david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第140章

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said　to　me。　She　informed　me；　in　return；　that　he　had　said　the　same　
to　her　that　morning。　She　knew　no　more　than　I　did；　where　he　was　
going；　but　she　thought　he　had　some　project　shaped　out　in　his　
mind。　

I　did　not　like　to　leave　him；　under　such　circumstances；　and　we　
all　three　dined　together　off　a　beefsteak　pie—which　was　one　of　the　
many　good　things　for　which　Peggotty　was　famous—and　which　was　
curiously　flavoured　on　this　occasion；　I　recollect　well；　by　a　
miscellaneous　taste　of　tea；　coffee；　butter；　bacon；　cheese；　new　
loaves；　firewood；　candles；　and　walnut　ketchup；　continually　
ascending　from　the　shop。　After　dinner　we　sat　for　an　hour　or　so　
near　the　window；　without　talking　much；　and　then　Mr。　Peggotty　got　
up；　and　brought　his　oilskin　bag　and　his　stout　stick；　and　laid　them　
on　the　table。　

He　accepted；　from　his　sister’s　stock　of　ready　money；　a　small　
sum　on　account　of　his　legacy；　barely　enough；　I　should　have　
thought；　to　keep　him　for　a　month。　He　promised　to　communicate　
with　me；　when　anything　befell　him；　and　he　slung　his　bag　about　
him；　took　his　hat　and　stick；　and　bade　us　both　‘Good…bye！’　

‘All　good　attend　you；　dear　old　woman；’　he　said；　embracing　
Peggotty；　‘and　you　too；　Mas’r　Davy！’　shaking　hands　with　me。　‘I’m　
a…going　to　seek　her；　fur　and　wide。　If　she　should　come　home　while　
I’m　away—but　ah；　that　ain’t　like　to　be！—or　if　I　should　bring　her　

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David　Copperfield　

back；　my　meaning　is；　that　she　and　me　shall　live　and　die　where　no　
one　can’t　reproach　her。　If　any　hurt　should　come　to　me；　remember　
that　the　last　words　I　left　for　her　was；　“My　unchanged　love　is　with　
my　darling　child；　and　I　forgive　her！”’　

He　said　this　solemnly；　bare…headed；　then；　putting　on　his　hat；　he　
went　down　the　stairs；　and　away。　We　followed　to　the　door。　It　was　a　
warm；　dusty　evening；　just　the　time　when；　in　the　great　main　
thoroughfare　out　of　which　that　by…way　turned；　there　was　a　
temporary　lull　in　the　eternal　tread　of　feet　upon　the　pavement；　and　
a　strong　red　sunshine。　He　turned；　alone；　at　the　corner　of　our　shady　
street；　into　a　glow　of　light；　in　which　we　lost　him。　

Rarely　did　that　hour　of　the　evening　come；　rarely　did　I　wake　at　
night；　rarely　did　I　look　up　at　the　moon；　or　stars；　or　watch　the　
falling　rain；　or　hear　the　wind；　but　I　thought　of　his　solitary　figure　
toiling　on；　poor　pilgrim；　and　recalled　the　words：　

‘I’m　a　going　to　seek　her；　fur　and　wide。　If　any　hurt　should　come　
to　me；　remember　that　the　last　words　I　left　for　her　was；　“My　
unchanged　love　is　with　my　darling　child；　and　I　forgive　her！”’　

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David　Copperfield　

Chapter　33　

BLISSFUL　

All　this　time；　I　had　gone　on　loving　Dora；　harder　than　ever。　Her　
idea　was　my　refuge　in　disappointment　and　distress；　and　made　
some　amends　to　me；　even　for　the　loss　of　my　friend。　The　more　I　
pitied　myself；　or　pitied　others；　the　more　I　sought　for　consolation　in　
the　image　of　Dora。　The　greater　the　accumulation　of　deceit　and　
trouble　in　the　world；　the　brighter　and　the　purer　shone　the　star　of　
Dora　high　above　the　world。　I　don’t　think　I　had　any　definite　idea　
where　Dora　came　from；　or　in　what　degree　she　was　related　to　a　
higher　order　of　beings；　but　I　am　quite　sure　I　should　have　scouted　
the　notion　of　her　being　simply　human；　like　any　other　young　lady；　
with　indignation　and　contempt。　

If　I　may　so　express　it；　I　was　steeped　in　Dora。　I　was　not　merely　
over　head　and　ears　in　love　with　her；　but　I　was　saturated　through　
and　through。　Enough　love　might　have　been　wrung　out　of　me；　
metaphorically　speaking；　to　drown　anybody　in；　and　yet　there　
would　have　remained　enough　within　me；　and　all　over　me；　to　
pervade　my　entire　existence。　

The　first　thing　I　did；　on　my　own　account；　when　I　came　back；　
was　to　take　a　night…walk　to　Norwood；　and；　like　the　subject　of　a　
venerable　riddle　of　my　childhood；　to　go　‘round　and　round　the　
house；　without　ever　touching　the　house’；　thinking　about　Dora。　I　
believe　the　theme　of　this　incomprehensible　conundrum　was　the　
moon。　No　matter　what　it　was；　I；　the　moon…struck　slave　of　Dora；　
perambulated　round　and　round　the　house　and　garden　for　two　

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hours；　looking　through　crevices　in　the　palings；　getting　my　chin　by　
dint　of　violent　exertion　above　the　rusty　nails　on　the　top；　blowing　
kisses　at　the　lights　in　the　windows；　and　romantically　calling　on　the　
night；　at　intervals；　to　shield　my　Dora—I　don’t　exactly　know　what　
from；　I　suppose　from　fire。　Perhaps　from　mice；　to　which　she　had　a　
great　objection。　

My　love　was　so　much　in　my　mind　and　it　was　so　natural　to　me　to　
confide　in　Peggotty；　when　I　found　her　again　by　my　side　of　an　
evening　with　the　old　set　of　industrial　implements；　busily　making　
the　tour　of　my　wardrobe；　that　I　imparted　to　her；　in　a　sufficiently　
roundabout　way；　my　great　secret。　Peggotty　was　strongly　
interested；　but　I　could　not　get　her　into　my　view　of　the　case　at　all。　
She　was　audaciously　prejudiced　in　my　favour；　and　quite　unable　to　
understand　why　I　should　have　any　misgivings；　or　be　low…spirited　
about　it。　‘The　young　lady　might　think　herself　well　off；’　she　
observed；　‘to　have　such　a　beau。　And　as　to　her　Pa；’　she　said；　‘what　
did　the　gentleman　expect；　for　gracious　sake！’　

I　observed；　however；　that　Mr。　Spenlow’s　proctorial　gown　and　
stiff　cravat　took　Peggotty　down　a　little；　and　inspired　her　with　a　
greater　reverence　for　the　man　who　was　gradually　becoming　more　
and　more　etherealized　in　my　eyes　every　day；　and　about　whom　a　
reflected　radiance　seemed　to　me　to　beam　when　he　sat　erect　in　
Court　among　his　papers；　like　a　little　lighthouse　in　a　sea　of　
stationery。　And　by　the　by；　it　used　to　be　uncommonly　strange　to　me　
to　consider；　I　remember；　as　I　sat　in　Court　too；　how　those　dim　old　
judges　and　doctors　wouldn’t　have　cared　for　Dora；　if　they　had　
known　her；　how　they　wouldn’t　have　gone　out　of　their　senses　with　
rapture；　if　marriage　with　Dora　had　been　proposed　to　them；　how　
Dora　might　have　sung；　and　played　upon　that　glorified　guitar；　until　

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she　led　me　to　the　verge　of　madness；　yet　not　have　tempted　one　of　
those　slow…goers　an　inch　out　of　his　road！　

I　despised　them；　to　a　man。　Frozen…out　old　gardeners　in　the　
flower…beds　of　the　heart；　I　took　a　personal　offence　against　them　all。　
The　Bench　was　nothing　to　me　but　an　insensible　blunderer。　The　
Bar　had　no　more　tenderness　or　poetry　in　it；　than　the　bar　of　a　
public…house。　

Taking　the　management　of　Peggotty’s　affairs　into　my　own　
hands；　with　no　little　pride；　I　proved　the　will；　and　came　to　a　
settlement　with　the　Legacy　Duty…office；　and　took　her　to　the　Bank；　
and　soon　got　everything　into　an　orderly　train。　We　varied　the　legal　
character　of　these　proceedings　by　going　to　see　some　perspiring　
Wax…work；　in　Fleet　Street　（melted；　I　should　hope；　these　twenty　
years）；　and　by　visiting　Miss　Linwood’s　Exhibition；　which　I　
remember　as　a　Mausoleum　of　needlework；　favourable　to　self…
examination　and　repentance；　and　by　inspecting　the　Tower　of　
London；　and　going　to　the　top　of　St。　Paul’s。　All　these　wonders　
afforded　Peggotty　as　much　pleasure　as　she　was　able　to　enjoy；　
under　existing　circumstances：　except；　I　think；　St。　Paul’s；　which；　
from　her　long　attachment　to　her　work…box；　became　a　rival　of　the　
picture　on　the　lid；　and　was；　in　some　particulars；　vanquished；　she　
considered；　by　that　work　of　art。　

Peggotty’s　business；　which　was　what　we　used　to　call　‘commonform　business’　in　the　Commons　（and　very　light　and　lucrative　the　
common…form　business　was）；　being　settled；　I　took　her　down　to　the　
office　one　morning　to　pay　her　bill。　Mr。　Spenlow　had　stepped　out；　
old　Tiffey　said；　to　get　a　gentleman　sworn　for　a　marriage　licence；　
but　as　I　knew　he　would　be　back　directly；　our　place　lying　close　to　
the　Surrogate’s；　and　to　the　Vicar…General’s　office　too；　I　told　

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Peggotty　to　wait。　

We　were　a　little　like　undertakers；　in　the　Commons；　as　regarded　
Probate　transactions；　generally　making　it　a　rule　to　look　more　or　
less　cut　up；　when　we　had　to　deal　with　clients　in　mourning。　In　a　
similar　feel