david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第42章

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comfortable　though？’　bore　down　upon　us　as　before；　until　the　
breath　was　nearly　edged　out　of　my　body。　By　and　by　he　made　
another　descent　upon　us　with　the　same　inquiry；　and　the　same　
result。　At　length；　I　got　up　whenever　I　saw　him　coming；　and　
standing　on　the　foot…board；　pretended　to　look　at　the　prospect；　after　
which　I　did　very　well。　

He　was　so　polite　as　to　stop　at　a　public…house；　expressly　on　our　
account；　and　entertain　us　with　broiled　mutton　and　beer。　Even　
when　Peggotty　was　in　the　act　of　drinking；　he　was　seized　with　one　
of　those　approaches；　and　almost　choked　her。　But　as　we　drew　
nearer　to　the　end　of　our　journey；　he　had　more　to　do　and　less　time　
for　gallantry；　and　when　we　got　on　Yarmouth　pavement；　we　were　
all　too　much　shaken　and　jolted；　I　apprehend；　to　have　any　leisure　
for　anything　else。　

Mr。　Peggotty　and　Ham　waited　for　us　at　the　old　place。　They　

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received　me　and　Peggotty　in　an　affectionate　manner；　and　shook　
hands　with　Mr。　Barkis；　who；　with　his　hat　on　the　very　back　of　his　
head；　and　a　shame…faced　leer　upon　his　countenance；　and　
pervading　his　very　legs；　presented　but　a　vacant　appearance；　I　
thought。　They　each　took　one　of　Peggotty’s　trunks；　and　we　were　
going　away；　when　Mr。　Barkis　solemnly　made　a　sign　to　me　with　his　
forefinger　to　come　under　an　archway。　

‘I　say；’　growled　Mr。　Barkis；　‘it　was　all　right。’　

I　looked　up　into　his　face；　and　answered；　with　an　attempt　to　be　
very　profound：　‘Oh！’　

‘It　didn’t　come　to　a　end　there；’　said　Mr。　Barkis；　nodding　
confidentially。　‘It　was　all　right。’　

Again　I　answered；　‘Oh！’　

‘You　know　who　was　willin’；’　said　my　friend。　‘It　was　Barkis；　and　
Barkis　only。’　

I　nodded　assent。　

‘It’s　all　right；’　said　Mr。　Barkis；　shaking　hands；　‘I’m　a　friend　of　
your’n。　You　made　it　all　right；　first。　It’s　all　right。’　

In　his　attempts　to　be　particularly　lucid；　Mr。　Barkis　was　so　
extremely　mysterious；　that　I　might　have　stood　looking　in　his　face　
for　an　hour；　and　most　assuredly　should　have　got　as　much　
information　out　of　it　as　out　of　the　face　of　a　clock　that　had　stopped；　
but　for　Peggotty’s　calling　me　away。　As　we　were　going　along；　she　
asked　me　what　he　had　said；　and　I　told　her　he　had　said　it　was　all　
right。　

‘Like　his　impudence；’　said　Peggotty；　‘but　I　don’t　mind　that！　
Davy　dear；　what　should　you　think　if　I　was　to　think　of　being　
married？’　

‘Why—I　suppose　you　would　like　me　as　much　then；　Peggotty；　as　

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you　do　now？’　I　returned；　after　a　little　consideration。　

Greatly　to　the　astonishment　of　the　passengers　in　the　street；　as　
well　as　of　her　relations　going　on　before；　the　good　soul　was　obliged　
to　stop　and　embrace　me　on　the　spot；　with　many　protestations　of　
her　unalterable　love。　

‘Tell　me　what　should　you　say；　darling？’　she　asked　again；　when　
this　was　over；　and　we　were　walking　on。　

‘If　you　were　thinking　of　being　married—to　Mr。　Barkis；　
Peggotty？’　

‘Yes；’　said　Peggotty。　

‘I　should　think　it　would　be　a　very　good　thing。　For　then　you　
know；　Peggotty；　you　would　always　have　the　horse　and　cart　to　
bring　you　over　to　see　me；　and　could　come　for　nothing；　and　be　sure　
of　coming。’　

‘The　sense　of　the　dear！’　cried　Peggotty。　‘What　I　have　been　
thinking　of；　this　month　back！　Yes；　my　precious；　and　I　think　I　
should　be　more　independent　altogether；　you　see；　let　alone　my　
working　with　a　better　heart　in　my　own　house；　than　I　could　in　
anybody　else’s　now。　I　don’t　know　what　I　might　be　fit　for；　now；　as　a　
servant　to　a　stranger。　And　I　shall　be　always　near　my　pretty’s　
resting…place；’　said　Peggotty；　musing；　‘and　be　able　to　see　it　when　I　
like；　and　when　I　lie　down　to　rest；　I　may　be　laid　not　far　off　from　my　
darling　girl！’　

We　neither　of　us　said　anything　for　a　little　while。　

‘But　I　wouldn’t　so　much　as　give　it　another　thought；’　said　
Peggotty；　cheerily　‘if　my　Davy　was　anyways　against　it—not　if　I　had　
been　asked　in　church　thirty　times　three　times　over；　and　was　
wearing　out　the　ring　in　my　pocket。’　

‘Look　at　me；　Peggotty；’　I　replied；　‘and　see　if　I　am　not　really　glad；　

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and　don’t　truly　wish　it！’　As　indeed　I　did；　with　all　my　heart。　

‘Well；　my　life；’　said　Peggotty；　giving　me　a　squeeze；　‘I　have　
thought　of　it　night　and　day；　every　way　I　can；　and　I　hope　the　right　
way；　but　I’ll　think　of　it　again；　and　speak　to　my　brother　about　it；　
and　in　the　meantime　we’ll　keep　it　to　ourselves；　Davy；　you　and　me。　
Barkis　is　a　good　plain　creature；’　said　Peggotty；　‘and　if　I　tried　to　do　
my　duty　by　him；　I　think　it　would　be　my　fault　if　I　wasn’t—if　I　wasn’t　
pretty　comfortable；’　said　Peggotty；　laughing　heartily。　This　
quotation　from　Mr。　Barkis　was　so　appropriate；　and　tickled　us　both　
so　much；　that　we　laughed　again　and　again；　and　were　quite　in　a　
pleasant　humour　when　we　came　within　view　of　Mr。　Peggotty’s　
cottage。　

It　looked　just　the　same；　except　that　it　may；　perhaps；　have　
shrunk　a　little　in　my　eyes；　and　Mrs。　Gummidge　was　waiting　at　the　
door　as　if　she　had　stood　there　ever　since。　All　within　was　the　same；　
down　to　the　seaweed　in　the　blue　mug　in　my　bedroom。　I　went　into　
the　out…house　to　look　about　me；　and　the　very　same　lobsters；　crabs；　
and　crawfish　possessed　by　the　same　desire　to　pinch　the　world　in　
general；　appeared　to　be　in　the　same　state　of　conglomeration　in　the　
same　old　corner。　

But　there　was　no　little　Em’ly　to　be　seen；　so　I　asked　Mr。　Peggotty　
where　she　was。　

‘She’s　at　school；　sir；’　said　Mr。　Peggotty；　wiping　the　heat　
consequent　on　the　porterage　of　Peggotty’s　box　from　his　forehead；　
‘she’ll　be　home；’　looking　at　the　Dutch　clock；　‘in　from　twenty　
minutes　to　half…an…hour’s　time。　We　all　on　us　feel　the　loss　of　her；　
bless　ye！’　

Mrs。　Gummidge　moaned。　

‘Cheer　up；　Mawther！’　cried　Mr。　Peggotty。　

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‘I　feel　it　more　than　anybody　else；’　said　Mrs。　Gummidge；　‘I’m　a　
lone　lorn　creetur’；　and　she　used　to　be　a’most　the　only　thing　that　
didn’t　go　contrary　with　me。’　

Mrs。　Gummidge；　whimpering　and　shaking　her　head；　applied　
herself　to　blowing　the　fire。　Mr。　Peggotty；　looking　round　upon　us　
while　she　was　so　engaged；　said　in　a　low　voice；　which　he　shaded　
with　his　hand：　‘The　old　’un！’　From　this　I　rightly　conjectured　that　
no　improvement　had　taken　place　since　my　last　visit　in　the　state　of　
Mrs。　Gummidge’s　spirits。　

Now；　the　whole　place　was；　or　it　should　have　been；　quite　as　
delightful　a　place　as　ever；　and　yet　it　did　not　impress　me　in　the　
same　way。　I　felt　rather　disappointed　with　it。　Perhaps　it　was　
because　little　Em’ly　was　not　at　home。　I　knew　the　way　by　which　she　
would　come；　and　presently　found　myself　strolling　along　the　path　to　
meet　her。　

A　figure　appeared　in　the　distance　before　long；　and　I　soon　knew　
it　to　be　Em’ly；　who　was　a　little　creature　still　in　stature；　though　she　
was　grown。　But　when　she　drew　nearer；　and　I　saw　her　blue　eyes　
looking　bluer；　and　her　dimpled　face　looking　brighter；　and　her　
whole　self　prettier　and　gayer；　a　curious　feeling　came　over　me　that　
made　me　pretend　not　to　know　her；　and　pass　by　as　if　I　were　looking　
at　something　a　long　way　off。　I　have　done　such　a　thing　since　in　later　
life；　or　I　am　mistaken。　

Little　Em’ly　didn’t　care　a　bit。　She　saw　me　well　enough；　but　
instead　of　turning　round　and　calling　after　me；　ran　away　laughing。　
This　obliged　me　to　run　after　her；　and　she　ran　so　fast　that　we　were　
very　near　the　cottage　before　I　caught　her。　

‘Oh；　it’s　you；　is　it？’　said　little　Em’ly。　

‘Why；　you　knew　who　it　was；　Em’ly；’　said　I。　

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‘And　didn’t　you　know　who　it　was？’　said　Em’ly。　I　was　going　to　
kiss　her；　but　she　covered　her　cherry　lips　with　her　hands；　and　said　
she　wasn’t　a　baby　now；　and　ran　away；　laughing　more　than　ever；　
into　the　house。　

She　seemed　to　delight　in　teasing　me；　which　was　a　change　in　her　
I　wondered　at　very　much。　The　tea　table　was　ready；　and　our　little　
locker　was　put　out　in　its　old　place；　but　instead　of　coming　to　sit　by　
me；　she　went　and　bestowed　her　company　upon　th