david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第4节

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matched；　child—if　any　two　people　can　be　equally　matched—and　so　
I　asked　the　question。　You　were　an　orphan；　weren’t　you？’　

‘Yes。’　

‘And　a　governess？’　

‘I　was　nursery…governess　in　a　family　where　Mr。　Copperfield　
came　to　visit。　Mr。　Copperfield　was　very　kind　to　me；　and　took　a　
great　deal　of　notice　of　me；　and　paid　me　a　good　deal　of　attention；　
and　at　last　proposed　to　me。　And　I　accepted　him。　And　so　we　were　
married；’　said　my　mother　simply。　

‘Ha！　Poor　Baby！’　mused　Miss　Betsey；　with　her　frown　still　bent　
upon　the　fire。　‘Do　you　know　anything？’　

‘I　beg　your　pardon；　ma’am；’　faltered　my　mother。　

‘About　keeping　house；　for　instance；’　said　Miss　Betsey。　

‘Not　much；　I　fear；’　returned　my　mother。　‘Not　so　much　as　I　could　

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David　Copperfield　

wish。　But　Mr。　Copperfield　was　teaching　me—’　

（‘Much　he　knew　about　it　himself！’）　said　Miss　Betsey　in　a　
parenthesis。　

—‘And　I　hope　I　should　have　improved；　being　very　anxious　to　
learn；　and　he　very　patient　to　teach　me；　if　the　great　misfortune　of　
his　death’—my　mother　broke　down　again　here；　and　could　get　no　
farther。　

‘Well；　well！’　said　Miss　Betsey。　

—‘I　kept　my　housekeeping…book　regularly；　and　balanced　it　with　
Mr。　Copperfield　every　night；’　cried　my　mother　in　another　burst　of　
distress；　and　breaking　down　again。　

‘Well；　well！’　said　Miss　Betsey。　‘Don’t　cry　any　more。’　

—‘And　I　am　sure　we　never　had　a　word　of　difference　respecting　
it；　except　when　Mr。　Copperfield　objected　to　my　threes　and　fives　
being　too　much　like　each　other；　or　to　my　putting　curly　tails　to　my　
sevens　and　nines；’　resumed　my　mother　in　another　burst；　and　
breaking　down　again。　

‘You’ll　make　yourself　ill；’　said　Miss　Betsey；　‘and　you　know　that　
will　not　be　good　either　for　you　or　for　my　god…daughter。　Come！　You　
mustn’t　do　it！’　

This　argument　had　some　share　in　quieting　my　mother；　though　
her　increasing　indisposition　had　a　larger　one。　There　was　an　
interval　of　silence；　only　broken　by　Miss　Betsey’s　occasionally　
ejaculating　‘Ha！’　as　she　sat　with　her　feet　upon　the　fender。　

‘David　had　bought　an　annuity　for　himself　with　his　money；　I　
know；’　said　she；　by　and　by。　‘What　did　he　do　for　you？’　

‘Mr。　Copperfield；’　said　my　mother；　answering　with　some　
difficulty；　‘was　so　considerate　and　good　as　to　secure　the　reversion　
of　a　part　of　it　to　me。’　

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David　Copperfield　

‘How　much？’　asked　Miss　Betsey。　

‘A　hundred　and　five　pounds　a　year；’　said　my　mother。　

‘He　might　have　done　worse；’　said　my　aunt。　

The　word　was　appropriate　to　the　moment。　My　mother　was　so　
much　worse　that　Peggotty；　coming　in　with　the　teaboard　and　
candles；　and　seeing　at　a　glance　how　ill　she　was；—as　Miss　Betsey　
might　have　done　sooner　if　there　had　been　light　enough；—　
conveyed　her　upstairs　to　her　own　room　with　all　speed；　and　
immediately　dispatched　Ham　Peggotty；　her　nephew；　who　had　
been　for　some　days　past　secreted　in　the　house；　unknown　to　my　
mother；　as　a　special　messenger　in　case　of　emergency；　to　fetch　the　
nurse　and　doctor。　

Those　allied　powers　were　considerably　astonished；　when　they　
arrived　within　a　few　minutes　of　each　other；　to　find　an　unknown　
lady　of　portentous　appearance；　sitting　before　the　fire；　with　her　
bonnet　tied　over　her　left　arm；　stopping　her　ears　with　jewellers’　
cotton。　Peggotty　knowing　nothing　about　her；　and　my　mother　
saying　nothing　about　her；　she　was　quite　a　mystery　in　the　parlour；　
and　the　fact　of　her　having　a　magazine　of　jewellers’　cotton　in　her　
pocket；　and　sticking　the　article　in　her　ears　in　that　way；　did　not　
detract　from　the　solemnity　of　her　presence。　

The　doctor　having　been　upstairs　and　come　down　again；　and　
having　satisfied　himself；　I　suppose；　that　there　was　a　probability　of　
this　unknown　lady　and　himself　having　to　sit　there；　face　to　face；　for　
some　hours；　laid　himself　out　to　be　polite　and　social。　He　was　the　
meekest　of　his　sex；　the　mildest　of　little　men。　He　sidled　in　and　out　of　
a　room；　to　take　up　the　less　space。　He　walked　as　softly　as　the　Ghost　
in　Hamlet；　and　more　slowly。　He　carried　his　head　on　one　side；　
partly　in　modest　depreciation　of　himself；　partly　in　modest　

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David　Copperfield　

propitiation　of　everybody　else。　It　is　nothing　to　say　that　he　hadn’t　a　
word　to　throw　at　a　dog。　He　couldn’t　have　thrown　a　word　at　a　mad　
dog。　He　might　have　offered　him　one　gently；　or　half　a　one；　or　a　
fragment　of　one；　for　he　spoke　as　slowly　as　he　walked；　but　he　
wouldn’t　have　been　rude　to　him；　and　he　couldn’t　have　been　quick　
with　him；　for　any　earthly　consideration。　

Mr。　Chillip；　looking　mildly　at　my　aunt　with　his　head　on　one　side；　
and　making　her　a　little　bow；　said；　in　allusion　to　the　jewellers’　
cotton；　as　he　softly　touched　his　left　ear：　

‘Some　local　irritation；　ma’am？’　

‘What！’　replied　my　aunt；　pulling　the　cotton　out　of　one　ear　like　a　
cork。　

Mr。　Chillip　was　so　alarmed　by　her　abruptness—as　he　told　my　
mother　afterwards—that　it　was　a　mercy　he　didn’t　lose　his　presence　
of　mind。　But　he　repeated　sweetly：　

‘Some　local　irritation；　ma’am？’　

‘Nonsense！’　replied　my　aunt；　and　corked　herself　again；　at　one　
blow。　

Mr。　Chillip　could　do　nothing　after　this；　but　sit　and　look　at　her　
feebly；　as　she　sat　and　looked　at　the　fire；　until　he　was　called　
upstairs　again。　After　some　quarter　of　an　hour’s　absence；　he　
returned。　

‘Well？’　said　my　aunt；　taking　the　cotton　out　of　the　ear　nearest　to　
him。　

‘Well；　ma’am；’　returned　Mr。　Chillip；　‘we　are—we　are　
progressing　slowly；　ma’am。’　

‘Ba—a—ah！’　said　my　aunt；　with　a　perfect　shake　on　the　
contemptuous　interjection。　And　corked　herself　as　before。　

Really—really—as　Mr。　Chillip　told　my　mother；　he　was　almost　

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shocked；　speaking　in　a　professional　point　of　view　alone；　he　was　
almost　shocked。　But　he　sat　and　looked　at　her；　notwithstanding；　for　
nearly　two　hours；　as　she　sat　looking　at　the　fire；　until　he　was　again　
called　out。　After　another　absence；　he　again　returned。　

‘Well？’　said　my　aunt；　taking　out　the　cotton　on　that　side　again。　

‘Well；　ma’am；’　returned　Mr。　Chillip；　‘we　are—we　are　
progressing　

slowly；　ma’am。’　

‘Ya—a—ah！’　said　my　aunt。　With　such　a　snarl　at　him；　that　Mr。　
Chillip　absolutely　could　not　bear　it。　It　was　really　calculated　to　
break　his　spirit；　he　said　afterwards。　He　preferred　to　go　and　sit　
upon　the　stairs；　in　the　dark　and　a　strong　draught；　until　he　was　
again　sent　for。　

Ham　Peggotty；　who　went　to　the　national　school；　and　was　a　very　
dragon　at　his　catechism；　and　who　may　therefore　be　regarded　as　a　
credible　witness；　reported　next　day；　that　happening　to　peep　in　at　
the　parlour…door　an　hour　after　this；　he　was　instantly　descried　by　
Miss　Betsey；　then　walking　to　and　fro　in　a　state　of　agitation；　and　
pounced　upon　before　he　could　make　his　escape。　That　there　were　
now　occasional　sounds　of　feet　and　voices　overhead　which　he　
inferred　the　cotton　did　not　exclude；　from　the　circumstance　of　his　
evidently　being　clutched　by　the　lady　as　a　victim　on　whom　to　
expend　her　superabundant　agitation　when　the　sounds　were　
loudest。　That；　marching　him　constantly　up　and　down　by　the　collar　
（as　if　he　had　been　taking　too　much　laudanum）；　she；　at　those　times；　
shook　him；　rumpled　his　hair；　made　light　of　his　linen；　stopped　his　
ears　as　if　she　confounded　them　with　her　own；　and　otherwise　
tousled　and　maltreated　him。　This　was　in　part　confirmed　by　his　
aunt；　who　saw　him　at　half　past　twelve　o’clock；　soon　after　his　

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David　Copperfield　

release；　and　affirmed　that　he　was　then　as　red　as　I　was。　

The　mild　Mr。　Chillip　could　not　possibly　bear　malice　at　such　a　
time；　if　at　any　time。　He　sidled　into　the　parlour　as　soon　as　he　was　at　
liberty；　and　said　to　my　aunt　in　his　meekest　manner：　

‘Well；　ma’am；　I　am　happy　to　congratulate　you。’　

‘What　upon？’　said　my　aunt；　sharply。　

Mr。　Chillip　was　fluttered　again；　by　the　extreme　severity　of　my　
aunt’s　manner；　so　he　made　her　a　little　bow　and　gave　her　a　little　
smile；　to　mollify　her。　

‘Mercy　on　the　man；　what’s　he　doing！’　cried　my　aunt；　
impatiently。　‘Can’t　he　speak？’　

‘Be　calm；　my　dear　ma’am；’　said　Mr。　Chillip；　in　his　softest　
accents。　

‘There　is　no　longer　any　occasion　for　uneasiness；　ma’am。　Be　
calm。’　

It　has　since　been　considered　almost　a　miracle　that　my　aunt　
didn’t　shake　him；　and　shake　what　he　had　to　say；　out　of　him。　She　
only　shook　her　own　head　at　him；　but　in　a　way　that　made　him　quail。　
‘Well；　ma’am；’　resumed　Mr。　Chillip；　as　soon　as　he　had　courage；　‘I　
am　happy　to　congratulate　you。　All　is　now　over；　ma’am；　and　well　
over。’　

During　the　five　minutes　or　so　that　Mr。　Chillip　devoted　to　the　
delivery　of　this　oration；　my　aunt　eyed　him　narrowly。　

‘How　is　she？’　said　my　aunt；　folding　her　arms　with　her　bonnet　
still　tied　on　one　of　them。　

‘Well；　ma’am；　she　will　soon　be　quite　comfortable；　I　hope；’　
returned　Mr。　Chillip。　‘Quite　as　comfortable　as　we　can　expect　a　
young　mother　to　be；　under　these　melancholy　domestic　
circumstances。　There　cannot　be　any　objection　to　your　seeing　her　

Cha