david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第143节

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unsuccessfully；　to　expound　to　Dora。　Miss　Mills　replied；　on　general　
principles；　that　the　Cottage　of　content　was　better　than　the　Palace　
of　cold　splendour；　and　that　where　love　was；　all　was。　

I　said　to　Miss　Mills　that　this　was　very　true；　and　who　should　
know　it　better　than　I；　who　loved　Dora　with　a　love　that　never　mortal　
had　experienced　yet？　But　on　Miss　Mills　observing；　with　
despondency；　that　it　were　well　indeed　for　some　hearts　if　this　were　
so；　I　explained　that　I　begged　leave　to　restrict　the　observation　to　
mortals　of　the　masculine　gender。　

I　then　put　it　to　Miss　Mills；　to　say　whether　she　considered　that　
there　was　or　was　not　any　practical　merit　in　the　suggestion　I　had　
been　anxious　to　make；　concerning　the　accounts；　the　housekeeping；　
and　the　Cookery　Book？　

Miss　Mills；　after　some　consideration；　thus　replied：　

‘Mr。　Copperfield；　I　will　be　plain　with　you。　Mental　suffering　and　
trial　supply；　in　some　natures；　the　place　of　years；　and　I　will　be　as　
plain　with　you　as　if　I　were　a　Lady　Abbess。　No。　The　suggestion　is　
not　appropriate　to　our　Dora。　Our　dearest　Dora　is　a　favourite　child　
of　nature。　She　is　a　thing　of　light；　and　airiness；　and　joy。　I　am　free　to　
confess　that　if　it　could　be　done；　it　might　be　well；　but—’　And　Miss　
Mills　shook　her　head。　

I　was　encouraged　by　this　closing　admission　on　the　part　of　Miss　

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David　Copperfield　

Mills　to　ask　her；　whether；　for　Dora’s　sake；　if　she　had　any　
opportunity　of　luring　her　attention　to　such　preparations　for　an　
earnest　life；　she　would　avail　herself　of　it？　Miss　Mills　replied　in　the　
affirmative　so　readily；　that　I　further　asked　her　if　she　would　take　
charge　of　the　Cookery　Book；　and；　if　she　ever　could　insinuate　it　
upon　Dora’s　acceptance；　without　frightening　her；　undertake　to　do　
me　that　crowning　service。　Miss　Mills　accepted　this　trust；　too；　but　
was　not　sanguine。　

And　Dora　returned；　looking　such　a　lovely　little　creature；　that　I　
really　doubted　whether　she　ought　to　be　troubled　with　anything　so　
ordinary。　And　she　loved　me　so　much；　and　was　so　captivating　
（particularly　when　she　made　Jip　stand　on　his　hind　legs　for　toast；　
and　when　she　pretended　to　hold　that　nose　of　his　against　the　hot　
teapot　for　punishment　because　he　wouldn’t）；　that　I　felt　like　a　sort　
of　Monster　who　had　got　into　a　Fairy’s　bower；　when　I　thought　of　
having　frightened　her；　and　made　her　cry。　

After　tea　we　had　the　guitar；　and　Dora　sang　those　same　dear　old　
French　songs　about　the　impossibility　of　ever　on　any　account　
leaving　off　dancing；　La　ra　la；　La　ra　la；　until　I　felt　a　much　greater　
Monster　than　before。　

We　had　only　one　check　to　our　pleasure；　and　that　happened　a　
little　while　before　I　took　my　leave；　when；　Miss　Mills　chancing　to　
make　some　allusion　to　tomorrow　morning；　I　unluckily　let　out　that；　
being　obliged　to　exert　myself　now；　I　got　up　at　five　o’clock。　Whether　
Dora　had　any　idea　that　I　was　a　Private　Watchman；　I　am　unable　to　
say；　but　it　made　a　great　impression　on　her；　and　she　neither　played　
nor　sang　any　more。　

It　was　still　on　her　mind　when　I　bade　her　adieu；　and　she　said　to　
me；　in　her　pretty　coaxing　way—as　if　I　were　a　doll；　I　used　to　think：　

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‘Now　don’t　get　up　at　five　o’clock；　you　naughty　boy。　It’s　so　
nonsensical！’　

‘My　love；’　said　I；　‘I　have　work　to　do。’　

‘But　don’t　do　it！’　returned　Dora。　‘Why　should　you？’　

It　was　impossible　to　say　to　that　sweet　little　surprised　face；　
otherwise　than　lightly　and　playfully；　that　we　must　work　to　live。　

‘Oh！　How　ridiculous！’　cried　Dora。　

‘How　shall　we　live　without；　Dora？’　said　I。　

‘How？　Any　how！’　said　Dora。　

She　seemed　to　think　she　had　quite　settled　the　question；　and　
gave　me　such　a　triumphant　little　kiss；　direct　from　her　innocent　
heart；　that　I　would　hardly　have　put　her　out　of　conceit　with　her　
answer；　for　a　fortune。　

Well！　I　loved　her；　and　I　went　on　loving　her；　most　absorbingly；　
entirely；　and　completely。　But　going　on；　too；　working　pretty　hard；　
and　busily　keeping　red…hot　all　the　irons　I　now　had　in　the　fire；　I　
would　sit　sometimes　of　a　night；　opposite　my　aunt；　thinking　how　I　
had　frightened　Dora　that　time；　and　how　I　could　best　make　my　way　
with　a　guitar…case　through　the　forest　of　difficulty；　until　I　used　to　
fancy　that　my　head　was　turning　quite　grey。　

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David　Copperfield　

Chapter　38　

A　DISSOLUTION　OF　PARTNERSHIP　

Idid　not　allow　my　resolution；　with　respect　to　the　Parliamentary　
Debates；　to　cool。　It　was　one　of　the　irons　I　began　to　heat　
immediately；　and　one　of　the　irons　I　kept　hot；　and　hammered　
at；　with　a　perseverance　I　may　honestly　admire。　I　bought　an　
approved　scheme　of　the　noble　art　and　mystery　of　stenography　
（which　cost　me　ten　and　sixpence）；　and　plunged　into　a　sea　of　
perplexity　that　brought　me；　in　a　few　weeks；　to　the　confines　of　
distraction。　The　changes　that　were　rung　upon　dots；　which　in　such　
a　position　meant　such　a　thing；　and　in　such　another　position　
something　else；　entirely　different；　the　wonderful　vagaries　that　
were　played　by　circles；　the　unaccountable　consequences　that　
resulted　from　marks　like　flies’　legs；　the　tremendous　effects　of　a　
curve　in　a　wrong　place；　not　only　troubled　my　waking　hours；　but　
reappeared　before　me　in　my　sleep。　When　I　had　groped　my　way；　
blindly；　through　these　difficulties；　and　had　mastered　the　alphabet；　
which　was　an　Egyptian　Temple　in　itself；　there　then　appeared　a　
procession　of　new　horrors；　called　arbitrary　characters；　the　most　
despotic　characters　I　have　ever　known；　who　insisted；　for　instance；　
that　a　thing　like　the　beginning　of　a　cobweb；　meant　expectation；　
and　that　a　pen…and…ink　sky…rocket；　stood　for　disadvantageous。　
When　I　had　fixed　these　wretches　in　my　mind；　I　found　that　they　
had　driven　everything　else　out　of　it；　then；　beginning　again；　I　forgot　
them；　while　I　was　picking　them　up；　I　dropped　the　other　fragments　
of　the　system；　in　short；　it　was　almost　heart…breaking。　

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David　Copperfield　

It　might　have　been　quite　heart…breaking；　but　for　Dora；　who　was　
the　stay　and　anchor　of　my　tempest…driven　bark。　Every　scratch　in　
the　scheme　was　a　gnarled　oak　in　the　forest　of　difficulty；　and　I　went　
on　cutting　them　down；　one　after　another；　with　such　vigour；　that　in　
three　or　four　months　I　was　in　a　condition　to　make　an　experiment　
on　one　of　our　crack　speakers　in　the　Commons。　Shall　I　ever　forget　
how　the　crack　speaker　walked　off　from　me　before　I　began；　and　left　
my　imbecile　pencil　staggering　about　the　paper　as　if　it　were　in　a　fit！　

This　would　not　do；　it　was　quite　clear。　I　was　flying　too　high；　and　
should　never　get　on；　so。　I　resorted　to　Traddles　for　advice；　who　
suggested　that　he　should　dictate　speeches　to　me；　at　a　pace；　and　
with　occasional　stoppages；　adapted　to　my　weakness。　Very　grateful　
for　this　friendly　aid；　I　accepted　the　proposal；　and　night　after　night；　
almost　every　night；　for　a　long　time；　we　had　a　sort　of　Private　
Parliament　in　Buckingham　Street；　after　I　came　home　from　the　
Doctor’s。　

I　should　like　to　see　such　a　Parliament　anywhere　else！　My　aunt　
and　Mr。　Dick　represented　the　Government　or　the　Opposition　（as　
the　case　might　be）；　and　Traddles；　with　the　assistance　of　Enfield’s　
Speakers；　or　a　volume　of　parliamentary　orations；　thundered　
astonishing　invectives　against　them。　Standing　by　the　table；　with　
his　finger　in　the　page　to　keep　the　place；　and　his　right　arm　
flourishing　above　his　head；　Traddles；　as　Mr。　Pitt；　Mr。　Fox；　Mr。　
Sheridan；　Mr。　Burke；　Lord　Castlereagh；　Viscount　Sidmouth；　or　
Mr。　Canning；　would　work　himself　into　the　most　violent　heats；　and　
deliver　the　most　withering　denunciations　of　the　profligacy　and　
corruption　of　my　aunt　and　Mr。　Dick；　while　I　used　to　sit；　at　a　little　
distance；　with　my　notebook　on　my　knee；　fagging　after　him　with　all　
my　might　and　main。　The　inconsistency　and　recklessness　of　

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David　Copperfield　

Traddles　were　not　to　be　exceeded　by　any　real　politician。　He　was　
for　any　description　of　policy；　in　the　compass　of　a　week；　and　nailed　
all　sorts　of　colours　to　every　denomination　of　mast。　My　aunt；　
looking　very　like　an　immovable　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer；　
would　occasionally　throw　in　an　interruption　or　two；　as　‘Hear！’　or　
‘No！’　or　‘Oh！’　when　the　text　seemed　to　require　it：　which　was　always　
a　signal　to　Mr。　Dick　（a　perfect　country　gentleman）　to　follow　lustily　
with　the　same　cry。　But　Mr。　Dick　got　taxed　with　such　things　in　the　
course　of　his　Parliamentary　career；　and　was　made　responsible　for　
such　awful　consequences；　that　he　became　uncomfortable　in　his　
mind　sometimes。　I　believe　he　actually　began　to　be　afraid　he　really　
had　been　doing　something；　tending　to　the　annihilation　of　the　
British　constitution；　and　the　ruin　of　the　country。　

Often　and　often　we　pursued　these　debates　until　the　clock　
pointed　to　midnight；　and　the　candles　were　burning　down。　The　
result　of　so　much　good　practice　was；　that　by　and　by　I　began　to　
keep　pace　with　Traddles　pretty　well；　and　should　have　been　quite　
triumphant　if　I　had　had　the　least　idea　what　my　notes　were　about。　
But；　as　to　reading　them　after　I　had　got　them；　I　might　as　well　have　
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