david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第46部分

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world　out　of　such　strange　experiences　and　sordid　things！　

Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics　


David　Copperfield　

Chapter　12　

LIKING　LIFE　ON　MY　OWN　ACCOUNT　NO
BETTER；　I　FORM　A　GREAT　RESOLUTION


In　due　time；　Mr。　Micawber’s　petition　was　ripe　for　hearing；　and　
that　gentleman　was　ordered　to　be　discharged　under　the　Act；　
to　my　great　joy。　His　creditors　were　not　implacable；　and　Mrs。　
Micawber　informed　me　that　even　the　revengeful　boot…maker　had　
declared　in　open　court　that　he　bore　him　no　malice；　but　that　when　
money　was　owing　to　him　he　liked　to　be　paid。　He　said　he　thought　it　
was　human　nature。　

M　r　Micawber　returned　to　the　King’s　Bench　when　his　case　was　
over；　as　some　fees　were　to　be　settled；　and　some　formalities　
observed；　before　he　could　be　actually　released。　The　club　received　
him　with　transport；　and　held　an　harmonic　meeting　that　evening　in　
his　honour；　while　Mrs。　Micawber　and　I　had　a　lamb’s　fry　in　private；　
surrounded　by　the　sleeping　family。　

‘On　such　an　occasion　I　will　give　you；　Master　Copperfield；’　said　
Mrs。　Micawber；　‘in　a　little　more　flip；’　for　we　had　been　having　some　
already；　‘the　memory　of　my　papa　and　mama。’　

‘Are　they　dead；　ma’am？’　I　inquired；　after　drinking　the　toast　in　a　
wine…glass。　

‘My　mama　departed　this　life；’　said　Mrs。　Micawber；　‘before　Mr。　
Micawber’s　difficulties　commenced；　or　at　least　before　they　became　
pressing。　My　papa　lived　to　bail　Mr。　Micawber　several　times；　and　
then　expired；　regretted　by　a　numerous　circle。’　

Mrs。　Micawber　shook　her　head；　and　dropped　a　pious　tear　upon　

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David　Copperfield　

the　twin　who　happened　to　be　in　hand。　

As　I　could　hardly　hope　for　a　more　favourable　opportunity　of　
putting　a　question　in　which　I　had　a　near　interest；　I　said　to　Mrs。　
Micawber：　

‘May　I　ask；　ma’am；　what　you　and　Mr。　Micawber　intend　to　do；　
now　that　Mr。　Micawber　is　out　of　his　difficulties；　and　at　liberty？　
Have　you　settled　yet？’　

‘My　family；’　said　Mrs。　Micawber；　who　always　said　those　two　
words　with　an　air；　though　I　never　could　discover　who　came　under　
the　denomination；　‘my　family　are　of　opinion　that　Mr。　Micawber　
should　quit　London；　and　exert　his　talents　in　the　country。　Mr。　
Micawber　is　a　man　of　great　talent；　Master　Copperfield。’　

I　said　I　was　sure　of　that。　

‘Of　great　talent；’　repeated　Mrs。　Micawber。　‘My　family　are　of　
opinion；　that；　with　a　little　interest；　something　might　be　done　for　a　
man　of　his　ability　in　the　Custom　House。　The　influence　of　my　family　
being　local；　it　is　their　wish　that　Mr。　Micawber　should　go　down　to　
Plymouth。　They　think　it　indispensable　that　he　should　be　upon　the　
spot。’　

‘That　he　may　be　ready？’　I　suggested。　

‘Exactly；’　returned　Mrs。　Micawber。　‘That　he　may　be　ready—in　
case　of　anything　turning　up。’　

‘And　do　you　go　too；　ma’am？’　

The　events　of　the　day；　in　combination　with　the　twins；　if　not　with　
the　flip；　had　made　Mrs。　Micawber　hysterical；　and　she　shed　tears　as　
she　replied：　

‘I　never　will　desert　Mr。　Micawber。　Mr。　Micawber　may　have　
concealed　his　difficulties　from　me　in　the　first　instance；　but　his　
sanguine　temper　may　have　led　him　to　expect　that　he　would　

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David　Copperfield　240　

overcome　them。　The　pearl　necklace　and　bracelets　which　I　
inherited　from　mama；　have　been　disposed　of　for　less　than　half　
their　value；　and　the　set　of　coral；　which　was　the　wedding　gift　of　my　
papa；　has　been　actually　thrown　away　for　nothing。　But　I　never　will　
desert　Mr。　Micawber。　No！’　cried　Mrs。　Micawber；　more　affected　
than　before；　‘I　never　will　do　it！　It’s　of　no　use　asking　me！’　

I　felt　quite　uncomfortable—as　if　Mrs。　Micawber　supposed　I　had　
asked　her　to　do　anything　of　the　sort！—and　sat　looking　at　her　in　
alarm。　

‘Mr。　Micawber　has　his　faults。　I　do　not　deny　that　he　is　
improvident。　I　do　not　deny　that　he　has　kept　me　in　the　dark　as　to　
his　resources　and　his　liabilities　both；’　she　went　on；　looking　at　the　
wall；　‘but　I　never　will　desert　Mr。　Micawber！’　

Mrs。　Micawber　having　now　raised　her　voice　into　a　perfect　
scream；　I　was　so　frightened　that　I　ran　off　to　the　club…room；　and　
disturbed　Mr。　Micawber　in　the　act　of　presiding　at　a　long　table；　and　
leading　the　chorus　of　

Gee　up；　Dobbin；
Gee　ho；　Dobbin；
Gee　up；　Dobbin；
Gee　up；　and　gee　ho—o—o！


—with　the　tidings　that　Mrs。　Micawber　was　in　an　alarming　state；　
upon　which　he　immediately　burst　into　tears；　and　came　away　with　
me　with　his　waistcoat　full　of　the　heads　and　tails　of　shrimps；　of　
which　he　had　been　partaking。　

‘Emma；　my　angel！’　cried　Mr。　Micawber；　running　into　the　room；　
‘what　is　the　matter？’　

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David　Copperfield　

‘I　never　will　desert　you；　Micawber！’　she　exclaimed。　

‘My　life！’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　taking　her　in　his　arms。　‘I　am　
perfectly　aware　of　it。’　

‘He　is　the　parent　of　my　children！　He　is　the　father　of　my　twins！　
He　is　the　husband　of　my　affections；’　cried　Mrs。　Micawber；　
struggling；　‘and　I　ne—ver—will—desert　Mr。　Micawber！’　

Mr。　Micawber　was　so　deeply　affected　by　this　proof　of　her　
devotion　（as　to　me；　I　was　dissolved　in　tears）；　that　he　hung　over　her　
in　a　passionate　manner；　imploring　her　to　look　up；　and　to　be　calm。　
But　the　more　he　asked　Mrs。　Micawber　to　look　up；　the　more　she　
fixed　her　eyes　on　nothing；　and　the　more　he　asked　her　to　compose　
herself；　the　more　she　wouldn’t。　Consequently　Mr。　Micawber　was　
soon　so　overcome；　that　he　mingled　his　tears　with　hers　and　mine；　
until　he　begged　me　to　do　him　the　favour　of　taking　a　chair　on　the　
staircase；　while　he　got　her　into　bed。　I　would　have　taken　my　leave　
for　the　night；　but　he　would　not　hear　of　my　doing　that　until　the　
strangers’　bell　should　ring。　So　I　sat　at　the　staircase　window；　until　
he　came　out　with　another　chair　and　joined　me。　

‘How　is　Mrs。　Micawber　now；　sir？’　I　said。　

‘Very　low；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　shaking　his　head；　‘reaction。　Ah；　
this　has　been　a　dreadful　day！　We　stand　alone　now—everything　is　
gone　from　us！’　

Mr。　Micawber　pressed　my　hand；　and　groaned；　and　afterwards　
shed　tears。　I　was　greatly　touched；　and　disappointed　too；　for　I　had　
expected　that　we　should　be　quite　gay　on　this　happy　and　long…
looked…for　occasion。　But　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Micawber　were　so　used　to　
their　old　difficulties；　I　think；　that　they　felt　quite　shipwrecked　when　
they　came　to　consider　that　they　were　released　from　them。　All　their　
elasticity　was　departed；　and　I　never　saw　them　half　so　wretched　as　

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David　Copperfield　

on　this　night；　insomuch　that　when　the　bell　rang；　and　Mr。　
Micawber　walked　with　me　to　the　lodge；　and　parted　from　me　there　
with　a　blessing；　I　felt　quite　afraid　to　leave　him　by　himself；　he　was　
so　profoundly　miserable。　

But　through　all　the　confusion　and　lowness　of　spirits　in　which　
we　had　been；　so　unexpectedly　to　me；　involved；　I　plainly　discerned　
that　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Micawber　and　their　family　were　going　away　
from　London；　and　that　a　parting　between　us　was　near　at　hand。　It　
was　in　my　walk　home　that　night；　and　in　the　sleepless　hours　which　
followed　when　I　lay　in　bed；　that　the　thought　first　occurred　to　me—　
though　I　don’t　know　how　it　came　into　my　head—which　afterwards　
shaped　itself　into　a　settled　resolution。　

I　had　grown　to　be　so　accustomed　to　the　Micawbers；　and　had　
been　so　intimate　with　them　in　their　distresses；　and　was　so　utterly　
friendless　without　them；　that　the　prospect　of　being　thrown　upon　
some　new　shift　for　a　lodging；　and　going　once　more　among　
unknown　people；　was　like　being　that　moment　turned　adrift　into　
my　present　life；　with　such　a　knowledge　of　it　ready　made　as　
experience　had　given　me。　All　the　sensitive　feelings　it　wounded　so　
cruelly；　all　the　shame　and　misery　it　kept　alive　within　my　breast；　
became　more　poignant　as　I　thought　of　this；　and　I　determined　that　
the　life　was　unendurable。　

That　there　was　no　hope　of　escape　from　it；　unless　the　escape　was　
my　own　act；　I　knew　quite　well。　I　rarely　heard　from　Miss　
Murdstone；　and　never　from　Mr。　Murdstone：　but　two　or　three　
parcels　of　made　or　mended　clothes　had　come　up　for　me；　consigned　
to　Mr。　Quinion；　and　in　each　there　was　a　scrap　of　paper　to　the　effect　
that　J。　M。　trusted　D。　C。　was　applying　himself　to　business；　and　
devoting　himself　wholly　to　his　duties—not　the　least　hint　of　my　ever　

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David　Copperfield　

being　anything　else　than　the　common　drudge　into　which　I　was　fast　
settling　down。　

The　very　next　day　showed　me；　while　my　mind　was　in　the　first　
agitation　of　what　it　had　conceived；　that　Mrs。　Micawber　had　not　
spoken　of　their　going　away　without　warrant。　They　took　a　lodging　
in　the　house　where　I　lived；　for　a　week；　at　the　expiration　of　which　
time　they　were　to　start　for　Plymouth。　Mr。　Micawber　himself　came　
down　to　the　counting…house；　in　the　afternoon；　to　tell　Mr。　Quinion　
that　he　must　relinquish　me　on　the　day　of　his　departure；　and　to　give　
me　a　high　character；　which　I　am　sure　I　deserved。　And　Mr。　
Quinion；　calling　in　Tipp　the　carman；　who　was　a　married　man；　and　
had　a　room　to　let；　quartered　me　prospectively　on　him—by　our　
mutual　consent；　as　he　had　every　reason　to　think；　for　I　said　nothing；　
though　my　resolution　was