登陆注册
4707300000336

第336章

Observing that he slightly faltered, and comprehending that in the goodness of his heart he was fearful of giving me some pain by what he had said, I expressed my concurrence with a heartiness that evidently relieved and pleased him greatly.

'But then,' said Traddles, 'our domestic arrangements are, to say the truth, quite unprofessional altogether, my dear Copperfield.

Even Sophy's being here, is unprofessional. And we have no other place of abode. We have put to sea in a cockboat, but we are quite prepared to rough it. And Sophy's an extraordinary manager! You'll be surprised how those girls are stowed away. I am sure I hardly know how it's done!'

'Are many of the young ladies with you?' I inquired.

'The eldest, the Beauty is here,' said Traddles, in a low confidential voice, 'Caroline. And Sarah's here - the one Imentioned to you as having something the matter with her spine, you know. Immensely better! And the two youngest that Sophy educated are with us. And Louisa's here.'

'Indeed!' cried I.

'Yes,' said Traddles. 'Now the whole set - I mean the chambers -is only three rooms; but Sophy arranges for the girls in the most wonderful way, and they sleep as comfortably as possible. Three in that room,' said Traddles, pointing. 'Two in that.'

I could not help glancing round, in search of the accommodation remaining for Mr. and Mrs. Traddles. Traddles understood me.

'Well!' said Traddles, 'we are prepared to rough it, as I said just now, and we did improvise a bed last week, upon the floor here.

But there's a little room in the roof - a very nice room, when you're up there - which Sophy papered herself, to surprise me; and that's our room at present. It's a capital little gipsy sort of place. There's quite a view from it.'

'And you are happily married at last, my dear Traddles!' said I.

'How rejoiced I am!'

'Thank you, my dear Copperfield,' said Traddles, as we shook hands once more. 'Yes, I am as happy as it's possible to be. There's your old friend, you see,' said Traddles, nodding triumphantly at the flower-pot and stand; 'and there's the table with the marble top! All the other furniture is plain and serviceable, you perceive. And as to plate, Lord bless you, we haven't so much as a tea-spoon.'

'All to be earned?' said I, cheerfully.

'Exactly so,' replied Traddles, 'all to be earned. Of course we have something in the shape of tea-spoons, because we stir our tea.

But they're Britannia metal."

'The silver will be the brighter when it comes,' said I.

'The very thing we say!' cried Traddles. 'You see, my dear Copperfield,' falling again into the low confidential tone, 'after I had delivered my argument in DOE dem. JIPES versus WIGZIELL, which did me great service with the profession, I went down into Devonshire, and had some serious conversation in private with the Reverend Horace. I dwelt upon the fact that Sophy - who I do assure you, Copperfield, is the dearest girl! -'

'I am certain she is!' said I.

'She is, indeed!' rejoined Traddles. 'But I am afraid I am wandering from the subject. Did I mention the Reverend Horace?'

'You said that you dwelt upon the fact -'

'True! Upon the fact that Sophy and I had been engaged for a long period, and that Sophy, with the permission of her parents, was more than content to take me - in short,' said Traddles, with his old frank smile, 'on our present Britannia-metal footing. Very well. I then proposed to the Reverend Horace - who is a most excellent clergyman, Copperfield, and ought to be a Bishop; or at least ought to have enough to live upon, without pinching himself - that if I could turn the corner, say of two hundred and fifty pounds, in one year; and could see my way pretty clearly to that, or something better, next year; and could plainly furnish a little place like this, besides; then, and in that case, Sophy and Ishould be united. I took the liberty of representing that we had been patient for a good many years; and that the circumstance of Sophy's being extraordinarily useful at home, ought not to operate with her affectionate parents, against her establishment in life -don't you see?'

'Certainly it ought not,' said I.

'I am glad you think so, Copperfield,' rejoined Traddles, 'because, without any imputation on the Reverend Horace, I do think parents, and brothers, and so forth, are sometimes rather selfish in such cases. Well! I also pointed out, that my most earnest desire was, to be useful to the family; and that if I got on in the world, and anything should happen to him - I refer to the Reverend Horace -'

'I understand,' said I.

'- Or to Mrs. Crewler - it would be the utmost gratification of my wishes, to be a parent to the girls. He replied in a most admirable manner, exceedingly flattering to my feelings, and undertook to obtain the consent of Mrs. Crewler to this arrangement. They had a dreadful time of it with her. It mounted from her legs into her chest, and then into her head -'

'What mounted?' I asked.

'Her grief,' replied Traddles, with a serious look. 'Her feelings generally. As I mentioned on a former occasion, she is a very superior woman, but has lost the use of her limbs. Whatever occurs to harass her, usually settles in her legs; but on this occasion it mounted to the chest, and then to the head, and, in short, pervaded the whole system in a most alarming manner. However, they brought her through it by unremitting and affectionate attention; and we were married yesterday six weeks. You have no idea what a Monster I felt, Copperfield, when I saw the whole family crying and fainting away in every direction! Mrs. Crewler couldn't see me before we left - couldn't forgive me, then, for depriving her of her child - but she is a good creature, and has done so since. Ihad a delightful letter from her, only this morning.'

'And in short, my dear friend,' said I, 'you feel as blest as you deserve to feel!'

'Oh! That's your partiality!' laughed Traddles. 'But, indeed, I am in a most enviable state. I work hard, and read Law insatiably.

同类推荐
  • 明伦汇编交谊典师弟部

    明伦汇编交谊典师弟部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 是应篇

    是应篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 湛然圆澄禅师语录

    湛然圆澄禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宝章待访录

    宝章待访录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 牧令书

    牧令书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 散花庵词

    散花庵词

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 绝宠坏丫头:全明星恶魔殿下

    绝宠坏丫头:全明星恶魔殿下

    倔强的痞女、嗜血的魔鬼、顽昧的冥王、温暖的天使...恶魔、骑士、天使、修罗、吸血鬼、激情、邪恶、冷笑、全明星、风云校园、黑街、叫呛、干架、泡吧...华丽的词汇,导演盛世的全偶像剧。
  • 克夫农女倾富天下

    克夫农女倾富天下

    拥有空间和木系双系异能的林心兰被男友闺蜜双双背叛,被他们下药之后送到基地实验研究所当实验体,只为换取一个月的粮食。承受身心双重折磨之下,选择自暴,与实验的研究人员同归于尽!一朝醒来,已然成了不知名朝代的另一个林月兰林月兰十二岁,九岁时被一讨水喝的道士断言——克夫!流言非起,从克夫到克双亲,再到克所有亲戚朋友,最后传成了将来会克天下。爷爷奶奶,大伯小叔等等一大堆极品亲戚,害怕被克死,毅然与九岁的林月兰断亲绝义,把她从族谱上划掉,让她自已单过,愚孝父亲遵从,懦弱娘亲哭哭啼啼,弟妹更是毫无办法。九岁分家,一间进风漏雨,颤颤微微随时可能倒塌的小茅屋,一分下水田,两分旱田,把林月兰给打发,从此林家再此林月兰,林月兰成了无根女。颤颤微微的活到十二岁,一招不慎得罪了村里的小霸王,被同村的小伙伴们给拳打脚踢给踢死了。迎来了,穿越过来的林心兰空间异能我有,天下由我走,看我林心兰如何威风八面,成为一代女土豪!
  • 谋婚上瘾

    谋婚上瘾

    三年前,我意外怀孕,成为单亲妈妈。三年来,因为姐姐的去世,妈妈郁郁而终,我爸失业下岗,奶奶得了尿毒症。我成为业界小有名气的八卦记者,一边在酒吧兼职赚钱,同时和爸爸一起暗中调查姐姐去世的真相。因为我拍摄到柳擎和一位明星的绯闻,我在酒吧兼职的时候被人报复,在我被喂了听话水,最难堪之际柳擎出现并且把我带走,还和我发生了关系。在我清醒后,他提出要和我交易,让我把儿子借他用用,助他夺得继承权……--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 美国父母这样教孩子自立

    美国父母这样教孩子自立

    孩子总有一天是要自立于社会,自立于人生,如果从小培养孩子自己的事情自己做、自己的东西自己管、自己的生活自己安排的自我管理习惯,就能增强孩子行动的独立性、自主性、目的性和计划性,这对于孩子今后生活的幸福和成功有巨大的帮助。《美国父母这样教孩子自立》就为你提供了美国父母教育孩子自立的妙招,本书从八个方面为我们做了详细阐述,这也是美国孩子从很小就拥有很强自立能力的根本原因。希望对中国父母教育孩子有所借鉴,让孩子们都成为能走的出家门、跨的出国门、自立自强于世界的精英。
  • 天龙八部(第四卷)(纯文字新修版)

    天龙八部(第四卷)(纯文字新修版)

    《天龙八部》一书以北宋、辽、西夏、大理并立的历史为宏大背景,将儒释道、琴棋书画等中国传统文化融会贯通其中,书中人物繁多,个性鲜明,情节离奇,尽显芸芸众生百态。丐帮帮主乔峰与大理国王子段誉、少林弟子虚竹结为兄弟。他身为大宋武林第一大帮帮主,发现自己竟是契丹人,虽受尽中原武林人士唾弃而不肯以怨报怨;他身为辽国南院大王,却甘愿背上叛族罪名,最终以悲壮的自杀来阻止辽国发兵攻宋,不愧为顶天立地的大英雄。
  • 梦溪笔谈

    梦溪笔谈

    在中国古代的科技著作中,影响最巨、传播最广者,无过于《梦溪笔谈》一书了,被誉为中国科技史上的里程碑。全书按内容分为故事、辩证、乐律……可谓包罗万象,应有尽有。
  • 网游之保护好我妹妹

    网游之保护好我妹妹

    保护好我妹妹,保护好我妹妹,保护好我妹妹。
  • 毛诗故训传

    毛诗故训传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 逆天系统:商女重生

    逆天系统:商女重生

    重生回到2000年的学生时代,面对前一世爱情的背叛,备受歧视的父母,狗眼看人低的亲人,因重生出现的系统,开启一段翻云覆雨的人生!无论是这商场的尔虞我诈还是这世间的血雨腥风,却都遮掩不住那一道窈窕的身影!