登陆注册
4707300000036

第36章

How well I recollect our sitting there, talking in whispers; or their talking, and my respectfully listening, I ought rather to say; the moonlight falling a little way into the room, through the window, painting a pale window on the floor, and the greater part of us in shadow, except when Steerforth dipped a match into a phosphorus-box, when he wanted to look for anything on the board, and shed a blue glare over us that was gone directly! A certain mysterious feeling, consequent on the darkness, the secrecy of the revel, and the whisper in which everything was said, steals over me again, and I listen to all they tell me with a vague feeling of solemnity and awe, which makes me glad that they are all so near, and frightens me (though I feign to laugh) when Traddles pretends to see a ghost in the corner.

I heard all kinds of things about the school and all belonging to it. I heard that Mr. Creakle had not preferred his claim to being a Tartar without reason; that he was the sternest and most severe of masters; that he laid about him, right and left, every day of his life, charging in among the boys like a trooper, and slashing away, unmercifully. That he knew nothing himself, but the art of slashing, being more ignorant (J. Steerforth said) than the lowest boy in the school; that he had been, a good many years ago, a small hop-dealer in the Borough, and had taken to the schooling business after being bankrupt in hops, and making away with Mrs. Creakle's money. With a good deal more of that sort, which I wondered how they knew.

I heard that the man with the wooden leg, whose name was Tungay, was an obstinate barbarian who had formerly assisted in the hop business, but had come into the scholastic line with Mr. Creakle, in consequence, as was supposed among the boys, of his having broken his leg in Mr. Creakle's service, and having done a deal of dishonest work for him, and knowing his secrets. I heard that with the single exception of Mr. Creakle, Tungay considered the whole establishment, masters and boys, as his natural enemies, and that the only delight of his life was to be sour and malicious. I heard that Mr. Creakle had a son, who had not been Tungay's friend, and who, assisting in the school, had once held some remonstrance with his father on an occasion when its discipline was very cruelly exercised, and was supposed, besides, to have protested against his father's usage of his mother. I heard that Mr. Creakle had turned him out of doors, in consequence; and that Mrs. and Miss Creakle had been in a sad way, ever since.

But the greatest wonder that I heard of Mr. Creakle was, there being one boy in the school on whom he never ventured to lay a hand, and that boy being J. Steerforth. Steerforth himself confirmed this when it was stated, and said that he should like to begin to see him do it. On being asked by a mild boy (not me) how he would proceed if he did begin to see him do it, he dipped a match into his phosphorus-box on purpose to shed a glare over his reply, and said he would commence by knocking him down with a blow on the forehead from the seven-and-sixpenny ink-bottle that was always on the mantelpiece. We sat in the dark for some time, breathless.

I heard that Mr. Sharp and Mr. Mell were both supposed to be wretchedly paid; and that when there was hot and cold meat for dinner at Mr. Creakle's table, Mr. Sharp was always expected to say he preferred cold; which was again corroborated by J. Steerforth, the only parlour-boarder. I heard that Mr. Sharp's wig didn't fit him; and that he needn't be so 'bounceable' - somebody else said 'bumptious' - about it, because his own red hair was very plainly to be seen behind.

I heard that one boy, who was a coal-merchant's son, came as a set-off against the coal-bill, and was called, on that account, 'Exchange or Barter' - a name selected from the arithmetic book as expressing this arrangement. I heard that the table beer was a robbery of parents, and the pudding an imposition. I heard that Miss Creakle was regarded by the school in general as being in love with Steerforth; and I am sure, as I sat in the dark, thinking of his nice voice, and his fine face, and his easy manner, and his curling hair, I thought it very likely. I heard that Mr. Mell was not a bad sort of fellow, but hadn't a sixpence to bless himself with; and that there was no doubt that old Mrs. Mell, his mother, was as poor as job. I thought of my breakfast then, and what had sounded like 'My Charley!' but I was, I am glad to remember, as mute as a mouse about it.

The hearing of all this, and a good deal more, outlasted the banquet some time. The greater part of the guests had gone to bed as soon as the eating and drinking were over; and we, who had remained whispering and listening half-undressed, at last betook ourselves to bed, too.

'Good night, young Copperfield,' said Steerforth. 'I'll take care of you.'

'You're very kind,' I gratefully returned. 'I am very much obliged to you.'

'You haven't got a sister, have you?' said Steerforth, yawning.

'No,' I answered.

'That's a pity,' said Steerforth. 'If you had had one, I should think she would have been a pretty, timid, little, bright-eyed sort of girl. I should have liked to know her. Good night, young Copperfield.'

'Good night, sir,' I replied.

I thought of him very much after I went to bed, and raised myself, I recollect, to look at him where he lay in the moonlight, with his handsome face turned up, and his head reclining easily on his arm.

He was a person of great power in my eyes; that was, of course, the reason of my mind running on him. No veiled future dimly glanced upon him in the moonbeams. There was no shadowy picture of his footsteps, in the garden that I dreamed of walking in all night.

同类推荐
  • 优婆塞戒经

    优婆塞戒经

    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。
  • RODERICK HUDSON

    RODERICK HUDSON

    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。
  • 佛说罗云忍辱经

    佛说罗云忍辱经

    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。
  • 金液还丹印证图

    金液还丹印证图

    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。
  • 亶甲集

    亶甲集

    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
  • 柳传志的领导智慧

    柳传志的领导智慧

    每个著名企业家都有其独步天下的“秘技”,这也是其耀眼的闪光点。柳传志从创办联想开始,即以其卓越的领导力,为联想人乃至整个企业界所称道。
  • 万古无双仙王

    万古无双仙王

    踏轮回,破险阻,争仙路,不求长生,只愿与你厮守;盼万载,分神千万,寻君身,伴君轮回,千般手段只为君归......
  • 周末聚餐

    周末聚餐

    《周末聚餐》根据周末聚餐的特点、人体的营养结构和不同人的饮食喜好,精选了近百种适合于周末聚餐的食谱,搭配合理,运用巧妙,富含营养,让你吃得美味,吃得舒畅。《周末聚餐》内容丰富,实用性强,通俗易懂,是普通大众的有益参考书。
  • 盛皇财团:云少惹不起

    盛皇财团:云少惹不起

    “大少爷,你不能进去!”门口忽然有人喊道。“我的家我为什么不能进去!都给我让开,我要看……
  • 吉姆的人生

    吉姆的人生

    澳大利亚,公元2150年。吉姆和一名15岁少年进行了灵魂转移;这位少年犯了罪,在逃逸过程中死于意外。吉姆在医院死而复生、失忆,而且大脑严重受损,并进而影响到他的松果体和视觉。他的大脑中生成了过量二甲基色胺,这种神经化学物质导致他出现了梦境和幻觉。他的视觉发生了永久性的变化,现在他能看到别人体内的光、脉轮和光环,也能看到自己身上的光。他学会了利用和控制这些光场,成为了一名神奇的治疗师,因此被人们奉为救世主。一直以来,他都为一起自己不曾犯下的罪行而受到审判。
  • 少年医侠传

    少年医侠传

    前所未有的奇病,谁来医?扑簌迷离的血案,谁来揭晓?冷酷无情的战场,谁能笑到最后?他被仇人追杀,因打落悬崖后从此失去了记忆。不过他高深的武功与高明的医术却保留了下来。从此踏上了江湖,四处行医,行侠仗义。他,被人称为医侠,也是剑侠。他,医的不仅是病人,还有罪人。且看他如何演义他的人生传奇..剑花作品《少年医侠传》已完本第二个作品《玩美无下》已完本第三个作品《冤魂状》已完本
  • 李嘉诚经商50年

    李嘉诚经商50年

    李嘉诚连续6年荣膺世界华人首富,连续8年雄居港商首席,他是当代最成功、最杰出的商人之一,成为无数渴望成功的商人心目中的偶像。
  • 叶天士医案精华

    叶天士医案精华

    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。
  • 陶记略

    陶记略

    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。
  • 从邻居的不幸中学习

    从邻居的不幸中学习

    “一边校订《世纪大拍卖》的译稿,一边体味着电视里和网站上的中国故事,我还是感到困惑尽管中国和俄罗斯有如此惊人的不同,但相同之处似乎也同样惊人。”“事实上,这本书里面的很多故事,都会让人联想起那句伟人名言只要换一个名字,这里说的正是阁下的事情。正是这些相似之处,才最令人忧心。”本书是《世纪大拍卖》一书的译校者张春霖博士的翻译手记。《世纪大拍卖》讲述的的真实故事比学者们的模型更为生动地展示了20世纪90年代俄罗斯经济、社会和政治转轨的悲壮激烈的场景。俄罗斯创造的是一种“被扭曲的市场经济”、“青面獠牙的霍布斯资本主义”、“土匪资本主义”、“瘸腿的、腐败的资本主义”。