David Copperfield

Chapter 80 The Beginning of a Long Journey (2)
Chapter 32 The beginning of a long journey (2)
"Listen!" She walked towards the door, looking at me. "I have reason to think that they have gone to a foreign country. As soon as they come back, and I am still alive, a wandering person like me will definitely be faster." to find them. Whatever I know, I will tell you, if I can do anything for the poor deceived girl, I will do it with all my strength, if God likes it! As for Li Timo, except Xiaomao Besides Kiel, there must be a hound behind him!"

"You should trust me as you would a woman of modest stature," the little man patted my hand. "If you see me again as you did when you first saw me, you must pay attention I'm an improvised little man. When you see me with my brother and sister, maybe you won't blame me. Goodbye!"

I had a very different impression of Miss Molcher, and after seeing her off I went to bed and slept till dawn.

Mr. Peggotty and my old nurse came to wake me up, and we went to the box-office, where Mrs. Gummidge, Ham, and the others bid us farewell.

"Master Weiss," said Ham in a low voice, "Mr Peggotty's life is all over, he doesn't know whither he's going; he doesn't know what he's facing; unless he gets what he wants, he'll be adrift till he dies. Yes, please take care of him, Master Wei."

"Of course, I'll take care of him," I said to Ham.

"Thank you. You are so kind, Master. And Master Wei, I have a good income, and I have no place to spend money. If it is not for living, money is no longer useful to me. If it can be used on you, I'm more in the mood to work," he said, "and, I definitely give my best work!"

I said to him, of course I believe he can do it, and hinted: I hope that one day he will no longer live his lonely life.

"No, sir," said he, "that's all over, and there's no one else to make up for that defect, and please keep an eye on the money, there's always some for him at any time!"

We said good-bye to each other, and I thought sadly of his deep sorrow as we said good-bye.

Mrs. Gummidge looked tearfully at Mr. Peggotty on the roof.

When we reached our destination, our first order of business was to find a place for Peggotty to live, while her brother could sleep there.We soon found a clean and cheap place, and when we booked the dormitories I bought something to eat and took them home for tea.

Mr. Peggotty suggested, on his way to London, to see Mrs. Steerforth first.Hoping not to hurt the mother's feelings, I wrote her a letter that night.I told her about the harm he had suffered and my own responsibility for it.I said that although his status is low, his character is the most noble and upright.I hope she won't refuse to see him in his agony.And tell her we'll be visiting at two o'clock in the afternoon.

At two o'clock, we waited at the door.

The happier face, which had taken the place of Lytimus on my last visit, opened the door for us.Mrs Steerforth was already seated in the drawing-room.When I went in, Rosa Dartle came from the room and stood behind her.

Her face showed that she knew what had happened.

She looked at him with dignity, firmness, and coolness; he looked at her intently.Rosa Dartle's piercing gaze fixed us all.She made Mr Peggotty sit down.He said, "Ma'am, I don't feel comfortable sitting in the house. I'd rather stand."

She said, "What do you want me to do?"

He took out Emily's letter, spread it out, and handed it to her.

"Please read this letter from my niece, ma'am."

She read it with an expression of being unmoved by the contents of the letter and returned it to him.

"Unless he makes me come back in my lady's name!" said Mr Peggotty, "I want to find out, madam, whether he will do what he says?"

"No," she replied.

"Why?" asked Mr Peggotty.

"Impossible. He'd humiliate himself then. She's far below him."

"But he can raise her up!" said Mr. Peggotty.

"She has no education, no insight."

"Perhaps she has not, and perhaps she has," said Mr Peggotty, "but I am not in a position to judge."

"However, her lowly relations would also make it unrealistic."

"Ma'am," he said, "you know how to love your child, and so do I; you know what it is to lose a child, and if I could bring her back, all the wealth in the world would be mine, and I would give it up! We would never disgrace her if we could save her from this disgrace, we would rather miss her from afar. We would rather hand her over to her husband - and her children, perhaps - until we are all equal."

She is still so arrogant, but her tone has softened a bit.

"I will defend and refute nothing. No, this marriage will damage my son's career and future. It will never be possible. If there is any other remedy—"

"I saw shadows of that face," said Mr. Peggotty, "in my house, by my fire, in my boat—everywhere—and he smiled, and looked friendly, It is insidious in fact, and if the shadow of that face, the injury and destruction of my child were to be paid for, it would be as bad, a woman's face, and even worse than that."

She blushed with anger, and said angrily:

"How can you repay me for creating such an abyss between me and my son? What is your love compared to mine?"

Miss Dartle touched her to whisper, but she would not listen.

"No, Rosa, let me say it! My son, who was all I wanted in life, who I had every wish for when he was little, and who I've never parted from since he was born—suddenly He lived with a poor girl, deserted me, for her, repaid me with his usual deceit, forsaked me for her! That duty of gratitude! Isn't that a detriment?"

Rosa Dartle tried to reassure her, but to no avail.

"Shut up, Rosa, if he can bet his all on the tiniest of women, I'll bet mine on a greater cause, and let him take what I've given him before Go somewhere! Does he want to conquer me with a long separation? If so, he doesn't understand me at all. If he gives up his fantasy, I allow him to come back, and when he doesn't abandon her, as long as I can show Objection, life or death, he can never come back. That is my right." She said with the haughty air she had begun, "Isn't that a detriment?"

When listening to her say these words, I also seem to hear and see her son's resistance.His self-willed spirit, no less, was seen in her.

She controlled herself again now, and she told me she hoped nothing more.She was about to leave the room, but Mr. Peggotty said it was unnecessary.

"Don't be afraid that I'm in your way, ma'am," he said, as he made his way to the door. "I came without any hope, and I left without any hope. I was only doing what I had to do, and this family is too It's vicious, it's unbearable for me and my family, and we don't have any hope for it."

With that said, let's go out.

As we passed through the door, Rosa Dartle, who came stealthily, said to me:

"You were very thoughtful in bringing this man here," she said.

The anger and contempt in her eyes was palpable.

"He's the one who should be championed and brought here," she said, "isn't he? You're honest!"

"Miss Dartle," I said, taking it, "you are so unreasonable in blaming me!"

"Why do you bring these two madmen into conflict?" she answered. "Don't you know that they are both stubborn and proud as madmen?"

"Is this my fault?" I asked back.

"Yes!" she answered. "Why did you bring him here?"

"He's a man who has suffered a great deal," I took over, "and you probably don't know it."

"I know that James Steerforth," she said, "has a false, immoral heart, and a traitor, but I need not know nor care about this man and his shameless niece. "

"Miss Dartle," said I, "you have deepened a wound which was already deep, and at parting I will say only that you have been unkind to him."

"I'm not merciful," she answered. "They're low. I'd like to whip her!"

Mr Peggotty went out of the door without a word.

"Shame on you, Miss Dartle!" I said indignantly. "How can you bear to trample on his unfair wounds!"

"I would trample down all inferiors," she replied, "and judge her if I could. I shall! I loathe her. I would go anywhere if I had the chance to reprimand her dishonor." , if I could chase her to her grave, I would."

I'll never be able to describe her then, and her whole attitude that bordered on madness, and I've seen all kinds of feelings, but never one like hers.

When I caught up with Mr. Peggotty, he said that his plans for London were now in shape.He wanted to "start his journey" that night.I asked him where he wanted to go, and he simply replied, "Go to her."

Our return to the little flat above the grocer gave me an opportunity to tell Peggotty what he had said.She said she heard him say the same thing, and she didn't know where he was going.

I remember that the beef pie we had this time was mixed with the strange smell of tea, coffee, butter, bacon, cheese, fresh bread, wood, candles, walnut sauce, etc., wafting from the shop below.After dinner, we didn't talk much.

He accepted a little money from his sister as his inheritance.I thought at the time that this little money was only enough to cover his expenses for a month.He promised to write to me if he needed anything.Then he shouldered the bag, took up his hat and cane, and bade us both good-bye.

"Everything is going well, old mother," he said, putting Peggotty in his arms. "You too, Master Wei!" or I bring her back, and I will live with her where no one insults her, and die where no one insults her. If something happens to me, tell her, and I will say to her at last: 'I will always Love her, I forgive her!'”

After saying these words solemnly, he left.We send him out.On the path, there are few pedestrians, and the setting sun is red.He turned a corner and disappeared.

Every night, I always think of his lonely back, and remember those few words:

"I went all over the place to find her. If something happened to me, I told her, and I finally said to her, 'I always loved her, and I forgave her!'"

(End of this chapter)