david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第65章
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it was; and ceased to be; and that I have written; and there I leave
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
it。
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
Chapter 15
I MAKE ANOTHER BEGINNING
Mr。 Dick and I soon became the best of friends; and very
often; when his day’s work was done; went out together
to fly the great kite。 Every day of his life he had a long
sitting at the Memorial; which never made the least progress;
however hard he laboured; for King Charles the First always
strayed into it; sooner or later; and then it was thrown aside; and
another one begun。 The patience and hope with which he bore
these perpetual disappointments; the mild perception he had that
there was something wrong about King Charles the First; the
feeble efforts he made to keep him out; and the certainty with
which he came in; and tumbled the Memorial out of all shape;
made a deep impression on me。 What Mr。 Dick supposed would
come of the Memorial; if it were completed; where he thought it
was to go; or what he thought it was to do; he knew no more than
anybody else; I believe。 Nor was it at all necessary that he should
trouble himself with such questions; for if anything were certain
under the sun; it was certain that the Memorial never would be
finished。 It was quite an affecting sight; I used to think; to see him
with the kite when it was up a great height in the air。 What he had
told me; in his room; about his belief in its disseminating the
statements pasted on it; which were nothing but old leaves of
abortive Memorials; might have been a fancy with him sometimes;
but not when he was out; looking up at the kite in the sky; and
feeling it pull and tug at his hand。 He never looked so serene as he
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
did then。 I used to fancy; as I sat by him of an evening; on a green
slope; and saw him watch the kite high in the quiet air; that it
lifted his mind out of its confusion; and bore it (such was my
boyish thought) into the skies。 As he wound the string in and it
came lower and lower down out of the beautiful light; until it
fluttered to the ground; and lay there like a dead thing; he seemed
to wake gradually out of a dream; and I remember to have seen
him take it up; and look about him in a lost way; as if they had
both come down together; so that I pitied him with all my heart。
While I advanced in friendship and intimacy with Mr。 Dick; I
did not go backward in the favour of his staunch friend; my aunt。
She took so kindly to me; that; in the course of a few weeks; she
shortened my adopted name of Trotwood into Trot; and even
encouraged me to hope; that if I went on as I had begun; I might
take equal rank in her affections with my sister Betsey Trotwood。
‘Trot;’ said my aunt one evening; when the backgammon…board
was placed as usual for herself and Mr。 Dick; ‘we must not forget
your education。’
This was my only subject of anxiety; and I felt quite delighted
by her referring to it。
‘Should you like to go to school at Canterbury?’ said my aunt。
I replied that I should like it very much; as it was so near her。
‘Good;’ said my aunt。 ‘Should you like to go tomorrow?’
Being already no stranger to the general rapidity of my aunt’s
evolutions; I was not surprised by the suddenness of the proposal;
and said: ‘Yes。’
‘Good;’ said my aunt again。 ‘Janet; hire the grey pony and
chaise tomorrow morning at ten o’clock; and pack up Master
Trotwood’s clothes tonight。’
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
I was greatly elated by these orders; but my heart smote me for
my selfishness; when I witnessed their effect on Mr。 Dick; who was
so low…spirited at the prospect of our separation; and played so ill
in consequence; that my aunt; after giving him several admonitory
raps on the knuckles with her dice…box; shut up the board; and
declined to play with him any more。 But; on hearing from my aunt
that I should sometimes come over on a Saturday; and that he
could sometimes come and see me on a Wednesday; he revived;
and vowed to make another kite for those occasions; of
proportions greatly surpassing the present one。 In the morning he
was downhearted again; and would have sustained himself by
giving me all the money he had in his possession; gold and silver
too; if my aunt had not interposed; and limited the gift to five
shillings; which; at his earnest petition; were afterwards increased
to ten。 We parted at the garden…gate in a most affectionate
manner; and Mr。 Dick did not go into the house until my aunt had
driven me out of sight of it。
My aunt; who was perfectly indifferent to public opinion; drove
the grey pony through Dover in a masterly manner; sitting high
and stiff like a state coachman; keeping a steady eye upon him
wherever he went; and making a point of not letting him have his
own way in any respect。 When we came into the country road; she
permitted him to relax a little; however; and looking at me down in
a valley of cushion by her side; asked me whether I was happy?
‘Very happy indeed; thank you; aunt;’ I said。
She was much gratified; and both her hands being occupied;
patted me on the head with her whip。
‘Is it a large school; aunt?’ I asked。
‘Why; I don’t know;’ said my aunt。 ‘We are going to Mr。
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
Wickfield’s first。’
‘Does he keep a school?’ I asked。
‘No; Trot;’ said my aunt。 ‘He keeps an office。’
I asked for no more information about Mr。 Wickfield; as she
offered none; and we conversed on other subjects until we came to
Canterbury; where; as it was market…day; my aunt had a great
opportunity of insinuating the grey pony among carts; baskets;
vegetables; and huckster’s goods。 The hair…breadth turns and
twists we made; drew down upon us a variety of speeches from the
people standing about; which were not always complimentary; but
my aunt drove on with perfect indifference; and I dare say would
have taken her own way with as much coolness through an
enemy’s country。
At length we stopped before a very old house bulging out over
the road; a house with long low lattice…windows bulging out still
farther; and beams with carved heads on the ends bulging out too;
so that I fancied the whole house was leaning forward; trying to
see who was passing on the narrow pavement below。 It was quite
spotless in its cleanliness。 The old…fashioned brass knocker on the
low arched door; ornamented with carved garlands of fruit and
flowers; twinkled like a star; the two stone steps descending to the
door were as white as if they had been covered with fair linen; and
all the angles and corners; and carvings and mouldings; and
quaint little panes of glass; and quainter little windows; though as
old as the hills; were as pure as any snow that ever fell upon the
hills。
When the pony…chaise stopped at the door; and my eyes were
intent upon the house; I saw a cadaverous face appear at a small
window on the ground floor (in a little round tower that formed
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
one side of the house); and quickly disappear。 The low arched door
then opened; and the face came out。 It was quite as cadaverous as
it had looked in the window; though in the grain of it there was
that tinge of red which is sometimes to be observed in the skins of
red…haired people。 It belonged to a red…haired person—a youth of
fifteen; as I take it now; but looking much older—whose hair was
cropped as close as the closest stubble; who had hardly any
eyebrows; and no eyelashes; and eyes of a red…brown; so
unsheltered and unshaded; that I remember wondering how he
went to sleep。 He was high…shouldered and bony; dressed in
decent black; with a white wisp of a neckcloth; buttoned up to the
throat; and had a long; lank; skeleton hand; which particularly
attracted my attention; as he stood at the pony’s head; rubbing his
chin with it; and looking up at us in