david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第4章

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the　second　sentiment　of　the　pincushion　in　the　drawer　upstairs；　but　
applying　it　to　my　mother　instead　of　me；　‘I　don’t　mean　that。　I　mean　
your　servant…girl。’　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

‘Peggotty；’　said　my　mother。　

‘Peggotty！’　repeated　Miss　Betsey；　with　some　indignation。　‘Do　
you　mean　to　say；　child；　that　any　human　being　has　gone　into　a　
Christian　church；　and　got　herself　named　Peggotty？’　

‘It’s　her　surname；’　said　my　mother；　faintly。　‘Mr。　Copperfield　
called　her　by　it；　because　her　Christian　name　was　the　same　as　
mine。’　

‘Here！　Peggotty！’　cried　Miss　Betsey；　opening　the　parlour　door。　
‘Tea。　Your　mistress　is　a　little　unwell。　Don’t　dawdle。’　

Having　issued　this　mandate　with　as　much　potentiality　as　if　she　
had　been　a　recognized　authority　in　the　house　ever　since　it　had　
been　a　house；　and　having　looked　out　to　confront　the　amazed　
Peggotty　coming　along　the　passage　with　a　candle　at　the　sound　of　a　
strange　voice；　Miss　Betsey　shut　the　door　again；　and　sat　down　as　
before：　with　her　feet　on　the　fender；　the　skirt　of　her　dress　tucked　
up；　and　her　hands　folded　on　one　knee。　

‘You　were　speaking　about　its　being　a　girl；’　said　Miss　Betsey。　‘I　
have　no　doubt　it　will　be　a　girl。　I　have　a　presentiment　that　it　must　
be　a　girl。　Now　child；　from　the　moment　of　the　birth　of　this　girl—’　

‘Perhaps　boy；’　my　mother　took　the　liberty　of　putting　in。　

‘I　tell　you　I　have　a　presentiment　that　it　must　be　a　girl；’　returned　
Miss　Betsey。　‘Don’t　contradict。　From　the　moment　of　this　girl’s　
birth；　child；　I　intend　to　be　her　friend。　I　intend　to　be　her　godmother；　
and　I　beg　you’ll　call　her　Betsey　Trotwood　Copperfield。　There　must　
be　no　mistakes　in　life　with　this　Betsey　Trotwood。　There　must　be　no　
trifling　with　her　affections；　poor　dear。　She　must　be　well　brought　
up；　and　well　guarded　from　reposing　any　foolish　confidences　where　
they　are　not　deserved。　I　must　make　that　my　care。’　

There　was　a　twitch　of　Miss　Betsey’s　head；　after　each　of　these　

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David　Copperfield　

sentences；　as　if　her　own　old　wrongs　were　working　within　her；　and　
she　repressed　any　plainer　reference　to　them　by　strong　constraint。　
So　my　mother　suspected；　at　least；　as　she　observed　her　by　the　low　
glimmer　of　the　fire：　too　much　scared　by　Miss　Betsey；　too　uneasy　in　
herself；　and　too　subdued　and　bewildered　altogether；　to　observe　
anything　very　clearly；　or　to　know　what　to　say。　

‘And　was　David　good　to　you；　child？’　asked　Miss　Betsey；　when　
she　had　been　silent　for　a　little　while；　and　these　motions　of　her　head　
had　gradually　ceased。　‘Were　you　comfortable　together？’　

‘We　were　very　happy；’　said　my　mother。　‘Mr。　Copperfield　was　
only　too　good　to　me。’　

‘What；　he　spoilt　you；　I　suppose？’　returned　Miss　Betsey。　

‘For　being　quite　alone　and　dependent　on　myself　in　this　rough　
world　again；　yes；　I　fear　he　did　indeed；’　sobbed　my　mother。　

‘Well！　Don’t　cry！’　said　Miss　Betsey。　‘You　were　not　equally　
matched；　child—if　any　two　people　can　be　equally　matched—and　so　
I　asked　the　question。　You　were　an　orphan；　weren’t　you？’　

‘Yes。’　

‘And　a　governess？’　

‘I　was　nursery…governess　in　a　family　where　Mr。　Copperfield　
came　to　visit。　Mr。　Copperfield　was　very　kind　to　me；　and　took　a　
great　deal　of　notice　of　me；　and　paid　me　a　good　deal　of　attention；　
and　at　last　proposed　to　me。　And　I　accepted　him。　And　so　we　were　
married；’　said　my　mother　simply。　

‘Ha！　Poor　Baby！’　mused　Miss　Betsey；　with　her　frown　still　bent　
upon　the　fire。　‘Do　you　know　anything？’　

‘I　beg　your　pardon；　ma’am；’　faltered　my　mother。　

‘About　keeping　house；　for　instance；’　said　Miss　Betsey。　

‘Not　much；　I　fear；’　returned　my　mother。　‘Not　so　much　as　I　could　

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David　Copperfield　

wish。　But　Mr。　Copperfield　was　teaching　me—’　

（‘Much　he　knew　about　it　himself！’）　said　Miss　Betsey　in　a　
parenthesis。　

—‘And　I　hope　I　should　have　improved；　being　very　anxious　to　
learn；　and　he　very　patient　to　teach　me；　if　the　great　misfortune　of　
his　death’—my　mother　broke　down　again　here；　and　could　get　no　
farther。　

‘Well；　well！’　said　Miss　Betsey。　

—‘I　kept　my　housekeeping…book　regularly；　and　balanced　it　with　
Mr。　Copperfield　every　night；’　cried　my　mother　in　another　burst　of　
distress；　and　breaking　down　again。　

‘Well；　well！’　said　Miss　Betsey。　‘Don’t　cry　any　more。’　

—‘And　I　am　sure　we　never　had　a　word　of　difference　respecting　
it；　except　when　Mr。　Copperfield　objected　to　my　threes　and　fives　
being　too　much　like　each　other；　or　to　my　putting　curly　tails　to　my　
sevens　and　nines；’　resumed　my　mother　in　another　burst；　and　
breaking　down　again。　

‘You’ll　make　yourself　ill；’　said　Miss　Betsey；　‘and　you　know　that　
will　not　be　good　either　for　you　or　for　my　god…daughter。　Come！　You　
mustn’t　do　it！’　

This　argument　had　some　share　in　quieting　my　mother；　though　
her　increasing　indisposition　had　a　larger　one。　There　was　an　
interval　of　silence；　only　broken　by　Miss　Betsey’s　occasionally　
ejaculating　‘Ha！’　as　she　sat　with　her　feet　upon　the　fender。　

‘David　had　bought　an　annuity　for　himself　with　his　money；　I　
know；’　said　she；　by　and　by。　‘What　did　he　do　for　you？’　

‘Mr。　Copperfield；’　said　my　mother；　answering　with　some　
difficulty；　‘was　so　considerate　and　good　as　to　secure　the　reversion　
of　a　part　of　it　to　me。’　

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David　Copperfield　

‘How　much？’　asked　Miss　Betsey。　

‘A　hundred　and　five　pounds　a　year；’　said　my　mother。　

‘He　might　have　done　worse；’　said　my　aunt。　

The　word　was　appropriate　to　the　moment。　My　mother　was　so　
much　worse　that　Peggotty；　coming　in　with　the　teaboard　and　
candles；　and　seeing　at　a　glance　how　ill　she　was；—as　Miss　Betsey　
might　have　done　sooner　if　there　had　been　light　enough；—　
conveyed　her　upstairs　to　her　own　room　with　all　speed；　and　
immediately　dispatched　Ham　Peggotty；　her　nephew；　who　had　
been　for　some　days　past　secreted　in　the　house；　unknown　to　my　
mother；　as　a　special　messenger　in　case　of　emergency；　to　fetch　the　
nurse　and　doctor。　

Those　allied　powers　were　considerably　astonished；　when　they　
arrived　within　a　few　minutes　of　each　other；　to　find　an　unknown　
lady　of　portentous　appearance；　sitting　before　the　fire；　with　her　
bonnet　tied　over　her　left　arm；　stopping　her　ears　with　jewellers’　
cotton。　Peggotty　knowing　nothing　about　her；　and　my　mother　
saying　nothing　about　her；　she　was　quite　a　mystery　in　the　parlour；　
and　the　fact　of　her　having　a　magazine　of　jewellers’　cotton　in　her　
pocket；　and　sticking　the　article　in　her　ears　in　that　way；　did　not　
detract　from　the　solemnity　of　her　presence。　

The　doctor　having　been　upstairs　and　come　down　again；　and　
having　satisfied　himself；　I　suppose；　that　there　was　a　probability　of　
this　unknown　lady　and　himself　having　to　sit　there；　face　to　face；　for　
some　hours；　laid　himself　out　to　be　polite　and　social。　He　was　the　
meekest　of　his　sex；　the　mildest　of　little　men。　He　sidled　in　and　out　of　
a　room；　to　take　up　the　less　space。　He　walked　as　softly　as　the　Ghost　
in　Hamlet；　and　more　slowly。　He　carried　his　head　on　one　side；　
partly　in　modest　depreciation　of　himself；　partly　in　modest　

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David　Copperfield　

propitiation　of　everybody　else。　It　is　nothing　to　say　that　he　hadn’t　a　
word　to　throw　at　a　dog。　He　couldn’t　have　thrown　a　word　at　a　mad　
dog。　He　might　have　offered　him　one　gently；　or　half　a　one；　or　a　
fragment　of　one；　for　he　spoke　as　slowly　as　he　walked；　but　he　
wouldn’t　have　been　rude　to　him；　and　he　couldn’t　have　been　quick　
with　him；　for　any　earthly　consideration。　

Mr。　Chillip；　looking　mildly　at　my　aunt　with　his　head　on　one　side；　
and　making　her　a　little　bow；　said；　in　allusion　to　the　jewellers’　
cotton；　as　he　softly　touched　his　left　ear：　

‘Some　local　irritation；　ma’am？’　

‘What！’　replied　my　aunt；　pulling　the　cotton　out　of　one　ear　like　a　
cork。　

Mr。　Chillip　was　so　alarmed　by　her　abruptness—as　he　told　my　
mother　afterwards—that　it　was　a　mercy　he　didn’t　lose　his　presence　
of　mind。　But　he　repeated　sweetly：　

‘Some　local　irritation；　ma’am？’　

‘Nonsense！’　replied　my　aunt；　and　corked　herse