david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第158章

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student；　for　five　years。’　

‘Do　I　follow　you？’　said　Mrs。　Micawber；　with　her　most　affable　air　
of　business。　‘Do　I　understand；　my　dear　Mr。　Traddles；　that；　at　the　
expiration　of　that　period；　Mr。　Micawber　would　be　eligible　as　a　
Judge　or　Chancellor？’　

‘He　would　be　eligible；’　returned　Traddles；　with　a　strong　

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emphasis　on　that　word。　

‘Thank　you；’　said　Mrs。　Micawber。　‘That　is　quite　sufficient。　If　
such　is　the　case；　and　Mr。　Micawber　forfeits　no　privilege　by　
entering　on　these　duties；　my　anxiety　is　set　at　rest。　I　speak；’　said　
Mrs。　Micawber；　‘as　a　female；　necessarily；　but　I　have　always　been　of　
opinion　that　Mr。　Micawber　possesses　what　I　have　heard　my　papa　
call；　when　I　lived　at　home；　the　judicial　mind；　and　I　hope　Mr。　
Micawber　is　now　entering　on　a　field　where　that　mind　will　develop　
itself；　and　take　a　commanding　station。’　

I　quite　believe　that　Mr。　Micawber　saw　himself；　in　his　judicial　
mind’s　eye；　on　the　woolsack。　He　passed　his　hand　complacently　
over　his　bald　head；　and　said　with　ostentatious　resignation：　

‘My　dear；　we　will　not　anticipate　the　decrees　of　fortune。　If　I　am　
reserved　to　wear　a　wig；　I　am　at　least　prepared；　externally；’　in　
allusion　to　his　baldness；　‘for　that　distinction。　I　do　not；’　said　Mr。　
Micawber；　‘regret　my　hair；　and　I　may　have　been　deprived　of　it　for　
a　specific　purpose。　I　cannot　say。　It　is　my　intention；　my　dear　
Copperfield；　to　educate　my　son　for　the　Church；　I　will　not　deny　that　
I　should　be　happy；　on　his　account；　to　attain　to　eminence。’　

‘For　the　Church？’　said　I；　still　pondering；　between　whiles；　on　
Uriah　Heep。　

‘Yes；’　said　Mr。　Micawber。　‘He　has　a　remarkable　head…voice；　and　
will　commence　as　a　chorister。　Our　residence　at　Canterbury；　and　
our　local　connexion；　will；　no　doubt；　enable　him　to　take　advantage　
of　any　vacancy　that　may　arise　in　the　Cathedral　corps。’　

On　looking　at　Master　Micawber　again；　I　saw　that　he　had　a　
certain　expression　of　face；　as　if　his　voice　were　behind　his　
eyebrows；　where　it　presently　appeared　to　be；　on　his　singing　us　（as　
an　alternative　between　that　and　bed）　‘The　Wood…Pecker　tapping’。　

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After　many　compliments　on　this　performance；　we　fell　into　some　
general　conversation；　and　as　I　was　too　full　of　my　desperate　
intentions　to　keep　my　altered　circumstances　to　myself；　I　made　
them　known　to　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Micawber。　I　cannot　express　how　
extremely　delighted　they　both　were；　by　the　idea　of　my　aunt’s　being　
in　difficulties；　and　how　comfortable　and　friendly　it　made　them。　

When　we　were　nearly　come　to　the　last　round　of　the　punch；　I　
addressed　myself　to　Traddles；　and　reminded　him　that　we　must　not　
separate；　without　wishing　our　friends　health；　happiness；　and　
success　in　their　new　career。　I　begged　Mr。　Micawber　to　fill　us　
bumpers；　and　proposed　the　toast　in　due　form：　shaking　hands　with　
him　across　the　table；　and　kissing　Mrs。　Micawber；　to　commemorate　
that　eventful　occasion。　Traddles　imitated　me　in　the　first　particular；　
but　did　not　consider　himself　a　sufficiently　old　friend　to　venture　on　
the　second。　

‘My　dear　Copperfield；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　rising　with　one　of　his　
thumbs　in　each　of　his　waistcoat　pockets；　‘the　companion　of　my　
youth：　if　I　may　be　allowed　the　expression—and　my　esteemed　
friend　Traddles：　if　I　may　be　permitted　to　call　him　so—will　allow　
me；　on　the　part　of　Mrs。　Micawber；　myself；　and　our　offspring；　to　
thank　them　in　the　warmest　and　most　uncompromising　terms　for　
their　good　wishes。　It　may　be　expected　that　on　the　eve　of　a　
migration　which　will　consign　us　to　a　perfectly　new　existence；’　Mr。　
Micawber　spoke　as　if　they　were　going　five　hundred　thousand　
miles；　‘I　should　offer　a　few　valedictory　remarks　to　two　such　friends　
as　I　see　before　me。　But　all　that　I　have　to　say　in　this　way；　I　have　
said。　Whatever　station　in　society　I　may　attain；　through　the　medium　
of　the　learned　profession　of　which　I　am　about　to　become　an　
unworthy　member；　I　shall　endeavour　not　to　disgrace；　and　Mrs。　

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Micawber　will　be　safe　to　adorn。　Under　the　temporary　pressure　of　
pecuniary　liabilities；　contracted　with　a　view　to　their　immediate　
liquidation；　but　remaining　unliquidated　through　a　combination　of　
circumstances；　I　have　been　under　the　necessity　of　assuming　a　garb　
from　which　my　natural　instincts　recoil—I　allude　to　spectacles—　
and　possessing　myself　of　a　cognomen；　to　which　I　can　establish　no　
legitimate　pretensions。　All　I　have　to　say　on　that　score　is；　that　the　
cloud　has　passed　from　the　dreary　scene；　and　the　God　of　Day　is　
once　more　high　upon　the　mountain　tops。　On　Monday　next；　on　the　
arrival　of　the　four　o’clock　afternoon　coach　at　Canterbury；　my　foot　
will　be　on　my　native　heath—my　name；　Micawber！’　

Mr。　Micawber　resumed　his　seat　on　the　close　of　these　remarks；　
and　drank　two　glasses　of　punch　in　grave　succession。　He　then　said　
with　much　solemnity：　

‘One　thing　more　I　have　to　do；　before　this　separation　is　complete；　
and　that　is　to　perform　an　act　of　justice。　My　friend　Mr。　Thomas　
Traddles　has；　on　two　several　occasions；　“put　his　name”；　if　I　may　
use　a　common　expression；　to　bills　of　exchange　for　my　
accommodation。　On　the　first　occasion　Mr。　Thomas　Traddles　was　
left—let　me　say；　in　short；　in　the　lurch。　The　fulfilment　of　the　second　
has　not　yet　arrived。　The　amount　of　the　first　obligation；’　here　Mr。　
Micawber　carefully　referred　to　papers；　‘was；　I　believe；　twenty…
three；　four；　nine　and　a　half；　of　the　second；　according　to　my　entry　of　
that　transaction；　eighteen；　six；　two。　These　sums；　united；　make　a　
total；　if　my　calculation　is　correct；　amounting　to　forty…one；　ten；　
eleven　and　a　half。　My　friend　Copperfield　will　perhaps　do　me　the　
favour　to　check　that　total？’　

I　did　so　and　found　it　correct。　

‘To　leave　this　metropolis；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　‘and　my　friend　

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Mr。　Thomas　Traddles；　without　acquitting　myself　of　the　pecuniary　
part　of　this　obligation；　would　weigh　upon　my　mind　to　an　
insupportable　extent。　I　have；　therefore；　prepared　for　my　friend　Mr。　
Thomas　Traddles；　and　I　now　hold　in　my　hand；　a　document；　which　
accomplishes　the　desired　object。　I　beg　to　hand　to　my　friend　Mr。　
Thomas　Traddles　my　I。O。U。　for　forty…one；　ten；　eleven　and　a　half；　
and　I　am　happy　to　recover　my　moral　dignity；　and　to　know　that　I　
can　once　more　walk　erect　before　my　fellow　man！’　

With　this　introduction　（which　greatly　affected　him）；　Mr。　
Micawber　placed　his　I。O。U。　in　the　hands　of　Traddles；　and　said　he　
wished　him　well　in　every　relation　of　life。　I　am　persuaded；　not　only　
that　this　was　quite　the　same　to　Mr。　Micawber　as　paying　the　money；　
but　that　Traddles　himself　hardly　knew　the　difference　until　he　had　
had　time　to　think　about　it。　Mr。　Micawber　walked　so　erect　before　
his　fellow　man；　on　the　strength　of　this　virtuous　action；　that　his　
chest　looked　half　as　broad　again　when　he　lighted　us　downstairs。　
We　parted　with　great　heartiness　on　both　sides；　and　when　I　had　
seen　Traddles　to　his　own　door；　and　was　going　home　alone；　I　
thought；　among　the　other　odd　and　contradictory　things　I　mused　
upon；　that；　slippery　as　Mr。　Micawber　was；　I　was　probably　indebted　
to　some　compassionate　recollection　he　retained　of　me　as　his　boy…
lodger；　for　never　having　been　asked　by　him　for　money。　I　certainly　
should　not　have　had　the　moral　courage　to　refuse　it；　and　I　have　no　
doubt　he　knew　that　（to　his　credit　be　it　written）；　quite　as　well　as　I　
did。　

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Chapter　37　

A　LITTLE　COLD　WATER　

My　new　life　had　lasted　for　more　than　a　week；　and　I　was　
stronger　than　ever　in　those　tremendous　practical　
resolutions　that　I　felt　the　crisis　required。　I　continued　to　
walk　extremely　fast；　and　to　have　a　general　idea　that　I　was　getting　
on。　I　made　it　a　rule　to　take　as　much　out　of　myself　as　I　possibly　
could；　in　my　way　of　doing　everything　to　which　I　applied　my　
energies。　I　made　a　perfect　victim　of　myself。　I　even　entertained　
some　idea　of　putting　myself　on　a　vegetable　diet；　vaguely　
conceiving　that；　in　becoming　a　graminivorous　animal；　I　shoul