david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第7部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

can　you　go　on　as　if　it　was　all　settled　and　arranged；　Peggotty；　when　
I　tell　you　over　and　over　again；　you　cruel　thing；　that　beyond　the　
commonest　civilities　nothing　has　passed！　You　talk　of　admiration。　
What　am　I　to　do？　If　people　are　so　silly　as　to　indulge　the　sentiment；　
is　it　my　fault？　What　am　I　to　do；　I　ask　you？　Would　you　wish　me　to　
shave　my　head　and　black　my　face；　or　disfigure　myself　with　a　burn；　
or　a　scald；　or　something　of　that　sort？　I　dare　say　you　would；　
Peggotty。　I　dare　say　you’d　quite　enjoy　it。’　

Peggotty　seemed　to　take　this　aspersion　very　much　to　heart；　I　
thought。　

‘And　my　dear　boy；’　cried　my　mother；　coming　to　the　elbow…chair　
in　which　I　was；　and　caressing　me；　‘my　own　little　Davy！　Is　it　to　be　
hinted　to　me　that　I　am　wanting　in　affection　for　my　precious　
treasure；　the　dearest　little　fellow　that　ever　was！’　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

‘Nobody　never　went　and　hinted　no　such　a　thing；’　said　Peggotty。　

‘You　did；　Peggotty！’　returned　my　mother。　‘You　know　you　did。　
What　else　was　it　possible　to　infer　from　what　you　said；　you　unkind　
creature；　when　you　know　as　well　as　I　do；　that　on　his　account　only　
last　quarter　I　wouldn’t　buy　myself　a　new　parasol；　though　that　old　
green　one　is　frayed　the　whole　way　up；　and　the　fringe　is　perfectly　
mangy？　You　know　it　is；　Peggotty。　You　can’t　deny　it。’　Then；　turning　
affectionately　to　me；　with　her　cheek　against　mine；　‘Am　I　a　naughty　
mama　to　you；　Davy？　Am　I　a　nasty；　cruel；　selfish；　bad　mama？　Say　I　
am；　my　child；　say　“yes”；　dear　boy；　and　Peggotty　will　love　you；　and　
Peggotty’s　love　is　a　great　deal　better　than　mine；　Davy。　I　don’t　love　
you　at　all；　do　I？’　

At　this；　we　all　fell　a…crying　together。　I　think　I　was　the　loudest　of　
the　party；　but　I　am　sure　we　were　all　sincere　about　it。　I　was　quite　
heart…broken　myself；　and　am　afraid　that　in　the　first　transports　of　
wounded　tenderness　I　called　Peggotty　a　‘Beast’。　That　honest　
creature　was　in　deep　affliction；　I　remember；　and　must　have　
become　quite　buttonless　on　the　occasion；　for　a　little　volley　of　those　
explosives　went　off；　when；　after　having　made　it　up　with　my　
mother；　she　kneeled　down　by　the　elbow…chair；　and　made　it　up　with　
me。　

We　went　to　bed　greatly　dejected。　My　sobs　kept　waking　me；　for　a　
long　time；　and　when　one　very　strong　sob　quite　hoisted　me　up　in　
bed；　I　found　my　mother　sitting　on　the　coverlet；　and　leaning　over　
me。　I　fell　asleep　in　her　arms；　after　that；　and　slept　soundly。　

Whether　it　was　the　following　Sunday　when　I　saw　the　gentleman　
again；　or　whether　there　was　any　greater　lapse　of　time　before　he　
reappeared；　I　cannot　recall。　I　don’t　profess　to　be　clear　about　dates。　
But　there　he　was；　in　church；　and　he　walked　home　with　us　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

afterwards。　He　came　in；　too；　to　look　at　a　famous　geranium　we　had；　
in　the　parlour…window。　It　did　not　appear　to　me　that　he　took　much　
notice　of　it；　but　before　he　went　he　asked　my　mother　to　give　him　a　
bit　of　the　blossom。　She　begged　him　to　choose　it　for　himself；　but　he　
refused　to　do　that—I　could　not　understand　why—so　she　plucked　it　
for　him；　and　gave　it　into　his　hand。　He　said　he　would　never；　never　
part　with　it　any　more；　and　I　thought　he　must　be　quite　a　fool　not　to　
know　that　it　would　fall　to　pieces　in　a　day　or　two。　

Peggotty　began　to　be　less　with　us；　of　an　evening；　than　she　had　
always　been。　My　mother　deferred　to　her　very　much—more　than　
usual；　it　occurred　to　me—and　we　were　all　three　excellent　friends；　
still　we　were　different　from　what　we　used　to　be；　and　were　not　so　
comfortable　among　ourselves。　Sometimes　I　fancied　that　Peggotty　
perhaps　objected　to　my　mother’s　wearing　all　the　pretty　dresses　she　
had　in　her　drawers；　or　to　her　going　so　often　to　visit　at　that　
neighbour’s；　but　I　couldn’t；　to　my　satisfaction；　make　out　how　it　
was。　

Gradually；　I　became　used　to　seeing　the　gentleman　with　the　
black　whiskers。　I　liked　him　no　better　than　at　first；　and　had　the　
same　uneasy　jealousy　of　him；　but　if　I　had　any　reason　for　it　beyond　
a　child’s　instinctive　dislike；　and　a　general　idea　that　Peggotty　and　I　
could　make　much　of　my　mother　without　any　help；　it　certainly　was　
not　the　reason　that　I　might　have　found　if　I　had　been　older。　No　such　
thing　came　into　my　mind；　or　near　it。　I　could　observe；　in　little　
pieces；　as　it　were；　but　as　to　making　a　net　of　a　number　of　these　
pieces；　and　catching　anybody　in　it；　that　was；　as　yet；　beyond　me。　

One　autumn　morning　I　was　with　my　mother　in　the　front　
garden；　when　Mr。　Murdstone—I　knew　him　by　that　name　now—　
came　by；　on　horseback。　He　reined　up　his　horse　to　salute　my　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

mother；　and　said　he　was　going　to　Lowestoft　to　see　some　friends　
who　were　there　with　a　yacht；　and　merrily　proposed　to　take　me　on　
the　saddle　before　him　if　I　would　like　the　ride。　

The　air　was　so　clear　and　pleasant；　and　the　horse　seemed　to　like　
the　idea　of　the　ride　so　much　himself；　as　he　stood　snorting　and　
pawing　at　the　garden…gate；　that　I　had　a　great　desire　to　go。　So　I　was　
sent　upstairs　to　Peggotty　to　be　made　spruce；　and　in　the　meantime　
Mr。　Murdstone　dismounted；　and；　with　his　horse’s　bridle　drawn　
over　his　arm；　walked　slowly　up　and　down　on　the　outer　side　of　the　
sweetbriar　fence；　while　my　mother　walked　slowly　up　and　down　on　
the　inner　to　keep　him　company。　I　recollect　Peggotty　and　I　peeping　
out　at　them　from　my　little　window；　I　recollect　how　closely　they　
seemed　to　be　examining　the　sweetbriar　between　them；　as　they　
strolled　along；　and　how；　from　being　in　a　perfectly　angelic　temper；　
Peggotty　turned　cross　in　a　moment；　and　brushed　my　hair　the　
wrong　way；　excessively　hard。　

Mr。　Murdstone　and　I　were　soon　off；　and　trotting　along　on　the　
green　turf　by　the　side　of　the　road。　He　held　me　quite　easily　with　one　
arm；　and　I　don’t　think　I　was　restless　usually；　but　I　could　not　make　
up　my　mind　to　sit　in　front　of　him　without　turning　my　head　
sometimes；　and　looking　up　in　his　face。　He　had　that　kind　of　shallow　
black　eye—I　want　a　better　word　to　express　an　eye　that　has　no　
depth　in　it　to　be　looked　into—which；　when　it　is　abstracted；　seems　
from　some　peculiarity　of　light　to　be　disfigured；　for　a　moment　at　a　
time；　by　a　cast。　Several　times　when　I　glanced　at　him；　I　observed　
that　appearance　with　a　sort　of　awe；　and　wondered　what　he　was　
thinking　about　so　closely。　His　hair　and　whiskers　were　blacker　and　
thicker；　looked　at　so　near；　than　even　I　had　given　them　credit　for　
being。　A　squareness　about　the　lower　part　of　his　face；　and　the　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

dotted　indication　of　the　strong　black　beard　he　shaved　close　every　
day；　reminded　me　of　the　wax…work　that　had　travelled　into　our　
neighbourhood　some　half…a…year　before。　This；　his　regular　
eyebrows；　and　the　rich　white；　and　black；　and　brown；　of　his　
complexion—confound　his　complexion；　and　his　memory！—made　
me　think　him；　in　spite　of　my　misgivings；　a　very　handsome　man。　I　
have　no　doubt　that　my　poor　dear　mother　thought　him　so　too。　

We　went　to　an　hotel　by　the　sea；　where　two　gentlemen　were　
smoking　cigars　in　a　room　by　themselves。　Each　of　them　was　lying　
on　at　least　four　chairs；　and　had　a　large　rough　jacket　on。　In　a　corner　
was　a　heap　of　coats　and　boat…cloaks；　and　a　flag；　all　bundled　up　
together。　

They　both　rolled　on　to　their　feet　in　an　untidy　sort　of　manner；　
when　we　came　in；　and　said；　‘Halloa；　Murdstone！　We　thought　you　
were　dead！’　

‘Not　yet；’　said　Mr。　Murdstone。　

‘And　who’s　this　shaver？’　said　one　of　the　gentlemen；　taking　hold　
of　me。　

‘That’s　Davy；’　returned　Mr。　Murdstone。　

‘Davy　who？’　said　the　gentleman。　‘Jones？’　

‘Copperfield；’　said　Mr。　Murdstone。　

‘What！　Bewitching　Mrs。　Copperfield’s　encumbrance？’　cried　the　
gentleman。　‘The　pretty　little　widow？’　

‘Quinion；’　said　Mr。　Murdstone；　‘take　care；　if　you　please。　
Somebody’s　sharp。’　

‘Who　is？’　asked　the　gentleman；　laughing。　I　looked　up；　quickly；　
being　curious　to　know。　

‘Only　Brooks　of　Sheffield；’　said　Mr。　Murdstone。　

I　was　quite　relieved　to　find　that　it　was　only　Brooks　of　Sheffield；　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

for；　at　first；　I　really　thought　it　was　I。　

There　seemed　to　be　something　very　comical　in　the　reputation　of　
Mr。　Brooks　of　Sheffield；　for　both　the　gentlemen　laughed　heartily　
when　he　was　mentioned；　and　Mr。　Murdstone　was　a　good　deal　
amused　also。　After　some　laughing；　the　gentleman　whom　he　had　
called　Quinion；　said：　

‘And　what　is　the　opinion　of　Brooks　of　Sheffield；　in　reference　to　
the　projected　business？’　

‘Why；　I　don’t　know　that　Brooks　understands　much　about　it　at　
present；’　replied　Mr。　Murdstone；　‘but　he　is　not　generally　
favourable；　I　believe。’　

There　was　more　laughter　at　this；　and　Mr。　Quinion　said　he　
would　ring　the　bell　for　some　sherry　in　which　to　drink　to　Brooks。　
This　he　did；　and　when　the　wine　came；　he　made　me　have　a　little；　
with　a　biscuit；　and；　before　I　drank　it；　stand　up　and　say；　‘Confusion　
to　Brooks　of　Sheffield！’　The　toast　was　received　with　great　
applause；　and　such　hearty　laughter　that　it　made　me　laugh　too；　at　
which　they　laughed　the　more。　In　short；　we　quite　enjoyed　
ou