david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第151部分

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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