登陆注册
14820300000056

第56章

I thanked her, without making any demonstration of joy, lest it should induce her to withdraw her assent. Nor could I help thinking this a prudent course, since she looked at me out of the pickle-jar, with as great an access of sourness as if her black eyes had absorbed its contents. However, the permission was given, and was never retracted; for when the month was out, Peggotty and I were ready to depart.

Mr. Barkis came into the house for Peggotty's boxes. I had never known him to pass the garden-gate before, but on this occasion he came into the house. And he gave me a look as he shouldered the largest box and went out, which I thought had meaning in it, if meaning could ever be said to find its way into Mr. Barkis's visage.

Peggotty was naturally in low spirits at leaving what had been her home so many years, and where the two strong attachments of her life - for my mother and myself - had been formed. She had been walking in the churchyard, too, very early; and she got into the cart, and sat in it with her handkerchief at her eyes.

So long as she remained in this condition, Mr. Barkis gave no sign of life whatever. He sat in his usual place and attitude like a great stuffed figure. But when she began to look about her, and to speak to me, he nodded his head and grinned several times. I have not the least notion at whom, or what he meant by it.

'It's a beautiful day, Mr. Barkis!' I said, as an act of politeness.

'It ain't bad,' said Mr. Barkis, who generally qualified his speech, and rarely committed himself.

'Peggotty is quite comfortable now, Mr. Barkis,' I remarked, for his satisfaction.

'Is she, though?' said Mr. Barkis.

After reflecting about it, with a sagacious air, Mr. Barkis eyed her, and said:

'ARE you pretty comfortable?'

Peggotty laughed, and answered in the affirmative.

'But really and truly, you know. Are you?' growled Mr. Barkis, sliding nearer to her on the seat, and nudging her with his elbow.

'Are you? Really and truly pretty comfortable? Are you? Eh?'

At each of these inquiries Mr. Barkis shuffled nearer to her, and gave her another nudge; so that at last we were all crowded together in the left-hand corner of the cart, and I was so squeezed that I could hardly bear it.

Peggotty calling his attention to my sufferings, Mr. Barkis gave me a little more room at once, and got away by degrees. But I could not help observing that he seemed to think he had hit upon a wonderful expedient for expressing himself in a neat, agreeable, and pointed manner, without the inconvenience of inventing conversation. He manifestly chuckled over it for some time. By and by he turned to Peggotty again, and repeating, 'Are you pretty comfortable though?' bore down upon us as before, until the breath was nearly edged out of my body. By and by he made another descent upon us with the same inquiry, and the same result. At length, Igot up whenever I saw him coming, and standing on the foot-board, pretended to look at the prospect; after which I did very well.

He was so polite as to stop at a public-house, expressly on our account, and entertain us with broiled mutton and beer. Even when Peggotty was in the act of drinking, he was seized with one of those approaches, and almost choked her. But as we drew nearer to the end of our journey, he had more to do and less time for gallantry; and when we got on Yarmouth pavement, we were all too much shaken and jolted, I apprehend, to have any leisure for anything else.

Mr. Peggotty and Ham waited for us at the old place. They received me and Peggotty in an affectionate manner, and shook hands with Mr. Barkis, who, with his hat on the very back of his head, and a shame-faced leer upon his countenance, and pervading his very legs, presented but a vacant appearance, I thought. They each took one of Peggotty's trunks, and we were going away, when Mr. Barkis solemnly made a sign to me with his forefinger to come under an archway.

'I say,' growled Mr. Barkis, 'it was all right.'

I looked up into his face, and answered, with an attempt to be very profound: 'Oh!'

'It didn't come to a end there,' said Mr. Barkis, nodding confidentially. 'It was all right.'

Again I answered, 'Oh!'

'You know who was willin',' said my friend. 'It was Barkis, and Barkis only.'

I nodded assent.

'It's all right,' said Mr. Barkis, shaking hands; 'I'm a friend of your'n. You made it all right, first. It's all right.'

In his attempts to be particularly lucid, Mr. Barkis was so extremely mysterious, that I might have stood looking in his face for an hour, and most assuredly should have got as much information out of it as out of the face of a clock that had stopped, but for Peggotty's calling me away. As we were going along, she asked me what he had said; and I told her he had said it was all right.

'Like his impudence,' said Peggotty, 'but I don't mind that! Davy dear, what should you think if I was to think of being married?'

'Why - I suppose you would like me as much then, Peggotty, as you do now?' I returned, after a little consideration.

Greatly to the astonishment of the passengers in the street, as well as of her relations going on before, the good soul was obliged to stop and embrace me on the spot, with many protestations of her unalterable love.

'Tell me what should you say, darling?' she asked again, when this was over, and we were walking on.

'If you were thinking of being married - to Mr. Barkis, Peggotty?'

'Yes,' said Peggotty.

'I should think it would be a very good thing. For then you know, Peggotty, you would always have the horse and cart to bring you over to see me, and could come for nothing, and be sure of coming.'

同类推荐
  • Frances Waldeaux

    Frances Waldeaux

    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。
  • 说诗晬语

    说诗晬语

    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。
  • 战略辑佚

    战略辑佚

    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。
  • 四阿含暮抄解

    四阿含暮抄解

    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。
  • 绛雪园古方选注

    绛雪园古方选注

    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。
热门推荐
  • 美人泪之总裁的逃跑娇妻

    美人泪之总裁的逃跑娇妻

    司徒若萱在5岁时,母亲为救她而死,然她却没有了当天的记忆忘记了杀人凶手。12年后有人用同样的手段继续杀害他父亲的现任老婆和儿女。当真相一点点被揭开,是终于可以报仇雪恨,还是会跌入另一个万丈深渊。当爱情不再只是两个人的事情时,一切都会变得复杂,有时候伤害又何尝不是深爱的体现。是命运的捉弄,还是一场爱情与亲情的冒险考验。一本日记,改变了所有人的一身。她说既然我不能改变自己的命运,那至少我可以让它按照我所期望的轨迹走下去。要是错了,我还有机会暂停重演。不愿相信心爱之人死去,从未放弃过寻找的他。当心爱之人回到身边,会不会又是另一场伤痛的开始。
  • 定制爱的魔法诺言

    定制爱的魔法诺言

    爱情什么的是不是都是浮云?你有没有那么一次和自己心爱的人分手?然后用了很长的时间才忘了那个Ta,时间是最好的疗伤药,一起和她去体验一下吧,那种痛是怎么样的......
  • 不变的守护神

    不变的守护神

    殷阳,有两面性格。一面黑暗,异常残暴和冷酷。一面光明,是为都市特种兵。一旦进入黑暗,六感便会完全屏蔽,化身地狱君王。但这一切,终究抵不住在乎的人一声呼喊。因为,他是守护神……
  • 超级老王

    超级老王

    老王你会躲衣柜嘛?“不会”那你会拧瓶盖嘛?“呃,这个会也不会”老王你会……你烦不烦啊,本爸爸是清华理科高材生,正研究一个绝密项目,我要为老王正名,隔壁老王不隔壁。。
  • 血之弥撒

    血之弥撒

    塞纳河的波光一定铭刻着他的浅笑。那一夜,月华垂吻,玫瑰泣血,剔透泪光中凝结着一场与日光永恒的华丽叹别。月光下的幻灭,遥指的是一条寂寥无尾的长夜之路;墓园的挽歌,逐字逐句都在吟唱着永恒的眷恋。而时间,则成为永世难逃的劫数,生无所息与无限停滞的对冲,在夜色中无限蜿蜒。同流光一起游走的,是无尽的告别,终至遁入大地的广袤。在永恒中不断告别,那份诗意般的孤寂里流淌地是无尽的血色温存。墓碑前的那束玫瑰,他曾倾身一吻,会伴月色长眠,永不凋零。[《吸血鬼编年史》同人,人设仍沿用原著设定,主要人物涉及莱斯特(Lestat),路易(Louis),阿曼德(Armand)等,以及原著中的其他人物。]
  • 清朝宫廷秘史(上)

    清朝宫廷秘史(上)

    清代是中国最后一个封建皇朝,随着它的结束,中国连绵两千多年的封建皇朝终于告终。本书取材于正史、野史和民间传说的内容,不仅深刻地描写了帝王的感情世界,而且对宫闱生活也做了细致地刻画。既有助于读者了解深宫密地的帝后生活,也对读者熟知各朝的历史线索有一定的帮助。
  • 暗雷玄灵

    暗雷玄灵

    故事发生在一个异界大陆,几个主人公们为了同一个目标,汇聚到同一个地方;上演着神奇的事情......
  • 魅惑君心:拒绝神圣表白

    魅惑君心:拒绝神圣表白

    关于你的事,它布满我整个大脑,我试图把那些事都藏起,但它们却能悄悄从我的眼睛里泄露出去。那些掩藏在心底海啸一般的情绪,在每一个独处的时间里,都发酵出好闻的香气。“其实第一眼看见你,我的心就已做好沦陷的准备,只是我现在才知道,原来爱一个人,除非她也爱你,不然就真的是很难很难。”“对你,从不熟悉到熟悉,从喜欢到深爱,都是一步一步走过来的,我明白,你的深情你的好,发觉自己喜欢上你以后,没有一刻放下过。”
  • 豪门大宅

    豪门大宅

    郑子元对伊静是一见钟情,在酒后郑子元与伊静发生关系并孕有一女,就在孩子快出生的时候,郑子元与前女与珊羽在家里发生关系恰巧被回来收拾东西的伊静撞见,伊静偷偷地与郑子元办理了离婚手续,独自离开。不知去向何处的伊静被好心人齐大娘收留,并在其家中过来几年清贫但是快乐的日子。伊静在乡下学校当教师,却和下乡踩景的郑子清相遇。偶然相遇后,伊静的生活再一次被打乱,此时被人欺负没有父亲的女儿回来……
  • 军歌嘹亮

    军歌嘹亮

    《军歌嘹亮》以1948年“辽沈战役”、“东北剿匪”、“朝鲜战争”、“军事大比武”、85年百万大裁军和九十年代军事演习为背景,用独特的视角叙述了主人公高大山的传奇人生,以及家庭和感情故事,反映了共和国的历史与军队的发展史,表现了军人对理想与信念、战争与和平、婚姻与爱情选择的心里历程。