david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第75章

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imparting　this　confidence　to　me；　one　Wednesday；　‘who’s　the　man　
that　hides　near　our　house　and　frightens　her？’　

‘Frightens　my　aunt；　sir？’　

Mr。　Dick　nodded。　‘I　thought　nothing　would　have　frightened　
her；’　he　said；　‘for　she’s—’　here　he　whispered　softly；　‘don’t　mention　
it—the　wisest　and　most　wonderful　of　women。’　Having　said　which；　
he　drew　back；　to　observe　the　effect　which　this　description　of　her　
made　upon　me。　

‘The　first　time　he　came；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘was—let　me　see—　
sixteen　hundred　and　forty…nine　was　the　date　of　King　Charles’s　
execution。　I　think　you　said　sixteen　hundred　and　forty…nine？’　

‘Yes；　sir。’　

‘I　don’t　know　how　it　can　be；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　sorely　puzzled　and　
shaking　his　head。　‘I　don’t　think　I　am　as　old　as　that。’　

‘Was　it　in　that　year　that　the　man　appeared；　sir？’　I　asked。　

‘Why；　really’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘I　don’t　see　how　it　can　have　been　in　
that　year；　Trotwood。　Did　you　get　that　date　out　of　history？’　

‘Yes；　sir。’　

‘I　suppose　history　never　lies；　does　it？’　said　Mr。　Dick；　with　a　
gleam　of　hope。　

‘Oh　dear；　no；　sir！’　I　replied；　most　decisively。　I　was　ingenuous　
and　young；　and　I　thought　so。　

‘I　can’t　make　it　out；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　shaking　his　head。　‘There’s　
something　wrong；　somewhere。　However；　it　was　very　soon　after　the　
mistake　was　made　of　putting　some　of　the　trouble　out　of　King　

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David　Copperfield　

Charles’s　head　into　my　head；　that　the　man　first　came。　I　was　
walking　out　with　Miss　Trotwood　after　tea；　just　at　dark；　and　there　
he　was；　close　to　our　house。’　

‘Walking　about？’　I　inquired。　

‘Walking　about？’　repeated　Mr。　Dick。　‘Let　me　see；　I　must　
recollect　a　bit。　N…no；　no；　he　was　not　walking　about。’　

I　asked；　as　the　shortest　way　to　get　at　it；　what　he　WAS　doing。　

‘Well；　he　wasn’t　there　at　all；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘until　he　came　up　
behind　her；　and　whispered。　Then　she　turned　round　and　fainted；　
and　I　stood　still　and　looked　at　him；　and　he　walked　away；　but　that　
he　should　have　been　hiding　ever　since　（in　the　ground　or　
somewhere）；　is　the　most　extraordinary　thing！’　

‘Has　he　been　hiding　ever　since？’　I　asked。　

‘To　be　sure　he　has；’　retorted　Mr。　Dick；　nodding　his　head　
gravely。　‘Never　came　out；　till　last　night！　We　were　walking　last　
night；　and　he　came　up　behind　her　again；　and　I　knew　him　again。’　

‘And　did　he　frighten　my　aunt　again？’　

‘All　of　a　shiver；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　counterfeiting　that　affection　and　
making　his　teeth　chatter。　‘Held　by　the　palings。　Cried。　But；　
Trotwood；　come　here；’　getting　me　close　to　him；　that　he　might　
whisper　very　softly；　‘why　did　she　give　him　money；　boy；　in　the　
moonlight？’　

‘He　was　a　beggar；　perhaps。’　

Mr。　Dick　shook　his　head；　as　utterly　renouncing　the　suggestion；　
and　having　replied　a　great　many　times；　and　with　great　confidence；　
‘No　beggar；　no　beggar；　no　beggar；　sir！’　went　on　to　say；　that　from　
his　window　he　had　afterwards；　and　late　at　night；　seen　my　aunt　give　
this　person　money　outside　the　garden　rails　in　the　moonlight；　who　
then　slunk　away—into　the　ground　again；　as　he　thought　probable—　

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and　was　seen　no　more：　while　my　aunt　came　hurriedly　and　secretly　
back　into　the　house；　and　had；　even　that　morning；　been　quite　
different　from　her　usual　self；　which　preyed　on　Mr。　Dick’s　mind。　

I　had　not　the　least　belief；　in　the　outset　of　this　story；　that　the　
unknown　was　anything　but　a　delusion　of　Mr。　Dick’s；　and　one　of　the　
line　of　that　ill…fated　Prince　who　occasioned　him　so　much　difficulty；　
but　after　some　reflection　I　began　to　entertain　the　question　whether　
an　attempt；　or　threat　of　an　attempt；　might　have　been　twice　made　
to　take　poor　Mr。　Dick　himself　from　under　my　aunt’s　protection；　
and　whether　my　aunt；　the　strength　of　whose　kind　feeling　towards　
him　I　knew　from　herself；　might　have　been　induced　to　pay　a　price　
for　his　peace　and　quiet。　As　I　was　already　much　attached　to　Mr。　
Dick；　and　very　solicitous　for　his　welfare；　my　fears　favoured　this　
supposition；　and　for　a　long　time　his　Wednesday　hardly　ever　came　
round；　without　my　entertaining　a　misgiving　that　he　would　not　be　
on　the　coach…box　as　usual。　There　he　always　appeared；　however；　
grey…headed；　laughing；　and　happy；　and　he　never　had　anything　
more　to　tell　of　the　man　who　could　frighten　my　aunt。　

These　Wednesdays　were　the　happiest　days　of　Mr。　Dick’s　life；　
they　were　far　from　being　the　least　happy　of　mine。　He　soon　became　
known　to　every　boy　in　the　school；　and　though　he　never　took　an　
active　part　in　any　game　but　kite…flying；　was　as　deeply　interested　in　
all　our　sports　as　anyone　among　us。　How　often　have　I　seen　him；　
intent　upon　a　match　at　marbles　or　pegtop；　looking　on　with　a　face　
of　unutterable　interest；　and　hardly　breathing　at　the　critical　times！　
How　often；　at　hare　and　hounds；　have　I　seen　him　mounted　on　a　
little　knoll；　cheering　the　whole　field　on　to　action；　and　waving　his　
hat　above　his　grey　head；　oblivious　of　King　Charles　the　Martyr’s　
head；　and　all　belonging　to　it！　How　many　a　summer　hour　have　I　

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known　to　be　but　blissful　minutes　to　him　in　the　cricket…field！　How　
many　winter　days　have　I　seen　him；　standing　blue…nosed；　in　the　
snow　and　east　wind；　looking　at　the　boys　going　down　the　long　slide；　
and　clapping　his　worsted　gloves　in　rapture！　

He　was　an　universal　favourite；　and　his　ingenuity　in　little　things　
was　transcendent。　He　could　cut　oranges　into　such　devices　as　none　
of　us　had　an　idea　of。　He　could　make　a　boat　out　of　anything；　from　a　
skewer　upwards。　He　could　turn　cramp…bones　into　chessmen；　
fashion　Roman　chariots　from　old　court　cards；　make　spoked　wheels　
out　of　cotton　reels；　and　bird…cages　of　old　wire。　But　he　was　greatest　
of　all；　perhaps；　in　the　articles　of　string　and　straw；　with　which　we　
were　all　persuaded　he　could　do　anything　that　could　be　done　by　
hands。　

Mr。　Dick’s　renown　was　not　long　confined　to　us。　After　a　few　
Wednesdays；　Doctor　Strong　himself　made　some　inquiries　of　me　
about　him；　and　I　told　him　all　my　aunt　had　told　me；　which　
interested　the　Doctor　so　much　that　he　requested；　on　the　occasion　
of　his　next　visit；　to　be　presented　to　him。　This　ceremony　I　
performed；　and　the　Doctor　begging　Mr。　Dick；　whensoever　he　
should　not　find　me　at　the　coach　office；　to　come　on　there；　and　rest　
himself　until　our　morning’s　work　was　over；　it　soon　passed　into　a　
custom　for　Mr。　Dick　to　come　on　as　a　matter　of　course；　and；　if　we　
were　a　little　late；　as　often　happened　on　a　Wednesday；　to　walk　
about　the　courtyard；　waiting　for　me。　Here　he　made　the　
acquaintance　of　the　Doctor’s　beautiful　young　wife　（paler　than　
formerly；　all　this　time；　more　rarely　seen　by　me　or　anyone；　I　think；　
and　not　so　gay；　but　not　less　beautiful）；　and　so　became　more　and　
more　familiar　by　degrees；　until；　at　last；　he　would　come　into　the　
school　and　wait。　He　always　sat　in　a　particular　corner；　on　a　

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particular　stool；　which　was　called　‘Dick’；　after　him；　here　he　would　
sit；　with　his　grey　head　bent　forward；　attentively　listening　to　
whatever　might　be　going　on；　with　a　profound　veneration　for　the　
learning　he　had　never　been　able　to　acquire。　

This　veneration　Mr。　Dick　extended　to　the　Doctor；　whom　he　
thought　the　most　subtle　and　accomplished　philosopher　of　any　age。　
It　was　long　before　Mr。　Dick　ever　spoke　to　him　otherwise　than　
bareheaded；　and　even　when　he　and　the　Doctor　had　struck　up　
quite　a　friendship；　and　would　walk　together　by　the　hour；　on　that　
side　of　the　courtyard　which　was　known　among　us　as　The　Doctor’s　
Walk；　Mr。　Dick　would　pull　off　his　hat　at　intervals　to　show　his　
respect　for　wisdom　and　knowledge。　How　it　ever　came　about　that　
the　Doctor　began　to　read　out　scraps　of　the　famous　Dictionary；　in　
these　walks；　I　never　knew；　perhaps　he　felt　it　all　the　same；　at　first；　
as　reading　to　himself。　However；　it　passed　into　a　custom　too；　and　
Mr。　Dick；　listening　with　a　face　shining　with　pride　and　pleasure；　in　
his　heart　of　hearts　believed　the　Dictionary　to　be　the　most　
delightful　book　in　the　world。　

As　I　think　of　them　going　up　and　down　before　those　schoolroom　
win