david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第53节

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to　attend　to　my　story；　which　she　elicited　from　me；　gradually；　by　a　
course　of　questions。　During　my　recital；　she　kept　her　eyes　on　Mr。　
Dick；　who　I　thought　would　have　gone　to　sleep　but　for　that；　and　
who；　whensoever　he　lapsed　into　a　smile；　was　checked　by　a　frown　
from　my　aunt。　

‘Whatever　possessed　that　poor　unfortunate　Baby；　that　she　must　
go　and　be　married　again；’　said　my　aunt；　when　I　had　finished；　‘I　
can’t　conceive。’　

‘Perhaps　she　fell　in　love　with　her　second　husband；’　Mr。　Dick　
suggested。　

‘Fell　in　love！’　repeated　my　aunt。　‘What　do　you　mean？　What　
business　had　she　to　do　it？’　

‘Perhaps；’　Mr。　Dick　simpered；　after　thinking　a　little；　‘she　did　it　
for　pleasure。’　

‘Pleasure；　indeed！’　replied　my　aunt。　‘A　mighty　pleasure　for　the　
poor　Baby　to　fix　her　simple　faith　upon　any　dog　of　a　fellow；　certain　
to　ill…use　her　in　some　way　or　other。　What　did　she　propose　to　

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David　Copperfield　

herself；　I　should　like　to　know！　She　had　had　one　husband。　She　had　
seen　David　Copperfield　out　of　the　world；　who　was　always　running　
after　wax　dolls　from　his　cradle。　She　had　got　a　baby—oh；　there　
were　a　pair　of　babies　when　she　gave　birth　to　this　child　sitting　here；　
that　Friday　night！—and　what　more　did　she　want？’　

Mr。　Dick　secretly　shook　his　head　at　me；　as　if　he　thought　there　
was　no　getting　over　this。　

‘She　couldn’t　even　have　a　baby　like　anybody　else；’　said　my　aunt。　
‘Where　was　this　child’s　sister；　Betsey　Trotwood？　Not　forthcoming。　
Don’t　tell　me！’　

Mr。　Dick　seemed　quite　frightened。　

‘That　little　man　of　a　doctor；　with　his　head　on　one　side；’　said　my　
aunt；　‘Jellips；　or　whatever　his　name　was；　what　was　he　about？　All　
he　could　do；　was　to　say　to　me；　like　a　robin　redbreast—as　he　is—　
“It’s　a　boy。”　A　boy！　Yah；　the　imbecility　of　the　whole　set　of　’em！’　

The　heartiness　of　the　ejaculation　startled　Mr。　Dick　exceedingly；　
and　me；　too；　if　I　am　to　tell　the　truth。　

‘And　then；　as　if　this　was　not　enough；　and　she　had　not　stood　
sufficiently　in　the　light　of　this　child’s　sister；　Betsey　Trotwood；’　said　
my　aunt；　‘she　marries　a　second　time—goes　and　marries　a　
Murderer—or　a　man　with　a　name　like　it—and　stands　in　this　child’s　
light！　And　the　natural　consequence　is；　as　anybody　but　a　baby　
might　have　foreseen；　that　he　prowls　and　wanders。　He’s　as　like　
Cain　before　he　was　grown　up；　as　he　can　be。’　

Mr。　Dick　looked　hard　at　me；　as　if　to　identify　me　in　this　
character。　

‘And　then　there’s　that　woman　with　the　Pagan　name；’　said　my　
aunt；　‘that　Peggotty；　she　goes　and　gets　married　next。　Because　she　
has　not　seen　enough　of　the　evil　attending　such　things；　she　goes　and　

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gets　married　next；　as　the　child　relates。　I　only　hope；’　said　my　aunt；　
shaking　her　head；　‘that　her　husband　is　one　of　those　Poker　
husbands　who　abound　in　the　newspapers；　and　will　beat　her　well　
with　one。’　

I　could　not　bear　to　hear　my　old　nurse　so　decried；　and　made　the　
subject　of　such　a　wish。　I　told　my　aunt　that　indeed　she　was　
mistaken。　That　Peggotty　was　the　best；　the　truest；　the　most　faithful；　
most　devoted；　and　most　self…denying　friend　and　servant　in　the　
world；　who　had　ever　loved　me　dearly；　who　had　ever　loved　my　
mother　dearly；　who　had　held　my　mother’s　dying　head　upon　her　
arm；　on　whose　face　my　mother　had　imprinted　her　last　grateful　
kiss。　And　my　remembrance　of　them　both；　choking　me；　I　broke　
down　as　I　was　trying　to　say　that　her　home　was　my　home；　and　that　
all　she　had　was　mine；　and　that　I　would　have　gone　to　her　for　
shelter；　but　for　her　humble　station；　which　made　me　fear　that　I　
might　bring　some　trouble　on　her—I　broke　down；　I　say；　as　I　was　
trying　to　say　so；　and　laid　my　face　in　my　hands　upon　the　table。　

‘Well；　well！’　said　my　aunt；　‘the　child　is　right　to　stand　by　those　
who　have　stood　by　him—Janet！　Donkeys！’　

I　thoroughly　believe　that　but　for　those　unfortunate　donkeys；　we　
should　have　come　to　a　good　understanding；　for　my　aunt　had　laid　
her　hand　on　my　shoulder；　and　the　impulse　was　upon　me；　thus　
emboldened；　to　embrace　her　and　beseech　her　protection。　But　the　
interruption；　and　the　disorder　she　was　thrown　into　by　the　struggle　
outside；　put　an　end　to　all　softer　ideas　for　the　present；　and　kept　my　
aunt　indignantly　declaiming　to　Mr。　Dick　about　her　determination　
to　appeal　for　redress　to　the　laws　of　her　country；　and　to　bring　
actions　for　trespass　against　the　whole　donkey　proprietorship　of　
Dover；　until　tea…time。　

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After　tea；　we　sat　at　the　window—on　the　look…out；　as　I　imagined；　
from　my　aunt’s　sharp　expression　of　face；　for　more　invaders—until　
dusk；　when　Janet　set　candles；　and　a　backgammon…board；　on　the　
table；　and　pulled　down　the　blinds。　

‘Now；　Mr。　Dick；’　said　my　aunt；　with　her　grave　look；　and　her　
forefinger　up　as　before；　‘I　am　going　to　ask　you　another　question。　
Look　at　this　child。’　

‘David’s　son？’　said　Mr。　Dick；　with　an　attentive；　puzzled　face。　

‘Exactly　so；’　returned　my　aunt。　‘What　would　you　do　with　him；　
now？’　

‘Do　with　David’s　son？’　said　Mr。　Dick。　

‘Ay；’　replied　my　aunt；　‘with　David’s　son。’　

‘Oh！’　said　Mr。　Dick。　‘Yes。　Do　with—I　should　put　him　to　bed。’　

‘Janet！’　cried　my　aunt；　with　the　same　complacent　triumph　that　I　
had　remarked　before。　‘Mr。　Dick　sets　us　all　right。　If　the　bed　is　
ready；　we’ll　take　him　up　to　it。’　

Janet　reporting　it　to　be　quite　ready；　I　was　taken　up　to　it；　kindly；　
but　in　some　sort　like　a　prisoner；　my　aunt　going　in　front　and　Janet　
bringing　up　the　rear。　The　only　circumstance　which　gave　me　any　
new　hope；　was　my　aunt’s　stopping　on　the　stairs　to　inquire　about　a　
smell　of　fire　that　was　prevalent　there；　and　janet’s　replying　that　she　
had　been　making　tinder　down　in　the　kitchen；　of　my　old　shirt。　But　
there　were　no　other　clothes　in　my　room　than　the　odd　heap　of　
things　I　wore；　and　when　I　was　left　there；　with　a　little　taper　which　
my　aunt　forewarned　me　would　burn　exactly　five　minutes；　I　heard　
them　lock　my　door　on　the　outside。　Turning　these　things　over　in　my　
mind　I　deemed　it　possible　that　my　aunt；　who　could　know　nothing　
of　me；　might　suspect　I　had　a　habit　of　running　away；　and　took　
precautions；　on　that　account；　to　have　me　in　safe　keeping。　

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The　room　was　a　pleasant　one；　at　the　top　of　the　house；　
overlooking　the　sea；　on　which　the　moon　was　shining　brilliantly。　
After　I　had　said　my　prayers；　and　the　candle　had　burnt　out；　I　
remember　how　I　still　sat　looking　at　the　moonlight　on　the　water；　as　
if　I　could　hope　to　read　my　fortune　in　it；　as　in　a　bright　book；　or　to　
see　my　mother　with　her　child；　coming　from　Heaven；　along　that　
shining　path；　to　look　upon　me　as　she　had　looked　when　I　last　saw　
her　sweet　face。　I　remember　how　the　solemn　feeling　with　which　at　
length　I　turned　my　eyes　away；　yielded　to　the　sensation　of　gratitude　
and　rest　which　the　sight　of　the　white…curtained　bed—and　how　
much　more　the　lying　softly　down　upon　it；　nestling　in　the　snow…
white　sheets！—inspired。　I　remember　how　I　thought　of　all　the　
solitary　places　under　the　night　sky　where　I　had　slept；　and　how　I　
prayed　that　I　never　might　be　houseless　any　more；　and　never　might　
forget　the　houseless。　I　remember　how　I　seemed　to　float；　then；　
down　the　melancholy　glory　of　that　track　upon　the　sea；　away　into　
the　world　of　dreams。　

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David　Copperfield　

Chapter　14　

MY　AUNT　MAKES　UP　HER　MIND　ABOUT　ME　

On　going　down　in　the　morning；　I　found　my　aunt　musing　so　
profoundly　over　the　breakfast　table；　with　her　elbow　on　
the　tray；　that　the　contents　of　the　urn　had　overflowed　the　
teapot　and　were　laying　the　whole　table…cloth　under　water；　when　
my　entrance　put　her　meditations　to　flight。　I　felt　sure　that　I　had　
been　the　subject　of　her　reflections；　and　was　more　than　ever　
anxious　to　know　her　intentions　towards　me。　Yet　I　dared　not　
express　my　anxiety；　lest　it　should　give　her　offence。　

My　eyes；　however；　not　being　so　much　under　control　as　my　
tongue；　were　attracted　towards　my　aunt　very　often　during　
breakfast。　I　never　could　look　at　her　for　a　few　moments　together　
but　I　found　her　looking　at　me—in　an　odd　thoughtful　manner；　as　if　
I　were　an　immense　way　off；　instead　of　being　on　the　other　side　of　
the　small　round　table。　When　she　had　finished　her　breakfast；　my　
aunt　very　deliberately　leaned　back　in　her　chair；　knitted　her　brows；　
folded　her　arms；　and　contemplated　me　at　her　leisure；　with　such　a　
fixedness　of　attention　that　I　was　quite　overpowered　by　
embarrassment。　Not　having　as　yet　finished　my　own　breakfast；　I　
attempted　to　hide　my　confusion　by　proceeding　with　it；　but　my　
knife　tumbled　over　my　fork；　my　fork　tripped　up　my　knife；　I　
chipped　bits　of　bacon　a　surprising　height　into　the　air　instead　of　
cutting　them　for　my　own　eating；　and　choked　myself　with　my　tea；　
which　persisted　in　going　the　wrong　way　instead　of　the　right　one；　
until　I　gave　in　altogether；　and　sat　blushing　under　my　aunt’s　close　

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scrutiny。　

‘Hallo！’　said　my　aunt；　after　a　long　time。　

I　looked　up；　and　met　her　sharp　bright　glanc