david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第66节

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open；　and　her　brown　hair　fell　in　two　rich　clusters　on　her　shoulders；　
and　on　her　white　dress；　disordered　by　the　want　of　the　lost　ribbon。　
Distinctly　as　I　recollect　her　look；　I　cannot　say　of　what　it　was　
expressive；　I　cannot　even　say　of　what　it　is　expressive　to　me　now；　
rising　again　before　my　older　judgement。　Penitence；　humiliation；　
shame；　pride；　love；　and　trustfulness—I　see　them　all；　and　in　them　
all；　I　see　that　horror　of　I　don’t　know　what。　

My　entrance；　and　my　saying　what　I　wanted；　roused　her。　It　
disturbed　the　Doctor　too；　for　when　I　went　back　to　replace　the　
candle　I　had　taken　from　the　table；　he　was　patting　her　head；　in　his　
fatherly　way；　and　saying　he　was　a　merciless　drone　to　let　her　tempt　
him　into　reading　on；　and　he　would　have　her　go　to　bed。　

But　she　asked　him；　in　a　rapid；　urgent　manner；　to　let　her　stay—　
to　let　her　feel　assured　（I　heard　her　murmur　some　broken　words　to　
this　effect）　that　she　was　in　his　confidence　that　night。　And；　as　she　
turned　again　towards　him；　after　glancing　at　me　as　I　left　the　room　
and　went　out　at　the　door；　I　saw　her　cross　her　hands　upon　his　knee；　
and　look　up　at　him　with　the　same　face；　something　quieted；　as　he　
resumed　his　reading。　

It　made　a　great　impression　on　me；　and　I　remembered　it　a　long　
time　afterwards；　as　I　shall　have　occasion　to　narrate　when　the　time　
comes。　

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David　Copperfield　

Chapter　17　

SOMEBODY　TURNS　UP　

It　has　not　occurred　to　me　to　mention　Peggotty　since　I　ran　
away；　but；　of　course；　I　wrote　her　a　letter　almost　as　soon　as　I　
was　housed　at　Dover；　and　another；　and　a　longer　letter；　
containing　all　particulars　fully　related；　when　my　aunt　took　me　
formally　under　her　protection。　On　my　being　settled　at　Doctor　
Strong’s　I　wrote　to　her　again；　detailing　my　happy　condition　and　
prospects。　I　never　could　have　derived　anything　like　the　pleasure　
from　spending　the　money　Mr。　Dick　had　given　me；　that　I　felt　in　
sending　a　gold　half…guinea　to　Peggotty；　per　post；　enclosed　in　this　
last　letter；　to　discharge　the　sum　I　had　borrowed　of　her：　in　which　
epistle；　not　before；　I　mentioned　about　the　young　man　with　the　
donkey…cart。　

To　these　communications　Peggotty　replied　as　promptly；　if　not　
as　concisely；　as　a　merchant’s　clerk。　Her　utmost　powers　of　
expression　（which　were　certainly　not　great　in　ink）　were　exhausted　
in　the　attempt　to　write　what　she　felt　on　the　subject　of　my　journey。　
Four　sides　of　incoherent　and　interjectional　beginnings　of　
sentences；　that　had　no　end；　except　blots；　were　inadequate　to　afford　
her　any　relief。　But　the　blots　were　more　expressive　to　me　than　the　
best　composition；　for　they　showed　me　that　Peggotty　had　been　
crying　all　over　the　paper；　and　what　could　I　have　desired　more？　

I　made　out；　without　much　difficulty；　that　she　could　not　take　
quite　kindly　to　my　aunt　yet。　The　notice　was　too　short　after　so　long　
a　prepossession　the　other　way。　We　never　knew　a　person；　she　

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David　Copperfield　

wrote；　but　to　think　that　Miss　Betsey　should　seem　to　be　so　different　
from　what　she　had　been　thought　to　be；　was　a　Moral！—that　was　her　
word。　She　was　evidently　still　afraid　of　Miss　Betsey；　for　she　sent　her　
grateful　duty　to　her　but　timidly；　and　she　was　evidently　afraid　of　
me；　too；　and　entertained　the　probability　of　my　running　away　again　
soon：　if　I　might　judge　from　the　repeated　hints　she　threw　out；　that　
the　coach…fare　to　Yarmouth　was　always　to　be　had　of　her　for　the　
asking。　

She　gave　me　one　piece　of　intelligence　which　affected　me　very　
much；　namely；　that　there　had　been　a　sale　of　the　furniture　at　our　
old　home；　and　that　Mr。　and　Miss　Murdstone　were　gone　away；　and　
the　house　was　shut　up；　to　be　let　or　sold。　God　knows　I　had　no　part　
in　it　while　they　remained　there；　but　it　pained　me　to　think　of　the　
dear　old　place　as　altogether　abandoned；　of　the　weeds　growing　tall　
in　the　garden；　and　the　fallen　leaves　lying　thick　and　wet　upon　the　
paths。　I　imagined　how　the　winds　of　winter　would　howl　round　it；　
how　the　cold　rain　would　beat　upon　the　window…glass；　how　the　
moon　would　make　ghosts　on　the　walls　of　the　empty　rooms；　
watching　their　solitude　all　night。　I　thought　afresh　of　the　grave　in　
the　churchyard；　underneath　the　tree：　and　it　seemed　as　if　the　house　
were　dead　too；　now；　and　all　connected　with　my　father　and　mother　
were　faded　away。　

There　was　no　other　news　in　Peggotty’s　letters。　Mr。　Barkis　was　
an　excellent　husband；　she　said；　though　still　a　little　near；　but　we　all　
had　our　faults；　and　she　had　plenty　（though　I　am　sure　I　don’t　know　
what　they　were）；　and　he　sent　his　duty；　and　my　little　bedroom　was　
always　ready　for　me。　Mr。　Peggotty　was　well；　and　Ham　was　well；　
and　Mrs。。　Gummidge　was　but　poorly；　and　little　Em’ly　wouldn’t　
send　her　love；　but　said　that　Peggotty　might　send　it；　if　she　liked。　

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All　this　intelligence　I　dutifully　imparted　to　my　aunt；　only　
reserving　to　myself　the　mention　of　little　Em’ly；　to　whom　I　
instinctively　felt　that　she　would　not　very　tenderly　incline。　While　I　
was　yet　new　at　Doctor　Strong’s；　she　made　several　excursions　over　
to　Canterbury　to　see　me；　and　always　at　unseasonable　hours：　with　
the　view；　I　suppose；　of　taking　me　by　surprise。　But；　finding　me　well　
employed；　and　bearing　a　good　character；　and　hearing　on　all　hands　
that　I　rose　fast　in　the　school；　she　soon　discontinued　these　visits。　I　
saw　her　on　a　Saturday；　every　third　or　fourth　week；　when　I　went　
over　to　Dover　for　a　treat；　and　I　saw　Mr。　Dick　every　alternate　
Wednesday；　when　he　arrived　by　stage…coach　at　noon；　to　stay　until　
next　morning。　

On　these　occasions　Mr。　Dick　never　travelled　without　a　leathern　
writing…desk；　containing　a　supply　of　stationery　and　the　Memorial；　
in　relation　to　which　document　he　had　a　notion　that　time　was　
beginning　to　press　now；　and　that　it　really　must　be　got　out　of　hand。　

Mr。　Dick　was　very　partial　to　gingerbread。　To　render　his　visits　
the　more　agreeable；　my　aunt　had　instructed　me　to　open　a　credit　
for　him　at　a　cake　shop；　which　was　hampered　with　the　stipulation　
that　he　should　not　be　served　with　more　than　one　shilling’s…worth　
in　the　course　of　any　one　day。　This；　and　the　reference　of　all　his　little　
bills　at　the　county　inn　where　he　slept；　to　my　aunt；　before　they　were　
paid；　induced　me　to　suspect　that　he　was　only　allowed　to　rattle　his　
money；　and　not　to　spend　it。　I　found　on　further　investigation　that　
this　was　so；　or　at　least　there　was　an　agreement　between　him　and　
my　aunt　that　he　should　account　to　her　for　all　his　disbursements。　
As　he　had　no　idea　of　deceiving　her；　and　always　desired　to　please　
her；　he　was　thus　made　chary　of　launching　into　expense。　On　this　
point；　as　well　as　on　all　other　possible　points；　Mr。　Dick　was　

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convinced　that　my　aunt　was　the　wisest　and　most　wonderful　of　
women；　as　he　repeatedly　told　me　with　infinite　secrecy；　and　always　
in　a　whisper。　

‘Trotwood；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　with　an　air　of　mystery；　after　
imparting　this　confidence　to　me；　one　Wednesday；　‘who’s　the　man　
that　hides　near　our　house　and　frightens　her？’　

‘Frightens　my　aunt；　sir？’　

Mr。　Dick　nodded。　‘I　thought　nothing　would　have　frightened　
her；’　he　said；　‘for　she’s—’　here　he　whispered　softly；　‘don’t　mention　
it—the　wisest　and　most　wonderful　of　women。’　Having　said　which；　
he　drew　back；　to　observe　the　effect　which　this　description　of　her　
made　upon　me。　

‘The　first　time　he　came；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘was—let　me　see—　
sixteen　hundred　and　forty…nine　was　the　date　of　King　Charles’s　
execution。　I　think　you　said　sixteen　hundred　and　forty…nine？’　

‘Yes；　sir。’　

‘I　don’t　know　how　it　can　be；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　sorely　puzzled　and　
shaking　his　head。　‘I　don’t　think　I　am　as　old　as　that。’　

‘Was　it　in　that　year　that　the　man　appeared；　sir？’　I　asked。　

‘Why；　really’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘I　don’t　see　how　it　can　have　been　in　
that　year；　Trotwood。　Did　you　get　that　date　out　of　history？’　

‘Yes；　sir。’　

‘I　suppose　history　never　lies；　does　it？’　said　Mr。　Dick；　with　a　
gleam　of　hope。　

‘Oh　dear；　no；　sir！’　I　replied；　most　decisively。　I　was　ingenuous　
and　young；　and　I　thought　so。　

‘I　can’t　make　it　out；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　shaking　his　head。　‘There’s　
something　wrong；　somewhere。　However；　it　was　very　soon　after　the　
mistake　was　made　of　putting　some　of　the　trouble　out　of　King　

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David　Copperfield　

Charles’s　head　into　my　head；　that　the　man　first　came。　I　was　
walking　out　with　Miss　Trotwood　after　tea；　just　at　dark；　and　there　
he　was；　close　to　our　house。’　

‘Walking　about？’　I　inquired。　

‘Walking　about？’　repeated　Mr。　Dick。　‘Let　me　see；　I　must　
recollect　a　bit。　N…no；　no；　he　was　not　walking　about。’　

I　asked；　as　the　shortest　way　to　get　at　it；　what　he　WAS　doing。　

‘Well；　he　wasn’t　there　at　all；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘until　he　came　up　
behind　her；　and　whispered。　Then　she　turned　round　and　fainted；　
and　I　stood　still　and　looked　at　him；　and　he　walked　away；　but　that　
he　should　have　been　hiding　ever　since　（in　the　ground　or　
somewhere）；　is　the　most　extraordinary　thing！’　

‘Has　he　been　hiding　ever　since？’　I　asked。　

‘To　be　sure　h