david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第119章

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David　Copperfield　

Chapter　27　

TOMMY　TRADDLES　

It　may　have　been　in　consequence　of　Mrs。　Crupp’s　advice；　and；　
perhaps；　for　no　better　reason　than　because　there　was　a　
certain　similarity　in　the　sound　of　the　word　skittles　and　
Traddles；　that　it　came　into　my　head；　next　day；　to　go　and　look　after　
Traddles。　The　time　he　had　mentioned　was　more　than　out；　and　he　
lived　in　a　little　street　near　the　Veterinary　College　at　Camden　
Town；　which　was　principally　tenanted；　as　one　of　our　clerks　who　
lived　in　that　direction　informed　me；　by　gentlemen　students；　who　
bought　live　donkeys；　and　made　experiments　on　those　quadrupeds　
in　their　private　apartments。　Having　obtained　from　this　clerk　a　
direction　to　the　academic　grove　in　question；　I　set　out；　the　same　
afternoon；　to　visit　my　old　schoolfellow。　

I　found　that　the　street　was　not　as　desirable　a　one　as　I　could　have　
wished　it　to　be；　for　the　sake　of　Traddles。　The　inhabitants　appeared　
to　have　a　propensity　to　throw　any　little　trifles　they　were　not　in　
want　of；　into　the　road：　which　not　only　made　it　rank　and　sloppy；　but　
untidy　too；　on　account　of　the　cabbage…leaves。　The　refuse　was　not　
wholly　vegetable　either；　for　I　myself　saw　a　shoe；　a　doubled…up　
saucepan；　a　black　bonnet；　and　an　umbrella；　in　various　stages　of　
decomposition；　as　I　was　looking　out　for　the　number　I　wanted。　

The　general　air　of　the　place　reminded　me　forcibly　of　the　days　
when　I　lived　with　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Micawber。　An　indescribable　
character　of　faded　gentility　that　attached　to　the　house　I　sought；　
and　made　it　unlike　all　the　other　houses　in　the　street—though　they　

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David　Copperfield　

were　all　built　on　one　monotonous　pattern；　and　looked　like　the　
early　copies　of　a　blundering　boy　who　was　learning　to　make　houses；　
and　had　not　yet　got　out　of　his　cramped　brick…and…mortar　
pothooks—reminded　me　still　more　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Micawber。　
Happening　to　arrive　at　the　door　as　it　was　opened　to　the　afternoon　
milkman；　I　was　reminded　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Micawber　more　forcibly　
yet。　

‘Now；’　said　the　milkman　to　a　very　youthful　servant　girl。　‘Has　
that　there　little　bill　of　mine　been　heerd　on？’　

‘Oh；　master　says　he’ll　attend　to　it　immediate；’　was　the　reply。　

‘Because；’　said　the　milkman；　going　on　as　if　he　had　received　no　
answer；　and　speaking；　as　I　judged　from　his　tone；　rather　for　the　
edification　of　somebody　within　the　house；　than　of　the　youthful　
servant—an　impression　which　was　strengthened　by　his　manner　of　
glaring　down　the　passage—‘because　that　there　little　bill　has　been　
running　so　long；　that　I　begin　to　believe　it’s　run　away　altogether；　
and　never　won’t　be　heerd　of。　Now；　I’m　not　a　going　to　stand　it；　you　
know！’　said　the　milkman；　still　throwing　his　voice　into　the　house；　
and　glaring　down　the　passage。　

As　to　his　dealing　in　the　mild　article　of　milk；　by　the　by；　there　
never　was　a　greater　anomaly。　His　deportment　would　have　been　
fierce　in　a　butcher　or　a　brandy…merchant。　

The　voice　of　the　youthful　servant　became　faint；　but　she　seemed　
to　me；　from　the　action　of　her　lips；　again　to　murmur　that　it　would　
be　attended　to　immediate。　

‘I　tell　you　what；’　said　the　milkman；　looking　hard　at　her　for　the　
first　time；　and　taking　her　by　the　chin；　‘are　you　fond　of　milk？’　

‘Yes；　I　likes　it；’　she　replied。　‘Good；’　said　the　milkman。　‘Then　you　
won’t　have　none　tomorrow。　D’ye　hear？　Not　a　fragment　of　milk　you　

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David　Copperfield　

won’t　have　tomorrow。’　

I　thought　she　seemed；　upon　the　whole；　relieved　by　the　prospect　
of　having　any　today。　The　milkman；　after　shaking　his　head　at　her　
darkly；　released　her　chin；　and　with　anything　rather　than　good…will　
opened　his　can；　and　deposited　the　usual　quantity　in　the　family　jug。　
This　done；　he　went　away；　muttering；　and　uttered　the　cry　of　his　
trade　next　door；　in　a　vindictive　shriek。　

‘Does　Mr。　Traddles　live　here？’　I　then　inquired。　

A　mysterious　voice　from　the　end　of　the　passage　replied　‘Yes。’　
Upon　which　the　youthful　servant　replied　‘Yes。’　

‘Is　he　at　home？’　said　I。　

Again　the　mysterious　voice　replied　in　the　affirmative；　and　again　
the　servant　echoed　it。　Upon　this；　I　walked　in；　and　in　pursuance　of　
the　servant’s　directions　walked　upstairs；　conscious；　as　I　passed　the　
back　parlour…door；　that　I　was　surveyed　by　a　mysterious　eye；　
probably　belonging　to　the　mysterious　voice。　

When　I　got　to　the　top　of　the　stairs—the　house　was　only　a　story　
high　above　the　ground　floor—Traddles　was　on　the　landing　to　meet　
me。　He　was　delighted　to　see　me；　and　gave　me　welcome；　with　great　
heartiness；　to　his　little　room。　It　was　in　the　front　of　the　house；　and　
extremely　neat；　though　sparely　furnished。　It　was　his　only　room；　I　
saw；　for　there　was　a　sofa…bedstead　in　it；　and　his　blacking…brushes　
and　blacking　were　among　his　books—on　the　top　shelf；　behind　a　
dictionary。　His　table　was　covered　with　papers；　and　he　was　hard　at　
work　in　an　old　coat。　I　looked　at　nothing；　that　I　know　of；　but　I　saw　
everything；　even　to　the　prospect　of　a　church　upon　his　china　
inkstand；　as　I　sat　down—and　this；　too；　was　a　faculty　confirmed　in　
me　in　the　old　Micawber　times。　Various　ingenious　arrangements　he　
had　made；　for　the　disguise　of　his　chest　of　drawers；　and　the　

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David　Copperfield　

accommodation　of　his　boots；　his　shaving…glass；　and　so　forth；　
particularly　impressed　themselves　upon　me；　as　evidences　of　the　
same　Traddles　who　used　to　make　models　of　elephants’　dens　in　
writing…paper　to　put　flies　in；　and　to　comfort　himself　under　ill　
usage；　with　the　memorable　works　of　art　I　have　so　often　mentioned。　

In　a　corner　of　the　room　was　something　neatly　covered　up　with　a　
large　white　cloth。　I　could　not　make　out　what　that　was。　

‘Traddles；’　said　I；　shaking　hands　with　him　again；　after　I　had　sat　
down；　‘I　am　delighted　to　see　you。’　

‘I　am　delighted　to　see　you；　Copperfield；’　he　returned。　‘I　am　very　
glad　indeed　to　see　you。　It　was　because　I　was　thoroughly　glad　to　see　
you　when　we　met　in　Ely　Place；　and　was　sure　you　were　thoroughly　
glad　to　see　me；　that　I　gave　you　this　address　instead　of　my　address　
at　chambers。’　

‘Oh！　You　have　chambers？’　said　I。　

‘Why；　I　have　the　fourth　of　a　room　and　a　passage；　and　the　fourth　
of　a　clerk；’　returned　Traddles。　‘Three　others　and　myself　unite　to　
have　a　set　of　chambers—to　look　business…like—and　we　quarter　the　
clerk　too。　Half…a…crown　a　week　he　costs　me。’　

His　old　simple　character　and　good　temper；　and　something　of　his　
old　unlucky　fortune　also；　I　thought；　smiled　at　me　in　the　smile　with　
which　he　made　this　explanation。　

‘It’s　not　because　I　have　the　least　pride；　Copperfield；　you　
understand；’　said　Traddles；　‘that　I　don’t　usually　give　my　address　
here。　It’s　only　on　account　of　those　who　come　to　me；　who　might　not　
like　to　come　here。　For　myself；　I　am　fighting　my　way　on　in　the　
world　against　difficulties；　and　it　would　be　ridiculous　if　I　made　a　
pretence　of　doing　anything　else。’　

‘You　are　reading　for　the　bar；　Mr。　Waterbrook　informed　me？’　

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David　Copperfield　

said　I。　

‘Why；　yes；’　said　Traddles；　rubbing　his　hands　slowly　over　one　
another。　‘I　am　reading　for　the　bar。　The　fact　is；　I　have　just　begun　to　
keep　my　terms；　after　rather　a　long　delay。　It’s　some　time　since　I　was　
articled；　but　the　payment　of　that　hundred　pounds　was　a　great　pull。　
A　great　pull！’　said　Traddles；　with　a　wince；　as　if　he　had　had　a　tooth　
out。　

‘Do　you　know　what　I　can’t　help　thinking　of；　Traddles；　as　I　sit　
here　looking　at　you？’　I　asked　him。　

‘No；’　said　he。　

‘That　sky…blue　suit　you　used　to　wear。’　

‘Lord；　to　be　sure！’　cried　Traddles；　laughing。　‘Tight　in　the　arms　
and　legs；　you　know？　Dear　me！　Well！　Those　were　happy　times；　
weren’t　they？’　

‘I　think　our　schoolmaster　might　have　made　them　happier；　
without　doing　any　harm　to　any　of　us；　I　acknowledge；’　I　returned。　

‘Perhaps　he　might；’　said　Traddles。　‘But　dear　me；　there　was　a　
good　deal　of　fun　going　on。　Do　you　remember　the　nights　in　the　
bedroom？　When　we　used　to　have　the　suppers？　And　when　you　
used　to　tell　the　stories？　Ha；　ha；　ha！　And　do　you　remember　when　I　
got