david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第163节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


cruel　misconstruction；　that　even　my　friends　have　not　been　able　to　
avoid；　becomes　my　duty。　The　more　retired　we　live；　the　better　I　
shall　discharge　it。　And　when　the　time　comes—may　it　come　soon；　if　
it　be　His　merciful　pleasure！—when　my　death　shall　release　her　
from　constraint；　I　shall　close　my　eyes　upon　her　honoured　face；　
with　unbounded　confidence　and　love；　and　leave　her；　with　no　
sorrow　then；　to　happier　and　brighter　days。’　

I　could　not　see　him　for　the　tears　which　his　earnestness　and　
goodness；　so　adorned　by；　and　so　adorning；　the　perfect　simplicity　of　
his　manner；　brought　into　my　eyes。　He　had　moved　to　the　door；　
when　he　added：　

‘Gentlemen；　I　have　shown　you　my　heart。　I　am　sure　you　will　
respect　it。　What　we　have　said　tonight　is　never　to　be　said　more。　
Wickfield；　give　me　an　old　friend’s　arm　upstairs！’　

Mr。　Wickfield　hastened　to　him。　Without　interchanging　a　word　
they　went　slowly　out　of　the　room　together；　Uriah　looking　after　
them。　

‘Well；　Master　Copperfield！’　said　Uriah；　meekly　turning　to　me。　
‘The　thing　hasn’t　took　quite　the　turn　that　might　have　been　
expected；　for　the　old　Scholar—what　an　excellent　man！—is　as　blind　
as　a　brickbat；　but　this　family’s　out　of　the　cart；　I　think！’　

I　needed　but　the　sound　of　his　voice　to　be　so　madly　enraged　as　I　
never　was　before；　and　never　have　been　since。　

‘You　villain；’　said　I；　‘what　do　you　mean　by　entrapping　me　into　
your　schemes？　How　dare　you　appeal　to　me　just　now；　you　false　
rascal；　as　if　we　had　been　in　discussion　together？’　

As　we　stood；　front　to　front；　I　saw　so　plainly；　in　the　stealthy　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

exultation　of　his　face；　what　I　already　so　plainly　knew；　I　mean　that　
he　forced　his　confidence　upon　me；　expressly　to　make　me　
miserable；　and　had　set　a　deliberate　trap　for　me　in　this　very　matter；　
that　I　couldn’t　bear　it。　The　whole　of　his　lank　cheek　was　invitingly　
before　me；　and　I　struck　it　with　my　open　hand　with　that　force　that　
my　fingers　tingled　as　if　I　had　burnt　them。　

He　caught　the　hand　in　his；　and　we　stood　in　that　connexion；　
looking　at　each　other。　We　stood　so；　a　long　time；　long　enough　for　
me　to　see　the　white　marks　of　my　fingers　die　out　of　the　deep　red　of　
his　cheek；　and　leave　it　a　deeper　red。　

‘Copperfield；’　he　said　at　length；　in　a　breathless　voice；　‘have　you　
taken　leave　of　your　senses？’　

‘I　have　taken　leave　of　you；’　said　I；　wresting　my　hand　away。　‘You　
dog；　I’ll　know　no　more　of　you。’　

‘Won’t　you？’　said　he；　constrained　by　the　pain　of　his　cheek　to　put　
his　hand　there。　‘Perhaps　you　won’t　be　able　to　help　it。　Isn’t　this　
ungrateful　of　you；　now？’　

‘I　have　shown　you　often　enough；’　said　I；　‘that　I　despise　you。　I　
have　shown　you　now；　more　plainly；　that　I　do。　Why　should　I　dread　
your　doing　your　worst　to　all　about　you？　What　else　do　you　ever　do？’　

He　perfectly　understood　this　allusion　to　the　considerations　that　
had　hitherto　restrained　me　in　my　communications　with　him。　I　
rather　think　that　neither　the　blow；　nor　the　allusion；　would　have　
escaped　me；　but　for　the　assurance　I　had　had　from　Agnes　that　
night。　It　is　no　matter。　

There　was　another　long　pause。　His　eyes；　as　he　looked　at　me；　
seemed　to　take　every　shade　of　colour　that　could　make　eyes　ugly。　
‘Copperfield；’　he　said；　removing　his　hand　from　his　cheek；　‘you　
have　always　gone　against　me。　I　know　you　always　used　to　be　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

against　me　at　Mr。　Wickfield’s。’　

‘You　may　think　what　you　like；’　said　I；　still　in　a　towering　rage。　‘If　
it　is　not　true；　so　much　the　worthier　you。’　

‘And　yet　I　always　liked　you；　Copperfield！’　he　rejoined。　

I　deigned　to　make　him　no　reply；　and；　taking　up　my　hat；　was　
going　out　to　bed；　when　he　came　between　me　and　the　door。　

‘Copperfield；’　he　said；　‘there　must　be　two　parties　to　a　quarrel。　I　
won’t　be　one。’　

‘You　may　go　to　the　devil！’　said　I。　

‘Don’t　say　that！’　he　replied。　‘I　know　you’ll　be　sorry　afterwards。　
How　can　you　make　yourself　so　inferior　to　me；　as　to　show　such　a　
bad　spirit？　But　I　forgive　you。’　

‘You　forgive　me！’　I　repeated　disdainfully。　

‘I　do；　and　you　can’t　help　yourself；’　replied　Uriah。　‘To　think　of　
your　going　and　attacking　me；　that　have　always　been　a　friend　to　
you！　But　there　can’t　be　a　quarrel　without　two　parties；　and　I　won’t　
be　one。　I　will　be　a　friend　to　you；　in　spite　of　you。　So　now　you　know　
what　you’ve　got　to　expect。’　

The　necessity　of　carrying　on　this　dialogue　（his　part　in　which　
was　very　slow；　mine　very　quick）　in　a　low　tone；　that　the　house　
might　not　be　disturbed　at　an　unseasonable　hour；　did　not　improve　
my　temper；　though　my　passion　was　cooling　down。　Merely　telling　
him　that　I　should　expect　from　him　what　I　always　had　expected；　
and　had　never　yet　been　disappointed　in；　I　opened　the　door　upon　
him；　as　if　he　had　been　a　great　walnut　put　there　to　be　cracked；　and　
went　out　of　the　house。　But　he　slept　out　of　the　house　too；　at　his　
mother’s　lodging；　and　before　I　had　gone　many　hundred　yards；　
came　up　with　me。　

‘You　know；　Copperfield；’　he　said；　in　my　ear　（I　did　not　turn　my　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

head）；　‘you’re　in　quite　a　wrong　position’；　which　I　felt　to　be　true；　
and　that　made　me　chafe　the　more；　‘you　can’t　make　this　a　brave　
thing；　and　you　can’t　help　being　forgiven。　I　don’t　intend　to　mention　
it　to　mother；　nor　to　any　living　soul。　I’m　determined　to　forgive　you。　
But　I　do　wonder　that　you　should　lift　your　hand　against　a　person　
that　you　knew　to　be　so　umble！’　

I　felt　only　less　mean　than　he。　He　knew　me　better　than　I　knew　
myself。　If　he　had　retorted　or　openly　exasperated　me；　it　would　have　
been　a　relief　and　a　justification；　but　he　had　put　me　on　a　slow　fire；　
on　which　I　lay　tormented　half　the　night。　

In　the　morning；　when　I　came　out；　the　early　church…bell　was　
ringing；　and　he　was　walking　up　and　down　with　his　mother。　He　
addressed　me　as　if　nothing　had　happened；　and　I　could　do　no　less　
than　reply。　I　had　struck　him　hard　enough　to　give　him　the　
toothache；　I　suppose。　At　all　events　his　face　was　tied　up　in　a　black　
silk　handkerchief；　which；　with　his　hat　perched　on　the　top　of　it；　was　
far　from　improving　his　appearance。　I　heard　that　he　went　to　a　
dentist’s　in　London　on　the　Monday　morning；　and　had　a　tooth　out。　I　
hope　it　was　a　double　one。　

The　Doctor　gave　out　that　he　was　not　quite　well；　and　remained　
alone；　for　a　considerable　part　of　every　day；　during　the　remainder　
of　the　visit。　Agnes　and　her　father　had　been　gone　a　week；　before　we　
resumed　our　usual　work。　On　the　day　preceding　its　resumption；　the　
Doctor　gave　me　with　his　own　hands　a　folded　note　not　sealed。　It　
was　addressed　to　myself；　and　laid　an　injunction　on　me；　in　a　few　
affectionate　words；　never　to　refer　to　the　subject　of　that　evening。　I　
had　confided　it　to　my　aunt；　but　to　no　one　else。　It　was　not　a　subject　I　
could　discuss　with　Agnes；　and　Agnes　certainly　had　not　the　least　
suspicion　of　what　had　passed。　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

Neither；　I　felt　convinced；　had　Mrs。　Strong　then。　Several　weeks　
elapsed　before　I　saw　the　least　change　in　her。　It　came　on　slowly；　
like　a　cloud　when　there　is　no　wind。　At　first；　she　seemed　to　wonder　
at　the　gentle　compassion　with　which　the　Doctor　spoke　to　her；　and　
at　his　wish　that　she　should　have　her　mother　with　her；　to　relieve　the　
dull　monotony　of　her　life。　Often；　when　we　were　at　work；　and　she　
was　sitting　by；　I　would　see　her　pausing　and　looking　at　him　with　
that　memorable　face。　Afterwards；　I　sometimes　observed　her　rise；　
with　her　eyes　full　of　tears；　and　go　out　of　the　room。　Gradually；　an　
unhappy　shadow　fell　upon　her　beauty；　and　deepened　every　day。　
Mrs。　Markleham　was　a　regular　inmate　of　the　cottage　then；　but　she　
talked　and　talked；　and　saw　nothing。　

As　this　change　stole　on　Annie；　once　like　sunshine　in　the　
Doctor’s　house；　the　Doctor　became　older　in　appearance；　and　more　
grave；　but　the　sweetness　of　his　temper；　the　placid　kindness　of　his　
manner；　and　his　benevolent　solicitude　for　her；　if　they　were　capable　
of　any　increase；　were　increased。　I　saw　him　once；　early　on　the　
morning　of　her　birthday；　when　she　came　to　sit　in　the　window　
while　we　were　at　work　（which　she　had　always　done；　but　now　
began　to　do　with　a　timid　and　uncertain　air　that　I　thought　very　
touching）；　take　her　forehead　between　his　hands；　kiss　it；　and　go　
hurriedly　away；　too　much　moved　to　remain。　I　saw　her　stand　where　
he　had　left　her；　like　a　statue；　and　then　bend　down　her　head；　and　
clasp　her　hands；　and　weep；　I　cannot　say　how　sorrowfully。　

Sometimes；　after　that；　I　fancied　that　she　tried　to　speak　even　to　
me；　in　intervals　when　we　were　left　alone。　But　she　never　uttered　a　
word。　The　Doctor　always　had　some　new　project　for　her　
participating　in　amusements　away　from　home；　with　her　mother；　
and　Mrs。　Markleham；　who　was　very　fond　of　amusements；　and　very　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

easily　dissatisfied　with　anything　else；　entered　into　them　with　great　
good…will；　and　was　loud　in　her　commendations。　But　Annie；　in　a　
spiritless　unhappy　way；　only　went　whither　she　was　led；　and　
seemed　to　have　no　care　for　anything。　

I　did　not　know