david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第128章

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outside。　When　he　and　I　engaged　in　some　of　our　old　exercises　on　
the　lawn　behind　the　house；　I　saw　her　face　pass　from　window　to　
window；　like　a　wandering　light；　until　it　fixed　itself　in　one；　and　
watched　us。　When　we　all　four　went　out　walking　in　the　afternoon；　
she　closed　her　thin　hand　on　my　arm　like　a　spring；　to　keep　me　back；　
while　Steerforth　and　his　mother　went　on　out　of　hearing：　and　then　

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spoke　to　me。　

‘You　have　been　a　long　time；’　she　said；　‘without　coming　here。　Is　
your　profession　really　so　engaging　and　interesting　as　to　absorb　
your　whole　attention？　I　ask　because　I　always　want　to　be　informed；　
when　I　am　ignorant。　Is　it　really；　though？’　

I　replied　that　I　liked　it　well　enough；　but　that　I　certainly　could　
not　claim　so　much　for　it。　

‘Oh！　I　am　glad　to　know　that；　because　I　always　like　to　be　put　
right　when　I　am　wrong；’　said　Rosa　Dartle。　‘You　mean　it　is　a　little　
dry；　perhaps？’　

‘Well；’　I　replied；　‘perhaps　it　was　a　little　dry。’　

‘Oh！　and　that’s　a　reason　why　you　want　relief　and　change—　
excitement　and　all　that？’　said　she。　‘Ah！　very　true！　But　isn’t　it　a　
little—Eh？—for　him；　I　don’t　mean　you？’　

A　quick　glance　of　her　eye　towards　the　spot　where　Steerforth　
was　walking；　with　his　mother　leaning　on　his　arm；　showed　me　
whom　she　meant；　but　beyond　that；　I　was　quite　lost。　And　I　looked　
so；　I　have　no　doubt。　

‘Don’t　it—I　don’t　say　that　it　does；　mind　I　want　to　know—don’t　it　
rather　engross　him？　Don’t　it　make　him；　perhaps；　a　little　more　
remiss　than　usual　in　his　visits　to　his　blindly…doting—eh？’　With　
another　quick　glance　at　them；　and　such　a　glance　at　me　as　seemed　
to　look　into　my　innermost　thoughts。　

‘Miss　Dartle；’　I　returned；　‘pray　do　not　think—’　

‘I　don’t！’　she　said。　‘Oh　dear　me；　don’t　suppose　that　I　think　
anything！　I　am　not　suspicious。　I　only　ask　a　question。　I　don’t　state　
any　opinion。　I　want　to　found　an　opinion　on　what　you　tell　me。　Then；　
it’s　not　so？　Well！　I　am　very　glad　to　know　it。’　

‘It　certainly　is　not　the　fact；’　said　I；　perplexed；　‘that　I　am　

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accountable　for　Steerforth’s　having　been　away　from　home　longer　
than　usual—if　he　has　been：　which　I　really　don’t　know　at　this　
moment；　unless　I　understand　it　from　you。　I　have　not　seen　him　this　
long　while；　until　last　night。’　

‘No？’　

‘Indeed；　Miss　Dartle；　no！’　

As　she　looked　full　at　me；　I　saw　her　face　grow　sharper　and　paler；　
and　the　marks　of　the　old　wound　lengthen　out　until　it　cut　through　
the　disfigured　lip；　and　deep　into　the　nether　lip；　and　slanted　down　
the　face。　There　was　something　positively　awful　to　me　in　this；　and　
in　the　brightness　of　her　eyes；　as　she　said；　looking　fixedly　at　me：　

‘What　is　he　doing？’　

I　repeated　the　words；　more　to　myself　than　her；　being　so　
amazed。　

‘What　is　he　doing？’　she　said；　with　an　eagerness　that　seemed　
enough　to　consume　her　like　a　fire。　‘In　what　is　that　man　assisting　
him；　who　never　looks　at　me　without　an　inscrutable　falsehood　in　his　
eyes？　If　you　are　honourable　and　faithful；　I　don’t　ask　you　to　betray　
your　friend。　I　ask　you　only　to　tell　me；　is　it　anger；　is　it　hatred；　is　it　
pride；　is　it　restlessness；　is　it　some　wild　fancy；　is　it　love；　what　is　it；　
that　is　leading　him？’　

‘Miss　Dartle；’　I　returned；　‘how　shall　I　tell　you；　so　that　you　will　
believe　me；　that　I　know　of　nothing　in　Steerforth　different　from　
what　there　was　when　I　first　came　here？　I　can　think　of　nothing。　I　
firmly　believe　there　is　nothing。　I　hardly　understand　even　what　you　
mean。’　

As　she　still　stood　looking　fixedly　at　me；　a　twitching　or　
throbbing；　from　which　I　could　not　dissociate　the　idea　of　pain；　came　
into　that　cruel　mark；　and　lifted　up　the　corner　of　her　lip　as　if　with　

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scorn；　or　with　a　pity　that　despised　its　object。　She　put　her　hand　
upon　it　hurriedly—a　hand　so　thin　and　delicate；　that　when　I　had　
seen　her　hold　it　up　before　the　fire　to　shade　her　face；　I　had　
compared　it　in　my　thoughts　to　fine　porcelain—and　saying；　in　a　
quick；　fierce；　passionate　way；　‘I　swear　you　to　secrecy　about　this！’　
said　not　a　word　more。　

Mrs。　Steerforth　was　particularly　happy　in　her　son’s　society；　and　
Steerforth　was；　on　this　occasion；　particularly　attentive　and　
respectful　to　her。　It　was　very　interesting　to　me　to　see　them　
together；　not　only　on　account　of　their　mutual　affection；　but　
because　of　the　strong　personal　resemblance　between　them；　and　
the　manner　in　which　what　was　haughty　or　impetuous　in　him　was　
softened　by　age　and　sex；　in　her；　to　a　gracious　dignity。　I　thought；　
more　than　once；　that　it　was　well　no　serious　cause　of　division　had　
ever　come　between　them；　or　two　such　natures—I　ought　rather　to　
express　it；　two　such　shades　of　the　same　nature—might　have　been　
harder　to　reconcile　than　the　two　extremest　opposites　in　creation。　
The　idea　did　not　originate　in　my　own　discernment；　I　am　bound　to　
confess；　but　in　a　speech　of　Rosa　Dartle’s。　

She　said　at　dinner：　

‘Oh；　but　do　tell　me；　though；　somebody；　because　I　have　been　
thinking　about　it　all　day；　and　I　want　to　know。’　

‘You　want　to　know　what；　Rosa？’　returned　Mrs。　Steerforth。　
‘Pray；　pray；　Rosa；　do　not　be　mysterious。’　

‘Mysterious！’　she　cried。　‘Oh！　really？　Do　you　consider　me　so？’　

‘Do　I　constantly　entreat　you；’　said　Mrs。　Steerforth；　‘to　speak　
plainly；　in　your　own　natural　manner？’　

‘Oh！　then　this　is　not　my　natural　manner？’　she　rejoined。　‘Now　
you　must　really　bear　with　me；　because　I　ask　for　information。　We　

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never　know　ourselves。’　

‘It　has　become　a　second　nature；’　said　Mrs。　Steerforth；　without　
any　displeasure；　‘but　I　remember；—and　so　must　you；　I　think；—　
when　your　manner　was　different；　Rosa；　when　it　was　not　so　
guarded；　and　was　more　trustful。’　

‘I　am　sure　you　are　right；’　she　returned；　‘and　so　it　is　that　bad　
habits　grow　upon　one！　Really？　Less　guarded　and　more　trustful？　
How　can　I；　imperceptibly；　have　changed；　I　wonder！　Well；　that’s　
very　odd！　I　must　study　to　regain　my　former　self。’　

‘I　wish　you　would；’　said　Mrs。　Steerforth；　with　a　smile。　

‘Oh！　I　really　will；　you　know！’　she　answered。　‘I　will　learn　
frankness　from—let　me　see—from　James。’　

‘You　cannot　learn　frankness；　Rosa；’　said　Mrs。　Steerforth　
quickly—for　there　was　always　some　effect　of　sarcasm　in　what　Rosa　
Dartle　said；　though　it　was　said；　as　this　was；　in　the　most　
unconscious　manner　in　the　world—‘in　a　better　school。’　

‘That　I　am　sure　of；’　she　answered；　with　uncommon　fervour。　‘If　I　
am　sure　of　anything；　of　course；　you　know；　I　am　sure　of　that。’　

Mrs。　Steerforth　appeared　to　me　to　regret　having　been　a　little　
nettled；　for　she　presently　said；　in　a　kind　tone：　

‘Well；　my　dear　Rosa；　we　have　not　heard　what　it　is　that　you　want　
to　be　satisfied　about？’　

‘That　I　want　to　be　satisfied　about？’　she　replied；　with　provoking　
coldness。　‘Oh！　It　was　only　whether　people；　who　are　like　each　other　
in　their　moral　constitution—is　that　the　phrase？’　

‘It’s　as　good　a　phrase　as　another；’　said　Steerforth。　

‘Thank　you：—whether　people；　who　are　like　each　other　in　their　
moral　constitution；　are　in　greater　danger　than　people　not　so　
circumstanced；　supposing　any　serious　cause　of　variance　to　arise　

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between　them；　of　being　divided　angrily　and　deeply？’　

‘I　should　say　yes；’　said　Steerforth。　

‘Should　you？’　she　retorted。　‘Dear　me！　Supposing　then；　for　
instance—any　unlikely　thing　will　do　for　a　supposition—that　you　
and　your　mother　were　to　have　a　serious　quarrel。’　

‘My　dear　Rosa；’　interposed　Mrs。　Steerforth；　laughing　goodnaturedly；　‘suggest　some　other　supposition！　James　and　I　know　our　
duty　to　each　other　better；　I　pray　Heaven！’　

‘Oh！’　said　Miss　Dartle；　nodding　her　head　thoughtfully。　‘To　be　
sure。　That　would　prevent　it？　Why；　of　course　it　would。　Exactly。　
Now；　I　am　glad　I　have　been　so　foolish　as　to　put　the　case；　for　it　is　so　
very　good　to　know　that　your　duty　to　each　other　would　prevent　it！　
Thank　you　very　much。’