david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第43部分

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in　it；　but　my　mind　was　thoroughly　made　up　that　it　must　be　carried　
into　execution。　

Again；　and　again；　and　a　hundred　times　again；　since　the　night　
when　the　thought　had　first　occurred　to　me　and　banished　sleep；　I　
had　gone　over　that　old　story　of　my　poor　mother’s　about　my　birth；　
which　it　had　been　one　of　my　great　delights　in　the　old　time　to　hear　
her　tell；　and　which　I　knew　by　heart。　My　aunt　walked　into　that　
story；　and　walked　out　of　it；　a　dread　and　awful　personage；　but　there　
was　one　little　trait　in　her　behaviour　which　I　liked　to　dwell　on；　and　

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David　Copperfield　

which　gave　me　some　faint　shadow　of　encouragement。　I　could　not　
forget　how　my　mother　had　thought　that　she　felt　her　touch　her　
pretty　hair　with　no　ungentle　hand；　and　though　it　might　have　been　
altogether　my　mother’s　fancy；　and　might　have　had　no　foundation　
whatever　in　fact；　I　made　a　little　picture；　out　of　it；　of　my　terrible　
aunt　relenting　towards　the　girlish　beauty　that　I　recollected　so　well　
and　loved　so　much；　which　softened　the　whole　narrative。　It　is　very　
possible　that　it　had　been　in　my　mind　a　long　time；　and　had　
gradually　engendered　my　determination。　

As　I　did　not　even　know　where　Miss　Betsey　lived；　I　wrote　a　long　
letter　to　Peggotty；　and　asked　her；　incidentally；　if　she　remembered；　
pretending　that　I　had　heard　of　such　a　lady　living　at　a　certain　place　
I　named　at　random；　and　had　a　curiosity　to　know　if　it　were　the　
same。　In　the　course　of　that　letter；　I　told　Peggotty　that　I　had　a　
particular　occasion　for　half　a　guinea；　and　that　if　she　could　lend　me　
that　sum　until　I　could　repay　it；　I　should　be　very　much　obliged　to　
her；　and　would　tell　her　afterwards　what　I　had　wanted　it　for。　

Peggotty’s　answer　soon　arrived；　and　was；　as　usual；　full　of　
affectionate　devotion。　She　enclosed　the　half　guinea　（I　was　afraid　
she　must　have　had　a　world　of　trouble　to　get　it　out　of　Mr。　Barkis’s　
box）；　and　told　me　that　Miss　Betsey　lived　near　Dover；　but　whether　
at　Dover　itself；　at　Hythe；　Sandgate；　or　Folkestone；　she　could　not　
say。　One　of　our　men；　however；　informing　me　on　my　asking　him　
about　these　places；　that　they　were　all　close　together；　I　deemed　this　
enough　for　my　object；　and　resolved　to　set　out　at　the　end　of　that　
week。　

Being　a　very　honest　little　creature；　and　unwilling　to　disgrace　
the　memory　I　was　going　to　leave　behind　me　at　Murdstone　and　
Grinby’s；　I　considered　myself　bound　to　remain　until　Saturday　

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David　Copperfield　

night；　and；　as　I　had　been　paid　a　week’s　wages　in　advance　when　I　
first　came　there；　not　to　present　myself　in　the　counting…house　at　the　
usual　hour；　to　receive　my　stipend。　For　this　express　reason；　I　had　
borrowed　the　half…guinea；　that　I　might　not　be　without　a　fund　for　
my　travelling…expenses。　Accordingly；　when　the　Saturday　night　
came；　and　we　were　all　waiting　in　the　warehouse　to　be　paid；　and　
Tipp　the　carman；　who　always　took　precedence；　went　in　first　to　
draw　his　money；　I　shook　Mick　Walker　by　the　hand；　asked　him；　
when　it　came　to　his　turn　to　be　paid；　to　say　to　Mr。　Quinion　that　I　
had　gone　to　move　my　box　to　Tipp’s；　and；　bidding　a　last　good　night　
to　Mealy　Potatoes；　ran　away。　

My　box　was　at　my　old　lodging；　over　the　water；　and　I　had　written　
a　direction　for　it　on　the　back　of　one　of　our　address　cards　that　we　
nailed　on　the　casks：　‘Master　David；　to　be　left　till　called　for；　at　the　
Coach　Office；　Dover。’　This　I　had　in　my　pocket　ready　to　put　on　the　
box；　after　I　should　have　got　it　out　of　the　house；　and　as　I　went　
towards　my　lodging；　I　looked　about　me　for　someone　who　would　
help　me　to　carry　it　to　the　booking…office。　

There　was　a　long…legged　young　man　with　a　very　little　empty　
donkey…cart；　standing　near　the　Obelisk；　in　the　Blackfriars　Road；　
whose　eye　I　caught　as　I　was　going　by；　and　who；　addressing　me　as　
‘Sixpenn’orth　of　bad　ha’pence；’　hoped　‘I　should　know　him　agin　to　
swear　to’—in　allusion；　I　have　no　doubt；　to　my　staring　at　him。　I　
stopped　to　assure　him　that　I　had　not　done　so　in　bad　manners；　but　
uncertain　whether　he　might　or　might　not　like　a　job。　

‘Wot　job？’　said　the　long…legged　young　man。　

‘To　move　a　box；’　I　answered。　

‘Wot　box？’　said　the　long…legged　young　man。　

I　told　him　mine；　which　was　down　that　street　there；　and　which　I　

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David　Copperfield　

wanted　him　to　take　to　the　Dover　coach　office　for　sixpence。　

‘Done　with　you　for　a　tanner！’　said　the　long…legged　young　man；　
and　directly　got　upon　his　cart；　which　was　nothing　but　a　large　
wooden　tray　on　wheels；　and　rattled　away　at　such　a　rate；　that　it　was　
as　much　as　I　could　do　to　keep　pace　with　the　donkey。　

There　was　a　defiant　manner　about　this　young　man；　and　
particularly　about　the　way　in　which　he　chewed　straw　as　he　spoke　
to　me；　that　I　did　not　much　like；　as　the　bargain　was　made；　however；　
I　took　him　upstairs　to　the　room　I　was　leaving；　and　we　brought　the　
box　down；　and　put　it　on　his　cart。　Now；　I　was　unwilling　to　put　the　
direction…card　on　there；　lest　any　of　my　landlord’s　family　should　
fathom　what　I　was　doing；　and　detain　me；　so　I　said　to　the　young　
man　that　I　would　be　glad　if　he　would　stop　for　a　minute；　when　he　
came　to　the　dead…wall　of　the　King’s　Bench　prison。　The　words　were　
no　sooner　out　of　my　mouth；　than　he　rattled　away　as　if　he；　my　box；　
the　cart；　and　the　donkey；　were　all　equally　mad；　and　I　was　quite　out　
of　breath　with　running　and　calling　after　him；　when　I　caught　him　at　
the　place　appointed。　

Being　much　flushed　and　excited；　I　tumbled　my　half…guinea　out　
of　my　pocket　in　pulling　the　card　out。　I　put　it　in　my　mouth　for　
safety；　and　though　my　hands　trembled　a　good　deal；　had　just　tied　
the　card　on　very　much　to　my　satisfaction；　when　I　felt　myself　
violently　chucked　under　the　chin　by　the　long…legged　young　man；　
and　saw　my　half…guinea　fly　out　of　my　mouth　into　his　hand。　

‘Wot！’　said　the　young　man；　seizing　me　by　my　jacket　collar；　with　
a　frightful　grin。　‘This　is　a　pollis　case；　is　it？　You’re　a…going　to　bolt；　
are　you？　Come　to　the　pollis；　you　young　warmin；　come　to　the　
pollis！’　

‘You　give　me　my　money　back；　if　you　please；’　said　I；　very　much　

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frightened；　‘and　leave　me　alone。’　

‘Come　to　the　pollis！’　said　the　young　man。　‘You　shall　prove　it　
yourn　to　the　pollis。’　

‘Give　me　my　box　and　money；　will　you；’　I　cried；　bursting　into　
tears。　

The　young　man　still　replied：　‘Come　to　the　pollis！’　and　was　
dragging　me　against　the　donkey　in　a　violent　manner；　as　if　there　
were　any　affinity　between　that　animal　and　a　magistrate；　when　he　
changed　his　mind；　jumped　into　the　cart；　sat　upon　my　box；　and；　
exclaiming　that　he　would　drive　to　the　pollis　straight；　rattled　away　
harder　than　ever。　

I　ran　after　him　as　fast　as　I　could；　but　I　had　no　breath　to　call　out　
with；　and　should　not　have　dared　to　call　out；　now；　if　I　had。　I　
narrowly　escaped　being　run　over；　twenty　times　at　least；　in　half　a　
mile。　Now　I　lost　him；　now　I　saw　him；　now　I　lost　him；　now　I　was　cut　
at　with　a　whip；　now　shouted　at；　now　down　in　the　mud；　now　up　
again；　now　running　into　somebody’s　arms；　now　running　headlong　
at　a　post。　At　length；　confused　by　fright　and　heat；　and　doubting　
whether　half　London　might　not　by　this　time　be　turning　out　for　my　
apprehension；　I　left　the　young　man　to　go　where　he　would　with　my　
box　and　money；　and；　panting　and　crying；　but　never　stopping；　
faced　about　for　Greenwich；　which　I　had　understood　was　on　the　
Dover　Road：　taking　very　little　more　out　of　the　world；　towards　the　
retreat　of　my　aunt；　Miss　Betsey；　than　I　had　brought　into　it；　on　the　
night　when　my　arrival　gave　her　so　much　umbrage。　

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Chapter　13　

THE　SEQUEL　OF　MY　RESOLUTION　

For　anything　I　know；　I　may　have　had　some　wild　idea　of　
running　all　the　way　to　Dover；　when　I　gave　up　the　pursuit　
of　the　young　man　with　the　donkey…cart；　and　started　for　
Greenwich。　My　scattered　senses　were　soon　collected　as　to　that　
point；　if　I　had；　for　I　came　to　a　stop　in　the　Kent　Road；　at　a　terrace　
with　a　piece　of　water　before　it；　and　a　great　foolish　image　in　the　
middle；　blowing　a　dry　shell。　Here　I　sat　down　on　a　doorstep；　quite　
spent　and　exhausted　with　the　efforts　I　had　already　made；　and　with　
hardly　breath　enough　to　cry　for　the　loss　of　my　box　and　half…guinea。　

It　was　by　this　time　dark；　I　heard　the　clocks　strike　ten；　as　I　sat　
resting。　But　it　was　a　summer　night；　fortunately；　and　fine　weather。　
When　I　had　recovered　my　breath；　and　had　got　rid　of　a　stifling　
sensation　in　my　throat；　I　rose　up　and　went　on。　In　the　midst　of　my　
distress；　I　had　no　notion　of　going　back。　I　doubt　if　I　should　have　had　
any；　though　there　had　been　a　Swiss　snow…drift　in　the　Kent　Road。　

But　my　standing　possessed　of　only　three…halfpence　in　the　world　
（and　I　am　sure　I　wonder　how　they　came　to　be　left　in　my　pocket　on　
a　Saturday　night！）　troubled　me　none　the　less　because　I　went　on。　I　
began　to　picture　to　myself；　as　a　scrap　of　newspaper　intelligence；　
my　being　found　dead　in　a　day　or　two；　under　some　hedge；　and　I　
trudged　on　miserably；　though　as　fast　as　I　could；　until　I　happened　
to　pass　a　little　shop；　where　it　was　written　up　that　ladies’　and　
gentlemen’s　wardrobes　were　bought；　and　that　the　best　price　was　
given　for　rags；　bones；　and　kitchen…stuff。　The　master　of　this　shop　

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was　sitting　at　the　door　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　smoking；　and　as　there　
were　a　great　many　coats　and　pairs　of　trousers　dangling　from　the　
low　ceiling；　and　only　two　feeble　candles　burning　inside　to　show　
what　they　were；　I　fancied　that　he　looked　like　a　man　of　a　revengeful　
disposition；　who　had　hung　all　his　enemies；　and　was　enjoying　
himself。　

My　late　experiences　with　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Micawber　suggested　to　
me　that　here　might　be　a　means　of　keeping　off　the　wolf　for　a　little　
while。　I　went　up　the　next　by…street；　took　off　my　waistcoat；　rolled　it　
neatly　under　my　arm；　and　came　back　to　the　shop　door。　

‘If　you　please；　sir；’　I　said；　‘I　am　to　sell　this　for　a　fair　price。’　

Mr。　Dolloby—Dolloby　was　the　name　over　the　shop　door；　at　
least—took　the　waistcoat；　stood　his　pipe　on　its　head；　against　the　
do