david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第141章

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less　cut　up；　when　we　had　to　deal　with　clients　in　mourning。　In　a　
similar　feeling　of　delicacy；　we　were　always　blithe　and　light…hearted　
with　the　licence　clients。　Therefore　I　hinted　to　Peggotty　that　she　
would　find　Mr。　Spenlow　much　recovered　from　the　shock　of　Mr。　
Barkis’s　decease；　and　indeed　he　came　in　like　a　bridegroom。　

But　neither　Peggotty　nor　I　had　eyes　for　him；　when　we　saw；　in　
company　with　him；　Mr。　Murdstone。　He　was　very　little　changed。　
His　hair　looked　as　thick；　and　was　certainly　as　black；　as　ever；　and　
his　glance　was　as　little　to　be　trusted　as　of　old。　

‘Ah；　Copperfield？’　said　Mr。　Spenlow。　‘You　know　this　gentleman；　
I　believe？’　

I　made　my　gentleman　a　distant　bow；　and　Peggotty　barely　
recognized　him。　He　was；　at　first；　somewhat　disconcerted　to　meet　
us　two　together；　but　quickly　decided　what　to　do；　and　came　up　to　
me。　

‘I　hope；’　he　said；　‘that　you　are　doing　well？’　

‘It　can　hardly　be　interesting　to　you；’　said　I。　‘Yes；　if　you　wish　to　
know。’　

We　looked　at　each　other；　and　he　addressed　himself　to　Peggotty。　

‘And　you；’　said　he。　‘I　am　sorry　to　observe　that　you　have　lost　your　
husband。’　

‘It’s　not　the　first　loss　I　have　had　in　my　life；　Mr。　Murdstone；’　
replied　Peggotty；　trembling　from　head　to　foot。　‘I　am　glad　to　hope　
that　there　is　nobody　to　blame　for　this　one；—nobody　to　answer　for　
it。’　

‘Ha！’　said　he；　‘that’s　a　comfortable　reflection。　You　have　done　

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David　Copperfield　

your　duty？’　

‘I　have　not　worn　anybody’s　life　away；’　said　Peggotty；　‘I　am　
thankful　to　think！　No；　Mr。　Murdstone；　I　have　not　worrited　and　
frightened　any　sweet　creetur　to　an　early　grave！’　

He　eyed　her　gloomily—remorsefully　I　thought—for　an　instant；　
and　said；　turning　his　head　towards　me；　but　looking　at　my　feet　
instead　of　my　face：　

‘We　are　not　likely　to　encounter　soon　again；—a　source　of　
satisfaction　to　us　both；　no　doubt；　for　such　meetings　as　this　can　
never　be　agreeable。　I　do　not　expect　that　you；　who　always　rebelled　
against　my　just　authority；　exerted　for　your　benefit　and　
reformation；　should　owe　me　any　good…will　now。　There　is　an　
antipathy　between　us—’　

‘An　old　one；　I　believe？’　said　I；　interrupting　him。　

He　smiled；　and　shot　as　evil　a　glance　at　me　as　could　come　from　
his　dark　eyes。　

‘It　rankled　in　your　baby　breast；’　he　said。　‘It　embittered　the　life　of　
your　poor　mother。　You　are　right。　I　hope　you　may　do　better；　yet；　I　
hope　you　may　correct　yourself。’　

Here　he　ended　the　dialogue；　which　had　been　carried　on　in　a　low　
voice；　in　a　corner　of　the　outer　office；　by　passing　into　Mr。　Spenlow’s　
room；　and　saying　aloud；　in　his　smoothest　manner：　

‘Gentlemen　of　Mr。　Spenlow’s　profession　are　accustomed　to　
family　differences；　and　know　how　complicated　and　difficult　they　
always　are！’　With　that；　he　paid　the　money　for　his　licence；　and；　
receiving　it　neatly　folded　from　Mr。　Spenlow；　together　with　a　shake　
of　the　hand；　and　a　polite　wish　for　his　happiness　and　the　lady’s；　
went　out　of　the　office。　

I　might　have　had　more　difficulty　in　constraining　myself　to　be　

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silent　under　his　words；　if　I　had　had　less　difficulty　in　impressing　
upon　Peggotty　（who　was　only　angry　on　my　account；　good　
creature！）　that　we　were　not　in　a　place　for　recrimination；　and　that　I　
besought　her　to　hold　her　peace。　She　was　so　unusually　roused；　that　
I　was　glad　to　compound　for　an　affectionate　hug；　elicited　by　this　
revival　in　her　mind　of　our　old　injuries；　and　to　make　the　best　I　
could　of　it；　before　Mr。　Spenlow　and　the　clerks。　

Mr。　Spenlow　did　not　appear　to　know　what　the　connexion　
between　Mr。　Murdstone　and　myself　was；　which　I　was　glad　of；　for　I　
could　not　bear　to　acknowledge　him；　even　in　my　own　breast；　
remembering　what　I　did　of　the　history　of　my　poor　mother。　Mr。　
Spenlow　seemed　to　think；　if　he　thought　anything　about　the　matter；　
that　my　aunt　was　the　leader　of　the　state　party　in　our　family；　and　
that　there　was　a　rebel　party　commanded　by　somebody　else—so　I　
gathered　at　least　from　what　he　said；　while　we　were　waiting　for　Mr。　
Tiffey　to　make　out　Peggotty’s　bill　of　costs。　

‘Miss　Trotwood；’　he　remarked；　‘is　very　firm；　no　doubt；　and　not　
likely　to　give　way　to　opposition。　I　have　an　admiration　for　her　
character；　and　I　may　congratulate　you；　Copperfield；　on　being　on　
the　right　side。　Differences　between　relations　are　much　to　be　
deplored—but　they　are　extremely　general—and　the　great　thing　is；　
to　be　on　the　right　side’：　meaning；　I　take　it；　on　the　side　of　the　
moneyed　interest。　

‘Rather　a　good　marriage　this；　I　believe？’　said　Mr。　Spenlow。　

I　explained　that　I　knew　nothing　about　it。　

‘Indeed！’　he　said。　‘Speaking　from　the　few　words　Mr。　Murdstone　
dropped—as　a　man　frequently　does　on　these　occasions—and　from　
what　Miss　Murdstone　let　fall；　I　should　say　it　was　rather　a　good　
marriage。’　

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‘Do　you　mean　that　there　is　money；　sir？’　I　asked。　

‘Yes；’　said　Mr。　Spenlow；　‘I　understand　there’s　money。　Beauty　
too；　I　am　told。’　

‘Indeed！　Is　his　new　wife　young？’　

‘Just　of　age；’　said　Mr。　Spenlow。　‘So　lately；　that　I　should　think　
they　had　been　waiting　for　that。’　

‘Lord　deliver　her！’　said　Peggotty。　So　very　emphatically　and　
unexpectedly；　that　we　were　all　three　discomposed；　until　Tiffey　
came　in　with　the　bill。　

Old　Tiffey　soon　appeared；　however；　and　handed　it　to　Mr。　
Spenlow；　to　look　over。　Mr。　Spenlow；　settling　his　chin　in　his　cravat　
and　rubbing　it　softly；　went　over　the　items　with　a　deprecatory　air—　
as　if　it　were　all　Jorkins’s　doing—and　handed　it　back　to　Tiffey　with　
a　bland　sigh。　

‘Yes；’　he　said。　‘That’s　right。　Quite　right。　I　should　have　been　
extremely　happy；　Copperfield；　to　have　limited　these　charges　to　the　
actual　expenditure　out　of　pocket；　but　it　is　an　irksome　incident　in　
my　professional　life；　that　I　am　not　at　liberty　to　consult　my　own　
wishes。　I　have　a　partner—Mr。　Jorkins。’　

As　he　said　this　with　a　gentle　melancholy；　which　was　the　next　
thing　to　making　no　charge　at　all；　I　expressed　my　
acknowledgements　on　Peggotty’s　behalf；　and　paid　Tiffey　in　
banknotes。　Peggotty　then　retired　to　her　lodging；　and　Mr。　Spenlow　
and　I　went　into　Court；　where　we　had　a　divorce…suit　coming　on；　
under　an　ingenious　little　statute　（repealed　now；　I　believe；　but　in　
virtue　of　which　I　have　seen　several　marriages　annulled）；　of　which　
the　merits　were　these。　The　husband；　whose　name　was　Thomas　
Benjamin；　had　taken　out　his　marriage　licence　as　Thomas　only；　
suppressing　the　Benjamin；　in　case　he　should　not　find　himself　as　

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comfortable　as　he　expected。　Not　finding　himself　as　comfortable　as　
he　expected；　or　being　a　little　fatigued　with　his　wife；　poor　fellow；　he　
now　came　forward；　by　a　friend；　after　being　married　a　year　or　two；　
and　declared　that　his　name　was　Thomas　Benjamin；　and　therefore　
he　was　not　married　at　all。　Which　the　Court　confirmed；　to　his　great　
satisfaction。　

I　must　say　that　I　had　my　doubts　about　the　strict　justice　of　this；　
and　was　not　even　frightened　out　of　them　by　the　bushel　of　wheat　
which　reconciles　all　anomalies。　But　Mr。　Spenlow　argued　the　
matter　with　me。　He　said；　Look　at　the　world；　there　was　good　and　
evil　in　that；　look　at　the　ecclesiastical　law；　there　was　good　and　evil　
in　that。　It　was　all　part　of　a　system。　Very　good。　There　you　were！　

I　had　not　the　hardihood　to　suggest　to　Dora’s　father　that　possibly　
we　might　even　improve　the　world　a　little；　if　we　got　up　early　in　the　
morning；　and　took　off　our　coats　to　the　work；　but　I　confessed　that　I　
thought　we　might　improve　the　Commons。　Mr。　Spenlow　replied　
that　he　would　particularly　advise　me　to　dismiss　that　idea　from　my　
mind；　as　not　being　worthy　of　my　gentlemanly　character；　but　that　
he　would　be　glad　to　hear　from　me　of　what　improvement　I　thought　
the　Commons　susceptible？　

Taking　that　part　of　the　Commons　which　happened　to　be　nearest　
to　us—for　our　man　was　unmarried　by　this　time；　and　we　were　out　
of　Court；　and　strolling　past　the　Prerogative　Office—I　submitted　
that　I　thought　the　Prerogative　Office　rather　a　queerly　managed　
in