david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第176章

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this　nature；　will　state　what　we　consider　most　calculated　to　
promote　the　happiness　of　both　parties。’　

I　discovered　afterwards　that　Miss　Lavinia　was　an　authority　in　
affairs　of　the　heart；　by　reason　of　there　having　anciently　existed　a　
certain　Mr。　Pidger；　who　played　short　whist；　and　was　supposed　to　
have　been　enamoured　of　her。　My　private　opinion　is；　that　this　was　
entirely　a　gratuitous　assumption；　and　that　Pidger　was　altogether　

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David　Copperfield　

innocent　of　any　such　sentiments—to　which　he　had　never　given　any　
sort　of　expression　that　I　could　ever　hear　of。　Both　Miss　Lavinia　and　
Miss　Clarissa　had　a　superstition；　however；　that　he　would　have　
declared　his　passion；　if　he　had　not　been　cut　short　in　his　youth　（at　
about　sixty）　by　over…drinking　his　constitution；　and　over…doing　an　
attempt　to　set　it　right　again　by　swilling　Bath　water。　They　had　a　
lurking　suspicion　even；　that　he　died　of　secret　love；　though　I　must　
say　there　was　a　picture　of　him　in　the　house　with　a　damask　nose；　
which　concealment　did　not　appear　to　have　ever　preyed　upon。　

‘We　will　not；’　said　Miss　Lavinia；　‘enter　on　the　past　history　of　this　
matter。　Our　poor　brother　Francis’s　death　has　cancelled　that。’　

‘We　had　not；’　said　Miss　Clarissa；　‘been　in　the　habit　of　frequent　
association　with　our　brother　Francis；　but　there　was　no　decided　
division　or　disunion　between　us。　Francis　took　his　road；　we　took　
ours。　We　considered　it　conducive　to　the　happiness　of　all　parties　
that　it　should　be　so。　And　it　was　so。’　

Each　of　the　sisters　leaned　a　little　forward　to　speak；　shook　her　
head　after　speaking；　and　became　upright　again　when　silent。　Miss　
Clarissa　never　moved　her　arms。　She　sometimes　played　tunes　upon　
them　with　her　fingers—minuets　and　marches　I　should　think—but　
never　moved　them。　

‘Our　niece’s　position；　or　supposed　position；　is　much　changed　by　
our　brother　Francis’s　death；’　said　Miss　Lavinia；　‘and　therefore　we　
consider　our　brother’s　opinions　as　regarded　her　position　as　being　
changed　too。　We　have　no　reason　to　doubt；　Mr。　Copperfield；　that　
you　are　a　young　gentleman　possessed　of　good　qualities　and　
honourable　character；　or　that　you　have　an　affection—or　are　fully　
persuaded　that　you　have　an　affection—for　our　niece。’　

I　replied；　as　I　usually　did　whenever　I　had　a　chance；　that　nobody　

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had　ever　loved　anybody　else　as　I　loved　Dora。　Traddles　came　to　my　
assistance　with　a　confirmatory　murmur。　

Miss　Lavinia　was　going　on　to　make　some　rejoinder；　when　Miss　
Clarissa；　who　appeared　to　be　incessantly　beset　by　a　desire　to　refer　
to　her　brother　Francis；　struck　in　again：　

‘If　Dora’s　mama；’　she　said；　‘when　she　married　our　brother　
Francis；　had　at　once　said　that　there　was　not　room　for　the　family　at　
the　dinner…table；　it　would　have　been　better　for　the　happiness　of　all　
parties。’　

‘Sister　Clarissa；’　said　Miss　Lavinia。　‘Perhaps　we　needn’t　mind　
that　now。’　

‘Sister　Lavinia；’　said　Miss　Clarissa；　‘it　belongs　to　the　subject。　
With　your　branch　of　the　subject；　on　which　alone　you　are　
competent　to　speak；　I　should　not　think　of　interfering。　On　this　
branch　of　the　subject　I　have　a　voice　and　an　opinion。　It　would　have　
been　better　for　the　happiness　of　all　parties；　if　Dora’s　mama；　when　
she　married　our　brother　Francis；　had　mentioned　plainly　what　her　
intentions　were。　We　should　then　have　known　what　we　had　to　
expect。　We　should　have　said　“Pray　do　not　invite　us；　at　any　time”；　
and　all　possibility　of　misunderstanding　would　have　been　avoided。’　

When　Miss　Clarissa　had　shaken　her　head；　Miss　Lavinia　
resumed：　again　referring　to　my　letter　through　her　eye…glass。　They　
both　had　little　bright　round　twinkling　eyes；　by　the　way；　which　
were　like　birds’　eyes。　They　were　not　unlike　birds；　altogether；　
having　a　sharp；　brisk；　sudden　manner；　and　a　little　short；　spruce　
way　of　adjusting　themselves；　like　canaries。　

Miss　Lavinia；　as　I　have　said；　resumed：　

‘You　ask　permission　of　my　sister　Clarissa　and　myself；　Mr。　
Copperfield；　to　visit　here；　as　the　accepted　suitor　of　our　niece。’　

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‘If　our　brother　Francis；’　said　Miss　Clarissa；　breaking　out　again；　
if　I　may　call　anything　so　calm　a　breaking　out；　‘wished　to　surround　
himself　with　an　atmosphere　of　Doctors’　Commons；　and　of　Doctors’　
Commons　only；　what　right　or　desire　had　we　to　object？　None；　I　am　
sure。　We　have　ever　been　far　from　wishing　to　obtrude　ourselves　on　
anyone。　But　why　not　say　so？　Let　our　brother　Francis　and　his　wife　
have　their　society。　Let　my　sister　Lavinia　and　myself　have　our　
society。　We　can　find　it　for　ourselves；　I　hope。’　

As　this　appeared　to　be　addressed　to　Traddles　and　me；　both　
Traddles　and　I　made　some　sort　of　reply。　Traddles　was　inaudible。　I　
think　I　observed；　myself；　that　it　was　highly　creditable　to　all　
concerned。　I　don’t　in　the　least　know　what　I　meant。　

‘Sister　Lavinia；’　said　Miss　Clarissa；　having　now　relieved　her　
mind；　‘you　can　go　on；　my　dear。’　

Miss　Lavinia　proceeded：　

‘Mr。　Copperfield；　my　sister　Clarissa　and　I　have　been　very　
careful　indeed　in　considering　this　letter；　and　we　have　not　
considered　it　without　finally　showing　it　to　our　niece；　and　
discussing　it　with　our　niece。　We　have　no　doubt　that　you　think　you　
like　her　very　much。’　

‘Think；　ma’am；’　I　rapturously　began；　‘oh！—’　

But　Miss　Clarissa　giving　me　a　look　（just　like　a　sharp　canary）；　as　
requesting　that　I　would　not　interrupt　the　oracle；　I　begged　pardon。　

‘Affection；’　said　Miss　Lavinia；　glancing　at　her　sister　for　
corroboration；　which　she　gave　in　the　form　of　a　little　nod　to　every　
clause；　‘mature　affection；　homage；　devotion；　does　not　easily　
express　itself。　Its　voice　is　low。　It　is　modest　and　retiring；　it　lies　in　
ambush；　waits　and　waits。　Such　is　the　mature　fruit。　Sometimes　a　
life　glides　away；　and　finds　it　still　ripening　in　the　shade。’　

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Of　course　I　did　not　understand　then　that　this　was　an　allusion　to　
her　supposed　experience　of　the　stricken　Pidger；　but　I　saw；　from　
the　gravity　with　which　Miss　Clarissa　nodded　her　head；　that　great　
weight　was　attached　to　these　words。　

‘The　light—for　I　call　them；　in　comparison　with　such　sentiments；　
the　light—inclinations　of　very　young　people；’　pursued　Miss　
Lavinia；　‘are　dust；　compared　to　rocks。　It　is　owing　to　the　difficulty　
of　knowing　whether　they　are　likely　to　endure　or　have　any　real　
foundation；　that　my　sister　Clarissa　and　myself　have　been　very　
undecided　how　to　act；　Mr。　Copperfield；　and　Mr。—’　

‘Traddles；’　said　my　friend；　finding　himself　looked　at。　‘I　beg　
pardon。　Of　the　Inner　Temple；　I　believe？’　said　Miss　Clarissa；　again　
glancing　at　my　letter。　

Traddles　said　‘Exactly　so；’　and　became　pretty　red　in　the　face。　

Now；　although　I　had　not　received　any　express　encouragement　
as　yet；　I　fancied　that　I　saw　in　the　two　little　sisters；　and　particularly　
in　Miss　Lavinia；　an　intensified　enjoyment　of　this　new　and　fruitful　
subject　of　domestic　interest；　a　settling　down　to　make　the　most　of　it；　
a　disposition　to　pet　it；　in　which　there　was　a　good　bright　ray　of　
hope。　I　thought　I　perceived　that　Miss　Lavinia　would　have　
uncommon　satisfaction　in　superintending　two　young　lovers；　like　
Dora　and　me；　and　that　Miss　Clarissa　would　have　hardly　less　
satisfaction　in　seeing　her　superintend　us；　and　in　chiming　in　with　
her　own　particular　department　of　the　subject　whenever　that　
impulse　was　strong　upon　her。　This　gave　me　courage　to　protest　
most　vehemently　that　I　loved　Dora　better　than　I　could　tell；　or　
anyone　believe；　that　all　my　friends　knew　how　I　loved　her；　that　my　
aunt；　Agnes；　Traddles；　everyone　who　knew　me；　knew　how　I　loved　
her；　and　how　earnest　my　love　had　made　me。　For　the　truth　of　this；　I　

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appealed　to　Traddles。　And　Traddles；　firing　up　as　if　he　were　
plunging　into　a　Parliamentary　Debate；　really　did　come　out　nobly：　
confirming　me　in　good　round　terms；　and　in　a　plain　sensible　
practical　manner；　that　evidently　made　a　favourable　impression。　

‘I　speak；　if　I　may　presume　to　say　so；　as　one