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第151节

david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第151节

小说: david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔) 字数: 每页4000字

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couldn’t myself。’ 

‘Do you suppose;’ said I; constraining myself to be very 
temperate and quiet with him; on account of Agnes; ‘that I regard 
Miss Wickfield otherwise than as a very dear sister?’ 

‘Well; Master Copperfield;’ he replied; ‘you perceive I am not 
bound to answer that question。 You may not; you know。 But then; 
you see; you may!’ 

Anything to equal the low cunning of his visage; and of his 
shadowless eyes without the ghost of an eyelash; I never saw。 

‘Come then!’ said I。 ‘For the sake of Miss Wickfield—’ 

‘My Agnes!’ he exclaimed; with a sickly; angular contortion of 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


David Copperfield 

himself。 ‘Would you be so good as call her Agnes; Master 

Copperfield!’ 

‘For the sake of Agnes Wickfield—Heaven bless her!’ 

‘Thank you for that blessing; Master Copperfield!’ he 
interposed。 

‘I will tell you what I should; under any other circumstances; as 
soon have thought of telling to—Jack Ketch。’ 

‘To who; sir?’ said Uriah; stretching out his neck; and shading 
his ear with his hand。 

‘To the hangman;’ I returned。 ‘The most unlikely person I could 
think of;’—though his own face had suggested the allusion quite as 
a natural sequence。 ‘I am engaged to another young lady。 I hope 
that contents you。’ 

‘Upon your soul?’ said Uriah。 

I was about indignantly to give my assertion the confirmation 
he required; when he caught hold of my hand; and gave it a 
squeeze。 

‘Oh; Master Copperfield!’ he said。 ‘If you had only had the 
condescension to return my confidence when I poured out the 
fulness of my art; the night I put you so much out of the way by 
sleeping before your sitting…room fire; I never should have 
doubted you。 As it is; I’m sure I’ll take off mother directly; and only 
too appy。 I know you’ll excuse the precautions of affection; won’t 
you? What a pity; Master Copperfield; that you didn’t condescend 
to return my confidence! I’m sure I gave you every opportunity。 
But you never have condescended to me; as much as I could have 
wished。 I know you have never liked me; as I have liked you!’ 

All this time he was squeezing my hand with his damp fishy 
fingers; while I made every effort I decently could to get it away。 

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David Copperfield 

But I was quite unsuccessful。 He drew it under the sleeve of his 
mulberry…coloured great…coat; and I walked on; almost upon 
compulsion; arm…in…arm with him。 

‘Shall we turn?’ said Uriah; by and by wheeling me face about 
towards the town; on which the early moon was now shining; 
silvering the distant windows。 

‘Before we leave the subject; you ought to understand;’ said I; 
breaking a pretty long silence; ‘that I believe Agnes Wickfield to be 
as far above you; and as far removed from all your aspirations; as 
that moon herself!’ 

‘Peaceful! Ain’t she!’ said Uriah。 ‘Very! Now confess; Master 
Copperfield; that you haven’t liked me quite as I have liked you。 
All along you’ve thought me too umble now; I shouldn’t wonder?’ 

‘I am not fond of professions of humility;’ I returned; ‘or 
professions of anything else。’ 

‘There now!’ said Uriah; looking flabby and lead…coloured in the 
moonlight。 ‘Didn’t I know it! But how little you think of the 
rightful umbleness of a person in my station; Master Copperfield! 
Father and me was both brought up at a foundation school for 
boys; and mother; she was likewise brought up at a public; sort of 
charitable; establishment。 They taught us all a deal of 
umbleness—not much else that I know of; from morning to night。 
We was to be umble to this person; and umble to that; and to pull 
off our caps here; and to make bows there; and always to know our 
place; and abase ourselves before our betters。 And we had such a 
lot of betters! Father got the monitor…medal by being umble。 So 
did I。 Father got made a sexton by being umble。 He had the 
character; among the gentlefolks; of being such a well…behaved 
man; that they were determined to bring him in。 “Be umble; 

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David Copperfield 

Uriah;” says father to me; “and you’ll get on。 It was what was 
always being dinned into you and me at school; it’s what goes 
down best。 Be umble;” says father;” and you’ll do!” And really it 
ain’t done bad!’ 

It was the first time it had ever occurred to me; that this 
detestable cant of false humility might have originated out of the 
Heep family。 I had seen the harvest; but had never thought of the 
seed。 

‘When I was quite a young boy;’ said Uriah; ‘I got to know what 
umbleness did; and I took to it。 I ate umble pie with an appetite。 I 
stopped at the umble point of my learning; and says I; “Hold 
hard!” When you offered to teach me Latin; I knew better。 “People 
like to be above you;” says father; “keep yourself down。” I am very 
umble to the present moment; Master Copperfield; but I’ve got a 
little power!’ 

And he said all this—I knew; as I saw his face in the 
moonlight—that I might understand he was resolved to 
recompense himself by using his power。 I had never doubted his 
meanness; his craft and malice; but I fully comprehended now; for 
the first time; what a base; unrelenting; and revengeful spirit; must 
have been engendered by this early; and this long; suppression。 

His account of himself was so far attended with an agreeable 
result; that it led to his withdrawing his hand in order that he 
might have another hug of himself under the chin。 Once apart 
from him; I was determined to keep apart; and we walked back; 
side by side; saying very little more by the way。 Whether his spirits 
were elevated by the communication I had made to him; or by his 
having indulged in this retrospect; I don’t know; but they were 
raised by some influence。 He talked more at dinner than was usual 

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David Copperfield 

with him; asked his mother (off duty; from the moment of our reentering the house) whether he was not growing too old for a 
bachelor; and once looked at Agnes so; that I would have given all 
I had; for leave to knock him down。 

When we three males were left alone after dinner; he got into a 
more adventurous state。 He had taken little or no wine; and I 
presume it was the mere insolence of triumph that was upon him; 
flushed perhaps by the temptation my presence furnished to its 
exhibition。 

I had observed yesterday; that he tried to entice Mr。 Wickfield 
to drink; and; interpreting the look which Agnes had given me as 
she went out; had limited myself to one glass; and then proposed 
that we should follow her。 I would have done so again today; but 
Uriah was too quick for me。 

‘We seldom see our present visitor; sir;’ he said; addressing Mr。 
Wickfield; sitting; such a contrast to him; at the end of the table; 
‘and I should propose to give him welcome in another glass or two 
of wine; if you have no objections。 Mr。 Copperfield; your elth and 
appiness!’ 

I was obliged to make a show of taking the hand he stretched 
across to me; and then; with very different emotions; I took the 
hand of the broken gentleman; his partner。 

‘Come; fellow…partner;’ said Uriah; ‘if I may take the liberty;— 
now; suppose you give us something or another appropriate to 
Copperfield!’ 

I pass over Mr。 Wickfield’s proposing my aunt; his proposing 
Mr。 Dick; his proposing Doctors’ Commons; his proposing Uriah; 
his drinking everything twice; his consciousness of his own 
weakness; the ineffectual effort that he made against it; the 

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David Copperfield 

struggle between his shame in Uriah’s deportment; and his desire 
to conciliate him; the manifest exultation with which Uriah twisted 
and turned; and held him up before me。 It made me sick at heart 
to see; and my hand recoils from writing it。 

‘Come; fellow…partner!’ said Uriah; at last; ‘I’ll give you another 
one; and I umbly ask for bumpers; seeing I intend to make it the 
divinest of her sex。’ 

Her father had his empty glass in his hand。 I saw him set it 
down; look at the picture she was so like; put his hand to his 
forehead; and shrink back in his elbow…chair。 

‘I’m an umble individual to give you her elth;’ proceeded Uriah; 
‘but I admire—adore her。’ 

No physical pain that her father’s grey head could have borne; I 
think; could have been more terrible to me; than the mental 
endurance I saw compressed now within both his hands。 

‘Agnes;’ said Uriah; either not regarding him; or not knowing 
what the nature of his action was; ‘Agnes Wickfield is; I am safe to 
say; the divinest of her sex。 May I speak out; among friends? To be 
her father is a proud distinction; but to be her usband—’ 

Spare me from ever again hearing such a cry; as that with 
which her father rose up from the table! ‘What’s the matter?’ said 
Uriah; turning of a deadly colour。 ‘You are not gone mad; after all; 
Mr。 Wickfield; I hope? If I say I’ve an ambition to make your 
Agnes my Agnes; I have as go

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