david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第48节

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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　

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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　

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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。　

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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　

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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　

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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