David Copperfield

Chapter 40 I am a new student in more than one sense (3)
Chapter No.16 I am a new student in more than one sense (3)
Mr. Jack Melton was already there.Mrs. Strong, in white with cherry bows, was playing, and when we came in, Mr. Jack Melton leaned over her and turned the pages for her.When she turned around, I felt that her usual red and white face was not as gorgeous as usual, but her appearance was so beautiful that it took people's breath away.

"Today, your birthday, Doctor," said Mrs. Strong's mother, when we were seated, "congratulations to you. Although, as you can imagine, my congratulations are not exactly congratulations, I wish you a long life! "

"I thank you, ma'am," replied the doctor.

"Live long, live long," said the old soldier, "and not only for yourself, but for Jack Melton, and for many others. As if it were only yesterday, you little devil, who were better than Master David lowered his head, behind the gooseberry bushes in the back garden, he and Anne were childhood sweethearts, like little lovers."

"Mother, please," said Mrs. Strong, "what are you talking about?"

"Don't be confused, Anne," went on her mother; "you are a married man, and if you blush at this, when will you not blush at it?"

"Yes, Jack," continued the "Old Soldier," "as a matter of fact, she was a married old woman. Not very old—when did you ever hear me say, or who said, that a twenty-year-old The girl is old--your cousin is the doctor's wife, that's why I said so. You're good for the doctor's brother-in-law, Jack! You should understand that the doctor is a powerful and righteous man I don't want to put on airs, I've always thought there were some in our family who needed a friend to help you. You were one of them until you got a friend through your cousin."

The doctor waved his hand, as if he didn't want to reveal the old story of Mr. Jack Melton again, so as to cover up this matter.But Mrs. Ma Kan sat on a chair next to the doctor, put her fan on her sleeve, and said:

"Never mind, never mind, my dear doctor, if I babble too much, you must not blame me, for I am so moved that I cannot help wanting to talk about my favorite subjects. You are God's blessing to us, you understandable."

"Joke, joke," said the Doctor.

"No, no," answered the "Old Soldier," "there is no one here but our dear and faithful friend Mr. Wakefield, and I do not consent to your oppressing me. If you continue, I will use my mother-in-law I am very frank and straight. What I want to say is: I was flattered by your proposal to Anne, you remember how surprised I was, I was not surprised by the fact of the proposal I mean, you were an old friend of her poor father's, and you liked her when she was a baby, so it never occurred to me to treat you like that. Anyway, anyway, No way of treating you as someone who's planning to marry, that's what I mean."

"Yes, yes," said the Doctor, smiling, "no need to repeat the old story."

"I must say," said the "Old Soldier," holding his fan close to the Doctor's lips, "that I'm talking about these old things again just to give you a chance to contradict me. I told all this ancient stuff then. Anne. I said to her, 'My dear, Dr. Strong proposed to you formally.' Did I not mean anything forced? No. I just said, 'Anne, tell me your truth: are you Do you have a sweetheart?' she cried, "Mother, I'm so young, I don't know anything about it."—she said that. I said, "Okay, dear, I'm I know it. Anyway, my dear, Dr. Strong is still hesitating. We have to tell him anyway. We can’t let him worry about it all the time." Anne still cried and said: "Without me , he wouldn't be happy, would he? Then I'd have to marry him, and I'd adore him.' So it was settled. That's when I said to her, 'Anne, Strong The Doctor is not just your husband, he is the future head of our family, acting as your father, guiding us in our lives, maintaining our family traditions, and helping us get on with our lives. In short, our family Benefactor.' I say the same thing now as I said then, and it has always been my style."

While Mrs. Ma Kan was speaking, her daughter sat motionless, staring at the ground.Her cousin stood beside her, also staring at the ground.After she finished speaking, she said in a low voice with a little anxiety:

"Mom, have you finished all your words?"

"No, dear Anne," answered the "Old Soldier," "not yet."

"Since you say so, I confess that I have not finished. I cannot complain about your inhumanity, but I have to complain about your husband. Now, you dear doctor, look at your Silly lady."

The Doctor turned to the Mistress, with a benevolent face, and the Doctor kept her head very low, and I noticed that Mr. Wickfield was staring at her.

"A few days ago, I met that naughty boy," her mother said jokingly, picking up the old topic, shaking her fan and shaking her head, "There is something about our family, she can tell you about it—actually , she must say something—guess what she said? She said that telling you is tantamount to revealing the truth to you, and you are always generous and will definitely help us. In this case, she is naturally embarrassed."

"Anne, my dear," said the Doctor, "it's your fault. Don't you deprive me of the pleasure if you don't tell me?"

"That's what I think," cried her mother. "I told her that if the same thing happened again, I would tell you. But if she won't for that reason, I'll have to talk to you myself."

"If you will tell me, I am very willing," replied the doctor.

"In that case, I'll say it."

"of course can."

"Well, it's time to say it, so be it." She finally got her wish (I think so), she first kissed the fan, then put the fan on the doctor's hand and tapped it a few times, proudly back to where he was sitting.

More people came, two teachers and a guest named Adams, and the conversation turned to Mr. Jack Melton's journey.Everyone talked about the country he was going to, about his plans and his future.Jack Melton was going to set off after dinner that night, first by car to Gravezen, and then by boat to India.He does not know when he will be able to return to China, and his hope may be very slim, unless he needs to take leave due to his physical condition to return to China for recuperation.The consensus at the time was that India wasn't as ridiculous as it was made out to be, in fact, it wasn't all that boring except for the occasional tiger or two, or the extreme heat.And I take Mr. Jack Melton as Sinbad, as the confidant of the Indian princes and nobles, who spends his days carrying round gold hookahs, at least a mile long.

Mrs. Strong was a singer, I knew early on, for I had often heard her singing by herself for amusement.But that night, due to stage fright or a bad voice, she didn't sing.Once, she wanted to sing with her cousin, Mr. Melton, but she couldn't.Later, she asked to sing alone. The beginning was very good, but she stopped suddenly after singing a section, and then lay on the piano keys sadly.The good doctor suggested a game of cards.In fact, he knew as much about it as he did about blowing the trumpet.But I saw that the "veteran" immediately took him into custody and asked him to be her companion.As a first step in partnership, she made him surrender all the coins in his pocket.

Although the two butterflies of the "veteran" watched over the Doctor, the Doctor made many mistakes which greatly irritated them.Still, I had a lot of fun watching the game.Mrs. Strong refused to attend, and Melton, who had to pack his bags, also excused himself.But he came back after unpacking, and they talked together.

By dinner time, none of us were in the mood for a game of cards.Everyone seemed to think that such a separation was sad, and that the closer it was, the more embarrassing it was.Mr. Jack Melton tried his best to change the situation, but his clumsiness only made it worse.I don't think the "veteran" made things any better. She kept thinking about Mr. Jack Melton's childhood.

However, I can affirm that the doctor thought that everyone was happy, and he was very happy, but this was only his own wishful thinking.

"Annie, my darling!" said he, looking at his watch, filling his glass, "your cousin must be on his way, and we should not detain him, for time and tide--two things which have anything to do with the present situation Factor—Will not wait. Mr. Jack Melton, you have a long voyage and a new country ahead of you, but many have gone through it, and many will. Send people to the road of happiness, and bring people back safely."

Mrs. Ma Kan said: "It is a sad thing to see a young man who has known him since he was a baby leave us, leaving behind everything he is familiar with and knowing nothing about what will happen in the future. No matter what, it is sad. We should continue to give care and help to such a young man who is willing to sacrifice." She looked at the doctor and said.

"The days must pass quickly, Mr. Jack Melton," continued the Doctor, "as well as we do. Some of us cannot hope to greet you on your return, which is It is common sense. I wish to send you off, if not wished for. That is what I long for. I am tired of persuading you. You already have a good example in your cousin Anne, learn as much as you can her conduct."

Mrs. Ma Kan shook her head while fanning her fan.

"Bon voyage, Mr. Jack," said the doctor, getting up, and they all stood up. "I wish you all the best in everything you do abroad, and a happy return home in the future!"

We all drank and shook hands with Mr. Melton; then he bade his ladies adieu hastily, and hurried to the door.We cheered him wildly as he was about to get into the car, which was the purpose of our gathering on the grass.I also ran over to join them, and I was very close to the car when it pulled into motion.So, in the midst of the bustle and dust flying, I deeply engraved such an impression in my mind: Mr. Jack Melton was very moved, holding a cherry-colored thing in his hand, and sitting in the car Rumble away.

The students cheered enthusiastically for the doctor, and cheered enthusiastically for the doctor's wife, and then disbanded.So I went back into the room and there were all the guests standing around the doctor, talking about how Jack Melton had left, how he had suffered, how he had been sentimental, and so on.When everyone was talking, Mrs. Ma Kan asked loudly, "Where is my Annie?"

Annie was out of sight, and everyone shouted her name, but there was no response from her.They then rushed out of the room to see what had happened, only to find her slumped on the hall floor.After much alarm at first, it was discovered that she had merely fainted, and ordinary rescue methods were used to revive her.At this time, the doctor put her head on his knees, brushed her hair gently with his hands, and said kindly:

"Poor Anne! She is very sincere, and very kind. To be so heartbroken at being parted from her childhood friend, her beloved cousin. Ah! poor! I am very sorry!"

Later she opened her eyes, saw where she was, and saw everyone waiting beside her, she stood up slowly, turned her face away, leaned on the doctor's shoulder, or covered her face, I I don't know which one.We went back to the living room and left her alone with the doctor and her mother.But she said she felt better than getting up in the morning, and she liked playing with everyone.So they helped her up and sat her down, and I saw that she was very pale and weak.

"Anne, my dear," said her mother, gathering her dress, "look! your rosette is gone. Please look for that knot—a cherry-colored one!"

It was a rosette she wore on her chest.We all looked for it, and we did look around, but no one was found.

"Do you remember where the bows were still worn at the end, Anne?" asked her mother.

She replied that she thought she had been wearing a bow not so long ago.However, she told everyone that there is no need to look for it.When she said that, I wondered how she looked so pale.

But we are still working on it.She begged everyone not to search, but they searched wildly, until they found her fully recovered, when everyone said goodbye.

We - Mr. Wakefield, Agnes and myself - walked slowly home.Agnes and I admired the moonlight, but Mr. Wakefield rarely raised his eyes.When we came to our own door, Agnes found her little handbag left behind.I immediately ran over to find her a small handbag, a rare opportunity to serve her.

I went into the dinner room first, because Agnes said she had left her purse there, but there was no one and no light.The door of the doctor's study was open and lighted, so I went to explain my purpose, and take a candle.

The Doctor sat peacefully in his easy chair, and his beautiful wife sat on a stool at his feet.The Doctor read aloud, with a benevolent smile, an explanation from his inexhaustible dictionary or a manuscript describing a theory, while his wife looked up at him in a way I had never seen before. —her face is so beautiful, her face is so pale, her expression is so focused, and I don't know, so full of frantic, somnambulistic, dream-like terror--look up with him.Her eyes were so wide, and her brown hair fell over her shoulders and over her knotless dress.Although I clearly remember her expression at that time, I can't explain the meaning it expressed.Even if it were reproduced now, it would still fail to account, to my abler judgment, of what it signified.Remorse, shame, shame, arrogance, love, fidelity, I've seen it all.But in all this feeling I always see an arrogance I don't know.

My sudden intrusion, and my stated purpose, woke her up and disturbed the Doctor, for he was stroking her with his fatherly manner as I returned the candle I had taken from the table. And said that he was so cruel, he read the dictionary manuscript to her regardless of her feelings, he should tell her to rest.

But she begged him, with promptness and urgency, to let her stay, to let her feel (as I judged by the continued murmurs) his trust in her that very night.When I left the room and went to the door she glanced at me and turned to him, then she folded her hands on his knees and looked up at him in the same way.Her face softened a little as the Doctor continued reading.

I was deeply impressed by this situation, and after a long time later, I still remember it.In due course I will describe it.

(End of this chapter)