david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第87章

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yet。　

‘Now；’　said　the　milkman　to　a　very　youthful　servant　girl。　‘Has　
that　there　little　bill　of　mine　been　heerd　on？’　

‘Oh；　master　says　he’ll　attend　to　it　immediate；’　was　the　reply。　

‘Because；’　said　the　milkman；　going　on　as　if　he　had　received　no　
answer；　and　speaking；　as　I　judged　from　his　tone；　rather　for　the　
edification　of　somebody　within　the　house；　than　of　the　youthful　
servant—an　impression　which　was　strengthened　by　his　manner　of　
glaring　down　the　passage—‘because　that　there　little　bill　has　been　
running　so　long；　that　I　begin　to　believe　it’s　run　away　altogether；　
and　never　won’t　be　heerd　of。　Now；　I’m　not　a　going　to　stand　it；　you　
know！’　said　the　milkman；　still　throwing　his　voice　into　the　house；　
and　glaring　down　the　passage。　

As　to　his　dealing　in　the　mild　article　of　milk；　by　the　by；　there　
never　was　a　greater　anomaly。　His　deportment　would　have　been　
fierce　in　a　butcher　or　a　brandy…merchant。　

The　voice　of　the　youthful　servant　became　faint；　but　she　seemed　
to　me；　from　the　action　of　her　lips；　again　to　murmur　that　it　would　
be　attended　to　immediate。　

‘I　tell　you　what；’　said　the　milkman；　looking　hard　at　her　for　the　
first　time；　and　taking　her　by　the　chin；　‘are　you　fond　of　milk？’　

‘Yes；　I　likes　it；’　she　replied。　‘Good；’　said　the　milkman。　‘Then　you　
won’t　have　none　tomorrow。　D’ye　hear？　Not　a　fragment　of　milk　you　

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David　Copperfield　

won’t　have　tomorrow。’　

I　thought　she　seemed；　upon　the　whole；　relieved　by　the　prospect　
of　having　any　today。　The　milkman；　after　shaking　his　head　at　her　
darkly；　released　her　chin；　and　with　anything　rather　than　good…will　
opened　his　can；　and　deposited　the　usual　quantity　in　the　family　jug。　
This　done；　he　went　away；　muttering；　and　uttered　the　cry　of　his　
trade　next　door；　in　a　vindictive　shriek。　

‘Does　Mr。　Traddles　live　here？’　I　then　inquired。　

A　mysterious　voice　from　the　end　of　the　passage　replied　‘Yes。’　
Upon　which　the　youthful　servant　replied　‘Yes。’　

‘Is　he　at　home？’　said　I。　

Again　the　mysterious　voice　replied　in　the　affirmative；　and　again　
the　servant　echoed　it。　Upon　this；　I　walked　in；　and　in　pursuance　of　
the　servant’s　directions　walked　upstairs；　conscious；　as　I　passed　the　
back　parlour…door；　that　I　was　surveyed　by　a　mysterious　eye；　
probably　belonging　to　the　mysterious　voice。　

When　I　got　to　the　top　of　the　stairs—the　house　was　only　a　story　
high　above　the　ground　floor—Traddles　was　on　the　landing　to　meet　
me。　He　was　delighted　to　see　me；　and　gave　me　welcome；　with　great　
heartiness；　to　his　little　room。　It　was　in　the　front　of　the　house；　and　
extremely　neat；　though　sparely　furnished。　It　was　his　only　room；　I　
saw；　for　there　was　a　sofa…bedstead　in　it；　and　his　blacking…brushes　
and　blacking　were　among　his　books—on　the　top　shelf；　behind　a　
dictionary。　His　table　was　covered　with　papers；　and　he　was　hard　at　
work　in　an　old　coat。　I　looked　at　nothing；　that　I　know　of；　but　I　saw　
everything；　even　to　the　prospect　of　a　church　upon　his　china　
inkstand；　as　I　sat　down—and　this；　too；　was　a　faculty　confirmed　in　
me　in　the　old　Micawber　times。　Various　ingenious　arrangements　he　
had　made；　for　the　disguise　of　his　chest　of　drawers；　and　the　

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accommodation　of　his　boots；　his　shaving…glass；　and　so　forth；　
particularly　impressed　themselves　upon　me；　as　evidences　of　the　
same　Traddles　who　used　to　make　models　of　elephants’　dens　in　
writing…paper　to　put　flies　in；　and　to　comfort　himself　under　ill　
usage；　with　the　memorable　works　of　art　I　have　so　often　mentioned。　

In　a　corner　of　the　room　was　something　neatly　covered　up　with　a　
large　white　cloth。　I　could　not　make　out　what　that　was。　

‘Traddles；’　said　I；　shaking　hands　with　him　again；　after　I　had　sat　
down；　‘I　am　delighted　to　see　you。’　

‘I　am　delighted　to　see　you；　Copperfield；’　he　returned。　‘I　am　very　
glad　indeed　to　see　you。　It　was　because　I　was　thoroughly　glad　to　see　
you　when　we　met　in　Ely　Place；　and　was　sure　you　were　thoroughly　
glad　to　see　me；　that　I　gave　you　this　address　instead　of　my　address　
at　chambers。’　

‘Oh！　You　have　chambers？’　said　I。　

‘Why；　I　have　the　fourth　of　a　room　and　a　passage；　and　the　fourth　
of　a　clerk；’　returned　Traddles。　‘Three　others　and　myself　unite　to　
have　a　set　of　chambers—to　look　business…like—and　we　quarter　the　
clerk　too。　Half…a…crown　a　week　he　costs　me。’　

His　old　simple　character　and　good　temper；　and　something　of　his　
old　unlucky　fortune　also；　I　thought；　smiled　at　me　in　the　smile　with　
which　he　made　this　explanation。　

‘It’s　not　because　I　have　the　least　pride；　Copperfield；　you　
understand；’　said　Traddles；　‘that　I　don’t　usually　give　my　address　
here。　It’s　only　on　account　of　those　who　come　to　me；　who　might　not　
like　to　come　here。　For　myself；　I　am　fighting　my　way　on　in　the　
world　against　difficulties；　and　it　would　be　ridiculous　if　I　made　a　
pretence　of　doing　anything　else。’　

‘You　are　reading　for　the　bar；　Mr。　Waterbrook　informed　me？’　

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said　I。　

‘Why；　yes；’　said　Traddles；　rubbing　his　hands　slowly　over　one　
another。　‘I　am　reading　for　the　bar。　The　fact　is；　I　have　just　begun　to　
keep　my　terms；　after　rather　a　long　delay。　It’s　some　time　since　I　was　
articled；　but　the　payment　of　that　hundred　pounds　was　a　great　pull。　
A　great　pull！’　said　Traddles；　with　a　wince；　as　if　he　had　had　a　tooth　
out。　

‘Do　you　know　what　I　can’t　help　thinking　of；　Traddles；　as　I　sit　
here　looking　at　you？’　I　asked　him。　

‘No；’　said　he。　

‘That　sky…blue　suit　you　used　to　wear。’　

‘Lord；　to　be　sure！’　cried　Traddles；　laughing。　‘Tight　in　the　arms　
and　legs；　you　know？　Dear　me！　Well！　Those　were　happy　times；　
weren’t　they？’　

‘I　think　our　schoolmaster　might　have　made　them　happier；　
without　doing　any　harm　to　any　of　us；　I　acknowledge；’　I　returned。　

‘Perhaps　he　might；’　said　Traddles。　‘But　dear　me；　there　was　a　
good　deal　of　fun　going　on。　Do　you　remember　the　nights　in　the　
bedroom？　When　we　used　to　have　the　suppers？　And　when　you　
used　to　tell　the　stories？　Ha；　ha；　ha！　And　do　you　remember　when　I　
got　caned　for　crying　about　Mr。　Mell？　Old　Creakle！　I　should　like　to　
see　him　again；　too！’　

‘He　was　a　brute　to　you；　Traddles；’　said　I；　indignantly；　for　his　
good　humour　made　me　feel　as　if　I　had　seen　him　beaten　but　
yesterday。　

‘Do　you　think　so？’　returned　Traddles。　‘Really？　Perhaps　he　was　
rather。　But　it’s　all　over；　a　long　while。　Old　Creakle！’　

‘You　were　brought　up　by　an　uncle；　then？’　said　I。　

‘Of　course　I　was！’　said　Traddles。　‘The　one　I　was　always　going　to　

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write　to。　And　always　didn’t；　eh！　Ha；　ha；　ha！　Yes；　I　had　an　uncle　

then。　He　died　soon　after　I　left　school。’　

‘Indeed！’　

‘Yes。　He　was　a　retired—what　do　you　call　it！—draper—clothmerchant—and　had　made　me　his　heir。　But　he　didn’t　like　me　when　
I　grew　up。’　

‘Do　you　really　mean　that？’　said　I。　He　was　so　composed；　that　I　
fancied　he　must　have　some　other　meaning。　

‘Oh　dear；　yes；　Copperfield！　I　mean　it；’　replied　Traddles。　‘It　was　
an　unfortunate　thing；　but　he　didn’t　like　me　at　all。　He　said　I　wasn’t　
at　all　what　he　expected；　and　so　he　married　his　housekeeper。’　

‘And　what　did　you　do？’　I　asked。　

‘I　didn’t　do　anything　in　particular；’　said　Traddles。　‘I　lived　with　
them；　waiting　to　be　put　out　in　the　world；　until　his　gout　
unfortunately　flew　to　his　stomach—and　so　he　died；　and　so　she　
married　a　young　man；　and　so　I　wasn’t　provided　for。’　

‘Did　you　get　nothing；　Traddles；　after　all？’　

‘Oh　dear；　yes！’　said　Traddles。　‘I　got　fifty　pounds。　I　had　never　
been　brought　up　to　any　profession；　and　at　first　I　was　at　a　loss　what　
to　do　for　myself。　However；　I　began；　with　the　assistance　of　the　son　
of　a　professional　man；　who　had　been　to　Salem　House—Yawler；　
with　his　nose　on　one　side。　Do　you　recollect　him？’　

No。　He　had　not　been　there　with　me；　all　the　noses　were　straight　
in　my　day。　

‘It　don’t　matter；’　said　Traddles。　‘I　began；　by　means　of　his　
assistance；　to　copy　law　writings。　That　didn’t　answer　very　well；　and　
then　I　began　to　state　cases　for　them；　and　make　abstracts；　and　that　
sort　of　work。　For　I　am　a　plodding　kind　of　fellow；　Copperfield；　and　
had　learnt　the　way　of　doing　such　things　pithily。　Well！　That　put　it　in　

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my　head　to　enter　myself　as　a　law　student；　and　that　ran　away　with　
all　that　was　left　of　the　fifty　pounds。　Yawler　recommended　me　to　
one　or　two　other　offices；　however—Mr。　Waterbrook’s　for　one—and　
I　got　a　good　many　jobs。　I　was　fortunate　enough；　too；　to　become　
acquainted　with　a　person　in　the　publishing　way；　who　was　getting　
up　an　Encyclopaedia；　and　he　set　me　to　work；　and；　indeed’　
（glancing　at　his　table）；　‘I　am　at　work　for　him　at　this　minute。　I　am　
not　a　bad　compiler；　Copperfield；’　said　Traddles；　preserving　the　
same　air　of　cheerful　confidence　in　all　he　said；　‘but　I　have　no　
invention　at　all；　not　a　particle。　I　suppose　there　never　was　a　young　
man　with　less　originality　than　I　have。’　

As　Traddles　seemed　to　expect　that　I　should　assent　to　this　as　a　
matter　of　course；　I　nodded；　and　he　went　on；　with　the　same　
sprightly　patience—I　can　find　no　better　expression—as　before。　

‘So；　by　little　and　little；　and　not　living　high；　I　managed　to　scrape　
up　the　hundred　pounds　at　last；’　said　Traddles；　‘and　thank　Heaven　
that’s　paid—though　it　was—though　it　certainly　was；’　said　
Traddles；　wincing　again　as　if　he　had　had　another　tooth　out；　‘a　pull。　
I　am　living　by　the　sort　of　work　I　have　mentioned；　still；　and　I　hope；　
one　of　these　days；　to　get　connected　with　some　newspaper：　which　
would　almost　be　the　making　of　my　fortune。　Now；　Copperfield；　you　
are　so　exactly　what　you　used　to　be；　with　that　agreeable　face；　and　
it’s　so　pleasant　to　see　you；　that　I　sha’n’t　conceal　anything。　
Therefore　you　must　know　that　I　am　engaged。’　

Engaged！　Oh；　Dora！　

‘She　is　a　curate’s　daughter；’　said　Traddles；　‘one　of　ten；　down　in　
Devonshire。　Yes！’　For　he　saw　me　glance；　involuntarily；　at　the　
prospect　on　the　inkstand。　‘That’s　the　church！　You　come　round　
here　to　the　left；　out　of　this　gate；’　tracing　his　finger　along　the　

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inkstand；　‘and　exactly　where　I　hold　this　pen；　there　stands　the　
house—facing；　you　understand；　towards　the　church。’　

The　delight　with　which　he　entered　into　these　particulars；　did　
not　fully　present　itself　to　me　until　afterwards；　for　my　selfish　
thoughts　were　making　a　ground…plan　of　Mr。　Spenlow’s　house　and　
garden　at　the　same　moment。　

‘She　is　such　a　dear　girl！’　said　Traddles；　‘a　little　older　than　me；　
but　the　dearest　girl！　I　told　you　I　was　going　out　of　town？　I　have　
been　down　there。　I　walked　there；　and　I　walked　back；　and　I　had　the　
most　delightful　time！　I　dare　say　ours　is　likely　to　be　a　rather　long　
engagement；　but　our　motto　is　“Wait　and　hope！”　We　always　say　
that。　“Wait　and　hope；”　we　always　say。　And　she　would　wait；　
Copperfield；　till　she　was　sixty—any　age　you　can　mention—for　me！’　

Traddles　rose　from　his　chair；　and；　with　a　triumphant　smile；　put　
his　hand　upo