David Copperfield

Chapter 17 First Semester at Salem (3)
Chapter 7 First term at Salem (3)
"How did I bully him?" asked Steerforth.

"What did you do to him?" retorted Traddles. "You made him sad, and cost him his job."

"Screw him!" repeated Steerforth. "He won't be sad all the time. I'll bet he doesn't have a soft heart like yours. As for his employment—that's a valuable position, isn't it?— And you think I can't write home and try to give him some money, my little girl?"

We all thought Steerforth's intention was admirable.His mother was a wealthy widow, and it was said that she would obey him no matter what he wanted.We were all very pleased to see Traddles so persuaded.Admire him even more; especially when he says that everything he does is for us.He has done us a great favor by disregarding his own interests in this way.

But I must say that more than once that night, while I was telling stories in the dark, Mr. Meyer's flute whined in my ears; , I feel very uncomfortable.

I soon forgot about Mr. Meyer, for I saw Steerforth, in a relaxed manner, without even needing a book (I thought he knew everything), taking over Mr. Meyer's class until the new teacher arrived.Then a new teacher from the Latin school came, and he was introduced to meet Steerforth in the drawing-room before he took over.Steerforth was very approving of him, and told us he was very capable. How capable he was, I don't know very well, but I respected him and never doubted his intellectual prowess.But he never treated me—not that I was any great person—as much as Mr. Meyer did.

In the past six months, there is another thing that impressed me deeply.

This afternoon, when we were dazed with our books, and Mr. Crigul was still thrashing, Tungay came in, and cried in his sonorous voice: "Copperfield, there is a man! "

He exchanged a few words with M. Crigul about who the guests were, and what room they were being taken to; Go out by the back stairs, put on a clean dress and go to the living room to wait.I did as I said, and when I came to the drawing-room door, I guessed it might be my mother—Mr. Before, calm down.

At first I couldn't see anyone; I just felt the pressure behind the door, so I looked behind it, and to my surprise it was Mr Peggotty and Ham, pushing each other against the wall, and taking off their hats and bowing to me. .I couldn't help laughing; but mostly because I saw them happy, not because they looked ridiculous.We shook hands affectionately, and I laughed again until I burst into tears.

Mr. Peggotty (who remained open throughout the interview, I think) was disturbed at seeing me wipe my tears, and nudged Ham with his arm, to bid him say a few words.

"Get excited, Master Wei!" Ham said with his unique silly smile, "ah, you've grown again!"

"I'm old!" I said, wiping my tears.I don't know why I cry, maybe it's because I can't help crying when I see old friends.

"Do you think he's grown?" said Ham.

"It's grown!" said Mr. Peggotty.

The two of them laughed at each other and made me laugh too, so the three of us laughed together until I was in danger of crying again.

"Do you know my mother, Mr. Peggotty," said I, "and my dear dear old Peggotty?"

"Excellent," said Mr Peggotty.

"And where is little Emily? How is Mrs. Gummidge?"

"All very well," said Mr Peggotty.

Then Mr. Peggotty took out of his pocket two lobsters of incomparable size, and a large crab, and a canvas bag of prawns, which heaped between Ham's arms.

"You see, when you were with us we knew you liked game, so we didn't mind your laughing, and brought you these, and they were cooked by the old mother. She cooked them herself, yes, Mrs. Gummidge. Yes." Mr Peggotty kept talking about this subject, probably because he had no other subject ready.

I thanked him, and Mr Peggotty looked at Ham, who was standing with a smile in his arms, and made no effort to help him, and said:

"We went from Yarmouth to Gravezen in a calm way. My sister wrote us the name of the place, and wrote that if we came here, we must come here to see Master Wei, and send her regards, And tell your family that all is well. You know, as soon as we got back we made little Emily write to my sister, and tell her we saw you, and that you were well, and that would be a game of circles."

I expressed my gratitude heartily, and said I believed little Em'ly must have changed since our days when we used to pick up shells and pebbles on the beach, and I thought I blushed when I said this.

"She looks like an adult, that's right, she has become like a big girl. If you don't believe me, ask him."

Mr Peggotty pointed to Ham, who grinningly agreed to the sack of prawns.

"Her face is beautiful!" said Mr. Peggotty. "Her face shone like a lamp."

"Not to mention her learning!" said Ham.

"Her calligraphy," said Mr. Peggotty, "oh, it's as black as jet! And it's so big that you can see it clearly wherever you are."

It was very pleasing that Mr. Peggotty's heart glowed at the thought of his little treasure.He stood before me again, and his shaggy face was full of frankness, joyful love, and a radiance of triumph that I cannot describe.His honest eyes shone, too, as though something bright were stirred deep within them.His chest rose and fell.His strong hands were clasped together; again he moved his right arm to emphasize what he said.

Ham was as sincere as Mr. Peggotty.They must have had much to say about Emily if they had not been cramped by Steerforth's unexpected entry.Steerforth, seeing me standing in a corner with two strangers, stopped his humming and said, "I didn't know you were here, little Copperfield!" The side went out.

I am not sure whether I was proud to have such a friend as Steerforth, or because I wanted to explain to him that I had such a friend as Mr. Peggotty, when he was going out. I called him over when I said modestly—all these days I can remember it all now—“Don’t go, Steerforth, this is the fisherman of Yarmouth—very kind Kind people—they are relatives of my nanny who came to see me from Gravezen."

"Oh!" said Steerforth, looking back. "It's a pleasure meeting you. How are you two?"

His demeanor was unhurried—a pleasant grace, but not in any way domineering—and I still believe there was something charming about it.Because of his calm and generous demeanor, relaxed and lively character, melodious voice, comely appearance, and elegant figure, it is difficult for others to refuse this charm, so no matter where he goes, he carries a kind of magic.I knew right then and there how much they liked him, how they opened their hearts to him in an instant.

"You must let your family know when you send your letters, Mr. Peggotty," said I, "that Mr. Steerforth has been very good to me, and I don't know what I would do here without him."

"You mustn't tell them that," said Steerforth, laughing.

"If Steerforth comes to Norfolk or Suffolk, Mr. Peggotty," said I, "if you don't worry, if he will, I'll take him to see you. Surely you haven't, Steerforth." Such a fancy house, that was made of a boat!"

"A boat!" said Steerforth. "Really? For a true fisherman, that's quite fitting."

"Yes, my lord, yes, my lord," said Ham, baring his teeth, "you're right, my lord, he's a real boatman."

Mr. Peggotty shared his nephew's joy, but he was too humble to accept such personal flattery as his nephew.

"Yes, master," he said while bowing and stuffing the scarf into his bosom with a smile, "thank you, master, thank you! In our business, you must not relax in the slightest, master."

"That's what the best man can do, Mr. Peggotty," said Steerforth, whose last name he already knew.

"I'll bet you're the best too, sir," said Mr. Peggotty, shaking his head, "and you must be doing very well, too! Thank you, sir. I thank you as soon as I saw you." Don't treat us as outsiders. I look rude, but I am straightforward. You know, young master, my house is nothing to see, but if you come to see it with Master Wei, then we will try our best to entertain you. I'm quite a snail, I must be," said Mr Peggotty.What he's saying is that he walks so slowly, like a snail, because he leaves after every sentence, but somehow comes back, "I wish you both well, I wish you both happiness!"

Ham said the same kind words, and we parted them with the most cordiality.I could hardly resist mentioning little Emily to Steerforth that night, but I was too shy to mention her name, and too afraid he would make fun of me, to hold back.I remember thinking with great uneasiness what Mr. Peggotty had said about her becoming a grown-up, though I thought afterwards it was meaningless.

We smuggled those things, what Mr. Peggotty called "game," into our dormitories.We had a good meal that night.But Traddles could not enjoy it merrily; he was too unlucky to be quiet even for a meal.He fell ill from eating crabs, and after taking large quantities of black potions and blue pills--his father was a doctor, according to Temple, enough to eat a horse--were clubbed and scribbled six. Chapter of the Greek Bible was punished for his refusal to recognize it.

The rest of that half-year was nothing to remember: the daily struggles of life; The classroom is like a big machine that makes people tremble; boiled beef, boiled mutton, and roast mutton appear on the dining table in turn; Rulers, canings, haircuts, rainy Sundays, lard pudding; and a filthy atmosphere with ink splashed everywhere.

But I still remember that distant vacation, which seemed at first like a small fixed black spot, and gradually came to us, bigger and bigger; we counted first month by month, then week by week Counting land, and then counting day by day.Then I began to be afraid, lest my family would not let me go home, and then I heard from Steerforth that my notice had come, and that I was going to break a leg before I went home. idea.At last the holiday drew nearer, and that night I boarded the mail coach for Yarmouth.

(End of this chapter)