David Copperfield

Chapter 23
Chapter 10 Getting Support(2)
Now, the place is (or always was), as lovely as ever, but it doesn't feel the same to me.I was a little disappointed in it, perhaps because I hadn't seen little Emily.I knew her way back, so I immediately went along the way to meet her.

After a while, a figure appeared in the distance.I soon recognized that it was little Emily.Although she's getting older, her figure doesn't seem to have changed.But when she got closer, I saw that her blue eyes seemed to be bluer, her little face seemed to be more radiant, and her whole person seemed to be more beautiful and more beautiful.I suddenly had a strange idea, which made me pretend to be a stranger, as if I was looking at something in the distance, and walked past her.

Little Emily paid no attention.She clearly saw it, but instead of turning around to greet me, she ran away with a smile.So I had to run after her, and she ran so fast that I didn't catch her until we were near the cottage.

"Oh, who are you?" said little Em'ly.

"You know who it is, Emily," I said.

"Don't you know who it is?" said little Emily.I wanted to kiss her, but she covered her lips and said she was too big, so she ran into the house laughing even more.

She seemed to tease me deliberately, and that was the change in her that surprised me.Tea was set, and our little trunks were put in their place, but instead of sitting beside me, she went to stay with Mrs. Gummidge, who was always complaining.When Mr. Peggotty asked her why, she let her hair fall over her face so that it was hidden, and at the same time said nothing but laughed.

"A kitten!" said Mr. Peggotty, patting her with his large hand.

"Really, what a kitten!" cried Ham. "Master Wei, she is!" He sat there in a mood of admiration and admiration, amused her for a while, and saw her face like Red like fire.

In fact, little Em'ly was spoiled by everyone; Mr. Peggotty was still more spoiled.She could make him do anything as long as she ran up and put her face against his shaggy beard.And I've seen her do it, and I don't think Mr Peggotty has done too much.She was so affectionate, and so gentle, and had such a shrewd and shy look about her, that I liked her more than ever.

She was not hard-hearted, and when Mr. Peggotty referred to my misfortune, sitting round the fire after tea, she looked softly at me across the table with tearful eyes, and I was very grateful to her.

"Ah!" said Mr. Peggotty, taking her curly hair and letting it run like water over his hand. "It's an orphan too, sir, you know," said Mr. Peggotty, patting Ham's breast with the back of his hand. , "He's one too, though he doesn't look like much."

"If I had you as my guardian, Mr. Peggotty!" said I, shaking my head, "I don't think I should have thought I was an orphan."

"Well, Master Wayne, my friend!" said Ham cheerfully, "well, you'll never feel like an orphan, ah!"—here he patted Mr. Peggotty back with the back of his hand, and little Amy Lie stood up, and kissed Mr Peggotty.

"How is your friend, sir?" said Mr. Peggotty to me.

"Is that Steerforth?" I said.

"Exactly!" cried Mr. Peggotty, turning to Ham. "I know the name has something to do with our trade."

"You used to mean Lutford." Ham said with a smile.

"Ah!" retorted Mr. Peggotty. "It's the helm, isn't it? Not far off. How is he, sir?"

"He was all right when we parted, Mr Peggotty."

"That's a real friend!" said Mr. Peggotty, holding out his pipe. "If you make a friend! Oh, my God, what a treat to see him."

"He's handsome, isn't he?" My heart warmed up when I heard the words of praise for him.

"Yes!" cried Mr. Peggotty. "He stands before you like—like—oh, I don't know what he looks like before you. He's so daring."

"Yes, that's what he is," said I. "You can't imagine how frank he is, Mr. Peggotty."

"I do believe, then," said Mr. Peggotty, looking at me through the smoke of his pipe, "that there is no one like him when it comes to book learning."

"He's brilliant," I said cheerfully.

"That's a friend!" whispered Mr Peggotty, shaking his head solemnly.

"Nothing troubles him," said I, "anything he has but to look at, and he knows. He's the best cricketer; and in chess he'll give you the pieces you want, Then easily beat you."

Mr Peggotty shook his head again, as if to say: "He certainly can."

"He's an orator who can convince anybody," I continued. "If you hear him sing, Mr. Peggotty, I don't know what you're going to say."

Mr Peggotty shook his head again, as if to say: "I have no doubts."

"He was such a noble and generous man," I said, fascinated by my proud topic, and any words of praise for him are not too much. He is very grateful."

As I talked on and on, I looked at Emily's face, little Emily's face bent over the table, listening carefully, not daring to breathe, her blue eyes shining like jewels, and her cheeks puffed up. flushed.Her expression was so earnest and beautiful that I was amazed; and everyone looked at her at the same time, laughing and watching.

"Emily is like me," said Peggotty. "I wish I could see him."

Emily was so ashamed to be looked at by everyone, she bent her head, and her face was completely red, she looked up through her loose curls, and saw that everyone was looking at her, and I was one of them, and I could keep watching For hours she then ran away, hiding almost until bedtime.

I lay in my cot in the stern and the wind was whining across the sea as before.But now I can't help thinking that the wind whimpers for the dead; and now I think that it is not the tide that rises in the night and carries the boat away, but that the sea has risen and carried me away since the last time I heard its sound. Happy home covered.I remember, when the sound of the wind and the waves died away from my ears, I added to my prayers that I might marry little Emily someday, and I fell asleep with this love.

And so the days passed, as before, with one exception—I could not play on the beach with little Emily now.She has to learn her homework, and she has to do needlework, and she is outside most of the time every day.But even with her at home, I don't think we'll be the same.Although Emily is enthusiastic and full of longing, she is no longer the little girl I imagined, she is already an adult.In more than a year, she seemed to be farther away from me.But she also laughed at me and teased me; when I went to pick her up, she sneaked home by another way, and when I returned frustrated, she sat quietly at the door laughing.The best times are when she sits by the door and works while I sit on the wooden steps at her feet and read.I think, until now, I have never seen a brighter sun than that April afternoon; I have never seen a happier little girl than that old ship's door; I have never seen a wider and clearer sky than that and the golden sea.

On the first evening of our arrival, Mr. Bagis appeared, with a very awkward look, carrying a bag of oranges wrapped in a handkerchief.He didn't say anything about the package, and when he left it was thought that he had accidentally forgotten it and dropped the oranges.It wasn't until he came back from driving him away that he realized that it was for Peggotty, and from that time on he always came at the same time every night with a small bag, and never made any sign of it, and always left it at the door. rear.These presents of love are very strange in their variety.Among them, I remember, were two pairs of pig's trotters, a large thimble, half a barrel or so of apples, a pair of jet earrings, some Spanish onions, a box of dominoes, a canary bird with a cage, and a leg of pickled pork.

I remember Bagis's way of proposing in a very special way.He seldom spoke, and generally sat quietly by the fire, staring blankly at Peggotty opposite.One day, according to my guess, he might have been moved by love, and suddenly snatched the stump of a candle she used for threading, put it in his pocket, and left.Thereafter, whenever Peggotty wanted to use the candle-end, he took it out of his pocket (the candle-end, half-melted, was glued to the lining of his pocket), and put it back in his pocket after use.He seemed too happy to need to talk.I am sure that even when he took Peggotty to the beach he felt no unease in this respect, and was content to ask Peggotty from time to time if he was comfortable.I remember that sometimes, when he was gone, Peggotty would put his apron over his face, and laugh all the time.We were all more or less pleased, indeed, with the exception of Mrs. Gummidge, whose love life seemed to have been of the same character, and which continually reminded her of the old man.

As my visit drew to a close, it was at last announced that Peggotty and Mr. Barkis were going on a trip together, and that little Emily and I were to go.I often awoke in my dreams with joy at the thought of being able to be with little Emily all day to-morrow.We rose early the next morning, and while we were still having breakfast, Mr. Barkiss appeared from afar, driving a buggy towards the object of his love.

Peggotty was still in her neat, plain mourning dress, but Mr. Bagkis in a new blue coat.The tailor had such a good measure of his coat that he didn't need gloves even in the coldest weather, the collar was so high that his hair stood on top of his head, and his shiny cuff-links Also king size.With the brown trousers and yellow waistcoat, Mr. Baggis appeared to me to be a respectable and extraordinary man.

While we were bustling about outside the door, I found Mr Peggotty holding an old shoe in his hand, to be thrown behind us for safety, which he let Mrs Gummidge throw away.

"No, someone else would do it better, Dan," said Mrs. Gummidge. "I'm a loner myself, and anything that reminds me of people who aren't lonesome doesn't go my way."

"Come, big boy!" cried Mr Peggotty, "take it and throw it!"

"No! Dan!" cried Mrs. Gummidge, shaking her head. "If I felt less, I could do more. You don't feel like I do, and things don't work against you, and you don't work against them. It's up to you." Bar."

But by this time Peggotty, having kissed them all hastily, and sitting in the car (we were all seated now, Emily and I sitting side by side), called to Mrs. Gummidge to throw.Mrs Gummidge did, but it was a pity that she spoiled our excursion, for when she had thrown away she burst into tears and threw herself into Ham's arms, saying that she was a burden to others and that she had better come in at once. poorhouse.I do believe that this is a sensible course, and that Ham should act upon it.

Nevertheless we set out on our journey.The first thing we did was stop before a church, and Mr. Barkis tied up his horse, and went in with Peggotty, leaving Emily and I in the car.I took the opportunity to wrap my arms around Emily's waist and tell her that I'm leaving soon and we should help each other and be happy all day long.Little Emily complied, and allowed me to kiss her.So I said to her, I will never love anyone again, and I will kill anyone who woos her.

Little Em'ly laughed so hard when I said this.Called me a "silly boy" like a genie with the pride of being older and serious than me; then laughed happily, and I just looked at her and forgot the insulting title she gave me that made me sick .

They stayed in church for a long time, but came back, and then we went off into the country.As we advanced, Mr. Barkiss turned to me furtively, and with a wink--which, I may say in passing, I had hardly thought of him before--he said:

"Do you remember the name I used to write on the car?"

"Clara Peggotty," I said.

"If I were to write now, what should I write?"

"Or Clara Peggotty?" I suggested.

"No, it should be Clara Peggotty Baggis!" he replied, and laughed so loudly that the car shook.

In short, they went to church and got married.Peggotty wanted to celebrate the wedding in silence, with the priest as officiant, without any spectators.When Mr. Baggis suddenly announced the news of their union, she was a little overwhelmed, and put her arms around me and squeezed me to show that her affection for me was not affected.But she calmed down soon after and said she was glad it was done.

We drove to a small inn on a small road, where a delicious lunch was prepared for us, and we spent the day contentedly.If Peggotty had been married every day for the past ten years, I am afraid she would not have found marriage any more ordinary than it is now, and it has changed her in no way; she took little Emily and me out before tea, as she used to do. After a walk, Mr. Bagis smoked in silence in the shop, and I guessed that this blissful silence amused him.If it is what I think, then this kind of silence has increased his appetite. I vaguely remember that he ate a lot of pork and vegetables at lunch, and a chicken or two, but he also ate at tea. Well cooked bacon, eaten a lot without making a fuss.

(End of this chapter)