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