david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第63章

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observed　Miss　Murdstone；　bridling；　‘that　I　consider　our　lamented　
Clara　to　have　been；　in　all　essential　respects；　a　mere　child。’　

‘It　is　a　comfort　to　you　and　me；　ma’am；’　said　my　aunt；　‘who　are　

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getting　on　in　life；　and　are　not　likely　to　be　made　unhappy　by　our　
personal　attractions；　that　nobody　can　say　the　same　of　us。’　

‘No　doubt！’　returned　Miss　Murdstone；　though；　I　thought；　not　
with　a　very　ready　or　gracious　assent。　‘And　it　certainly　might　have　
been；　as　you　say；　a　better　and　happier　thing　for　my　brother　if　he　
had　never　entered　into　such　a　marriage。　I　have　always　been　of　that　
opinion。’　

‘I　have　no　doubt　you　have；’　said　my　aunt。　‘Janet；’　ringing　the　
bell；　‘my　compliments　to　Mr。　Dick；　and　beg　him　to　come　down。’　

Until　he　came；　my　aunt　sat　perfectly　upright　and　stiff；　frowning　
at　the　wall。　When　he　came；　my　aunt　performed　the　ceremony　of　
introduction。　

‘Mr。　Dick。　An　old　and　intimate　friend。　On　whose　judgement；’　
said　my　aunt；　with　emphasis；　as　an　admonition　to　Mr。　Dick；　who　
was　biting　his　forefinger　and　looking　rather　foolish；　‘I　rely。’　

Mr。　Dick　took　his　finger　out　of　his　mouth；　on　this　hint；　and　
stood　among　the　group；　with　a　grave　and　attentive　expression　of　
face。　

My　aunt　inclined　her　head　to　Mr。　Murdstone；　who　went　on：　

‘Miss　Trotwood：　on　the　receipt　of　your　letter；　I　considered　it　an　
act　of　greater　justice　to　myself；　and　perhaps　of　more　respect　to　
you—’　

‘Thank　you；’　said　my　aunt；　still　eyeing　him　keenly。　‘You　needn’t　
mind　me。’　

‘To　answer　it　in　person；　however　inconvenient　the　journey；’　
pursued　Mr。　Murdstone；　‘rather　than　by　letter。　This　unhappy　boy　
who　has　run　away　from　his　friends　and　his　occupation—’　

‘And　whose　appearance；’　interposed　his　sister；　directing　general　
attention　to　me　in　my　indefinable　costume；　‘is　perfectly　scandalous　

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and　disgraceful。’　

‘Jane　Murdstone；’　said　her　brother；　‘have　the　goodness　not　to　
interrupt　me。　This　unhappy　boy；　Miss　Trotwood；　has　been　the　
occasion　of　much　domestic　trouble　and　uneasiness；　both　during　
the　lifetime　of　my　late　dear　wife；　and　since。　He　has　a　sullen；　
rebellious　spirit；　a　violent　temper；　and　an　untoward；　intractable　
disposition。　Both　my　sister　and　myself　have　endeavoured　to　
correct　his　vices；　but　ineffectually。　And　I　have　felt—we　both　have　
felt；　I　may　say；　my　sister　being　fully　in　my　confidence—that　it　is　
right　you　should　receive　this　grave　and　dispassionate　assurance　
from　our　lips。’　

‘It　can　hardly　be　necessary　for　me　to　confirm　anything　stated　by　
my　brother；’　said　Miss　Murdstone；　‘but　I　beg　to　observe；　that；　of　all　
the　boys　in　the　world；　I　believe　this　is　the　worst　boy。’　

‘Strong！’　said　my　aunt；　shortly。　

‘But　not　at　all　too　strong　for　the　facts；’　returned　Miss　
Murdstone。　

‘Ha！’　said　my　aunt。　‘Well；　sir？’　

‘I　have　my　own　opinions；’　resumed　Mr。　Murdstone；　whose　face　
darkened　more　and　more；　the　more　he　and　my　aunt　observed　each　
other；　which　they　did　very　narrowly；　‘as　to　the　best　mode　of　
bringing　him　up；　they　are　founded；　in　part；　on　my　knowledge　of　
him；　and　in　part　on　my　knowledge　of　my　own　means　and　
resources。　I　am　responsible　for　them　to　myself；　I　act　upon　them；　
and　I　say　no　more　about　them。　It　is　enough　that　I　place　this　boy　
under　the　eye　of　a　friend　of　my　own；　in　a　respectable　business；　that　
it　does　not　please　him；　that　he　runs　away　from　it；　makes　himself　a　
common　vagabond　about　the　country；　and　comes　here；　in　rags；　to　
appeal　to　you；　Miss　Trotwood。　I　wish　to　set　before　you；　

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honourably；　the　exact　consequences—so　far　as　they　are　within　my　
knowledge—of　your　abetting　him　in　this　appeal。’　

‘But　about　the　respectable　business　first；’　said　my　aunt。　‘If　he　
had　been　your　own　boy；　you　would　have　put　him　to　it；　just　the　
same；　I　suppose？’　

‘If　he　had　been　my　brother’s　own　boy；’　returned　Miss　
Murdstone；　striking　in；　‘his　character；　I　trust；　would　have　been　
altogether　different。’　

‘Or　if　the　poor　child；　his　mother；　had　been　alive；　he　would　still　
have　gone　into　the　respectable　business；　would　he？’　said　my　aunt。　

‘I　believe；’　said　Mr。　Murdstone；　with　an　inclination　of　his　head；　
‘that　Clara　would　have　disputed　nothing　which　myself　and　my　
sister　Jane　Murdstone　were　agreed　was　for　the　best。’　

Miss　Murdstone　confirmed　this　with　an　audible　murmur。　

‘Humph！’　said　my　aunt。　‘Unfortunate　baby！’　

Mr。　Dick；　who　had　been　rattling　his　money　all　this　time；　was　
rattling　it　so　loudly　now；　that　my　aunt　felt　it　necessary　to　check　
him　with　a　look；　before　saying：　

‘The　poor　child’s　annuity　died　with　her？’　

‘Died　with　her；’　replied　Mr。　Murdstone。　

‘And　there　was　no　settlement　of　the　little　property—the　house　
and　garden—the　what’s…its…name　Rookery　without　any　rooks　in　
it—upon　her　boy？’　

‘It　had　been　left　to　her；　unconditionally；　by　her　first　husband；’　
Mr。　Murdstone　began；　when　my　aunt　caught　him　up　with　the　
greatest　irascibility　and　impatience。　

‘Good　Lord；　man；　there’s　no　occasion　to　say　that。　Left　to　her　
unconditionally！　I　think　I　see　David　Copperfield　looking　forward　to　
any　condition　of　any　sort　or　kind；　though　it　stared　him　point…blank　

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in　the　face！　Of　course　it　was　left　to　her　unconditionally。　But　when　
she　married　again—when　she　took　that　most　disastrous　step　of　
marrying　you；　in　short；’　said　my　aunt；　‘to　be　plain—did　no　one　put　
in　a　word　for　the　boy　at　that　time？’　

‘My　late　wife　loved　her　second　husband；　ma’am；’　said　Mr。　
Murdstone；　‘and　trusted　implicitly　in　him。’　

‘Your　late　wife；　sir；　was　a　most　unworldly；　most　unhappy；　most　
unfortunate　baby；’　returned　my　aunt；　shaking　her　head　at　him。　
‘That’s　what　she　was。　And　now；　what　have　you　got　to　say　next？’　

‘Merely　this；　Miss　Trotwood；’　he　returned。　‘I　am　here　to　take　
David　back—to　take　him　back　unconditionally；　to　dispose　of　him　
as　I　think　proper；　and　to　deal　with　him　as　I　think　right。　I　am　not　
here　to　make　any　promise；　or　give　any　pledge　to　anybody。　You　
may　possibly　have　some　idea；　Miss　Trotwood；　of　abetting　him　in　
his　running　away；　and　in　his　complaints　to　you。　Your　manner；　
which　I　must　say　does　not　seem　intended　to　propitiate；　induces　me　
to　think　it　possible。　Now　I　must　caution　you　that　if　you　abet　him　
once；　you　abet　him　for　good　and　all；　if　you　step　in　between　him　
and　me；　now；　you　must　step　in；　Miss　Trotwood；　for　ever。　I　cannot　
trifle；　or　be　trifled　with。　I　am　here；　for　the　first　and　last　time；　to　
take　him　away。　Is　he　ready　to　go？　If　he　is　not—and　you　tell　me　he　
is　not；　on　any　pretence；　it　is　indifferent　to　me　what—my　doors　are　
shut　against　him　henceforth；　and　yours；　I　take　it　for　granted；　are　
open　to　him。’　

To　this　address；　my　aunt　had　listened　with　the　closest　attention；　
sitting　perfectly　upright；　with　her　hands　folded　on　one　knee；　and　
looking　grimly　on　the　speaker。　When　he　had　finished；　she　turned　
her　eyes　so　as　to　command　Miss　Murdstone；　without　otherwise　
disturbing　her　attitude；　and　said：　

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‘Well；　ma’am；　have　you　got　anything　to　remark？’　

‘Indeed；　Miss　Trotwood；’　said　Miss　Murdstone；　‘all　that　I　could　
say　has　been　so　well　said　by　my　brother；　and　all　that　I　know　to　be　
the　fact　has　been　so　plainly　stated　by　him；　that　I　have　nothing　to　
add　except　my　thanks　for　your　politeness。　For　your　very　great　
politeness；　I　am　sure；’　said　Miss　Murdstone；　with　an　irony　which　
no　more　affected　my　aunt；　than　it　discomposed　the　cannon　I　had　
slept　by　at　Chatham。　

‘And　what　does　the　boy　say？’　said　my　aunt。　‘Are　you　ready　to　
go；　David？’　

I　answered　no；　and　entreated　her　not　to　let　me　go。　I　said　that　
neither　Mr。　nor　Miss　Murdstone　had　ever　liked　me；　or　had　ever　
been　kind　to　me。　That　they　had　made　my　mama；　who　always　loved　
me　dearly；　unhappy　about　me；　and　that　I　knew　it　well；　and　that　
Peggotty　knew　it。　I　said　that　I　had　been　more　miserable　than　I　
thought　an