第 48 节
作者:不受约束      更新:2021-05-04 17:23      字数:9260
  when it came to his turn to be paid; to say to Mr。 Quinion that I
  had gone to move my box to Tipp’s; and; bidding a last good night
  to Mealy Potatoes; ran away。
  My box was at my old lodging; over the water; and I had written
  a direction for it on the back of one of our address cards that we
  nailed on the casks: ‘Master David; to be left till called for; at the
  Coach Office; Dover。’ This I had in my pocket ready to put on the
  box; after I should have got it out of the house; and as I went
  towards my lodging; I looked about me for someone who would
  help me to carry it to the booking…office。
  There was a long…legged young man with a very little empty
  donkey…cart; standing near the Obelisk; in the Blackfriars Road;
  whose eye I caught as I was going by; and who; addressing me as
  ‘Sixpenn’orth of bad ha’pence;’ hoped ‘I should know him agin to
  swear to’—in allusion; I have no doubt; to my staring at him。 I
  stopped to assure him that I had not done so in bad manners; but
  uncertain whether he might or might not like a job。
  ‘Wot job?’ said the long…legged young man。
  ‘To move a box;’ I answered。
  ‘Wot box?’ said the long…legged young man。
  I told him mine; which was down that street there; and which I
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  wanted him to take to the Dover coach office for sixpence。
  ‘Done with you for a tanner!’ said the long…legged young man;
  and directly got upon his cart; which was nothing but a large
  wooden tray on wheels; and rattled away at such a rate; that it was
  as much as I could do to keep pace with the donkey。
  There was a defiant manner about this young man; and
  particularly about the way in which he chewed straw as he spoke
  to me; that I did not much like; as the bargain was made; however;
  I took him upstairs to the room I was leaving; and we brought the
  box down; and put it on his cart。 Now; I was unwilling to put the
  direction…card on there; lest any of my landlord’s family should
  fathom what I was doing; and detain me; so I said to the young
  man that I would be glad if he would stop for a minute; when he
  came to the dead…wall of the King’s Bench prison。 The words were
  no sooner out of my mouth; than he rattled away as if he; my box;
  the cart; and the donkey; were all equally mad; and I was quite out
  of breath with running and calling after him; when I caught him at
  the place appointed。
  Being much flushed and excited; I tumbled my half…guinea out
  of my pocket in pulling the card out。 I put it in my mouth for
  safety; and though my hands trembled a good deal; had just tied
  the card on very much to my satisfaction; when I felt myself
  violently chucked under the chin by the long…legged young man;
  and saw my half…guinea fly out of my mouth into his hand。
  ‘Wot!’ said the young man; seizing me by my jacket collar; with
  a frightful grin。 ‘This is a pollis case; is it? You’re a…going to bolt;
  are you? Come to the pollis; you young warmin; come to the
  pollis!’
  ‘You give me my money back; if you please;’ said I; very much
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  frightened; ‘and leave me alone。’
  ‘Come to the pollis!’ said the young man。 ‘You shall prove it
  yourn to the pollis。’
  ‘Give me my box and money; will you;’ I cried; bursting into
  tears。
  The young man still replied: ‘Come to the pollis!’ and was
  dragging me against the donkey in a violent manner; as if there
  were any affinity between that animal and a magistrate; when he
  changed his mind; jumped into the cart; sat upon my box; and;
  exclaiming that he would drive to the pollis straight; rattled away
  harder than ever。
  I ran after him as fast as I could; but I had no breath to call out
  with; and should not have dared to call out; now; if I had。 I
  narrowly escaped being run over; twenty times at least; in half a
  mile。 Now I lost him; now I saw him; now I lost him; now I was cut
  at with a whip; now shouted at; now down in the mud; now up
  again; now running into somebody’s arms; now running headlong
  at a post。 At length; confused by fright and heat; and doubting
  whether half London might not by this time be turning out for my
  apprehension; I left the young man to go where he would with my
  box and money; and; panting and crying; but never stopping;
  faced about for Greenwich; which I had understood was on the
  Dover Road: taking very little more out of the world; towards the
  retreat of my aunt; Miss Betsey; than I had brought into it; on the
  night when my arrival gave her so much umbrage。
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  Chapter 13
  THE SEQUEL OF MY RESOLUTION
  For anything I know; I may have had some wild idea of
  running all the way to Dover; when I gave up the pursuit
  of the young man with the donkey…cart; and started for
  Greenwich。 My scattered senses were soon collected as to that
  point; if I had; for I came to a stop in the Kent Road; at a terrace
  with a piece of water before it; and a great foolish image in the
  middle; blowing a dry shell。 Here I sat down on a doorstep; quite
  spent and exhausted with the efforts I had already made; and with
  hardly breath enough to cry for the loss of my box and half…guinea。
  It was by this time dark; I heard the clocks strike ten; as I sat
  resting。 But it was a summer night; fortunately; and fine weather。
  When I had recovered my breath; and had got rid of a stifling
  sensation in my throat; I rose up and went on。 In the midst of my
  distress; I had no notion of going back。 I doubt if I should have had
  any; though there had been a Swiss snow…drift in the Kent Road。
  But my standing possessed of only three…halfpence in the world
  (and I am sure I wonder how they came to be left in my pocket on
  a Saturday night!) troubled me none the less because I went on。 I
  began to picture to myself; as a scrap of newspaper intelligence;
  my being found dead in a day or two; under some hedge; and I
  trudged on miserably; though as fast as I could; until I happened
  to pass a little shop; where it was written up that ladies’ and
  gentlemen’s wardrobes were bought; and that the best price was
  given for rags; bones; and kitchen…stuff。 The master of this shop
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  was sitting at the door in his shirt…sleeves; smoking; and as there
  were a great many coats and pairs of trousers dangling from the
  low ceiling; and only two feeble candles burning inside to show
  what they were; I fancied that he looked like a man of a revengeful
  disposition; who had hung all his enemies; and was enjoying
  himself。
  My late experiences with Mr。 and Mrs。 Micawber suggested to
  me that here might be a means of keeping off the wolf for a little
  while。 I went up the next by…street; took off my waistcoat; rolled it
  neatly under my arm; and came back to the shop door。
  ‘If you please; sir;’ I said; ‘I am to sell this for a fair price。’
  Mr。 Dolloby—Dolloby was the name over the shop door; at
  least—took the waistcoat; stood his pipe on its head; against the
  door…post; went into the shop; followed by me; snuffed the two
  candles with his fingers; spread the waistcoat on the counter; and
  looked at it there; held it up against the light; and looked at it
  there; and ultimately said:
  ‘What do you call a price; now; for this here little weskit?’
  ‘Oh! you know best; sir;’ I returned modestly。
  ‘I can’t be buyer and seller too;’ said Mr。 Dolloby。 ‘Put a price
  on this here little weskit。’
  ‘Would eighteenpence be?’—I hinted; after some hesitation。
  Mr。 Dolloby rolled it up again; and gave it me back。 ‘I should
  rob my family;’ he said; ‘if I was to offer ninepence for it。’
  This was a disagreeable way of putting the business; because it
  imposed upon me; a perfect stranger; the unpleasantness of asking
  Mr。 Dolloby to rob his family on my account。 My circumstances
  being so very pressing; however; I said I would take ninepence for
  it; if he pleased。 Mr。 Dolloby; not without some grumbling; gave
  Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
  David Copperfield
  ninepence。 I wished him good night; and walked out of the shop
  the richer by that sum; and the poorer by a waistcoat。 But when I
  buttoned my jacket; that was not much。 Indeed; I foresaw pretty
  clearly that my jacket would go next; and that I should have to
  make the best of my way to Dover in a shirt and a pair of trousers;
  and might deem myself lucky if I got there even in that trim。 But
  my mind did not run so much on this as might be supposed。
  Beyond a general impression of the distance before me; and of the
  young man with the donkey…cart having used me cruelly; I think I
  had no very urgent sense of my difficulties when I once again set
  off with my ninepence in my pocket。
  A plan had occurred to me for passing the night; which I was
  going to carry into execution。 This was; to lie behind the wall at
  the back of my old school; in a corner where there used to be a
  haystack。 I imagined it would be a kind of company to have the
  boys; and t