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第143节

david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第143节

小说: david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔) 字数: 每页4000字

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unsuccessfully; to expound to Dora。 Miss Mills replied; on general 
principles; that the Cottage of content was better than the Palace 
of cold splendour; and that where love was; all was。 

I said to Miss Mills that this was very true; and who should 
know it better than I; who loved Dora with a love that never mortal 
had experienced yet? But on Miss Mills observing; with 
despondency; that it were well indeed for some hearts if this were 
so; I explained that I begged leave to restrict the observation to 
mortals of the masculine gender。 

I then put it to Miss Mills; to say whether she considered that 
there was or was not any practical merit in the suggestion I had 
been anxious to make; concerning the accounts; the housekeeping; 
and the Cookery Book? 

Miss Mills; after some consideration; thus replied: 

‘Mr。 Copperfield; I will be plain with you。 Mental suffering and 
trial supply; in some natures; the place of years; and I will be as 
plain with you as if I were a Lady Abbess。 No。 The suggestion is 
not appropriate to our Dora。 Our dearest Dora is a favourite child 
of nature。 She is a thing of light; and airiness; and joy。 I am free to 
confess that if it could be done; it might be well; but—’ And Miss 
Mills shook her head。 

I was encouraged by this closing admission on the part of Miss 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


David Copperfield 

Mills to ask her; whether; for Dora’s sake; if she had any 
opportunity of luring her attention to such preparations for an 
earnest life; she would avail herself of it? Miss Mills replied in the 
affirmative so readily; that I further asked her if she would take 
charge of the Cookery Book; and; if she ever could insinuate it 
upon Dora’s acceptance; without frightening her; undertake to do 
me that crowning service。 Miss Mills accepted this trust; too; but 
was not sanguine。 

And Dora returned; looking such a lovely little creature; that I 
really doubted whether she ought to be troubled with anything so 
ordinary。 And she loved me so much; and was so captivating 
(particularly when she made Jip stand on his hind legs for toast; 
and when she pretended to hold that nose of his against the hot 
teapot for punishment because he wouldn’t); that I felt like a sort 
of Monster who had got into a Fairy’s bower; when I thought of 
having frightened her; and made her cry。 

After tea we had the guitar; and Dora sang those same dear old 
French songs about the impossibility of ever on any account 
leaving off dancing; La ra la; La ra la; until I felt a much greater 
Monster than before。 

We had only one check to our pleasure; and that happened a 
little while before I took my leave; when; Miss Mills chancing to 
make some allusion to tomorrow morning; I unluckily let out that; 
being obliged to exert myself now; I got up at five o’clock。 Whether 
Dora had any idea that I was a Private Watchman; I am unable to 
say; but it made a great impression on her; and she neither played 
nor sang any more。 

It was still on her mind when I bade her adieu; and she said to 
me; in her pretty coaxing way—as if I were a doll; I used to think: 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


David Copperfield 

‘Now don’t get up at five o’clock; you naughty boy。 It’s so 
nonsensical!’ 

‘My love;’ said I; ‘I have work to do。’ 

‘But don’t do it!’ returned Dora。 ‘Why should you?’ 

It was impossible to say to that sweet little surprised face; 
otherwise than lightly and playfully; that we must work to live。 

‘Oh! How ridiculous!’ cried Dora。 

‘How shall we live without; Dora?’ said I。 

‘How? Any how!’ said Dora。 

She seemed to think she had quite settled the question; and 
gave me such a triumphant little kiss; direct from her innocent 
heart; that I would hardly have put her out of conceit with her 
answer; for a fortune。 

Well! I loved her; and I went on loving her; most absorbingly; 
entirely; and completely。 But going on; too; working pretty hard; 
and busily keeping red…hot all the irons I now had in the fire; I 
would sit sometimes of a night; opposite my aunt; thinking how I 
had frightened Dora that time; and how I could best make my way 
with a guitar…case through the forest of difficulty; until I used to 
fancy that my head was turning quite grey。 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


David Copperfield 

Chapter 38 

A DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP 

Idid not allow my resolution; with respect to the Parliamentary 
Debates; to cool。 It was one of the irons I began to heat 
immediately; and one of the irons I kept hot; and hammered 
at; with a perseverance I may honestly admire。 I bought an 
approved scheme of the noble art and mystery of stenography 
(which cost me ten and sixpence); and plunged into a sea of 
perplexity that brought me; in a few weeks; to the confines of 
distraction。 The changes that were rung upon dots; which in such 
a position meant such a thing; and in such another position 
something else; entirely different; the wonderful vagaries that 
were played by circles; the unaccountable consequences that 
resulted from marks like flies’ legs; the tremendous effects of a 
curve in a wrong place; not only troubled my waking hours; but 
reappeared before me in my sleep。 When I had groped my way; 
blindly; through these difficulties; and had mastered the alphabet; 
which was an Egyptian Temple in itself; there then appeared a 
procession of new horrors; called arbitrary characters; the most 
despotic characters I have ever known; who insisted; for instance; 
that a thing like the beginning of a cobweb; meant expectation; 
and that a pen…and…ink sky…rocket; stood for disadvantageous。 
When I had fixed these wretches in my mind; I found that they 
had driven everything else out of it; then; beginning again; I forgot 
them; while I was picking them up; I dropped the other fragments 
of the system; in short; it was almost heart…breaking。 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


David Copperfield 

It might have been quite heart…breaking; but for Dora; who was 
the stay and anchor of my tempest…driven bark。 Every scratch in 
the scheme was a gnarled oak in the forest of difficulty; and I went 
on cutting them down; one after another; with such vigour; that in 
three or four months I was in a condition to make an experiment 
on one of our crack speakers in the Commons。 Shall I ever forget 
how the crack speaker walked off from me before I began; and left 
my imbecile pencil staggering about the paper as if it were in a fit! 

This would not do; it was quite clear。 I was flying too high; and 
should never get on; so。 I resorted to Traddles for advice; who 
suggested that he should dictate speeches to me; at a pace; and 
with occasional stoppages; adapted to my weakness。 Very grateful 
for this friendly aid; I accepted the proposal; and night after night; 
almost every night; for a long time; we had a sort of Private 
Parliament in Buckingham Street; after I came home from the 
Doctor’s。 

I should like to see such a Parliament anywhere else! My aunt 
and Mr。 Dick represented the Government or the Opposition (as 
the case might be); and Traddles; with the assistance of Enfield’s 
Speakers; or a volume of parliamentary orations; thundered 
astonishing invectives against them。 Standing by the table; with 
his finger in the page to keep the place; and his right arm 
flourishing above his head; Traddles; as Mr。 Pitt; Mr。 Fox; Mr。 
Sheridan; Mr。 Burke; Lord Castlereagh; Viscount Sidmouth; or 
Mr。 Canning; would work himself into the most violent heats; and 
deliver the most withering denunciations of the profligacy and 
corruption of my aunt and Mr。 Dick; while I used to sit; at a little 
distance; with my notebook on my knee; fagging after him with all 
my might and main。 The inconsistency and recklessness of 

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics 


David Copperfield 

Traddles were not to be exceeded by any real politician。 He was 
for any description of policy; in the compass of a week; and nailed 
all sorts of colours to every denomination of mast。 My aunt; 
looking very like an immovable Chancellor of the Exchequer; 
would occasionally throw in an interruption or two; as ‘Hear!’ or 
‘No!’ or ‘Oh!’ when the text seemed to require it: which was always 
a signal to Mr。 Dick (a perfect country gentleman) to follow lustily 
with the same cry。 But Mr。 Dick got taxed with such things in the 
course of his Parliamentary career; and was made responsible for 
such awful consequences; that he became uncomfortable in his 
mind sometimes。 I believe he actually began to be afraid he really 
had been doing something; tending to the annihilation of the 
British constitution; and the ruin of the country。 

Often and often we pursued these debates until the clock 
pointed to midnight; and the candles were burning down。 The 
result of so much good practice was; that by and by I began to 
keep pace with Traddles pretty well; and should have been quite 
triumphant if I had had the least idea what my notes were about。 
But; as to reading them after I had got them; I might as well have 
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