david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第57节

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Peggotty　knew　it。　I　said　that　I　had　been　more　miserable　than　I　
thought　anybody　could　believe；　who　only　knew　how　young　I　was。　
And　I　begged　and　prayed　my　aunt—I　forget　in　what　terms　now；　
but　I　remember　that　they　affected　me　very　much　then—to　
befriend　and　protect　me；　for　my　father’s　sake。　

‘Mr。　Dick；’　said　my　aunt；　‘what　shall　I　do　with　this　child？’　

Mr。　Dick　considered；　hesitated；　brightened；　and　rejoined；　‘Have　
him　measured　for　a　suit　of　clothes　directly。’　

‘Mr。　Dick；’　said　my　aunt　triumphantly；　‘give　me　your　hand；　for　
your　common　sense　is　invaluable。’　Having　shaken　it　with　great　
cordiality；　she　pulled　me　towards　her　and　said　to　Mr。　Murdstone：　

‘You　can　go　when　you　like；　I’ll　take　my　chance　with　the　boy。　If　
he’s　all　you　say　he　is；　at　least　I　can　do　as　much　for　him　then；　as　you　
have　done。　But　I　don’t　believe　a　word　of　it。’　

‘Miss　Trotwood；’　rejoined　Mr。　Murdstone；　shrugging　his　

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shoulders；　as　he　rose；　‘if　you　were　a　gentleman—’　

‘Bah！　Stuff　and　nonsense！’　said　my　aunt。　‘Don’t　talk　to　me！’　

‘How　exquisitely　polite！’　exclaimed　Miss　Murdstone；　rising。　
‘Overpowering；　really！’　

‘Do　you　think　I　don’t　know；’　said　my　aunt；　turning　a　deaf　ear　to　
the　sister；　and　continuing　to　address　the　brother；　and　to　shake　her　
head　at　him　with　infinite　expression；　‘what　kind　of　life　you　must　
have　led　that　poor；　unhappy；　misdirected　baby？　Do　you　think　I　
don’t　know　what　a　woeful　day　it　was　for　the　soft　little　creature　
when　you　first　came　in　her　way—smirking　and　making　great　eyes　
at　her；　I’ll　be　bound；　as　if　you　couldn’t　say　boh！　to　a　goose！’　

‘I　never　heard　anything　so　elegant！’　said　Miss　Murdstone。　

‘Do　you　think　I　can’t　understand　you　as　well　as　if　I　had　seen　
you；’　pursued　my　aunt；　‘now　that　I　do　see　and　hear　you—which；　I　
tell　you　candidly；　is　anything　but　a　pleasure　to　me？　Oh　yes；　bless　
us！　who　so　smooth　and　silky　as　Mr。　Murdstone　at　first！　The　poor；　
benighted　innocent　had　never　seen　such　a　man。　He　was　made　of　
sweetness。　He　worshipped　her。　He　doted　on　her　boy—tenderly　
doted　on　him！　He　was　to　be　another　father　to　him；　and　they　were　
all　to　live　together　in　a　garden　of　roses；　weren’t　they？　Ugh！　Get　
along　with　you；　do！’　said　my　aunt。　

‘I　never　heard　anything　like　this　person　in　my　life！’　exclaimed　
Miss　Murdstone。　

‘And　when　you　had　made　sure　of　the　poor　little　fool；’　said　my　
aunt—‘God　forgive　me　that　I　should　call　her　so；　and　she　gone　
where　you　won’t　go　in　a　hurry—because　you　had　not　done　wrong　
enough　to　her　and　hers；　you　must　begin　to　train　her；　must　you？　
begin　to　break　her；　like　a　poor　caged　bird；　and　wear　her　deluded　
life　away；　in　teaching　her　to　sing　your　notes？’　

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‘This　is　either　insanity　or　intoxication；’　said　Miss　Murdstone；　in　
a　perfect　agony　at　not　being　able　to　turn　the　current　of　my　aunt’s　
address　towards　herself；　‘and　my　suspicion　is　that　it’s　intoxication。’　

Miss　Betsey；　without　taking　the　least　notice　of　the　interruption；　
continued　to　address　herself　to　Mr。　Murdstone　as　if　there　had　been　
no　such　thing。　

‘Mr。　Murdstone；’　she　said；　shaking　her　finger　at　him；　‘you　were　
a　tyrant　to　the　simple　baby；　and　you　broke　her　heart。　She　was　a　
loving　baby—I　know　that；　I　knew　it　years　before　you　ever　saw　
her—and　through　the　best　part　of　her　weakness　you　gave　her　the　
wounds　she　died　of。　There　is　the　truth　for　your　comfort；　however　
you　like　it。　And　you　and　your　instruments　may　make　the　most　of　
it。’　

‘Allow　me　to　inquire；　Miss　Trotwood；’　interposed　Miss　
Murdstone；　‘whom　you　are　pleased　to　call；　in　a　choice　of　words　in　
which　I　am　not　experienced；　my　brother’s　instruments？’　

‘It　was　clear　enough；　as　I　have　told　you；　years　before　you　ever　
saw　her—and　why；　in　the　mysterious　dispensations　of　Providence；　
you　ever　did　see　her；　is　more　than　humanity　can　comprehend—it　
was　clear　enough　that　the　poor　soft　little　thing　would　marry　
somebody；　at　some　time　or　other；　but　I　did　hope　it　wouldn’t　have　
been　as　bad　as　it　has　turned　out。　That　was　the　time；　Mr。　
Murdstone；　when　she　gave　birth　to　her　boy　here；’　said　my　aunt；　‘to　
the　poor　child　you　sometimes　tormented　her　through　afterwards；　
which　is　a　disagreeable　remembrance　and　makes　the　sight　of　him　
odious　now。　Aye；　aye！　you　needn’t　wince！’　said　my　aunt。　‘I　know　
it’s　true　without　that。’　

He　had　stood　by　the　door；　all　this　while；　observant　of　her　with　a　
smile　upon　his　face；　though　his　black　eyebrows　were　heavily　

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contracted。　I　remarked　now；　that；　though　the　smile　was　on　his　face　
still；　his　colour　had　gone　in　a　moment；　and　he　seemed　to　breathe　
as　if　he　had　been　running。　

‘Good　day；　sir；’　said　my　aunt；　‘and　good…bye！　Good　day　to　you；　
too；　ma’am；’　said　my　aunt；　turning　suddenly　upon　his　sister。　‘Let　
me　see　you　ride　a　donkey　over　my　green　again；　and　as　sure　as　you　
have　a　head　upon　your　shoulders；　I’ll　knock　your　bonnet　off；　and　
tread　upon　it！’　

It　would　require　a　painter；　and　no　common　painter　too；　to　
depict　my　aunt’s　face　as　she　delivered　herself　of　this　very　
unexpected　sentiment；　and　Miss　Murdstone’s　face　as　she　heard　it。　
But　the　manner　of　the　speech；　no　less　than　the　matter；　was　so　
fiery；　that　Miss　Murdstone；　without　a　word　in　answer；　discreetly　
put　her　arm　through　her　brother’s；　and　walked　haughtily　out　of　
the　cottage；　my　aunt　remaining　in　the　window　looking　after　them；　
prepared；　I　have　no　doubt；　in　case　of　the　donkey’s　reappearance；　
to　carry　her　threat　into　instant　execution。　

No　attempt　at　defiance　being　made；　however；　her　face　gradually　
relaxed；　and　became　so　pleasant；　that　I　was　emboldened　to　kiss　
and　thank　her；　which　I　did　with　great　heartiness；　and　with　both　
my　arms　clasped　round　her　neck。　I　then　shook　hands　with　Mr。　
Dick；　who　shook　hands　with　me　a　great　many　times；　and　hailed　
this　happy　close　of　the　proceedings　with　repeated　bursts　of　
laughter。　

‘You’ll　consider　yourself　guardian；　jointly　with　me；　of　this　child；　
Mr。　Dick；’　said　my　aunt。　

‘I　shall　be　delighted；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘to　be　the　guardian　of　
David’s　son。’　

‘Very　good；’　returned　my　aunt；　‘that’s　settled。　I　have　been　

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thinking；　do　you　know；　Mr。　Dick；　that　I　might　call　him　Trotwood？’　

‘Certainly；　certainly。　Call　him　Trotwood；　certainly；’　said　Mr。　
Dick。　‘David’s　son’s　Trotwood。’　

‘Trotwood　Copperfield；　you　mean；’　returned　my　aunt。　

‘Yes；　to　be　sure。　Yes。　Trotwood　Copperfield；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　a　
little　abashed。　

My　aunt　took　so　kindly　to　the　notion；　that　some　ready…made　
clothes；　which　were　purchased　for　me　that　afternoon；　were　
marked　‘Trotwood　Copperfield’；　in　her　own　handwriting；　and　in　
indelible　marking…ink；　before　I　put　them　on；　and　it　was　settled　that　
all　the　other　clothes　which　were　ordered　to　be　made　for　me　（a　
complete　outfit　was　bespoke　that　afternoon）　should　be　marked　in　
the　same　way。　

Thus　I　began　my　new　life；　in　a　new　name；　and　with　everything　
new　about　me。　Now　that　the　state　of　doubt　was　over；　I　felt；　for　
many　days；　like　one　in　a　dream。　I　never　thought　that　I　had　a　
curious　couple　of　guardians；　in　my　aunt　and　Mr。　Dick。　I　never　
thought　of　anything　about　myself；　distinctly。　The　two　things　
clearest　in　my　mind　were；　that　a　remoteness　had　come　upon　the　
old　Blunderstone　life—which　seemed　to　lie　in　the　haze　of　an　
immeasurable　distance；　and　that　a　curtain　had　for　ever　fallen　on　
my　life　at　Murdstone　and　Grinby’s。　No　one　has　ever　raised　that　
curtain　since。　I　have　lifted　it　for　a　moment；　even　in　this　narrative；　
with　a　reluctant　hand；　and　dropped　it　gladly。　The　remembrance　of　
that　life　is　fraught　with　so　much　pain　to　me；　with　so　much　mental　
suffering　and　want　of　hope；　that　I　have　never　had　the　courage　
even　to　examine　how　long　I　was　doomed　to　lead　it。　Whether　it　
lasted　for　a　year；　or　more；　or　less；　I　do　not　know。　I　only　know　that　
it　was；　and　ceased　to　be；　and　that　I　have　written；　and　there　I　leave　

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it。　

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David　Copperfield　

Chapter　15　

I　MAKE　ANOTHER　BEGINNING　

Mr。　Dick　and　I　soon　became　the　best　of　friends；　and　very　
often；　when　his　day’s　work　was　done；　went　out　together　
to　fly　the　great　kite。　Every　day　of　his　life　he　had　a　long　
sitting　at　the　Memorial；　which　never　made　the　least　progress；　
however　hard　he　laboured；　for　King　Charles　the　First　always　
strayed　into　it；　sooner　or　later；　and　then　it　was　thrown　aside；　and　
another　one　begun。　The　patience　and　hope　with　which　he　bore　
these　perpetual　disappointments；　the　mild　perception　he　had　that　
there　was　something　wrong　about　King　Charles　the　First；　the　
feeble　efforts　he　made　to　keep　him　out；　and　the　certainty　with　
which　he　came　in；　and　tumbled　the　Memorial　out　of　all　shape；　
made　a　deep　impression　on　me。　What　Mr。　Dick　supposed　would　
come　of　the　Memorial；　if　it　were　completed；　where　he　thought　it　
was　to　go；　or　what　he　thought　it　was　to　do；　he　knew　n