david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第157章

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went　off　together　to　the　lodging　which　Mr。　Micawber　occupied　as　
Mr。　Mortimer；　and　which　was　situated　near　the　top　of　the　Gray’s　
Inn　Road。　

The　resources　of　this　lodging　were　so　limited；　that　we　found　the　
twins；　now　some　eight　or　nine　years　old；　reposing　in　a　turn…up　
bedstead　in　the　family　sitting…room；　where　Mr。　Micawber　had　
prepared；　in　a　wash…hand…stand　jug；　what　he　called　‘a　Brew’　of　the　
agreeable　beverage　for　which　he　was　famous。　I　had　the　pleasure；　
on　this　occasion；　of　renewing　the　acquaintance　of　Master　
Micawber；　whom　I　found　a　promising　boy　of　about　twelve　or　
thirteen；　very　subject　to　that　restlessness　of　limb　which　is　not　an　
unfrequent　phenomenon　in　youths　of　his　age。　I　also　became　once　
more　known　to　his　sister；　Miss　Micawber；　in　whom；　as　Mr。　
Micawber　told　us；　‘her　mother　renewed　her　youth；　like　the　
Phoenix’。　

‘My　dear　Copperfield；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　‘yourself　and　Mr。　
Traddles　find　us　on　the　brink　of　migration；　and　will　excuse　any　
little　discomforts　incidental　to　that　position。’　

Glancing　round　as　I　made　a　suitable　reply；　I　observed　that　the　
family　effects　were　already　packed；　and　that　the　amount　of　

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David　Copperfield　

luggage　was　by　no　means　overwhelming。　I　congratulated　Mrs。　
Micawber　on　the　approaching　change。　

‘My　dear　Mr。　Copperfield；’　said　Mrs。　Micawber；　‘of　your　friendly　
interest　in　all　our　affairs；　I　am　well　assured。　My　family　may　
consider　it　banishment；　if　they　please；　but　I　am　a　wife　and　mother；　
and　I　never　will　desert　Mr。　Micawber。’　

Traddles；　appealed　to　by　Mrs。　Micawber’s　eye；　feelingly　
acquiesced。　

‘That；’　said　Mrs。　Micawber；　‘that；　at　least；　is　my　view；　my　dear　
Mr。　Copperfield　and　Mr。　Traddles；　of　the　obligation　which　I　took　
upon　myself　when　I　repeated　the　irrevocable　words；　“I；　Emma；　
take　thee；　Wilkins。”　I　read　the　service　over　with　a　flat…candle　on　
the　previous　night；　and　the　conclusion　I　derived　from　it　was；　that　I　
never　could　desert　Mr。　Micawber。　And；’　said　Mrs。　Micawber；　
‘though　it　is　possible　I　may　be　mistaken　in　my　view　of　the　
ceremony；　I　never　will！’　

‘My　dear；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　a　little　impatiently；　‘I　am　not　
conscious　that　you　are　expected　to　do　anything　of　the　sort。’　

‘I　am　aware；　my　dear　Mr。　Copperfield；’　pursued　Mrs。　Micawber；　
‘that　I　am　now　about　to　cast　my　lot　among　strangers；　and　I　am　also　
aware　that　the　various　members　of　my　family；　to　whom　Mr。　
Micawber　has　written　in　the　most　gentlemanly　terms；　announcing　
that　fact；　have　not　taken　the　least　notice　of　Mr。　Micawber’s　
communication。　Indeed　I　may　be　superstitious；’　said　Mrs。　
Micawber；　‘but　it　appears　to　me　that　Mr。　Micawber　is　destined　
never　to　receive　any　answers　whatever　to　the　great　majority　of　the　
communications　he　writes。　I　may　augur；　from　the　silence　of　my　
family；　that　they　object　to　the　resolution　I　have　taken；　but　I　should　
not　allow　myself　to　be　swerved　from　the　path　of　duty；　Mr。　

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Copperfield；　even　by　my　papa　and　mama；　were　they　still　living。’　

I　expressed　my　opinion　that　this　was　going　in　the　right　
direction。　‘It　may　be　a　sacrifice；’　said　Mrs。　Micawber；　‘to　immure　
one’s…self　in　a　Cathedral　town；　but　surely；　Mr。　Copperfield；　if　it　is　a　
sacrifice　in　me；　it　is　much　more　a　sacrifice　in　a　man　of　Mr。　
Micawber’s　abilities。’　

‘Oh！　You　are　going　to　a　Cathedral　town？’　said　I。　

Mr。　Micawber；　who　had　been　helping　us　all；　out　of　the　wash…
hand…stand　jug；　replied：　

‘To　Canterbury。　In　fact；　my　dear　Copperfield；　I　have　entered　
into　arrangements；　by　virtue　of　which　I　stand　pledged　and　
contracted　to　our　friend　Heep；　to　assist　and　serve　him　in　the　
capacity　of—and　to　be—his　confidential　clerk。’　

I　stared　at　Mr。　Micawber；　who　greatly　enjoyed　my　surprise。　

‘I　am　bound　to　state　to　you；’　he　said；　with　an　official　air；　‘that　
the　business　habits；　and　the　prudent　suggestions；　of　Mrs。　
Micawber；　have　in　a　great　measure　conduced　to　this　result。　The　
gauntlet；　to　which　Mrs。　Micawber　referred　upon　a　former　
occasion；　being　thrown　down　in　the　form　of　an　advertisement；　was　
taken　up　by　my　friend　Heep；　and　led　to　a　mutual　recognition。　Of　
my　friend　Heep；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　‘who　is　a　man　of　remarkable　
shrewdness；　I　desire　to　speak　with　all　possible　respect。　My　friend　
Heep　has　not　fixed　the　positive　remuneration　at　too　high　a　figure；　
but　he　has　made　a　great　deal；　in　the　way　of　extrication　from　the　
pressure　of　pecuniary　difficulties；　contingent　on　the　value　of　my　
services；　and　on　the　value　of　those　services　I　pin　my　faith。　Such　
address　and　intelligence　as　I　chance　to　possess；’　said　Mr。　
Micawber；　boastfully　disparaging　himself；　with　the　old　genteel　air；　
‘will　be　devoted　to　my　friend　Heep’s　service。　I　have　already　some　

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acquaintance　with　the　law—as　a　defendant　on　civil　process—and　I　
shall　immediately　apply　myself　to　the　Commentaries　of　one　of　the　
most　eminent　and　remarkable　of　our　English　jurists。　I　believe　it　is　
unnecessary　to　add　that　I　allude　to　Mr。　justice　Blackstone。’　

These　observations；　and　indeed　the　greater　part　of　the　
observations　made　that　evening；　were　interrupted　by　Mrs。　
Micawber’s　discovering　that　Master　Micawber　was　sitting　on　his　
boots；　or　holding　his　head　on　with　both　arms　as　if　he　felt　it　loose；　
or　accidentally　kicking　Traddles　under　the　table；　or　shuffling　his　
feet　over　one　another；　or　producing　them　at　distances　from　
himself　apparently　outrageous　to　nature；　or　lying　sideways　with　
his　hair　among　the　wine…glasses；　or　developing　his　restlessness　of　
limb　in　some　other　form　incompatible　with　the　general　interests　of　
society；　and　by　Master　Micawber’s　receiving　those　discoveries　in　a　
resentful　spirit。　I　sat　all　the　while；　amazed　by　Mr。　Micawber’s　
disclosure；　and　wondering　what　it　meant；　until　Mrs。　Micawber　
resumed　the　thread　of　the　discourse；　and　claimed　my　attention。　

‘What　I　particularly　request　Mr。　Micawber　to　be　careful　of；　is；’　
said　Mrs。　Micawber；　‘that　he　does　not；　my　dear　Mr。　Copperfield；　in　
applying　himself　to　this　subordinate　branch　of　the　law；　place　it　out　
of　his　power　to　rise；　ultimately；　to　the　top　of　the　tree。　I　am　
convinced　that　Mr。　Micawber；　giving　his　mind　to　a　profession　so　
adapted　to　his　fertile　resources；　and　his　flow　of　language；　must　
distinguish　himself。　Now；　for　example；　Mr。　Traddles；’　said　Mrs。　
Micawber；　assuming　a　profound　air；　‘a　judge；　or　even　say　a　
Chancellor。　Does　an　individual　place　himself　beyond　the　pale　of　
those　preferments　by　entering　on　such　an　office　as　Mr。　Micawber　
has　accepted？’　

‘My　dear；’　observed　Mr。　Micawber—but　glancing　inquisitively　

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at　Traddles；　too；　‘we　have　time　enough　before　us；　for　the　
consideration　of　those　questions。’　

‘Micawber；’　she　returned；　‘no！　Your　mistake　in　life　is；　that　you　
do　not　look　forward　far　enough。　You　are　bound；　in　justice　to　your　
family；　if　not　to　yourself；　to　take　in　at　a　comprehensive　glance　the　
extremest　point　in　the　horizon　to　which　your　abilities　may　lead　
you。’　

Mr。　Micawber　coughed；　and　drank　his　punch　with　an　air　of　
exceeding　satisfaction—still　glancing　at　Traddles；　as　if　he　desired　
to　have　his　opinion。　

‘Why；　the　plain　state　of　the　case；　Mrs。　Micawber；’　said　Traddles；　
mildly　breaking　the　truth　to　her。　‘I　mean　the　real　prosaic　fact；　you　
know—’　

‘Just　so；’　said　Mrs。　Micawber；　‘my　dear　Mr。　Traddles；　I　wish　to　
be　as　prosaic　and　literal　as　possible　on　a　subject　of　so　much　
importance。’　

‘—Is；’　said　Traddles；　‘that　this　branch　of　the　law；　even　if　Mr。　
Micawber　were　a　regular　solicitor—’　

‘Exactly　so；’　returned　Mrs。　Micawber。　（‘Wilkins；　you　are　
squinting；　and　will　not　be　able　to　get　your　eyes　back。’）　

‘—Has　nothing；’　pursued　Traddles；　‘to　do　with　that。　Only　a　
barrister　is　eligible　for　such　preferments；　and　Mr。　Micawber　could　
not　be　a　barrister；　without　being　entered　at　an　inn　of　court　as　a　
student；　for　five　years。’　

‘Do　I　follow　you？’　said　Mrs。　Micawber；　with　her　most　affable　air　
of　busi