第 88 节
作者:不受约束      更新:2021-05-04 17:23      字数:9139
  they were only a pair (which they ain’t); they’d defy competition。
  Would you believe he tried to do without me—in the Life…Guards;
  too?’
  ‘Mad!’ said Steerforth。
  ‘It looks like it。 However; mad or sane; he tried;’ returned Miss
  Mowcher。 ‘What does he do; but; lo and behold you; he goes into a
  perfumer’s shop; and wants to buy a bottle of the Madagascar
  Liquid。’
  ‘Charley does?’ said Steerforth。
  ‘Charley does。 But they haven’t got any of the Madagascar
  Liquid。’
  ‘What is it? Something to drink?’ asked Steerforth。
  ‘To drink?’ returned Miss Mowcher; stopping to slap his cheek。
  ‘To doctor his own moustachios with; you know。 There was a
  woman in the shop—elderly female—quite a Griffin—who had
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  David Copperfield
  never even heard of it by name。 “Begging pardon; sir;” said the
  Griffin to Charley; “it’s not—not—not rouge; is it?” “Rouge;” said
  Charley to the Griffin。 “What the unmentionable to ears polite; do
  you think I want with rouge?” “No offence; sir;” said the Griffin;
  “we have it asked for by so many names; I thought it might be。”
  Now that; my child;’ continued Miss Mowcher; rubbing all the
  time as busily as ever; ‘is another instance of the refreshing
  humbug I was speaking of。 I do something in that way myself—
  perhaps a good deal—perhaps a little—sharp’s the word; my dear
  boy—never mind!’
  ‘In what way do you mean? In the rouge way?’ said Steerforth。
  ‘Put this and that together; my tender pupil;’ returned the wary
  Mowcher; touching her nose; ‘work it by the rule of Secrets in all
  trades; and the product will give you the desired result。 I say I do a
  little in that way myself。 One Dowager; she calls it lip…salve。
  Another; she calls it gloves。 Another; she calls it tucker…edging。
  Another; she calls it a fan。 I call it whatever they call it。 I supply it
  for ’em; but we keep up the trick so; to one another; and make
  believe with such a face; that they’d as soon think of laying it on;
  before a whole drawing…room; as before me。 And when I wait upon
  ’em; they’ll say to me sometimes—with it on—thick; and no
  mistake—“How am I looking; Mowcher? Am I pale?” Ha! ha! ha!
  ha! Isn’t that refreshing; my young friend!’
  I never did in my days behold anything like Mowcher as she
  stood upon the dining table; intensely enjoying this refreshment;
  rubbing busily at Steerforth’s head; and winking at me over it。
  ‘Ah!’ she said。 ‘Such things are not much in demand
  hereabouts。 That sets me off again! I haven’t seen a pretty woman
  since I’ve been here; jemmy。’
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  David Copperfield
  ‘No?’ said Steerforth。
  ‘Not the ghost of one;’ replied Miss Mowcher。
  ‘We could show her the substance of one; I think?’ said
  Steerforth; addressing his eyes to mine。 ‘Eh; Daisy?’
  ‘Yes; indeed;’ said I。
  ‘Aha?’ cried the little creature; glancing sharply at my face; and
  then peeping round at Steerforth’s。 ‘Umph?’
  The first exclamation sounded like a question put to both of us;
  and the second like a question put to Steerforth only。 She seemed
  to have found no answer to either; but continued to rub; with her
  head on one side and her eye turned up; as if she were looking for
  an answer in the air and were confident of its appearing presently。
  ‘A sister of yours; Mr。 Copperfield?’ she cried; after a pause;
  and still keeping the same look…out。 ‘Aye; aye?’
  ‘No;’ said Steerforth; before I could reply。 ‘Nothing of the sort。
  On the contrary; Mr。 Copperfield used—or I am much mistaken—
  to have a great admiration for her。’
  ‘Why; hasn’t he now?’ returned Miss Mowcher。 ‘Is he fickle?
  Oh; for shame! Did he sip every flower; and change every hour;
  until Polly his passion requited?—Is her name Polly?’
  The Elfin suddenness with which she pounced upon me with
  this question; and a searching look; quite disconcerted me for a
  moment。
  ‘No; Miss Mowcher;’ I replied。 ‘Her name is Emily。’
  ‘Aha?’ she cried exactly as before。 ‘Umph? What a rattle I am!
  Mr。 Copperfield; ain’t I volatile?’
  Her tone and look implied something that was not agreeable to
  me in connexion with the subject。 So I said; in a graver manner
  than any of us had yet assumed: ‘She is as virtuous as she is pretty。
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  David Copperfield
  She is engaged to be married to a most worthy and deserving man
  in her own station of life。 I esteem her for her good sense; as much
  as I admire her for her good looks。’
  ‘Well said!’ cried Steerforth。 ‘Hear; hear; hear! Now I’ll quench
  the curiosity of this little Fatima; my dear Daisy; by leaving her
  nothing to guess at。 She is at present apprenticed; Miss Mowcher;
  or articled; or whatever it may be; to Omer and Joram;
  Haberdashers; Milliners; and so forth; in this town。 Do you
  observe? Omer and Joram。 The promise of which my friend has
  spoken; is made and entered into with her cousin; Christian name;
  Ham; surname; Peggotty; occupation; boat…builder; also of this
  town。 She lives with a relative; Christian name; unknown;
  surname; Peggotty; occupation; seafaring; also of this town。 She is
  the prettiest and most engaging little fairy in the world。 I admire
  her—as my friend does—exceedingly。 If it were not that I might
  appear to disparage her Intended; which I know my friend would
  not like; I would add; that to me she seems to be throwing herself
  away; that I am sure she might do better; and that I swear she was
  born to be a lady。’
  Miss Mowcher listened to these words; which were very slowly
  and distinctly spoken; with her head on one side; and her eye in
  the air as if she were still looking for that answer。 When he ceased
  she became brisk again in an instant; and rattled away with
  surprising volubility。
  ‘Oh! And that’s all about it; is it?’ she exclaimed; trimming his
  whiskers with a little restless pair of scissors; that went glancing
  round his head in all directions。 ‘Very well: very well! Quite a long
  story。 Ought to end “and they lived happy ever afterwards”;
  oughtn’t it? Ah! What’s that game at forfeits? I love my love with
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  David Copperfield
  an E; because she’s enticing; I hate her with an E; because she’s
  engaged。 I took her to the sign of the exquisite; and treated her
  with an elopement; her name’s Emily; and she lives in the east?
  Ha! ha! ha! Mr。 Copperfield; ain’t I volatile?’
  Merely looking at me with extravagant slyness; and not waiting
  for any reply; she continued; without drawing breath:
  ‘There! If ever any scapegrace was trimmed and touched up to
  perfection; you are; Steerforth。 If I understand any noddle in the
  world; I understand yours。 Do you hear me when I tell you that;
  my darling? I understand yours;’ peeping down into his face。 ‘Now
  you may mizzle; jemmy (as we say at Court); and if Mr。
  Copperfield will take the chair I’ll operate on him。’
  ‘What do you say; Daisy?’ inquired Steerforth; laughing; and
  resigning his seat。 ‘Will you be improved?’
  ‘Thank you; Miss Mowcher; not this evening。’
  ‘Don’t say no;’ returned the little woman; looking at me with the
  aspect of a connoisseur; ‘a little bit more eyebrow?’
  ‘Thank you;’ I returned; ‘some other time。’
  ‘Have it carried half a quarter of an inch towards the temple;’
  said Miss Mowcher。 ‘We can do it in a fortnight。’
  ‘No; I thank you。 Not at present。’
  ‘Go in for a tip;’ she urged。 ‘No? Let’s get the scaffolding up;
  then; for a pair of whiskers。 Come!’
  I could not help blushing as I declined; for I felt we were on my
  weak point; now。 But Miss Mowcher; finding that I was not at
  present disposed for any decoration within the range of her art;
  and that I was; for the time being; proof against the blandishments
  of the small bottle which she held up before one eye to enforce her
  persuasions; said we would make a beginning on an early day; and
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  David Copperfield
  requested the aid of my hand to descend from her elevated station。
  Thus assisted; she skipped down with much agility; and began to
  tie her double chin into her bonnet。
  ‘The fee;’ said Steerforth; ‘is—’
  ‘Five bob;’ replied Miss Mowcher; ‘and dirt cheap; my chicken。
  Ain’t I volatile; Mr。 Copperfield?’
  I replied politely: ‘Not at all。’ But I thought she was rather so;
  when she tossed up his two half…crowns like a goblin pieman;
  caught them; dropped them in her pocket; and gave it a loud slap。
  ‘That’s the Till!’ observed Miss Mowcher; standing at the chair
  again; and replacing in the bag a miscellaneous collection of little
  objects she had emptied out of it。 ‘Have I got all my traps? It seems
  so。 It won’t do to be like long Ned Beadwood; when they took him
  to church “to marry him to somebody”; as he says; and left the
  bride behind。 Ha! ha! ha! A wicked rascal; Ned; but droll! Now; I
  know I’m going to break your hearts; but I am forced to leave you。
  You