第 3 节
作者:不受约束      更新:2021-05-04 17:22      字数:9173
  herself like any ordinary Christian; and now; instead of ringing the
  bell; she came and looked in at that identical window; pressing the
  end of her nose against the glass to that extent; that my poor dear
  mother used to say it became perfectly flat and white in a moment。
  She gave my mother such a turn; that I have always been
  convinced I am indebted to Miss Betsey for having been born on a
  Friday。
  My mother had left her chair in her agitation; and gone behind
  it in the corner。 Miss Betsey; looking round the room; slowly and
  inquiringly; began on the other side; and carried her eyes on; like
  a Saracen’s Head in a Dutch clock; until they reached my mother。
  Then she made a frown and a gesture to my mother; like one who
  was accustomed to be obeyed; to come and open the door。 My
  mother went。
  ‘Mrs。 David Copperfield; I think;’ said Miss Betsey; the
  emphasis referring; perhaps; to my mother’s mourning weeds; and
  her condition。
  ‘Yes;’ said my mother; faintly。
  ‘Miss Trotwood;’ said the visitor。 ‘You have heard of her; I dare
  say?’
  My mother answered she had had that pleasure。 And she had a
  disagreeable consciousness of not appearing to imply that it had
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  been an overpowering pleasure。
  ‘Now you see her;’ said Miss Betsey。 My mother bent her head;
  and begged her to walk in。
  They went into the parlour my mother had come from; the fire
  in the best room on the other side of the passage not being
  lighted—not having been lighted; indeed; since my father’s
  funeral; and when they were both seated; and Miss Betsey said
  nothing; my mother; after vainly trying to restrain herself; began
  to cry。 ‘Oh tut; tut; tut!’ said Miss Betsey; in a hurry。 ‘Don’t do that!
  Come; come!’
  My mother couldn’t help it notwithstanding; so she cried until
  she had had her cry out。
  ‘Take off your cap; child;’ said Miss Betsey; ‘and let me see you。’
  My mother was too much afraid of her to refuse compliance
  with this odd request; if she had any disposition to do so。
  Therefore she did as she was told; and did it with such nervous
  hands that her hair (which was luxuriant and beautiful) fell all
  about her face。
  ‘Why; bless my heart!’ exclaimed Miss Betsey。 ‘You are a very
  Baby!’
  My mother was; no doubt; unusually youthful in appearance
  even for her years; she hung her head; as if it were her fault; poor
  thing; and said; sobbing; that indeed she was afraid she was but a
  childish widow; and would be but a childish mother if she lived。 In
  a short pause which ensued; she had a fancy that she felt Miss
  Betsey touch her hair; and that with no ungentle hand; but;
  looking at her; in her timid hope; she found that lady sitting with
  the skirt of her dress tucked up; her hands folded on one knee;
  and her feet upon the fender; frowning at the fire。
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  ‘In the name of Heaven;’ said Miss Betsey; suddenly; ‘why
  Rookery?’
  ‘Do you mean the house; ma’am?’ asked my mother。
  ‘Why Rookery?’ said Miss Betsey。 ‘Cookery would have been
  more to the purpose; if you had had any practical ideas of life;
  either of you。’
  ‘The name was Mr。 Copperfield’s choice;’ returned my mother。
  ‘When he bought the house; he liked to think that there were
  rooks about it。’
  The evening wind made such a disturbance just now; among
  some tall old elm…trees at the bottom of the garden; that neither
  my mother nor Miss Betsey could forbear glancing that way。 As
  the elms bent to one another; like giants who were whispering
  secrets; and after a few seconds of such repose; fell into a violent
  flurry; tossing their wild arms about; as if their late confidences
  were really too wicked for their peace of mind; some
  weatherbeaten ragged old rooks’…nests; burdening their higher
  branches; swung like wrecks upon a stormy sea。
  ‘Where are the birds?’ asked Miss Betsey。
  ‘The—?’ My mother had been thinking of something else。
  ‘The rooks—what has become of them?’ asked Miss Betsey。
  ‘There have not been any since we have lived here;’ said my
  mother。 ‘We thought—Mr。 Copperfield thought—it was quite a
  large rookery; but the nests were very old ones; and the birds have
  deserted them a long while。’
  ‘David Copperfield all over!’ cried Miss Betsey。 ‘David
  Copperfield from head to foot! Calls a house a rookery when
  there’s not a rook near it; and takes the birds on trust; because he
  sees the nests!’
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  ‘Mr。 Copperfield;’ returned my mother; ‘is dead; and if you dare
  to speak unkindly of him to me—’
  My poor dear mother; I suppose; had some momentary
  intention of committing an assault and battery upon my aunt; who
  could easily have settled her with one hand; even if my mother had
  been in far better training for such an encounter than she was that
  evening。 But it passed with the action of rising from her chair; and
  she sat down again very meekly; and fainted。
  When she came to herself; or when Miss Betsey had restored
  her; whichever it was; she found the latter standing at the window。
  The twilight was by this time shading down into darkness; and
  dimly as they saw each other; they could not have done that
  without the aid of the fire。
  ‘Well?’ said Miss Betsey; coming back to her chair; as if she had
  only been taking a casual look at the prospect; ‘and when do you
  expect—’
  ‘I am all in a tremble;’ faltered my mother。 ‘I don’t know what’s
  the matter。 I shall die; I am sure!’
  ‘No; no; no;’ said Miss Betsey。 ‘Have some tea。’
  ‘Oh dear me; dear me; do you think it will do me any good?’
  cried my mother in a helpless manner。
  ‘Of course it will;’ said Miss Betsey。 ‘It’s nothing but fancy。
  What do you call your girl?’
  ‘I don’t know that it will be a girl; yet; ma’am;’ said my mother
  innocently。
  ‘Bless the Baby!’ exclaimed Miss Betsey; unconsciously quoting
  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
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  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 orpha