David Copperfield

Chapter 58 Confirming what I heard, choosing a career (2)
Chapter 23 Confirm what you hear, select occupation(2)
"Tro! my dear Tolo!" cried my aunt, startled, clutching my arm, "what shall I do?"

"Don't panic," I said, "it's all right. First go to a store and I'll chase him away."

"No, no, child," she went on, "don't talk to him, please, I ask you."

"Why, auntie," said I, "he's nothing but a tyrannical beggar."

"You don't understand who he is," said my aunt. "You don't understand who he is! You don't understand what you're talking about?"

At this time, we stopped at an empty door, and the man stopped too.

"Don't look at him!" my aunt said as I turned my head angrily. "Call me a car, honey, and wait for me at St. Paul's Church."

"Waiting for you?" I repeated.

"Yes," said my aunt, "I must go with him."

"Go with him, aunt? This man?"

"Don't think I'm insane," she told me. "I tell you, I have to. Go get me a car."

Although I was very surprised, I understand that I have no right to refuse such a solemn order.I ran a few steps away, just in time to hail an empty carriage that passed by.Before I put the pedal down, my aunt jumped in. She waved at me and told me to walk away. I turned around and left immediately.At this moment, I heard her say to the coachman: "Drive the cart wherever you want, just keep going!" The carriage passed me and went up the mountain.

What Mr. Dick told me in the past, which I once thought was his fancy, now comes to my mind.There was no doubt that this was the man he had mysteriously spoken of, but I could not at all imagine what my aunt had in his hands.After half an hour of calm in the cathedral, I saw the carriage return.It stopped beside me, and my aunt sat in it alone.

She's not quite back to normal yet for the visit we were planning.She asked me to get into the carriage and told the driver to take a few leisurely rounds to and fro.She said, "Dear child, don't ask about it, and don't ever bring it up." After a while, she was completely calm, and she told me we could get out of the car.When she handed the purse to me to send the driver, I found that all the guineas were gone, but the silver coins.

A small, low archway leads to the doctor's house.We left the market by the doorway, and for a moment the noise of the city, as if by magic, disappeared into the quiet distance.We walked through dreary courtyards and narrow passages to Spenlow, the skylighted office of Joggins.In the porch of the sanctuary, with direct access to the pilgrimage, several clerks were engaged in copying.One of them, a thin man sitting alone, with a brown wig that seemed to be made of gingerbread, rose to receive us, and showed us to Mr. Spenlow's room.

"Mr. Spenlow is in court, ma'am," he said. "It's the vault day, but it's not far from here. I'll send for him at once."

Before Mr. Spenlow arrived, I took the opportunity to look around.The furniture in the room was old and dusty, and the velvet cloth on the desk was completely faded.On the desk lay a large bundle of documents.Some are marked "Complaint", some "Supervisory Court", some "Vaulted Court", some "Privilege Court", some "Navy Court", some "Representative Court"; Want to know how many courts there are and how long it takes to know them.In addition, there are various transcripts, which are bound very firmly, in a large set, and each case is bound into a set, as if each case has ten or twenty volumes of history books.I think they are all valuable and make me feel good about the profession of attorney.While I was browsing these objects, and others of the same kind, with increasing interest, I heard hurried footsteps outside, and Mr. Spenlow, in a black robe trimmed with white leather, hurried in, taking off as he went. hat.

He was a small, fair-haired gentleman, in the best boots, and the stiffest white collar and shirt-collar.His clothes were neat, and he must have worked hard on that beautiful curly beard.His gold watch chain is thick, I fantasize: he needs a gold arm as thick as the logo on the door of a gold shop to pull it out.He was groomed so rigorously, and so erect, that he could scarcely bend over.When he sat in his chair and read the papers on the table, he turned his whole body from the lower part of the spine like Panzi in a puppet show.

I had already been introduced and received politely by my aunt, who said at the time:

"Then, Mr. Copperfield, would you like to join us? I had the honor of seeing Miss Trowood the other day,"--he said, leaning over again, and giving Panzie-- "I inadvertently mentioned that we have a vacancy here. Thank you, Miss Montroud, for not being there, saying that she has a grandson whom she is very fond of, and would like him to pursue a good career. That grandson, I think, I have the honor of-- "He said and performed Panzi's action again.

I bowed in acknowledgment and said that my aunt mentioned to me such an opportunity and I liked it very much, so I immediately liked the proposal, but until I got to know it better, I couldn't guarantee that I absolutely liked it .Although it's just a matter of form, I figured I'd give it a try and see if I was really interested before I decided to actually join.

"Oh, yes!" said Mr. Spenlow. "Here we always stipulate a month—a trial period. I myself would have preferred two months—three—actually, an infinite period—but I have a partner, Mr. Johnkins."

"Advance, sir," I asked, "is it a thousand pounds?"

"It's a thousand pounds including stamps," said Mr. Spenlow. "I have already mentioned to Miss Trowood that I don't think much of money, and I don't think there's anyone else like me; but Mr. Joggins He has opinions on such matters, and I must respect them. On the whole, Mr. Johnkins thinks that a thousand pounds is not enough."

"I suppose, sir," I said (still wanting to save my aunt's money), "is there such a rule here, that if an apprentice is extraordinarily useful, perfectly qualified—" I blushed, for I was so sure of myself, " I want to end up giving him a little—”

Mr. Spenlow stretched his head out of the collar as far as it could shake, and answered before I could say the word "salary".

"No, Mr. Copperfield. I would consider it if I were free, but Mr. Joggins says it cannot be."

Thinking of this abominable Mr. Johnkins, I was very embarrassed, but I later felt that he was a stable and gentle person. He didn't do it himself in the office, but always let others do the most stubborn and least close. reasonable thing.If a clerk asked for a higher salary, Mr. Johnkins would not agree; if an employer was slow to pay his legal fees, Mr. Johnkins was determined to make him pay; although Mr. Spenlow felt so painful, Mr. Johnkins But he refused to accommodate.The heart and hands of this angelic Mr. Spenlow must have been always open were it not for this devilish Mr. Joggins who would not let go.Later, when I was older, I saw with my own eyes that some other firms also acted on their principles!

It was decided at that time when I could start my probationary period.My aunt doesn't have to stay in the city, and she doesn't have to come back when the trial period expires, because the contract with me as the main body can be easily sent to her home for her to sign.At this moment, Mr. Spenlow suggested that he take me to the court immediately to see what the place was like.As I wanted to know so much, we set off, and my aunt stayed where I was.She says she can't trust that kind of place, and I think she sees all courts as powder for a sudden crisis.

Mr. Spenlow led me into a gravel yard surrounded by neat brick buildings.Judging by the names of doctors on the door, this was the residence of the learned advocates Steerforth spoke of.We entered a room as large as a sanctuary but gloomy on the left.The upper floor of this house is separated by a railing.On either side of a horseshoe-shaped platform higher than the platform, there were various gentlemen in red robes and gray wigs.They sit comfortably in chairs, and these are the Doctors.In the crooked part of the horseshoe, there was a table, like a church oratory, and behind it was an old man, his eyes half-closed.But I heard that he is the chief referee.

In the space of the horseshoe-shaped dais, just below these, almost at the level of the floor, are several figures of Mr. Spenlow's class, in black robes trimmed with white leather, sitting on a At the long green table.Their collars are always stiff, and they look haughty.But I thought afterwards that on this point I had misunderstood them, because when several of them answered the referee's questions, there was nothing more obedient than them.The spectators were a child with a scarf and a shabby man who secretly ate bread out of his coat pocket, and they were warming up by the fire.There were only the creaking of the fire and the talking of a doctor.He cites extensive evidence from the library but only stays on some side arguments.In a word, I have never seen anywhere in my life such a cozy, sleepy, antiquated, time-forgotten family gathering.To me, whoever it is, being a member of it—except perhaps for the litigants—is definitely a downer.

I was quite content with this dreamlike situation, and I told Mr. Spenlow that I was content this time.So we met with my aunt, and soon left the doctoral school with my aunt.When I came out of Spenlow & Joggins, I saw the clerks pointing at each other, and I thought I was very young.

We returned to Lincoln Court Square without incident, except for an unfortunate donkey pulling vegetables, which brought back sad memories from my aunt.When we were safely seated indoors, we had a long talk, for I knew she was anxious to get home, and was afraid of fire, bad food, and thieves, and she couldn't have half an hour's sleep in London. Rest assured, I advised her not to worry about me, I can take care of myself.

"I have not been here a week, and I think so, my dear," she went on, "that there is a furnished house to let at Adelphi, and you must be well suited."

After these brief prologues, she drew from her pocket an advertisement carefully cut out from a newspaper, which said: In Buckingham Street, Adelphi, there is a furnished elegant gentleman's suite by the river. Apartment for rent, perfect for the young gentleman, legal or not - ready to move in, inexpensive, monthly rent if necessary.

"Oh, that's wonderful, auntie!" I said, blushing at the dignity that such a house might have.

"Okay then," my aunt said, and immediately put on the soft hat she had just taken off a minute ago, "let's have a look together."

We started right away, the advertisement said renters could find Mrs. Crupp in the room, so we rang the bell thinking we could find Crupp.We tugged several times before we saw her appear, a stout, tall woman in a purple calico gown and flannel petticoat.

"Excuse me, we want to see your apartment, ma'am," my aunt said.

"Is this the gentleman who lives there?" said Mrs. Crupp, fumbling for the key in her pocket.

"Yes, my grandson lives there." My aunt said.

"That would be wonderful!" said Mrs. Crupp.

So we go upstairs.

This apartment was on the top floor of the house--which was my aunt's favorite point, being near the fire-escape--with a small hall almost invisible, a pantry entirely invisible, a A living room, a bedroom.The furniture is old but good enough for me.And it's true, the river is right outside the window.

Since I liked the place so much, my aunt and Mrs. Crupp retreated to the pantry to negotiate terms, and I sat on the sofa in the living room, hardly imagining that I could live in such a fine room.After they fought one-on-one, they returned to the living room. From the expressions on their faces, I knew that the deal was over.

"Whose furniture is it?" my aunt asked.

"It belonged to the previous tenant, ma'am."

"What about him?" my aunt asked.

Mrs. Crupp coughed suddenly, and said with difficulty as she coughed: "He got sick here, ma'am, and he—cough! cough! cough!—and died."

"What disease?"

"Oh, ma'am, he drank to death," said Mrs. Crupp without hesitation, "and the cigarettes."

"Smoke? Is it the smoke from the fireplace?" my aunt continued.

"No, ma'am," said Mrs. Crupp, "cigars and pipes."

"Anyway, it's not contagious, Trol," my aunt said, turning to me.

"No, of course," I said.

In short, my aunt saw that I was very satisfied with the house, so she rented it for one month, and when the term expired, she wanted to live again, and then extended the lease for another year.Mrs. Crupp took care of the meals and bedding; all other necessities were provided; and Mrs. Crupp said she would always look after me as a son.I'm moving in the day after tomorrow.Thank God, Mrs. Crupp said, she had someone she could take care of this time.

On the way home my aunt said she believed the life I was about to lead would give me strength and confidence, two qualities I lacked.She repeated this several times when we arranged next day how my clothes and books at Mr. Wakefield's should be shipped to London.I wrote a long letter to Agnes about my luggage and my latest holiday.The letter was taken by my aunt, as she was leaving the next day.I don't want to go into details about all the details, but I will just add that she gave me a lot of money for possible uses during my one-month trial stay; Disappointed; I saw her ride safe and sound on the bicycle bound for Doufo (rejoiced at the victorious donkeys she was about to overcome), with Jenny by her side; The days of lounging around the arches below it, and the twist of fate that now brings me to the upper floors.

(End of this chapter)