第 49 节
作者:
不受约束 更新:2021-05-04 17:23 字数:9264
haystack。 I imagined it would be a kind of company to have the
boys; and the bedroom where I used to tell the stories; so near me:
although the boys would know nothing of my being there; and the
bedroom would yield me no shelter。
I had had a hard day’s work; and was pretty well jaded when I
came climbing out; at last; upon the level of Blackheath。 It cost me
some trouble to find out Salem House; but I found it; and I found a
haystack in the corner; and I lay down by it; having first walked
round the wall; and looked up at the windows; and seen that all
was dark and silent within。 Never shall I forget the lonely
sensation of first lying down; without a roof above my head!
Sleep came upon me as it came on many other outcasts; against
whom house…doors were locked; and house…dogs barked; that
night—and I dreamed of lying on my old school…bed; talking to the
boys in my room; and found myself sitting upright; with
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
Steerforth’s name upon my lips; looking wildly at the stars that
were glistening and glimmering above me。 When I remembered
where I was at that untimely hour; a feeling stole upon me that
made me get up; afraid of I don’t know what; and walk about。 But
the fainter glimmering of the stars; and the pale light in the sky
where the day was coming; reassured me: and my eyes being very
heavy; I lay down again and slept—though with a knowledge in my
sleep that it was cold—until the warm beams of the sun; and the
ringing of the getting…up bell at Salem House; awoke me。 If I could
have hoped that Steerforth was there; I would have lurked about
until he came out alone; but I knew he must have left long since。
Traddles still remained; perhaps; but it was very doubtful; and I
had not sufficient confidence in his discretion or good luck;
however strong my reliance was on his good nature; to wish to
trust him with my situation。 So I crept away from the wall as Mr。
Creakle’s boys were getting up; and struck into the long dusty
track which I had first known to be the Dover Road when I was
one of them; and when I little expected that any eyes would ever
see me the wayfarer I was now; upon it。
What a different Sunday morning from the old Sunday morning
at Yarmouth! In due time I heard the church…bells ringing; as I
plodded on; and I met people who were going to church; and I
passed a church or two where the congregation were inside; and
the sound of singing came out into the sunshine; while the beadle
sat and cooled himself in the shade of the porch; or stood beneath
the yew…tree; with his hand to his forehead; glowering at me going
by。 But the peace and rest of the old Sunday morning were on
everything; except me。 That was the difference。 I felt quite wicked
in my dirt and dust; with my tangled hair。 But for the quiet picture
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
I had conjured up; of my mother in her youth and beauty; weeping
by the fire; and my aunt relenting to her; I hardly think I should
have had the courage to go on until next day。 But it always went
before me; and I followed。
I got; that Sunday; through three…and…twenty miles on the
straight road; though not very easily; for I was new to that kind of
toil。 I see myself; as evening closes in; coming over the bridge at
Rochester; footsore and tired; and eating bread that I had bought
for supper。 One or two little houses; with the notice; ‘Lodgings for
Travellers’; hanging out; had tempted me; but I was afraid of
spending the few pence I had; and was even more afraid of the
vicious looks of the trampers I had met or overtaken。 I sought no
shelter; therefore; but the sky; and toiling into Chatham;—which;
in that night’s aspect; is a mere dream of chalk; and drawbridges;
and mastless ships in a muddy river; roofed like Noah’s arks;—
crept; at last; upon a sort of grass…grown battery overhanging a
lane; where a sentry was walking to and fro。 Here I lay down; near
a cannon; and; happy in the society of the sentry’s footsteps;
though he knew no more of my being above him than the boys at
Salem House had known of my lying by the wall; slept soundly
until morning。
Very stiff and sore of foot I was in the morning; and quite dazed
by the beating of drums and marching of troops; which seemed to
hem me in on every side when I went down towards the long
narrow street。 Feeling that I could go but a very little way that day;
if I were to reserve any strength for getting to my journey’s end; I
resolved to make the sale of my jacket its principal business。
Accordingly; I took the jacket off; that I might learn to do without
it; and carrying it under my arm; began a tour of inspection of the
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
various slop…shops。
It was a likely place to sell a jacket in; for the dealers in secondhand clothes were numerous; and were; generally speaking; on the
look…out for customers at their shop doors。 But as most of them
had; hanging up among their stock; an officer’s coat or two;
epaulettes and all; I was rendered timid by the costly nature of
their dealings; and walked about for a long time without offering
my merchandise to anyone。
This modesty of mine directed my attention to the marine…store
shops; and such shops as Mr。 Dolloby’s; in preference to the
regular dealers。 At last I found one that I thought looked
promising; at the corner of a dirty lane; ending in an enclosure full
of stinging…nettles; against the palings of which some second…hand
sailors’ clothes; that seemed to have overflowed the shop; were
fluttering among some cots; and rusty guns; and oilskin hats; and
certain trays full of so many old rusty keys of so many sizes that
they seemed various enough to open all the doors in the world。
Into this shop; which was low and small; and which was
darkened rather than lighted by a little window; overhung with
clothes; and was descended into by some steps; I went with a
palpitating heart; which was not relieved when an ugly old man;
with the lower part of his face all covered with a stubbly grey
beard; rushed out of a dirty den behind it; and seized me by the
hair of my head。 He was a dreadful old man to look at; in a filthy
flannel waistcoat; and smelling terribly of rum。 His bedstead;
covered with a tumbled and ragged piece of patchwork; was in the
den he had come from; where another little window showed a
prospect of more stinging…nettles; and a lame donkey。
‘Oh; what do you want?’ grinned this old man; in a fierce;
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
monotonous whine。 ‘Oh; my eyes and limbs; what do you want?
Oh; my lungs and liver; what do you want? Oh; goroo; goroo!’
I was so much dismayed by these words; and particularly by the
repetition of the last unknown one; which was a kind of rattle in
his throat; that I could make no answer; hereupon the old man;
still holding me by the hair; repeated:
‘Oh; what do you want? Oh; my eyes and limbs; what do you
want? Oh; my lungs and liver; what do you want? Oh; goroo!’—
which he screwed out of himself; with an energy that made his
eyes start in his head。
‘I wanted to know;’ I said; trembling; ‘if you would buy a jacket。’
‘Oh; let’s see the jacket!’ cried the old man。 ‘Oh; my heart on
fire; show the jacket to us! Oh; my eyes and limbs; bring the jacket
out!’
With that he took his trembling hands; which were like the
claws of a great bird; out of my hair; and put on a pair of
spectacles; not at all ornamental to his inflamed eyes。
‘Oh; how much for the jacket?’ cried the old man; after
examining it。 ‘Oh—goroo!—how much for the jacket?’
‘Half…a…crown;’ I answered; recovering myself。
‘Oh; my lungs and liver;’ cried the old man; ‘no! Oh; my eyes;
no! Oh; my limbs; no! Eighteenpence。 Goroo!’
Every time he uttered this ejaculation; his eyes seemed to be in
danger of starting out; and every sentence he spoke; he delivered
in a sort of tune; always exactly the same; and more like a gust of
wind; which begins low; mounts up high; and falls again; than any
other comparison I can find for it。
‘Well;’ said I; glad to have closed the bargain; ‘I’ll take
eighteenpence。’
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
‘Oh; my liver!’ cried the old man; throwing the jacket on a shelf。
‘Get out of the shop! Oh; my lungs; get out of the shop! Oh; my
eyes and limbs—goroo!—don’t ask for money; make it an
exchange。’ I never was so frightened in my life; before or since; but
I told him humbly that I wanted money; and that nothing else was
of any use to me; but that I would wait for it; as he desired;
outside; and had no wish to hurry him。 So I went outside; and sat
down in the shade in a corner。 And I sat there so many hours; that
the shade became sunlight; and the sunlight became shade again;
and still I sat there waiting for the money。
There never was such another drunken madman in that line of
business; I hope。 That he was