david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第61章

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went　anywhere　else；　which　he　don’t。　So　take　care；　child；　you　don’t　
call　him　anything　but　Mr。　Dick。’　

I　promised　to　obey；　and　went　upstairs　with　my　message；　
thinking；　as　I　went；　that　if　Mr。　Dick　had　been　working　at　his　
Memorial　long；　at　the　same　rate　as　I　had　seen　him　working　at　it；　
through　the　open　door；　when　I　came　down；　he　was　probably　
getting　on　very　well　indeed。　I　found　him　still　driving　at　it　with　a　

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long　pen；　and　his　head　almost　laid　upon　the　paper。　He　was　so　
intent　upon　it；　that　I　had　ample　leisure　to　observe　the　large　paper　
kite　in　a　corner；　the　confusion　of　bundles　of　manuscript；　the　
number　of　pens；　and；　above　all；　the　quantity　of　ink　（which　he　
seemed　to　have　in；　in　half…gallon　jars　by　the　dozen）；　before　he　
observed　my　being　present。　

‘Ha！　Phoebus！’　said　Mr。　Dick；　laying　down　his　pen。　‘How　does　
the　world　go？　I’ll　tell　you　what；’　he　added；　in　a　lower　tone；　‘I　
shouldn’t　wish　it　to　be　mentioned；　but　it’s　a—’　here　he　beckoned　to　
me；　and　put　his　lips　close　to　my　ear—‘it’s　a　mad　world。　Mad　as　
Bedlam；　boy！’　said　Mr。　Dick；　taking　snuff　from　a　round　box　on　the　
table；　and　laughing　heartily。　

Without　presuming　to　give　my　opinion　on　this　question；　I　
delivered　my　message。　

‘Well；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　in　answer；　‘my　compliments　to　her；　and　
I—I　believe　I　have　made　a　start。　I　think　I　have　made　a　start；’　said　
Mr。　Dick；　passing　his　hand　among　his　grey　hair；　and　casting　
anything　but　a　confident　look　at　his　manuscript。　‘You　have　been　to　
school？’　

‘Yes；　sir；’　I　answered；　‘for　a　short　time。’　

‘Do　you　recollect　the　date；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　looking　earnestly　at　
me；　and　taking　up　his　pen　to　note　it　down；　‘when　King　Charles　the　
First　had　his　head　cut　off？’　I　said　I　believed　it　happened　in　the　
year　sixteen　hundred　and　forty…nine。　

‘Well；’　returned　Mr。　Dick；　scratching　his　ear　with　his　pen；　and　
looking　dubiously　at　me。　‘So　the　books　say；　but　I　don’t　see　how　
that　can　be。　Because；　if　it　was　so　long　ago；　how　could　the　people　
about　him　have　made　that　mistake　of　putting　some　of　the　trouble　
out　of　his　head；　after　it　was　taken　off；　into　mine？’　

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I　was　very　much　surprised　by　the　inquiry；　but　could　give　no　
information　on　this　point。　

‘It’s　very　strange；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　with　a　despondent　look　upon　
his　papers；　and　with　his　hand　among　his　hair　again；　‘that　I　never　
can　get　that　quite　right。　I　never　can　make　that　perfectly　clear。　But　
no　matter；　no　matter！’　he　said　cheerfully；　and　rousing　himself；　
‘there’s　time　enough！　My　compliments　to　Miss　Trotwood；　I　am　
getting　on　very　well　indeed。’　

I　was　going　away；　when　he　directed　my　attention　to　the　kite。　

‘What　do　you　think　of　that　for　a　kite？’　he　said。　

I　answered　that　it　was　a　beautiful　one。　I　should　think　it　must　
have　been　as　much　as　seven　feet　high。　

‘I　made　it。　We’ll　go　and　fly　it；　you　and　I；’　said　Mr。　Dick。　‘Do　you　
see　this？’　

He　showed　me　that　it　was　covered　with　manuscript；　very　closely　
and　laboriously　written；　but　so　plainly；　that　as　I　looked　along　the　
lines；　I　thought　I　saw　some　allusion　to　King　Charles　the　First’s　
head　again；　in　one　or　two　places。　

‘There’s　plenty　of　string；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘and　when　it　flies　high；　
it　takes　the　facts　a　long　way。　That’s　my　manner　of　diffusing　’em。　I　
don’t　know　where　they　may　come　down。　It’s　according　to　
circumstances；　and　the　wind；　and　so　forth；　but　I　take　my　chance　of　
that。’　

His　face　was　so　very　mild　and　pleasant；　and　had　something　so　
reverend　in　it；　though　it　was　hale　and　hearty；　that　I　was　not　sure　
but　that　he　was　having　a　good…humoured　jest　with　me。　So　I　
laughed；　and　he　laughed；　and　we　parted　the　best　friends　possible。　

‘Well；　child；’　said　my　aunt；　when　I　went　downstairs。　‘And　what　
of　Mr。　Dick；　this　morning？’　

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I　informed　her　that　he　sent　his　compliments；　and　was　getting　on　
very　well　indeed。　

‘What　do　you　think　of　him？’　said　my　aunt。　

I　had　some　shadowy　idea　of　endeavouring　to　evade　the　
question；　by　replying　that　I　thought　him　a　very　nice　gentleman；　
but　my　aunt　was　not　to　be　so　put　off；　for　she　laid　her　work　down　in　
her　lap；　and　said；　folding　her　hands　upon　it：　

‘Come！　Your　sister　Betsey　Trotwood　would　have　told　me　what　
she　thought　of　anyone；　directly。　Be　as　like　your　sister　as　you　can；　
and　speak　out！’　

‘Is　he—is　Mr。　Dick—I　ask　because　I　don’t　know；　aunt—is　he　at　
all　out　of　his　mind；　then？’　I　stammered；　for　I　felt　I　was　on　
dangerous　ground。　

‘Not　a　morsel；’　said　my　aunt。　

‘Oh；　indeed！’　I　observed　faintly。　

‘If　there　is　anything　in　the　world；’　said　my　aunt；　with　great　
decision　and　force　of　manner；　‘that　Mr。　Dick　is　not；　it’s　that。’　

I　had　nothing　better　to　offer；　than　another　timid；　‘Oh；　indeed！’　

‘He　has　been　called　mad；’　said　my　aunt。　‘I　have　a　selfish　
pleasure　in　saying　he　has　been　called　mad；　or　I　should　not　have　
had　the　benefit　of　his　society　and　advice　for　these　last　ten　years　
and　upwards—in　fact；　ever　since　your　sister；　Betsey　Trotwood；　
disappointed　me。’　

‘So　long　as　that？’　I　said。　

‘And　nice　people　they　were；　who　had　the　audacity　to　call　him　
mad；’　pursued　my　aunt。　‘Mr。　Dick　is　a　sort　of　distant　connexion　of　
mine—it　doesn’t　matter　how；　I　needn’t　enter　into　that。　If　it　hadn’t　
been　for　me；　his　own　brother　would　have　shut　him　up　for　life。　
That’s　all。’　

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I　am　afraid　it　was　hypocritical　in　me；　but　seeing　that　my　aunt　
felt　strongly　on　the　subject；　I　tried　to　look　as　if　I　felt　strongly　too。　

‘A　proud　fool！’　said　my　aunt。　‘Because　his　brother　was　a　little　
eccentric—though　he　is　not　half　so　eccentric　as　a　good　many　
people—he　didn’t　like　to　have　him　visible　about　his　house；　and　
sent　him　away　to　some　private　asylum…place：　though　he　had　been　
left　to　his　particular　care　by　their　deceased　father；　who　thought　
him　almost　a　natural。　And　a　wise　man　he　must　have　been　to　think　
so！　Mad　himself；　no　doubt。’　

Again；　as　my　aunt　looked　quite　convinced；　I　endeavoured　to　
look　quite　convinced　also。　

‘So　I　stepped　in；’　said　my　aunt；　‘and　made　him　an　offer。　I　said；　
“Your　brother’s　sane—a　great　deal　more　sane　than　you　are；　or　
ever　will　be；　it　is　to　be　hoped。　Let　him　have　his　little　income；　and　
come　and　live　with　me。　I　am　not　afraid　of　him；　I　am　not　proud；　I　
am　ready　to　take　care　of　him；　and　shall　not　ill…treat　him　as　some　
people　（besides　the　asylum…folks）　have　done。”　After　a　good　deal　of　
squabbling；’　said　my　aunt；　‘I　got　him；　and　he　has　been　here　ever　
since。　He　is　the　most　friendly　and　amenable　creature　in　existence；　
and　as　for　advice！—But　nobody　knows　what　that　man’s　mind　is；　
except　myself。’　

My　aunt　smoothed　her　dress　and　shook　her　head；　as　if　she　
smoothed　defiance　of　the　whole　world　out　of　the　one；　and　shook　it　
out　of　the　other。　

‘He　had　a　favourite　sister；’　said　my　aunt；　‘a　good　creature；　and　
very　kind　to　him。　But　she　did　what　they　all　do—took　a　husband。　
And　he　did　what　they　all　do—made　her　wretched。　It　had　such　an　
effect　upon　the　mind　of　Mr。　Dick　（that’s　not　madness；　I　hope！）　that；　
combined　with　his　fear　of　his　brother；　and　his　sense　of　his　

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unkindness；　it　threw　him　into　a　fever。　That　was　before　he　came　to　
me；　but　the　recollection　of　it　is　oppressive　to　him　even　now。　Did　he　
say　anything　to　you　about　King　Charles　the　First；　child？’　

‘Yes；　aunt。’　

‘Ah！’　said　my　aunt；　rubbing　her　nose　as　if　she　were　a　little　
vexed。　‘That’s　his　allegorical　way　of　expressing　it。　He　connects　his　
illness　with　great　disturbance　and　agitation；　naturally；　and　that’s　
the　figure；　or　the　simile；　or　whatever　it’s　called；　which　he　chooses　
to　use。　And　why　shouldn’t　he；　if　he　thinks　proper！’　

I　said：　‘Certainly；　aunt。’　

‘It’s　not　a　business…like　way　of　speaking；’　said　my　aunt；　‘nor　a　
worldly　way。　I　am　aware　of　that；　and　that’s　the　reason　why　I　insist　
upon　it；　that　there　shan’t　be　a　wo