第 23 节
作者:不受约束      更新:2021-05-04 17:22      字数:9180
  teeth are to be filed! Turn him round。’
  The wooden…legged man turned me about so as to exhibit the
  placard; and having afforded time for a full survey of it; turned me
  about again; with my face to Mr。 Creakle; and posted himself at
  Mr。 Creakle’s side。 Mr。 Creakle’s face was fiery; and his eyes were
  small; and deep in his head; he had thick veins in his forehead; a
  little nose; and a large chin。 He was bald on the top of his head;
  and had some thin wet…looking hair that was just turning grey;
  brushed across each temple; so that the two sides interlaced on his
  forehead。 But the circumstance about him which impressed me
  most; was; that he had no voice; but spoke in a whisper。 The
  exertion this cost him; or the consciousness of talking in that
  feeble way; made his angry face so much more angry; and his thick
  veins so much thicker; when he spoke; that I am not surprised; on
  looking back; at this peculiarity striking me as his chief one。 ‘Now;’
  said Mr。 Creakle。 ‘What’s the report of this boy?’
  ‘There’s nothing against him yet;’ returned the man with the
  wooden leg。 ‘There has been no opportunity。’
  I thought Mr。 Creakle was disappointed。 I thought Mrs。 and
  Miss Creakle (at whom I now glanced for the first time; and who
  were; both; thin and quiet) were not disappointed。
  ‘Come here; sir!’ said Mr。 Creakle; beckoning to me。
  ‘Come here!’ said the man with the wooden leg; repeating the
  gesture。
  ‘I have the happiness of knowing your father…in…law;’ whispered
  Mr。 Creakle; taking me by the ear; ‘and a worthy man he is; and a
  man of a strong character。 He knows me; and I know him。 Do you
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  know me? Hey?’ said Mr。 Creakle; pinching my ear with ferocious
  playfulness。
  ‘Not yet; sir;’ I said; flinching with the pain。
  ‘Not yet? Hey?’ repeated Mr。 Creakle。 ‘But you will soon。 Hey?’
  ‘You will soon。 Hey?’ repeated the man with the wooden leg。 I
  afterwards found that he generally acted; with his strong voice; as
  Mr。 Creakle’s interpreter to the boys。
  I was very much frightened; and said; I hoped so; if he pleased。
  I felt; all this while; as if my ear were blazing; he pinched it so
  hard。
  ‘I’ll tell you what I am;’ whispered Mr。 Creakle; letting it go at
  last; with a screw at parting that brought the water into my eyes。
  ‘I’m a Tartar。’
  ‘A Tartar;’ said the man with the wooden leg。
  ‘When I say I’ll do a thing; I do it;’ said Mr。 Creakle; ‘and when I
  say I will have a thing done; I will have it done。’
  ‘—Will have a thing done; I will have it done;’ repeated the man
  with the wooden leg。
  ‘I am a determined character;’ said Mr。 Creakle。 ‘That’s what I
  am。 I do my duty。 That’s what I do。 My flesh and blood’—he looked
  at Mrs。 Creakle as he said this—‘when it rises against me; is not
  my flesh and blood。 I discard it。 Has that fellow’—to the man with
  the wooden leg—‘been here again?’
  ‘No;’ was the answer。
  ‘No;’ said Mr。 Creakle。 ‘He knows better。 He knows me。 Let him
  keep away。 I say let him keep away;’ said Mr。 Creakle; striking his
  hand upon the table; and looking at Mrs。 Creakle; ‘for he knows
  me。 Now you have begun to know me too; my young friend; and
  you may go。 Take him away。’
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  I was very glad to be ordered away; for Mrs。 and Miss Creakle
  were both wiping their eyes; and I felt as uncomfortable for them
  as I did for myself。 But I had a petition on my mind which
  concerned me so nearly; that I couldn’t help saying; though I
  wondered at my own courage:
  ‘If you please; sir—’
  Mr。 Creakle whispered; ‘Hah! What’s this?’ and bent his eyes
  upon me; as if he would have burnt me up with them。
  ‘If you please; sir;’ I faltered; ‘if I might be allowed (I am very
  sorry indeed; sir; for what I did) to take this writing off; before the
  boys come back—’
  Whether Mr。 Creakle was in earnest; or whether he only did it
  to frighten me; I don’t know; but he made a burst out of his chair;
  before which I precipitately retreated; without waiting for the
  escort Of the man with the wooden leg; and never once stopped
  until I reached my own bedroom; where; finding I was not
  pursued; I went to bed; as it was time; and lay quaking; for a
  couple of hours。
  Next morning Mr。 Sharp came back。 Mr。 Sharp was the first
  master; and superior to Mr。 Mell。 Mr。 Mell took his meals with the
  boys; but Mr。 Sharp dined and supped at Mr。 Creakle’s table。 He
  was a limp; delicate…looking gentleman; I thought; with a good deal
  of nose; and a way of carrying his head on one side; as if it were a
  little too heavy for him。 His hair was very smooth and wavy; but I
  was informed by the very first boy who came back that it was a wig
  (a second…hand one he said); and that Mr。 Sharp went out every
  Saturday afternoon to get it curled。
  It was no other than Tommy Traddles who gave me this piece
  of intelligence。 He was the first boy who returned。 He introduced
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  himself by informing me that I should find his name on the right…
  hand corner of the gate; over the top…bolt; upon that I said;
  ‘Traddles?’ to which he replied; ‘The same;’ and then he asked me
  for a full account of myself and family。
  It was a happy circumstance for me that Traddles came back
  first。 He enjoyed my placard so much; that he saved me from the
  embarrassment of either disclosure or concealment; by presenting
  me to every other boy who came back; great or small; immediately
  on his arrival; in this form of introduction; ‘Look here! Here’s a
  game!’ Happily; too; the greater part of the boys came back low…
  spirited; and were not so boisterous at my expense as I had
  expected。 Some of them certainly did dance about me like wild
  Indians; and the greater part could not resist the temptation of
  pretending that I was a dog; and patting and soothing me; lest I
  should bite; and saying; ‘Lie down; sir!’ and calling me Towzer。
  This was naturally confusing; among so many strangers; and cost
  me some tears; but on the whole it was much better than I had
  anticipated。
  I was not considered as being formally received into the school;
  however; until J。 Steerforth arrived。 Before this boy; who was
  reputed to be a great scholar; and was very good…looking; and at
  least half…a…dozen years my senior; I was carried as before a
  magistrate。 He inquired; under a shed in the playground; into the
  particulars of my punishment; and was pleased to express his
  opinion that it was ‘a jolly shame’; for which I became bound to
  him ever afterwards。
  ‘What money have you got; Copperfield?’ he said; walking aside
  with me when he had disposed of my affair in these terms。 I told
  him seven shillings。
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  ‘You had better give it to me to take care of;’ he said。 ‘At least;
  you can if you like。 You needn’t if you don’t like。’
  I hastened to comply with his friendly suggestion; and opening
  Peggotty’s purse; turned it upside down into his hand。
  ‘Do you want to spend anything now?’ he asked me。
  ‘No thank you;’ I replied。
  ‘You can; if you like; you know;’ said Steerforth。 ‘Say the word。’
  ‘No; thank you; sir;’ I repeated。
  ‘Perhaps you’d like to spend a couple of shillings or so; in a
  bottle of currant wine by and by; up in the bedroom?’ said
  Steerforth。 ‘You belong to my bedroom; I find。’
  It certainly had not occurred to me before; but I said; Yes; I
  should like that。
  ‘Very good;’ said Steerforth。 ‘You’ll be glad to spend another
  shilling or so; in almond cakes; I dare say?’
  I said; Yes; I should like that; too。
  ‘And another shilling or so in biscuits; and another in fruit; eh?’
  said Steerforth。 ‘I say; young Copperfield; you’re going it!’
  I smiled because he smiled; but I was a little troubled in my
  mind; too。
  ‘Well!’ said Steerforth。 ‘We must make it stretch as far as we
  can; that’s all。 I’ll do the best in my power for you。 I can go out
  when I like; and I’ll smuggle the prog in。’ With these words he put
  the money in his pocket; and kindly told me not to make myself
  uneasy; he would take care it should be all right。 He was as good
  as his word; if that were all right which I had a secret misgiving
  was nearly all wrong—for I feared it was a waste of my mother’s
  two half…crowns—though I had preserved the piece of paper they
  were wrapped in: which was a precious saving。 When we went
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  upstairs to bed; he produced the whole seven shillings’ worth; and
  laid it out on my bed in the moonlight; saying:
  ‘There you are; young Copperfield; and a royal spread you’ve
  got。’
  I couldn’t think of doing the honours of the feast; at my time of
  life; while he was by; my hand shook at the very thought of it。 I
  begged him to do me the favour of presiding; and my request
  being seconded by the other boys who were in that roo