david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第33章
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and going home。
I had many a broken sleep inside the Yarmouth mail; and many
an incoherent dream of all these things。 But when I awoke at
intervals; the ground outside the window was not the playground
of Salem House; and the sound in my ears was not the sound of
Mr。 Creakle giving it to Traddles; but the sound of the coachman
touching up the horses。
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
Chapter 8
MY HOLIDAYS。 ESPECIALLY ONE HAPPY
AFTERNOON
When we arrived before day at the inn where the mail
stopped; which was not the inn where my friend the
waiter lived; I was shown up to a nice little bedroom;
with DOLPHIN painted on the door。 Very cold I was; I know;
notwithstanding the hot tea they had given me before a large fire
downstairs; and very glad I was to turn into the Dolphin’s bed; pull
the Dolphin’s blankets round my head; and go to sleep。
Mr。 Barkis the carrier was to call for me in the morning at nine
o’clock。 I got up at eight; a little giddy from the shortness of my
night’s rest; and was ready for him before the appointed time。 He
received me exactly as if not five minutes had elapsed since we
were last together; and I had only been into the hotel to get change
for sixpence; or something of that sort。
As soon as I and my box were in the cart; and the carrier
seated; the lazy horse walked away with us all at his accustomed
pace。
‘You look very well; Mr。 Barkis;’ I said; thinking he would like
to know it。
Mr。 Barkis rubbed his cheek with his cuff; and then looked at
his cuff as if he expected to find some of the bloom upon it; but
made no other acknowledgement of the compliment。
‘I gave your message; Mr。 Barkis;’ I said: ‘I wrote to Peggotty。’
‘Ah!’ said Mr。 Barkis。
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
Mr。 Barkis seemed gruff; and answered drily。
‘Wasn’t it right; Mr。 Barkis?’ I asked; after a little hesitation。
‘Why; no;’ said Mr。 Barkis。
‘Not the message?’
‘The message was right enough; perhaps;’ said Mr。 Barkis; ‘but
it come to an end there。’
Not understanding what he meant; I repeated inquisitively:
‘Came to an end; Mr。 Barkis?’
‘Nothing come of it;’ he explained; looking at me sideways。 ‘No
answer。’
‘There was an answer expected; was there; Mr。 Barkis?’ said I;
opening my eyes。 For this was a new light to me。
‘When a man says he’s willin’;’ said Mr。 Barkis; turning his
glance slowly on me again; ‘it’s as much as to say; that man’s awaitin’ for a answer。’
‘Well; Mr。 Barkis?’
‘Well;’ said Mr。 Barkis; carrying his eyes back to his horse’s
ears; ‘that man’s been a…waitin’ for a answer ever since。’
‘Have you told her so; Mr。 Barkis?’
‘No—no;’ growled Mr。 Barkis; reflecting about it。 ‘I ain’t got no
call to go and tell her so。 I never said six words to her myself; I
ain’t a…goin’ to tell her so。’
‘Would you like me to do it; Mr。 Barkis?’ said I; doubtfully。 ‘You
might tell her; if you would;’ said Mr。 Barkis; with another slow
look at me; ‘that Barkis was a…waitin’ for a answer。 Says you—
what name is it?’
‘Her name?’
‘Ah!’ said Mr。 Barkis; with a nod of his head。
‘Peggotty。’
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
‘Chrisen name? Or nat’ral name?’ said Mr。 Barkis。
‘Oh; it’s not her Christian name。 Her Christian name is Clara。’
‘Is it though?’ said Mr。 Barkis。
He seemed to find an immense fund of reflection in this
circumstance; and sat pondering and inwardly whistling for some
time。
‘Well!’ he resumed at length。 ‘Says you; “Peggotty! Barkis is
waitin’ for a answer。” Says she; perhaps; “Answer to what?” Says
you; “To what I told you。” “What is that?” says she。 “Barkis is
willin’;” says you。’
This extremely artful suggestion Mr。 Barkis accompanied with
a nudge of his elbow that gave me quite a stitch in my side。 After
that; he slouched over his horse in his usual manner; and made no
other reference to the subject except; half an hour afterwards;
taking a piece of chalk from his pocket; and writing up; inside the
tilt of the cart; ‘Clara Peggotty’—apparently as a private
memorandum。
Ah; what a strange feeling it was to be going home when it was
not home; and to find that every object I looked at; reminded me of
the happy old home; which was like a dream I could never dream
again! The days when my mother and I and Peggotty were all in
all to one another; and there was no one to come between us; rose
up before me so sorrowfully on the road; that I am not sure I was
glad to be there—not sure but that I would rather have remained
away; and forgotten it in Steerforth’s company。 But there I was;
and soon I was at our house; where the bare old elm…trees wrung
their many hands in the bleak wintry air; and shreds of the old
rooks’…nests drifted away upon the wind。
The carrier put my box down at the garden…gate; and left me。 I
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
walked along the path towards the house; glancing at the
windows; and fearing at every step to see Mr。 Murdstone or Miss
Murdstone lowering out of one of them。 No face appeared;
however; and being come to the house; and knowing how to open
the door; before dark; without knocking; I went in with a quiet;
timid step。
God knows how infantine the memory may have been; that was
awakened within me by the sound of my mother’s voice in the old
parlour; when I set foot in the hall。 She was singing in a low tone。 I
think I must have lain in her arms; and heard her singing so to me
when I was but a baby。 The strain was new to me; and yet it was so
old that it filled my heart brim…full; like a friend come back from a
long absence。
I believed; from the solitary and thoughtful way in which my
mother murmured her song; that she was alone。 And I went softly
into the room。 She was sitting by the fire; suckling an infant;
whose tiny hand she held against her neck。 Her eyes were looking
down upon its face; and she sat singing to it。 I was so far right; that
she had no other companion。
I spoke to her; and she started; and cried out。 But seeing me;
she called me her dear Davy; her own boy! and coming half across
the room to meet me; kneeled down upon the ground and kissed
me; and laid my head down on her bosom near the little creature
that was nestling there; and put its hand to my lips。
I wish I had died。 I wish I had died then; with that feeling in my
heart! I should have been more fit for Heaven than I ever have
been since。
‘He is your brother;’ said my mother; fondling me。 ‘Davy; my
pretty boy! My poor child!’ Then she kissed me more and more;
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
and clasped me round the neck。 This she was doing when
Peggotty came running in; and bounced down on the ground
beside us; and went mad about us both for a quarter of an hour。
It seemed that I had not been expected so soon; the carrier
being much before his usual time。 It seemed; too; that Mr。 and
Miss Murdstone had gone out upon a visit in the neighbourhood;
and would not return before night。 I had never hoped for this。 I
had never thought it possible that we three could be together
undisturbed; once more; and I felt; for the time; as if the old days
were come back。
We dined together by the fireside。 Peggotty was in attendance
to wait upon us; but my mother wouldn’t let her do it; and made
her dine with us。 I had my own old plate; with a brown view of a
man…of…war in full sail upon it; which Peggotty had hoarded
somewhere all the time I had been away; and would not have had
broken; she said; for a hundred pounds。 I had my own old mug
with David on it; and my own old little knife and fork that wouldn’t
cut。
While we were at table; I thought it a favourable occasion to tell
Peggotty about Mr。 Barkis; who; before I had finished what I had
to tell her; began to laugh; and throw her apron over her face。
‘Peggotty;’ said my mother。 ‘