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Chapter 3 David the orphan |
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Life went on as normal for me at school,until my birthday two months later in March. |
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I remember that day very well. It was cold,icy weather, |
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and we boys had to blow on our fingers and rub our hands to keep warm in the freezing classrooms. |
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When a message came for me to go and see Mr Creakle, I thought that Peggotty must have sent me a birthday present. |
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and so I hurried gladly along to his room. But there I realized something unusual had happened, |
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because it was Mr Creakle's wife who was waiting to speak to me. |
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"David, my child, "she said kindly, holding my hand, “ |
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"we all have to accept that our loved ones can die at any moment." “ |
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I looked at her, trying to understand what she meant. |
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"I'm sorry to tell you, " she continued, "that your mother is dangerously ill." “ |
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There was a mist in front of my eyes, and suddenly burning tears ran down my face. |
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I knew the truth. |
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"Your mother is dead, "she said. “ |
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I was alreadysobbing loudly and I felt I was an orphan,quite alone in the world. |
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Mrs Creakle packed my case herself, and sent me home on the coach for the funeral. |
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I did not realize at the time that I would never return to Salem House. |
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When I arrived home,Peggotty met me at the door, and we cried miserably in each other's arms. |
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Mr Murdstone seemed very sad, and did not speak to me at all. |
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Miss Murdstone, however,showed her usual firmness of character (which she and her brother were so proud of) |
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by checking that I had brought all my clothes back from school. |
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After that she showed no interest in me at all. |
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There was a deathly stillness in the house. |
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Peggotty took me up to the room where my dear mother's dead body lay, |
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with my little brother,who had died a few hours after her. |
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Everything was fresh and clean in the room,but I could not look at my mother's lovely face, |
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which would never smile at me again, without crying. |
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"How did it happen,Peggotty?"I asked, sobbing. “ |
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"She was ill for a long time,Master David. She got worse after the baby was born, you see. “ |
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She was sometimes unhappy and forgetful, but she was always the same to me, her old Peggotty. |
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Those two downstairs often spoke crossly to her and made her sad, but she still loved them, |
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you know—she was so sweet and loving! I always sat beside her while she went to sleep. |
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It made her feel better, she said. |
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There was a short silence while Peggotty dried her eyes, then took both my hands in hers. |
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"On the last night,she asked me for some water,and then gave me such a patient smile! She looked so beautiful! “ |
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The sun was beginning to rise, and she put her head on my arm, on her stupid cross old Peggotty's arm, |
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and died like an innocent child going to sleep! " |
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After my mother's funeral,I began to wonder what would happen to me. |
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The Murdstones did not even seem to notice that I was in the house. |
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They had told Peggotty to leave,as they did not what her as their servant any more, |
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so Peggotty was going to her brother's in Yarmouth, until she decided what work to do next. |
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She suggested taking me with her for a holiday, and to my surprise the Murdstones agreed. |
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So next morning Mr Barkis appeared at the door with his cart,and Peggotty's cases were put on it. |
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We climbed up and sat beside him. Peggotty was naturally a little sad to leave her old home, |
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where she had been so happy with my mother and me, and at first she cried a little. |
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But when Mr Barkis saw her drying her eyes and looking more cheerful, |
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he too began to look happier, and he whispered to me, "Barkis is willing! You told her that! " |
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Aloud he said to Peggotty,"Are you comfortable?" |
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Peggotty laughed and said that she was. |
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"And are you comfortable,Master David?"he asked. “ |
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I said that I was. |
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Mr Barkis was so pleased with this conversation that he repeated it many times during the journey, |
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and Peggotty and I both had to keep giving him the same answer. |
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When we arrived in Yarmouth and got down from the cart,we said goodbye to Mr Barkis. |
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Daniel and Ham Peggotty were waiting for us. |
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Daniel and Ham were exactly the same as I remembered them,cheerful and generous as ever, |
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but little Emily seemed different somehow. She was taller and prettier, |
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but she did not want to play with me, or spend her time with me. |
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I was rather disappointed, because I still considered she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, |
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and I thought I was in love with her. |
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Daniel and Ham were very proud of her intelligence and beauty, |
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and just smiled when she laughingly refused to sit next to me. |
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But they all listened with interest to my stories of school life at Salem House. |
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I told them about the other boys, especially the handsome, clever Steerforth. |
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I admired him so much that I could not stop myself telling them all about him. |
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Suddenly I noticed that Emily was listening eagerly, her blue eyes shining and a smile on her lips. |
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She blushed when she saw that we were all looking at her, and hid her face behind her hands. |
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"Emily's like me,"said Peggotty kindly,"and would like to see David's friend Mr Steerforth." “ |
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The days passed happily,although Emily and I did not play together as we had done before. |
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Mr Barkis wasa frequent visitor,and soon Peggotty explained to me that she had decided to marry him. |
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"I'll love you just as much, David, my dear, when I'm married! "she told me, holding me close to her. “ |
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"And I'll be able to come and see you in the cart any time I like. “ |
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Barkis is a good man and I'm sure I'll be happy with him. |
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He's got a nice little house,and I'll keep a little bedroom there for you to use whenever you want. |
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You'll always be welcome to come and stay! " |
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So when I returned to Blunderstone, Peggotty had become Mrs Barkis, |
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and I was glad to think of her in her own house,with a husband to take care of her. |
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At home, my stepfather and his sister did not seem pleased to see me, |
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and were clearly trying to find a way of getting rid of me. |
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As they considered school too expensive, they finally arranged for me to start work, |
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although I was still only ten years old, and very small for my age. |
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I was sent to London,to work in a warehouse in the east of the city, near the river. |
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My job was to wash bottles, which would then be filled with wine, or to pack the filled bottles in cases. |
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I was paid only six shillings a week. |
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There were several other boys who worked with me,but I was the only one who had been to school. |
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All the warehouse workers were coarse, rough people, who were used to working in dirty conditions for long hours. |
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No words can describe the horror I felt, when I realized what my life was going to be like from now on. |
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I was deeply ashamed at having such a job and I was also afraid that |
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I would forget everything I had learnt from my mother and my teachers. |
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I would never find friends like Traddles or Steerforth, or be able to get a better position in life. |
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It was an extremely unhappy time for me. |
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My stepfather had asked Mr Quinion, the manager, to find me somewhere to stay in London, |
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so at the end of my first day I was called to Mr Quinion's office |
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and introduced to an important-looking, rather fat,middle-aged man with a head as bald as an egg. |
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His name was Mr Micawber, and he offered me a spare room in the house he was renting with his family. |
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I agreed to take it, and Mr Micawber and I walked home together. |
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The Micawbers were obviously very poor, but tried hard not to let this show. |
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The house had several floors of rather dirty,empty rooms with very little furniture. |
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Mrs Micawber was a thin,tired-looking woman with a baby in her arms. |
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The baby was one of twins,and in all my experience of the family, |
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I never saw Mrs Micawber without at least one of the twins. |
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They also had a four-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. |
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Their only servant was a young orphan girl. |
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"I never thought, "Mrs Micawber told me sadly as she showed me my room, " “ |
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when I lived with Mother and Father, before I was married,that I would ever be as poor as this. “ |
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But as Mr Micawber is for the moment in difficulties,I must of course accept the situation. |
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I'm afraid he owes a lot of money,but his creditors will just have to wait! |
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You can't get blood out of a stone, nor can anyone get any money at all out of Mr Micawber at present! " |
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I soon realized that neither Mr nor Mrs Micawger had ever been able to manage money. |
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The little that Mr Micawber earned was not enough, either to keep his creditors happy, |
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or to pay for the needs of his growing family. |
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So his creditors were constantly at the door, demanding payment, |
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and meals were rather irregular in the Micawber house. |
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Mr and Mrs Micawber's moods varied according to the situation. |
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One moment Mr Micawber looked extremely miserable and depressed, |
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the next he was brushing his shoes and singing a song before going out. |
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Mrs Micawber's character was similar to her husband's. |
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Sometimes I came home to find her lying on the floor,with her hair undone, looking wild and desperate, |
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but an hour later she was cheerfully eating a good supper. |
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I lived with these kind people for several months, and became very fond of them. |
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I bought my own food out of my wages,because I knew the Micawbers hardly ever had enough for themselves, |
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and I lived mostly on bread and cheese. |
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As they were so short of money, once or twice I offered to lend them a few shillings, |
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which they refused to accept. |
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But at last Mr Micawber's creditors became tired of waiting for their money,and went to the police, |
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who arrested him for debt. |
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He was taken to the King's Prison, and asked me to visit him there. |
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When I arrived,I was shown to his room, where he was waiting for me. |
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He seemed quite brokenhearted, and even cried a little. |
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"This is a black day for me,Copperfield! "he sobbed."I hope my mistakes will be a warning to young people like you! “ |
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Remember,if a man earns twenty pounds a year,and spends nineteen pounds and nineteen shillings, the result is happiness. |
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But if he spends twenty pounds and one shilling,the result is misery! |
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By the way, Copperfield，could you lend me a shilling for some beer? |
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Mrs Micawber will pay you back as soon as you arrive home. " |
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And when the beer arrived, he appeared much more cheerful. |
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We had a pleasant evening,telling stories and jokes. |
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He stayed in prison for several weeks, and I visited him regularly. |
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I was delighted to hear on one of my visits that he would soon be free, |
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as his creditors had unwillingly accepted the fact that he had no way of paying his debts. |
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I gave the news to Mrs Micawber when I returned home. |
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We celebrated by sharing our supper and a glass of wine together. |
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"May I ask what you will do, madam, when Mr Micawber is free?"I asked politely. “ |
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"My family,"said Mrs Micawber grandly,"believe that Mr Micawber should move to the country,to Devon, “ |
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and carry on his business interests there. Mr Micawber is a very clever man, Master Copperfield." |
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"I'm sure he is, "I agreed. “ |
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"Although they haven't found anything exactly right for him yet, “ |
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my family think he should be ready, in Devon, in case something turns up."She put down her empty glass. |
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"And will you be going with him, madam?"I asked. “ |
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"I must! I will! "Mrs Micawber's voice rose to a scream. “ |
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"He is my life! My love! My husband! The father of my children! “ |
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I will never desert Mr Micawber! You can't ask me to desert him! " |
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I felt very uncomfortable,as I had not asked her to desert him at all, |
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but she soon became calm again and finished her supper. |
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I was becoming used to the Micawbers'changes of mood. |
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I now realized that when the Micawbers left London,as they were planning to do,I would be very lonely in the city. |
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I still hated my work in the warehouse, and wanted to make a better life for myself. |
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I thought about it for a long time, and decided there was only one thing I could do. |
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I would try to find my one surviving relation,my father's aunt, Miss Betsey Trotwood,and ask her to help me. |
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I knew she lived somewhere near Dover,in Kent. |
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I could go there by coach, because Peggotty had once sent me ten shillings to keep,in case I ever needed it. |
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The time had come to use that money. |
