david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第49部分

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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　

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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　

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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　

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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；　

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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。’　

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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