David Copperfield

Chapter 86 Enthusiasm
Chapter 36 Enthusiasm

After getting up in the morning, I went to the bath again to take a bath, and then set off for Haigette.I'm used to the tattered coat, and I don't miss the majestic gray horse any more.I adjusted to our misfortune and went to work with a strong and indomitable heart.I want to open up my own way in adversity and approach Dora.

The more work you do, the more your reward will be. My reward is Dora, and I shall have her.

I walked into a rented house with excitement.It suited me and Dora very well: there was a little garden in front of the house for the jeep to play in, and the best room upstairs for my aunt, and I was all the more glad that I went out of the house and rushed to Highgate.

I was looking for the Doctor's flat, which is not on the side of Highgate, where Mrs. Steerforth lives, but on the opposite side of the small town.Then I walked back into a lane near Mrs. Steerforth's house, and Steerforth's door was closed.Rosa Dartle was walking impatiently up and down the gravel.

I left quietly and walked until ten o'clock, and I got the time from a red house that served as a school, not a church.

When I approached the Doctor's apartment, he was strolling.

To get his attention, I opened the door and followed him, delighted when he turned and saw me.

"Copperfield," said the Doctor, "you've grown into a man! You've grown a lot!"

I greet him and Mrs. Strong.

"Yes," said the doctor. "Anne is very well. She will be delighted to see you. She has always admired you. Do you remember Mr. Jack Melton, Copperfield?"

"Of course, sir."

"He's fine too," said the doctor.

"Has he returned, sir?" I asked.

"Yes," said the doctor, "from India. Mr. Jack Melton is not used to the climate there. Mrs. Malkan, do you remember her?"

"Forget her! It's not long!"

"Mrs. Makan," said the Doctor, "was troubled by that 'veteran', so we brought him back. And got him a job in a small patent office."

The doctor went on to say:

"Copperfield, I'm very satisfied with your proposal, but you should do better things. You had excellent grades a long time ago. Don't you think it's a pity to work here?"

"I'm happy that I was able to have a career."

"Yes," replied the doctor, "that's true. Having a career is very important to you as an intern. But is the annual salary less?"

"It'll double my income too," I said.

Said the doctor: "Instead of strictly limiting myself to seventy pounds a year, I always give a present every year to the young men I employ."

I said, "You have shown me too much kindness."

"No!" interrupted the Doctor.

"You have done me an indescribable favor!"

"Oh!" said the doctor, "so much time for such a small annual salary! Hey! If there is a better opportunity, do you want to go?" asked the doctor.

"If my duties are connected with that dictionary," said I, "I shall be very happy!"

The doctor said happily: "You are right, it is the dictionary!"

His pockets are full of dictionaries.Mr. Jack Melton was his temporary secretary, unaccustomed to making papers very irregular.Later, I found out that Mr. Jack Melton's work was worse than I thought.

The doctor was very pleased with our common cause, and we agreed to start work at seven o'clock the next morning.I work two hours in the morning and two or three hours in the evening, and I can rest on Saturday and Sunday.

This was satisfactory to both parties, and the doctor took me to see Mrs. Strong at her home.

We had breakfast together, and presently Mr. Jack Melton came.

"Mr. Jack!" said the Doctor, "Copperfield!"

I shake hands with him.

"Did you eat, Mr. Jack?" asked the doctor.

"I never eat breakfast, sir," said he, "I don't like it."

"Any news today?" asked the doctor.

"No, sir," replied Mr. Melton, "there are news that people in the North are dissatisfied with starvation, but there are always people who are dissatisfied with starvation!"

"In that case, there is no news, and no news is good news. Because bad news travels faster than good news," said the doctor.

"There's a long account of the assassination in the paper," said Mr. Melton, "but I don't bother to read it."

"I would like to ask Anne if she would like to go to the opera," asked Mr. Melton. "There is a perfect diva."

The doctor was always interested in what would please his wife, and he said to her:

"Annie, you should go."

But she said, "But I would like to stay at home."

Then, without looking at her cousin, she started chatting with me.

But the doctor insisted on making an appointment for her, and invited Mr. Jack Melton to dinner.

But she didn't go and quit her cousin.In the afternoon, I went to see Agnes.

I was very busy then, getting up at five o'clock in the morning and returning home at nine or ten o'clock at night.But I am satisfied with this sense of busyness, and the more tired I am, the more I can live with Dora.I had not yet had time to disclose to Dora the change in my character, and I thought of telling her all about it when she came to see Miss Mills a few days later.I just said in the letter that I had a lot to say.At the same time, I saved the amount of bear fat, did not use soap and toilet water, and sold three vests, which in my current state of life are luxuries.

As I was anxious to find more business to do, I took Dick to Traddles.

The reason I took Mr. Dick with me was that he was very sympathetic to my aunt's plight, and felt that I was working too hard, and he wanted to do more useful things, so I resolved to see if Traddles could help us.

We meet Traddles, hard at work.He received us warmly, and immediately became friends with Mr. Dick.

I wondered how I should succeed in such a profession, and Traddles told me that mastering the secret of writing and reading shorthand was only a necessary mechanical skill, as difficult as that of mastering six foreign languages.If you persevere, you may reach your goal within a few years.

"Thank you, Traddles!" I said. "I'll start tomorrow."

"I'd like to get a book on this skill," I said, "and I'm going to get enough of it in the doctor's school. I want to record speeches in court, to practice—Traddles, I must master this skill! "

He said: "What determination you have, Copperfield!"

Then we come to Mr. Dick's question.

Mr. Dick said: "If I could do my best—"

Traddles replied:

"Copperfield told me, 'You're a calligrapher, sir.'"

I said, he is.The words are neatly written.

"Do you think," said Traddles, "that you could copy papers, sir, if I could get you what you copied?"

"The papers I'm talking about are drawn up," said Traddles. "Mr. Dick needn't even think about it. Copperfield, try it!"

These words give us hope.We planned Dick to start work the next day and it worked out.

He got ten shillings and ninepence for working till the second Saturday.He exchanged this fortune for a sixpence piece, and happily presented it to my aunt in the shape of a heart on a plate.He looked very happy.

"We won't starve, Trowood," said Mr. Dick, shaking my hand. "I'll feed her, sir!"

"It makes me," said Traddles, taking a letter out of his pocket, and handing it to me, "to quite forget Mr. Micawber!"

The letter is addressed to me: Dear Copperfield:

If, as I expected, an opportunity arose which I mentioned to you.

I will go to a local town and pursue a specialized occupation.Mrs. Micawber and our children will go together.

On this eve of departure, will you come to our lodgings with our mutual friend, Mr. Thomas Traddles, and exchange good wishes? We are very grateful to have you.

Sincerely, Wilkin Micawber

I am glad to know that Mr. Wilkin Micawber has turned around in his life from his humiliating plight.We therefore went together to Mr. Micawber's house, which stood at the top of Gray Court Road.

The equipment of the apartment is very simple.

"Copperfield," said Mr. Micawber, "you and Mr. Traddles were patrons of our removal, and please bear with us this little inconvenience."

I answered appropriately and glanced around.I saw that things have been packed, and there is not much luggage.

"Copperfield," said Mrs. Micawber, "thank you for your interest in our affairs. My natal family despised the marriage, but as wife and mother I would never desert Mr. Micawber."

Traddles agreed.

"This," said Mrs. Micawber, "Mr. Copperfield and Mr. Traddles, at least, is my view of my duty. I can never leave Mr. Micawber."

"My dear," said Mr. Micawber, "I don't think you would do that."

"I know, Mr. Copperfield," continued Mrs. Micawber, "that I am now required to go among strangers. Mr. Micawber wrote to my natal family to inform them, but they would not I agree. My natal family is definitely against it."

"To shut oneself up in a cathedral town," said Mrs. Micawber, "is probably a sacrifice; and to a man of Mr. Micawber's talents, it is an even greater sacrifice."

"Are you going to a cathedral town?" I asked.

Mr Micawber said:

"To Canterbury. As confidential secretary to my friend Heep."

"I should tell you," he said, "that Heep is a very shrewd man who has not set his official salary too high, but he has done a great deal to solve my financial difficulties. I will Dedicating my talents to Heep."

Most of the conversation that evening was interrupted by Mrs. Micawber's picketing of Master Micawber's behaviour, and his distaste for it.I sat there all the time, amazed, and trying to understand the meaning of Mr. Micawber's declaration.

"I would especially draw Mr. Micawber's attention," said Mrs. Micawber, "that while he commits himself to this offshoot of the law, Copperfield, please do not underestimate his ability to rise to the top of the tree. I It can be asserted that Mr. Micawber's ability will definitely come to the fore."

"My dear," said Mr. Micawber, "we'll have plenty of time to think about that later."

"Micawber," she answered, "no! You are short-sighted in life. You must see the culmination of your talents."

Mr. Micawber looked at Traddles as if willing to listen to him.

"Real facts, Mrs. Micawber," said Traddles, "I mean plain facts."

Mrs. Micawber said, "Mr. Traddles, it should be as plain and correct as possible on a subject of such importance."

"Yes," said Traddles, "a branch of the law?"

"None of that. Only senior lawyers are qualified for that position, and Mr. Micawber cannot be a senior lawyer without being a fifth-year law student."

"You see what I mean?" said Mrs. Micawber. "Mr. Micawber was qualified to be a Judge and Lord Chancellor before that, Mr. Traddles, was it not?"

"He's qualified," said Traddles, emphasizing the word qualified.

"Thank you," said Mrs. Micawber, "I'll be relieved if that's the case. Of course I," said Mrs. Micawber, "can only say what a woman says, and hope he takes a leadership position."

"Let's not predict the future. If I'm destined to wear a wig, I'm at least outwardly prepared. That's probably why my hair has gone light. I want Copperfield to educate my son about church Work. It makes me happy to be famous because of him."

"Church work?" I asked, thinking of Julia Heep.

"Yes," said Mr. Micawber, "he has a peculiar voice, and a choir should begin. Our connections at Canterbury will allow him to fill any vacancy in the Cathedral staff."

After praising Master Micawber's performance, we chatted.

On a final round of drinks, Traddles and I wished the family health, happiness, and success, and said goodbye.

"Copperfield," said Mr. Micawber, "and Traddles, let me thank you all on behalf of my family."

"Before parting, I must do one thing, and that is to pay my debts, and Mr. Thomas Traddles 'signed' the promissory note for me, which, if I am not mistaken, amounts to £41, ten shillings, ten shillings. A penny and a half, will Copperfield please check the amount?"

I did.

Mr. Micawber said: "I can only rest easy if I pay off Mr. Thomas Traddles' debts before leaving. Mr. Thomas Traddles therefore accepts me forty-one pounds ten shillings eleven-and-a-halfpence. IOU, and I'll be happy about it."

Afterwards we shook hands warmly and said goodbye.

(End of this chapter)