david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第167章

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that　quiet　influence　which　was　inseparable　in　my　mind　from　
Agnes；　seemed　to　pervade　even　the　city　where　she　dwelt。　The　
venerable　cathedral　towers；　and　the　old　jackdaws　and　rooks　whose　
airy　voices　made　them　more　retired　than　perfect　silence　would　
have　done；　the　battered　gateways；　one　stuck　full　with　statues；　long　
thrown　down；　and　crumbled　away；　like　the　reverential　pilgrims　
who　had　gazed　upon　them；　the　still　nooks；　where　the　ivied　growth　
of　centuries　crept　over　gabled　ends　and　ruined　walls；　the　ancient　
houses；　the　pastoral　landscape　of　field；　orchard；　and　garden；　
everywhere—on　everything—I　felt　the　same　serener　air；　the　same　
calm；　thoughtful；　softening　spirit。　

Arrived　at　Mr。　Wickfield’s　house；　I　found；　in　the　little　lower　
room　on　the　ground　floor；　where　Uriah　Heep　had　been　of　old　
accustomed　to　sit；　Mr。　Micawber　plying　his　pen　with　great　
assiduity。　He　was　dressed　in　a　legal…looking　suit　of　black；　and　
loomed；　burly　and　large；　in　that　small　office。　

Mr。　Micawber　was　extremely　glad　to　see　me；　but　a　little　
confused　too。　He　would　have　conducted　me　immediately　into　the　
presence　of　Uriah；　but　I　declined。　

‘I　know　the　house　of　old；　you　recollect；’　said　I；　‘and　will　find　my　
way　upstairs。　How　do　you　like　the　law；　Mr。　Micawber？’　

‘My　dear　Copperfield；’　he　replied。　‘To　a　man　possessed　of　the　
higher　imaginative　powers；　the　objection　to　legal　studies　is　the　
amount　of　detail　which　they　involve。　Even　in　our　professional　
correspondence；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　glancing　at　some　letters　he　
was　writing；　‘the　mind　is　not　at　liberty　to　soar　to　any　exalted　form　

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David　Copperfield　

of　expression。　Still；　it　is　a　great　pursuit。　A　great　pursuit！’　

He　then　told　me　that　he　had　become　the　tenant　of　Uriah　Heep’s　
old　house；　and　that　Mrs。　Micawber　would　be　delighted　to　receive　
me；　once　more；　under　her　own　roof。　

‘It　is　humble；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　‘—to　quote　a　favourite　
expression　of　my　friend　Heep；　but　it　may　prove　the　stepping…stone　
to　more　ambitious　domiciliary　accommodation。’　

I　asked　him　whether　he　had　reason；　so　far；　to　be　satisfied　with　
his　friend　Heep’s　treatment　of　him？　He　got　up　to　ascertain　if　the　
door　were　close　shut；　before　he　replied；　in　a　lower　voice：　

‘My　dear　Copperfield；　a　man　who　labours　under　the　pressure　of　
pecuniary　embarrassments；　is；　with　the　generality　of　people；　at　a　
disadvantage。　That　disadvantage　is　not　diminished；　when　that　
pressure　necessitates　the　drawing　of　stipendiary　emoluments；　
before　those　emoluments　are　strictly　due　and　payable。　All　I　can　
say　is；　that　my　friend　Heep　has　responded　to　appeals　to　which　I　
need　not　more　particularly　refer；　in　a　manner　calculated　to　
redound　equally　to　the　honour　of　his　head；　and　of　his　heart。’　

‘I　should　not　have　supposed　him　to　be　very　free　with　his　money　
either；’　I　observed。　

‘Pardon　me！’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　with　an　air　of　constraint；　‘I　
speak　of　my　friend　Heep　as　I　have　experience。’　

‘I　am　glad　your　experience　is　so　favourable；’　I　returned。　

‘You　are　very　obliging；　my　dear　Copperfield；’　said　Mr。　
Micawber；　and　hummed　a　tune。　

‘Do　you　see　much　of　Mr。　Wickfield？’　I　asked；　to　change　the　
subject。　

‘Not　much；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　slightingly。　‘Mr。　Wickfield　is；　I　
dare　say；　a　man　of　very　excellent　intentions；　but　he　is—in　short；　he　

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David　Copperfield　

is　obsolete。’　

‘I　am　afraid　his　partner　seeks　to　make　him　so；’　said　I。　

‘My　dear　Copperfield！’　returned　Mr。　Micawber；　after　some　
uneasy　evolutions　on　his　stool；　‘allow　me　to　offer　a　remark！　I　am　
here；　in　a　capacity　of　confidence。　I　am　here；　in　a　position　of　trust。　
The　discussion　of　some　topics；　even　with　Mrs。　Micawber　herself　
（so　long　the　partner　of　my　various　vicissitudes；　and　a　woman　of　a　
remarkable　lucidity　of　intellect）；　is；　I　am　led　to　consider；　
incompatible　with　the　functions　now　devolving　on　me。　I　would　
therefore　take　the　liberty　of　suggesting　that　in　our　friendly　
intercourse—which　I　trust　will　never　be　disturbed！—we　draw　a　
line。　On　one　side　of　this　line；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　representing　it　
on　the　desk　with　the　office　ruler；　‘is　the　whole　range　of　the　human　
intellect；　with　a　trifling　exception；　on　the　other；　is　that　exception；　
that　is　to　say；　the　affairs　of　Messrs　Wickfield　and　Heep；　with　all　
belonging　and　appertaining　thereunto。　I　trust　I　give　no　offence　to　
the　companion　of　my　youth；　in　submitting　this　proposition　to　his　
cooler　judgement？’　

Though　I　saw　an　uneasy　change　in　Mr。　Micawber；　which　sat　
tightly　on　him；　as　if　his　new　duties　were　a　misfit；　I　felt　I　had　no　
right　to　be　offended。　My　telling　him　so；　appeared　to　relieve　him；　
and　he　shook　hands　with　me。　

‘I　am　charmed；　Copperfield；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　‘let　me　assure　
you；　with　Miss　Wickfield。　She　is　a　very　superior　young　lady；　of　very　
remarkable　attractions；　graces；　and　virtues。　Upon　my　honour；’　
said　Mr。　Micawber；　indefinitely　kissing　his　hand　and　bowing　with　
his　genteelest　air；　‘I　do　Homage　to　Miss　Wickfield！　Hem！’　

‘I　am　glad　of　that；　at　least；’　said　I。　

‘If　you　had　not　assured　us；　my　dear　Copperfield；　on　the　occasion　

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of　that　agreeable　afternoon　we　had　the　happiness　of　passing　with　
you；　that　D。　was　your　favourite　letter；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　‘I　
should　unquestionably　have　supposed　that　A。　had　been　so。’　

We　have　all　some　experience　of　a　feeling；　that　comes　over　us　
occasionally；　of　what　we　are　saying　and　doing　having　been　said　
and　done　before；　in　a　remote　time—of　our　having　been　
surrounded；　dim　ages　ago；　by　the　same　faces；　objects；　and　
circumstances—of　our　knowing　perfectly　what　will　be　said　next；　as　
if　we　suddenly　remembered　it！　I　never　had　this　mysterious　
impression　more　strongly　in　my　life；　than　before　he　uttered　those　
words。　

I　took　my　leave　of　Mr。　Micawber；　for　the　time；　charging　him　
with　my　best　remembrances　to　all　at　home。　As　I　left　him；　resuming　
his　stool　and　his　pen；　and　rolling　his　head　in　his　stock；　to　get　it　into　
easier　writing　order；　I　clearly　perceived　that　there　was　something　
interposed　between　him　and　me；　since　he　had　come　into　his　new　
functions；　which　prevented　our　getting　at　each　other　as　we　used　to　
do；　and　quite　altered　the　character　of　our　intercourse。　

There　was　no　one　in　the　quaint　old　drawing…room；　though　it　
presented　tokens　of　Mrs。　Heep’s　whereabouts。　I　looked　into　the　
room　still　belonging　to　Agnes；　and　saw　her　sitting　by　the　fire；　at　a　
pretty　old…fashioned　desk　she　had；　writing。　

My　darkening　the　light　made　her　look　up。　What　a　pleasure　to　be　
the　cause　of　that　bright　change　in　her　attentive　face；　and　the　object　
of　that　sweet　regard　and　welcome！　

‘Ah；　Agnes！’　said　I；　when　we　were　sitting　together；　side　by　side；　
‘I　have　missed　you　so　much；　lately！’　

‘Indeed？’　she　replied。　‘Again！　And　so　soon？’　

I　shook　my　head。　

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‘I　don’t　know　how　it　is；　Agnes；　I　seem　to　want　some　faculty　of　
mind　that　I　ought　to　have。　You　were　so　much　in　the　habit　of　
thinking　for　me；　in　the　happy　old　days　here；　and　I　came　so　
naturally　to　you　for　counsel　and　support；　that　I　really　think　I　have　
missed　acquiring　it。’　

‘And　what　is　it？’　said　Agnes；　cheerfully。　

‘I　don’t　know　what　to　call　it；’　I　replied。　‘I　think　I　am　earnest　and　
persevering？’　

‘I　am　sure　of　it；’　said　Agnes。　

‘And　patient；　Agnes？’　I　inquired；　with　a　little　hesitation。　

‘Yes；’　returned　Agnes；　laughing。　‘Pretty　well。’　

‘And　yet；’　said　I；　‘I　get　so　miserable　and　worried；　and　am　so　
unsteady　and　irresolute　in　my　power　of　assuring　myself；　that　I　
know　I　must　want—shall　I　call　it—reliance；　of　some　kind？’　

‘Call　it　so；　if　you　will；’　said　Agnes。　

‘Well！’　I　returned。　‘See　here！　You　come　to　London；　I　rely　on　you；　
and　I　have　an　object　and　a　course　at　once。　I　am　driven　out　of　it；　I　
come　here；　and　in　a　moment　I　feel　an　altered　person。　The　
circumstances　that　distressed　me　are　not　changed；　since　I　came　
into　this　room；　but　an　influence　comes　over　me　in　that　short　
interva