david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第174章

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of　several　hands；　and　made　it　difficult　to　arrive　at　any　very　
probable　conclusion　in　reference　to　her　place　of　concealment；　
made　it　at　least　not　unlikely　that　she　had　written　from　that　spot　
where　she　was　stated　to　have　been　seen。　

‘What　answer　was　sent？’　I　inquired　of　Mr。　Peggotty。　

‘Missis　Gummidge；’　he　returned；　‘not　being　a　good　scholar；　sir；　
Ham　kindly　drawed　it　out；　and　she　made　a　copy　on　it。　They　told　
her　I　was　gone　to　seek　her；　and　what　my　parting　words　was。’　

‘Is　that　another　letter　in　your　hand？’　said　I。　

‘It’s　money；　sir；’　said　Mr。　Peggotty；　unfolding　it　a　little　way。　‘Ten　
pound；　you　see。　And　wrote　inside；　“From　a　true　friend；”　like　the　
fust。　But　the　fust　was　put　underneath　the　door；　and　this　come　by　
the　post；　day　afore　yesterday。　I’m　a…going　to　seek　her　at　the　postmark。’　

He　showed　it　to　me。　It　was　a　town　on　the　Upper　Rhine。　He　had　
found　out；　at　Yarmouth；　some　foreign　dealers　who　knew　that　
country；　and　they　had　drawn　him　a　rude　map　on　paper；　which　he　
could　very　well　understand。　He　laid　it　between　us　on　the　table；　
and；　with　his　chin　resting　on　one　hand；　tracked　his　course　upon　it　

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with　the　other。　

I　asked　him　how　Ham　was？　He　shook　his　head。　

‘He　works；’　he　said；　‘as　bold　as　a　man　can。　His　name’s　as　good；　
in　all　that　part；　as　any　man’s　is；　anywheres　in　the　wureld。　Anyone’s　
hand　is　ready　to　help　him；　you　understand；　and　his　is　ready　to　help　
them。　He’s　never　been　heerd　fur　to　complain。　But　my　sister’s　
belief　is　（’twixt　ourselves）　as　it　has　cut　him　deep。’　

‘Poor　fellow；　I　can　believe　it！’　

‘He　ain’t　no　care；　Mas’r　Davy；’　said　Mr。　Peggotty　in　a　solemn　
whisper—‘kinder　no　care　no…how　for　his　life。　When　a　man’s　
wanted　for　rough　sarvice　in　rough　weather；　he’s　theer。　When　
there’s　hard　duty　to　be　done　with　danger　in　it；　he　steps　for’ard　
afore　all　his　mates。　And　yet　he’s　as　gentle　as　any　child。　There　ain’t　
a　child　in　Yarmouth　that　doen’t　know　him。’　

He　gathered　up　the　letters　thoughtfully；　smoothing　them　with　
his　hand；　put　them　into　their　little　bundle；　and　placed　it　tenderly　
in　his　breast　again。　The　face　was　gone　from　the　door。　I　still　saw　the　
snow　drifting　in；　but　nothing　else　was　there。　

‘Well！’　he　said；　looking　to　his　bag；　‘having　seen　you　tonight；　
Mas’r　Davy　（and　that　doos　me　good！）；　I　shall　away　betimes　
tomorrow　morning。　You　have　seen　what　I’ve　got　heer’；　putting　his　
hand　on　where　the　little　packet　lay；　‘all　that　troubles　me　is；　to　
think　that　any　harm　might　come　to　me；　afore　that　money　was　give　
back。　If　I　was　to　die；　and　it　was　lost；　or　stole；　or　elseways　made　
away　with；　and　it　was　never　know’d　by　him　but　what　I’d　took　it；　I　
believe　the　t’other　wureld　wouldn’t　hold　me！　I　believe　I　must　come　
back！’　

He　rose；　and　I　rose　too；　we　grasped　each　other　by　the　hand　
again；　before　going　out。　

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‘I’d　go　ten　thousand　mile；’　he　said；　‘I’d　go　till　I　dropped　dead；　to　
lay　that　money　down　afore　him。　If　I　do　that；　and　find　my　Em’ly；　I’m　
content。　If　I　doen’t　find　her；　maybe　she’ll　come　to　hear；　sometime；　
as　her　loving　uncle　only　ended　his　search　for　her　when　he　ended　
his　life；　and　if　I　know　her；　even　that　will　turn　her　home　at　last！’　

As　he　went　out　into　the　rigorous　night；　I　saw　the　lonely　figure　
flit　away　before　us。　I　turned　him　hastily　on　some　pretence；　and　
held　him　in　conversation　until　it　was　gone。　

He　spoke　of　a　traveller’s　house　on　the　Dover　Road；　where　he　
knew　he　could　find　a　clean；　plain　lodging　for　the　night。　I　went　with　
him　over　Westminster　Bridge；　and　parted　from　him　on　the　Surrey　
shore。　Everything　seemed；　to　my　imagination；　to　be　hushed　in　
reverence　for　him；　as　he　resumed　his　solitary　journey　through　the　
snow。　

I　returned　to　the　inn　yard；　and；　impressed　by　my　remembrance　
of　the　face；　looked　awfully　around　for　it。　It　was　not　there。　The　snow　
had　covered　our　late　footprints；　my　new　track　was　the　only　one　to　
be　seen；　and　even　that　began　to　die　away　（it　snowed　so　fast）　as　I　
looked　back　over　my　shoulder。　

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Chapter　41　

DORA’S　AUNTS　

At　last；　an　answer　came　from　the　two　old　ladies。　They　
presented　their　compliments　to　Mr。　Copperfield；　and　
informed　him　that　they　had　given　his　letter　their　best　
consideration；　‘with　a　view　to　the　happiness　of　both　parties’—　
which　I　thought　rather　an　alarming　expression；　not　only　because　
of　the　use　they　had　made　of　it　in　relation　to　the　family　difference　
before…mentioned；　but　because　I　had　（and　have　all　my　life）　
observed　that　conventional　phrases　are　a　sort　of　fireworks；　easily　
let　off；　and　liable　to　take　a　great　variety　of　shapes　and　colours　not　
at　all　suggested　by　their　original　form。　The　Misses　Spenlow　added　
that　they　begged　to　forbear　expressing；　‘through　the　medium　of　
correspondence’；　an　opinion　on　the　subject　of　Mr。　Copperfield’s　
communication；　but　that　if　Mr。　Copperfield　would　do　them　the　
favour　to　call；　upon　a　certain　day　（accompanied；　if　he　thought　
proper；　by　a　confidential　friend）；　they　would　be　happy　to　hold　
some　conversation　on　the　subject。　

To　this　favour；　Mr。　Copperfield　immediately　replied；　with　his　
respectful　compliments；　that　he　would　have　the　honour　of　waiting　
on　the　Misses　Spenlow；　at　the　time　appointed；　accompanied；　in　
accordance　with　their　kind　permission；　by　his　friend　Mr。　Thomas　
Traddles　of　the　Inner　Temple。　Having　dispatched　which　missive；　
Mr。　Copperfield　fell　into　a　condition　of　strong　nervous　agitation；　
and　so　remained　until　the　day　arrived。　

It　was　a　great　augmentation　of　my　uneasiness　to　be　bereaved；　at　

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this　eventful　crisis；　of　the　inestimable　services　of　Miss　Mills。　But　
Mr。　Mills；　who　was　always　doing　something　or　other　to　annoy　
me—or　I　felt　as　if　he　were；　which　was　the　same　thing—had　
brought　his　conduct　to　a　climax；　by　taking　it　into　his　head　that　he　
would　go　to　India。　Why　should　he　go　to　India；　except　to　harass　me？　
To　be　sure　he　had　nothing　to　do　with　any　other　part　of　the　world；　
and　had　a　good　deal　to　do　with　that　part；　being　entirely　in　the　
India　trade；　whatever　that　was　（I　had　floating　dreams　myself　
concerning　golden　shawls　and　elephants’　teeth）；　having　been　at　
Calcutta　in　his　youth；　and　designing　now　to　go　out　there　again；　in　
the　capacity　of　resident　partner。　But　this　was　nothing　to　me。　
However；　it　was　so　much　to　him　that　for　India　he　was　bound；　and　
Julia　with　him；　and　Julia　went　into　the　country　to　take　leave　of　her　
relations；　and　the　house　was　put　into　a　perfect　suit　of　bills；　
announcing　that　it　was　to　be　let　or　sold；　and　that　the　furniture　
（Mangle　and　all）　was　to　be　taken　at　a　valuation。　So；　here　was　
another　earthquake　of　which　I　became　the　sport；　before　I　had　
recovered　from　the　shock　of　its　predecessor！　

I　was　in　several　minds　how　to　dress　myself　on　the　important　
day；　being　divided　between　my　desire　to　appear　to　advantage；　and　
my　apprehensions　of　putting　on　anything　that　might　impair　my　
severely　practical　character　in　the　eyes　of　the　Misses　Spenlow。　I　
endeavoured　to　hit　a　happy　medium　between　these　two　extremes；　
my　aunt　approved　the　result；　and　Mr。　Dick　threw　one　of　his　shoes　
after　Traddles　and　me；　for　luck；　as　we　went　downstairs。　

Excellent　fellow　as　I　knew　Traddles　to　be；　and　warmly　attached　
to　him　as　I　was；　I　could　not　help　wishing；　on　that　delicate　occasion；　
that　he　had　never　contracted　the　habit　of　brushing　his　hair　so　very　
upright。　It　gave　him　a　surprised　look—not　to　say　a　hearth…broomy　

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kind　of　expression—which；　my　apprehensions　whispered；　might　
be　fatal　to　us。　

I　took　the　liberty　of　mentioning　it　to　Traddles；　as　we　were　
walking　to　Putney；　and　saying　that　if　he　would　smooth　it　down　a　
little—　

‘My　dear　Copperfield；’　said　Traddles；　lifting　off　his　hat；　and　
rubbing　his　hair　all　kinds　of　ways；　‘nothing　would　give　me　greater　
pleasure。　But　it　won’t。’　

‘Won’t　be　smoothed　down？’　said　I。　

‘No；’　said