper skilfully impounded two extra cups and saucers from the cupboard, and awaited the drawing of the tea with a thoughtful air.
'I want to tell Walter's Uncle,' said Florence, laying her hand timidly upon the old man's as it rested on the table, to bespeak his attention, 'something that I am anxious about. He is going to be left alone, and if he will allow me — not to take Walter's place, for that I couldn't do, but to be his true friend and help him if I ever can while Walter is away, I shall be very much obliged to him indeed. Will you? May I, Walter's Uncle?'
The Instrument—maker, without speaking, put her hand to his lips, and Susan Nipper, leaning back with her arms crossed, in the chair of presidency into which she had voted herself, bit one end of her bonnet strings, and heaved a gentle sigh as she looked up at the skylight.
'You will let me come to see you,' said Florence, 'when I can; and you will tell me everything about yourself and Walter; and you will have no secrets from Susan when she comes and I do not, but will confide in us, and trust us, and rely upon us. And you'll try to let us be a comfort to you? Will you, Walter's Uncle?'
The sweet face looking into his, the gentle pleading eyes, the soft voice, and the light touch on his arm made the more winning by a child's respect and honour for his age, that gave to all an air of graceful doubt and modest hesitation — these, and her natural earnestness, so overcame the poor old Instrument—maker, that he only answered:
'Wally! say a word for me, my dear. I'm very grateful.'
'No, Walter,' returned Florence with her quiet smile. 'Say nothing for him, if you please. I understand him very well, and we must learn to talk together without you, dear Walter.'
The regretful tone in which she said these latter words, touched Walter more than all the rest.
可是沃尔特并不像先前那样握它，这样的接触也没有唤醒过去童年时代的那些白日梦，甚至最近这些梦有时还会从他面前漂浮过去，并以它们那模糊不清、支离破碎的形状使他心烦意乱。她那天真纯洁、可亲可爱的神态，她在专注的眼光中深切表露出的以及在俊俏的脸上通过微笑（这微笑太悲哀了，它在她脸上投下了阴影，不能使它容光焕发）洋溢着的对他的完全信任与真诚关怀，所有这些都不是浪漫性质的。它们使他回想起了他曾看到她殷勤看护的那张夭逝的小床，回想起了那男孩对她所怀的热爱，靠着这些回忆的翅膀，她似乎已远远地超越了他的那些胡思乱想，飞升到那更为明净、更为宁静的高空之中了。
“我——我想，我得管您叫沃尔特的舅舅，先生，”弗洛伦斯对老人说，“如果您允许的话。”
“我亲爱的小姐，”老所尔喊道，“如果我允许的话！我的上帝！”
“我们常常是以这个称呼来了解您和谈起您的，”弗洛伦斯向四周看了一眼，轻轻地叹气道，“可爱的老客厅！完全跟先前一模一样！我把它记得多么清楚啊！”
老所尔先看看她，又看看他的外甥，然后搓搓手，又擦擦眼镜，低声说道，“唉，时间啊，时间啊，时间啊！”
接着是短暂的沉默；在这段时间中苏珊·尼珀灵巧地从碗柜里取出了两只带碟子的茶杯，并以若有所思的神气等待着泡茶。
“我想跟沃尔特的舅舅说点我很担心的事，”弗洛伦斯胆怯地把手放在老人搁在桌子上的手上，以便引起他的注意，说道，“他很快就要单独一个人了，如果他允许我——不是代替沃尔特，因为那是我做不到的，而是在沃尔特不在的时候成为他的真诚的朋友，并尽我的力量来帮助他，那我就会十分感谢他。您肯允许我吗？我可以吗，沃尔特舅舅？”
仪器制造商默默无言地把她的手拉到他的嘴唇上。苏珊·尼珀两手交叉，背靠在她自行充任的主席的椅子上，这时咬着帽带的一端，仰望着天窗，轻轻地叹了口气。
“如果我可能的话，那么请允许我来看您，”弗洛伦斯说，“那时请您告诉我您自己和沃尔特的一切事情；如果苏珊代替我来的话，那么就请您不要对她保守秘密，请您信任我们，信赖我们，依靠我们。请您设法让我们成为您的安慰，您愿意吗，沃尔特的舅舅？”
那张望着他的可爱的脸孔，那双关切的恳求的眼睛，那个温柔的声音，以及她在他胳膊上轻轻的抚摸，本来就使她显得十分亲切可爱，再加上女孩子对他年龄所怀有的崇敬与尊重，这就使她更加得人欢心，当时她表露出一种优雅得体的疑惑不定的神情和由于谦虚羞怯而犹豫不决的神情——所有这一切，以及她那出乎天性的恳切的态度，完全征服了这位可怜的年老的仪器制造商，他只是回答道：
“沃利，为我说一句话吧，我亲爱的，我太感激了。”
“不，沃尔特，”弗洛伦斯平静地微笑着回答道，“请您一句话也不要为他说。我很了解他，我们必须学会在您不在场的时候相互交谈，亲爱的沃尔特。”
她说最后几个字时惋惜的声调比其他的一切更使他感动。
重点讲解
一.hold：v.拿着, 控制, 容纳, 握住, 持有, 保持, 掌握, 认为, 举行 n.握住, 控制, 把握, 立足点, 延误, 影响 n.（飞机、船等）舱
【语法用法】
take hold of指“抓住”，比take hold(up)on常用；
hold表示“认为”时，多个句子可表示相同意思。
We hold him innocent.We hold him to be innocent.We hold that he is innocent.
我们认为他是错误的。
hold sb by sth指“抓住某人的什么东西”。
She held me by hand.
她抓住我的手。
hold on to指“紧紧抓住”。
Hold on to my arm.
抓住我的手。
举行比赛时，动词不可用hold。
【错句举例与错句分析】
错句: Was the match held in Shanghai?
订正: Was the match played in Shanghai?
翻译: 这场赛事是在上海举行吗？
分析: 举行比赛时，动词不用hold。
【词义辨析】
contain, include, embrace, involve, comprehend, hold, comprise
这些动词均含有“包括，包含”之意。
contain普通用词，所涉及的物体常常是其组成部分或内容。强调包容关系。既可指具体有形的东西，也可指抽象无形的东西。
include普通用词，指一整体包含着各独立的部分，也指某东西包含另一东西的某一部分。
embrace正式用词，指把某事物纳入整个之中。
involve指包含因整体的性质决定的成分或结果。所包括的往往是无形的，不可触知的东西，多用作引申。
comprehend正式用词，指包含在整体范围以内。
hold常和contain换用。指能够容纳或有足够的容纳量。强调包容能力。
comprise书面用词，暗指一个整体包括不同部分所组成，可与include交换使用。
【例句用法】
My new car holds the road well.
我的新汽车贴路性能很好。
I don't think the car will hold you all.
我看这辆汽车坐不下你们这些人。
二.return：v.返回, 归还, 回报, 回应,申报 n.归还, 返回, （收益)回报, 申报 adj.返回的
【词义辨析】
answer, reply, respond, retort, return
这些动词均有“回答”之意。
answer常用词，指用书面、口头或行动对他人的请求、询问、质问等作出回答或反应。
reply较正式用词，较少用于口语。侧重经过考虑的较正式答复。
respond正式用词，指即刻的，以口头或行动对外来的号召、请求或刺激等作出回答或响应。
retort指对不同意见、批评或控诉作出迅速、有力的回答，即“反驳”。
return正式用词，从本义“归来，回去”引申作“回答、答辨”讲时，含反驳或反唇相讥之意。
【例句用法】
Our investment accounts return a high rate of interest.
我们的投资项目利润回报很高。
We look forward to the return of spring.
我们期待着春天的到来。