| [00:28.93] | Chapter 2: David is sent away to school |
| [00:35.69] | I was very unhappy during this time. |
| [00:37.91] | Mr Murdstone insisted on my studying, and so my mother gave me lessons. |
| [00:45.43] | In the past she and I had enjoyed our studies together, |
| [00:49.78] | and she had taught me a lot in her gentle way. |
| [00:53.95] | But now both Mr and Miss Murdstone were present during my lessons, |
| [01:00.11] | and somehow I could not concentrate or remember what I had learnt. |
| [01:06.05] | My poor mother was very sympathetic,and tried to encourage me,sometimes even whispering the answer to me. |
| [01:16.12] | But the Murdstones had sharp ears. |
| [01:20.03] | "Clara,my love!" Mr Murdstone used to say crossly. “ |
| [01:24.19] | "Remember!Be firm!You' re making the boy's character worse by helping him like that!" “ |
| [01:31.79] | "Oh,Edward, I'm sorry,"my mother replied,looking embarrassed and hanging her head like a guilty child. “ |
| [01:42.44] | One morning when I arrived in the sittingroom as usual for my lesson, |
| [01:48.66] | I saw that Mr Murd stone had a thin stick in his hand. I could not take my eyes off it. |
| [01:57.82] | "You must be very careful today, David," he said with his unpleasant smile, “ |
| [02:05.25] | holding the stick in both hands. I knew what would happen then. |
| [02:11.81] | A terrible fear took hold of me, and all that I had learnt disappeared immediately from my memory, |
| [02:20.30] | so that I could not answer any of my mother's questions. |
| [02:25.28] | Mr Murdstone got up from his chair. |
| [02:29.19] | "Well David，"he said heavily, "I think you've worried your mother enough today. “ |
| [02:36.53] | We'll go upstairs, boy. Come,"and he picked up the stick. |
| [02:43.17] | I heard my mother crying as we went upstairs. "Please,Mr Murdstone!"I cried. |
| [02:51.52] | "Don't beat me!I've tried to learn,really I have, sir!" “ |
| [02:56.81] | But he did not listen to me. In my bedroom,he held my arms and started hitting me with the stick. |
| [03:05.57] | I managed to get hold of his hand, and bit deep into it. |
| [03:11.08] | He cried out angrily,and began to hit me as hard as he could.Above the noise of my screams, |
| [03:21.79] | I could hear my mother and Peggotty crying outside the door. |
| [03:26.87] | Then the next moment, he was gone. I heard him lock the door. |
| [03:33.66] | And I was lying,sore and bleeding, on the floor. The whole house seemed suddenly very quiet. |
| [03:45.08] | I stayed there for a time, without moving. |
| [03:51.61] | In the evening Miss Murdstone brought me some bread and milk, |
| [03:57.39] | which she left on the floor beside me,frowning angrily at me as she went out. |
| [04:04.10] | I was kept locked in that room for five days and nights, |
| [04:09.90] | and saw nobody except Miss Murdstone, who brought me food but never spoke to me. |
| [04:17.43] | To a small boy, the five days seemed like years, |
| [04:23.91] | and I can still remember how frightened and guilty I felt. |
| [04:29.91] | But during the fifth night I heard a strange noise at the key-hole. |
| [04:36.71] | It was Peggotty,trying to give me a message. |
| [04:40.78] | "Master David,my dear,"she whispered, sobbing,"they are going to send you away to?boarding?school! Tomorrow!" “ |
| [04:51.24] | "Oh Peggotty!" I cried."Then I won't see you and mother very often!" “ |
| [04:57.36] | "No, my love. But don't forget, I'll take care of your mother. She needs her cross old Peggotty! “ |
| [05:08.16] | I'll stay with her,although I hate these Murdstones. |
| [05:14.91] | And remember,David, I love you as much as I love your mother,and more. And I'll Write to you." |
| [05:25.53] | "Thank you，dear Peggotty!"I whispered back, tears rolling down my face." “ |
| [05:34.23] | Will you write to your brother too,and Ham,and little Emily, “ |
| [05:38.83] | and tell them I'm not as bad as the Murdstones think? |
| [05:44.11] | And send my love to them,especially little Emily?" |
| [05:50.64] | Peggotty promised to do what I asked. |
| [05:54.26] | The next morning Miss Murdstone told me that because of my wickedness, I was going away to school. |
| [06:03.03] | She had already packed my case for me.My mother was only allowed to say a very quick goodbye to me, |
| [06:11.52] | when the horse and cart arrived the driver put my case on the cart, and we drove slowly out of Blunderstone. |
| [06:20.65] | I was still sobbing loudly when suddenly I saw Peggotty running after us on the road. |
| [06:29.48] | The driver stopped and waited for her.With difficulty she climbed up onto the cart. |
| [06:37.24] | "Here, Master David!" she cried breathlessly. “ |
| [06:41.74] | "A little present from me and your dear mother!Take care of yourself, my dear!" “ |
| [06:49.54] | She put a small purse and a paper bag into my hands, |
| [06:54.75] | and held me so close to her fat body that I thought I would never breathe again. |
| [07:01.51] | Then she jumped down and ran back along the road to the village. |
| [07:08.06] | As we continued our journey, I dried my tears and looked at what she had given me. |
| [07:15.70] | The bag was full of Peggotty' s special cakes, and in the purse were eight bright shilling coins. |
| [07:24.73] | Thinking of my mother and Peggotty made me start crying again,but just then the driver,Mr Barkis,began to talk to me. |
| [07:37.02] | He was a large,red-faced man, who clearly found conversation difficult. |
| [07:44.52] | "Did she make those cakes?" he asked slowly, having finished the one that I had offered him. “ |
| [07:55.83] | "You mean Peggotty, sir? Yes, she does all our cooking." “ |
| [08:02.61] | "Does she?" replied Mr Barkis with great interest. “ |
| [08:08.58] | There was a long silence while heconsideredhis next question. |
| [08:15.56] | "Does she have a young man?"he asked."You know,someone who wants to marry her?" “ |
| [08:26.88] | "Peggotty?A young man?"I repeated,surprised."Oh no,she's never had any young men." “ |
| [08:38.09] | "Ah!" replied Mr Barkis，looking very pleased. Again he thought for a long time before speaking. “ |
| [08:49.86] | "Well,"he said at last,"perhaps if you write to her—will you be writing to her?You could give her a message from me. “ |
| [09:06.53] | You could say 'Barkis is willing'.Would you do that?" |
| [09:15.30] | "'Barkis is willing'," I repeated innocently, wondering what the message meant. “‘ |
| [09:24.55] | "Yes,of course. But you could tell her yourself, Mr Barkis, when you return to Blunderstone tomorrow." “ |
| [09:32.41] | |
| [09:45.65] | After this conversation Mr Barkis was completely silent for the rest of the journey. |
| [09:53.90] | When we arrived in Yarmouth,I bought paper at the hotel and wrote this letter to Peggotty: |
| [10:01.89] | My dear Peggotty, I have arrived safely in Yarmouth. Barkis is willing. Please give my love to mother. |
| [10:13.46] | Yours,David P.S. He says it's important—Barkis is willing. |
| [10:24.58] | In Yarmouth I was put on the long－distance coach to London，and travelled all through the night. |
| [10:32.63] | At the coach station in London I was collected by a teacher, Mr Mell, |
| [10:39.58] | and taken to Salem House, the school which the Murdstones had chosen for me. |
| [10:46.22] | The school was a large old building with a dusty playground, |
| [10:52.47] | surrounded by a high brick wall. It looked strangely deserted. |
| [10:58.15] | I was very surprised to find that none of the boys were there, and was told that they were all on holiday, |
| [11:07.32] | and that I had been sent there during the holidays as a punishment for mywickedness. |
| [11:13.88] | The headmaster and teachers were on holiday too,all except for Mr Mell, who had to look after me. |
| [11:23.06] | I spent a whole month in thatmiserableplace,doing my lessons in the dirty,empty classroom, |
| [11:33.17] | which smelt of old food and unwashed boys. |
| [11:36.83] | Every evening I had to eat my supper with Mr Mell,and then go straight to bed. |
| [11:45.68] | The worst thing was the sign I had to wear round my neck. |
| [11:49.82] | It said: BE CAREFUL! HE BITES. I was only allowed to take it off when I went to bed. |
| [11:58.90] | Although I was extremely lonely and unhappy at this time,I was not looking forward to meeting all the other boys. |
| [12:08.60] | I felt sure they would laugh at me and especially at the sign I was forced to wear. |
| [12:14.79] | But one day Mr Mell told me that the headmaster, Mr Creakle, had returned, and wanted to see me. |
| [12:24.00] | So I went,trembling,to his part of the house. |
| [12:28.94] | I realized at once that Mr Creakle lived much more comfortably than the boys or the teachers. |
| [12:35.86] | He was a small,fat man with a purple nose,who was sitting in an armchair with a bottle and a glass in front of him. |
| [12:45.58] | "So, this is the boy who bites, is it?" he asked unpleasantly."I know your stepfather, boy. “ |
| [12:54.24] | He's a man of strong character,he is. He knows me,and I know him. |
| [13:02.77] | Do you know me? Answer me,boy!"He pulled violently at my ear. |
| [13:09.05] | "Not yet, sir," I answered, tears of pain in my eyes. “ |
| [13:15.71] | "Ah,but you soon will!Oh yes, I have a strong character too,you'll see!" Hebangedhis hand hard on the table. “ |
| [13:28.56] | I was very frightened，but I made myself ask the question I had beenconsideringfor a whole month. |
| [13:37.18] | " Please, sir, I'm very sorry for what I did to Mr Murdstone. Could—could I take this sign off,before the other boys see it..." “ |
| [13:51.85] | Mr Creakle gave a sudden,terrible shout and jumped out of his chair. |
| [13:58.26] | I did not wait to see whether he was going to hit me, but ran out of his room and hid in my bed for the next hour. |
| [14:08.58] | However, the boys were not as cruel to me as I had feared. |
| [14:15.95] | I made a friend almost immediately, a boy called Tommy Traddles, who was known to be the unluckiest boy in the school. |
| [14:24.93] | I was also noticed, and even smiled on, by the great James Steerforth,one of the oldest boys, at least six years older than me. |
| [14:37.44] | He was a handsome,intelligent, curly-haired young man, |
| [14:43.15] | who had become an important figure at the school,with great influence over the younger boys. |
| [14:49.15] | "How much money have you got,Copperfield?" he asked me. “ |
| [14:54.10] | "Eight shillings,Steerforth,"I answered,remembering the present my mother and Peggotty had given me. “8 |
| [15:02.06] | "You'd better give it to me. I'll take care of it for you," he offered in a friendly way. “ |
| [15:09.69] | I opened Peggotty's purse and turned it upside-down into his hand. |
| [15:15.16] | "Perhaps you'd like to spend some of it now?"he suggested,smiling." “ |
| [15:20.68] | A bottle of wine, a tin of biscuits, a few cakes, that sort of thing? “ |
| [15:27.66] | I can go out whenever I like, so I can buy it for you." |
| [15:32.13] | "Ye-es,that' s very kind of you,"I said, although I was a little worried that all my money would disappear. “ |
| [15:43.19] | When we went upstairs to bed, I realized that all my money had been spent, |
| [15:50.25] | as eight shillings' worth of food and drink was laid out on my bed in the moonlight. |
| [15:57.41] | Of course I did not want to eat and drink it all by myself, |
| [16:03.33] | so I invited Steerforth and the others tohelp themselves. |
| [16:08.43] | The boys were very willing, and we spent a pleasant evening, sitting on our beds,whispering to each other. |
| [16:16.13] | I discovered that the boys all hated Salem House, which they considered one of the worst schools in the country. |
| [16:26.85] | They especially hated Mr Creakle, |
| [16:29.80] | who was in the habit of beating them regularly with a heavy stick which he carried with him at all times. |
| [16:37.34] | The only boy he dared not beat was Steerforth. I admired Steerforth even more when I heard this. |
| [16:46.36] | When we were all too tired to stay awake, Steerforth got up to go. |
| [16:53.11] | "Goodnight,young Copperfield, " he said, putting a hand on my head."I'll take care of you." “ |
| [17:01.00] | "It's very kind of you，" I replied gratefully. “ |
| [17:05.10] | "You haven't got a sister, have you?"he asked sleepily. “ |
| [17:09.65] | |
| [17:14.77] | If you had one, I'm sure she'd be a pretty, bright-eyed little girl. I would have liked to meet her." |
| [17:23.54] | I thought of him a lot that night,with his laughing, handsome face, and his careless, confident manner. |
| [17:33.69] | I could never have imagined what a dark shadow he would throw over the lives of people who were dear to me. |
| [17:42.51] | I stayed at Salem House for three more months.Although one or two of the teachers,like Mr Mell, were kind to us boys, |
| [17:55.38] | and tried to teach us properly,we were too afraid of Mr Creakle and his stick to concentrate on our studies. |
| [18:04.04] | But Tommy Traddles and I cheered each other up if we were beaten, |
| [18:09.23] | and I was lucky enough to be friendly with the great Steerforth,in spite ofthe difference in our ages. |
| [18:17.16] | However, my home, even with the Murdstones there, seemed a much pleasanter place than school, |
| [18:25.76] | and I was glad when the Christmas holidays arrived, |
| [18:29.35] | and I was allowed to return to Blunderstone. |
| [18:32.55] | I was a little surprised to find that my mother had a new baby, and I could see at once that she was not well. |
| [18:41.96] | She looked tired and worried,and very thin. But she and Peggotty were delighted to see me, |
| [18:51.43] | although they dared not show it if the Murdstones were present. |
| [18:55.82] | My stepfather and his sister seemed to hate me even more than before, if that were possible, |
| [19:04.37] | and they made my life quite miserable whenever they could. |
| [19:09.05] | In fact, I was almost pleased when it was time to return to school, and see Traddles and Steerforth again. |
| [19:18.26] | As the cart drove away,I remember my mother standing outside our house,with her baby in her arms, smiling sadly at me. |
| [19:30.19] | That was the last time I saw her,and that is how I shall always remember her. |
| [00:28.93] | Chapter 2: David is sent away to school |
| [00:35.69] | I was very unhappy during this time. |
| [00:37.91] | Mr Murdstone insisted on my studying, and so my mother gave me lessons. |
| [00:45.43] | In the past she and I had enjoyed our studies together, |
| [00:49.78] | and she had taught me a lot in her gentle way. |
| [00:53.95] | But now both Mr and Miss Murdstone were present during my lessons, |
| [01:00.11] | and somehow I could not concentrate or remember what I had learnt. |
| [01:06.05] | My poor mother was very sympathetic, and tried to encourage me, sometimes even whispering the answer to me. |
| [01:16.12] | But the Murdstones had sharp ears. |
| [01:20.03] | " Clara, my love!" Mr Murdstone used to say crossly. " |
| [01:24.19] | " Remember! Be firm! You' re making the boy' s character worse by helping him like that!" " |
| [01:31.79] | " Oh, Edward, I' m sorry," my mother replied, looking embarrassed and hanging her head like a guilty child. " |
| [01:42.44] | One morning when I arrived in the sittingroom as usual for my lesson, |
| [01:48.66] | I saw that Mr Murd stone had a thin stick in his hand. I could not take my eyes off it. |
| [01:57.82] | " You must be very careful today, David," he said with his unpleasant smile, " |
| [02:05.25] | holding the stick in both hands. I knew what would happen then. |
| [02:11.81] | A terrible fear took hold of me, and all that I had learnt disappeared immediately from my memory, |
| [02:20.30] | so that I could not answer any of my mother' s questions. |
| [02:25.28] | Mr Murdstone got up from his chair. |
| [02:29.19] | " Well David," he said heavily, " I think you' ve worried your mother enough today. " |
| [02:36.53] | We' ll go upstairs, boy. Come," and he picked up the stick. |
| [02:43.17] | I heard my mother crying as we went upstairs. " Please, Mr Murdstone!" I cried. |
| [02:51.52] | " Don' t beat me! I' ve tried to learn, really I have, sir!" " |
| [02:56.81] | But he did not listen to me. In my bedroom, he held my arms and started hitting me with the stick. |
| [03:05.57] | I managed to get hold of his hand, and bit deep into it. |
| [03:11.08] | He cried out angrily, and began to hit me as hard as he could. Above the noise of my screams, |
| [03:21.79] | I could hear my mother and Peggotty crying outside the door. |
| [03:26.87] | Then the next moment, he was gone. I heard him lock the door. |
| [03:33.66] | And I was lying, sore and bleeding, on the floor. The whole house seemed suddenly very quiet. |
| [03:45.08] | I stayed there for a time, without moving. |
| [03:51.61] | In the evening Miss Murdstone brought me some bread and milk, |
| [03:57.39] | which she left on the floor beside me, frowning angrily at me as she went out. |
| [04:04.10] | I was kept locked in that room for five days and nights, |
| [04:09.90] | and saw nobody except Miss Murdstone, who brought me food but never spoke to me. |
| [04:17.43] | To a small boy, the five days seemed like years, |
| [04:23.91] | and I can still remember how frightened and guilty I felt. |
| [04:29.91] | But during the fifth night I heard a strange noise at the keyhole. |
| [04:36.71] | It was Peggotty, trying to give me a message. |
| [04:40.78] | " Master David, my dear," she whispered, sobbing," they are going to send you away to? boarding? school! Tomorrow!" " |
| [04:51.24] | " Oh Peggotty!" I cried." Then I won' t see you and mother very often!" " |
| [04:57.36] | " No, my love. But don' t forget, I' ll take care of your mother. She needs her cross old Peggotty! " |
| [05:08.16] | I' ll stay with her, although I hate these Murdstones. |
| [05:14.91] | And remember, David, I love you as much as I love your mother, and more. And I' ll Write to you." |
| [05:25.53] | " Thank you, dear Peggotty!" I whispered back, tears rolling down my face." " |
| [05:34.23] | Will you write to your brother too, and Ham, and little Emily, " |
| [05:38.83] | and tell them I' m not as bad as the Murdstones think? |
| [05:44.11] | And send my love to them, especially little Emily?" |
| [05:50.64] | Peggotty promised to do what I asked. |
| [05:54.26] | The next morning Miss Murdstone told me that because of my wickedness, I was going away to school. |
| [06:03.03] | She had already packed my case for me. My mother was only allowed to say a very quick goodbye to me, |
| [06:11.52] | when the horse and cart arrived the driver put my case on the cart, and we drove slowly out of Blunderstone. |
| [06:20.65] | I was still sobbing loudly when suddenly I saw Peggotty running after us on the road. |
| [06:29.48] | The driver stopped and waited for her. With difficulty she climbed up onto the cart. |
| [06:37.24] | " Here, Master David!" she cried breathlessly. " |
| [06:41.74] | " A little present from me and your dear mother! Take care of yourself, my dear!" " |
| [06:49.54] | She put a small purse and a paper bag into my hands, |
| [06:54.75] | and held me so close to her fat body that I thought I would never breathe again. |
| [07:01.51] | Then she jumped down and ran back along the road to the village. |
| [07:08.06] | As we continued our journey, I dried my tears and looked at what she had given me. |
| [07:15.70] | The bag was full of Peggotty' s special cakes, and in the purse were eight bright shilling coins. |
| [07:24.73] | Thinking of my mother and Peggotty made me start crying again, but just then the driver, Mr Barkis, began to talk to me. |
| [07:37.02] | He was a large, redfaced man, who clearly found conversation difficult. |
| [07:44.52] | " Did she make those cakes?" he asked slowly, having finished the one that I had offered him. " |
| [07:55.83] | " You mean Peggotty, sir? Yes, she does all our cooking." " |
| [08:02.61] | " Does she?" replied Mr Barkis with great interest. " |
| [08:08.58] | There was a long silence while heconsideredhis next question. |
| [08:15.56] | " Does she have a young man?" he asked." You know, someone who wants to marry her?" " |
| [08:26.88] | " Peggotty? A young man?" I repeated, surprised." Oh no, she' s never had any young men." " |
| [08:38.09] | " Ah!" replied Mr Barkis, looking very pleased. Again he thought for a long time before speaking. " |
| [08:49.86] | " Well," he said at last," perhaps if you write to her will you be writing to her? You could give her a message from me. " |
| [09:06.53] | You could say ' Barkis is willing'. Would you do that?" |
| [09:15.30] | "' Barkis is willing'," I repeated innocently, wondering what the message meant. "' |
| [09:24.55] | " Yes, of course. But you could tell her yourself, Mr Barkis, when you return to Blunderstone tomorrow." " |
| [09:32.41] | |
| [09:45.65] | After this conversation Mr Barkis was completely silent for the rest of the journey. |
| [09:53.90] | When we arrived in Yarmouth, I bought paper at the hotel and wrote this letter to Peggotty: |
| [10:01.89] | My dear Peggotty, I have arrived safely in Yarmouth. Barkis is willing. Please give my love to mother. |
| [10:13.46] | Yours, David P. S. He says it' s important Barkis is willing. |
| [10:24.58] | In Yarmouth I was put on the long distance coach to London, and travelled all through the night. |
| [10:32.63] | At the coach station in London I was collected by a teacher, Mr Mell, |
| [10:39.58] | and taken to Salem House, the school which the Murdstones had chosen for me. |
| [10:46.22] | The school was a large old building with a dusty playground, |
| [10:52.47] | surrounded by a high brick wall. It looked strangely deserted. |
| [10:58.15] | I was very surprised to find that none of the boys were there, and was told that they were all on holiday, |
| [11:07.32] | and that I had been sent there during the holidays as a punishment for mywickedness. |
| [11:13.88] | The headmaster and teachers were on holiday too, all except for Mr Mell, who had to look after me. |
| [11:23.06] | I spent a whole month in thatmiserableplace, doing my lessons in the dirty, empty classroom, |
| [11:33.17] | which smelt of old food and unwashed boys. |
| [11:36.83] | Every evening I had to eat my supper with Mr Mell, and then go straight to bed. |
| [11:45.68] | The worst thing was the sign I had to wear round my neck. |
| [11:49.82] | It said: BE CAREFUL! HE BITES. I was only allowed to take it off when I went to bed. |
| [11:58.90] | Although I was extremely lonely and unhappy at this time, I was not looking forward to meeting all the other boys. |
| [12:08.60] | I felt sure they would laugh at me and especially at the sign I was forced to wear. |
| [12:14.79] | But one day Mr Mell told me that the headmaster, Mr Creakle, had returned, and wanted to see me. |
| [12:24.00] | So I went, trembling, to his part of the house. |
| [12:28.94] | I realized at once that Mr Creakle lived much more comfortably than the boys or the teachers. |
| [12:35.86] | He was a small, fat man with a purple nose, who was sitting in an armchair with a bottle and a glass in front of him. |
| [12:45.58] | " So, this is the boy who bites, is it?" he asked unpleasantly." I know your stepfather, boy. " |
| [12:54.24] | He' s a man of strong character, he is. He knows me, and I know him. |
| [13:02.77] | Do you know me? Answer me, boy!" He pulled violently at my ear. |
| [13:09.05] | " Not yet, sir," I answered, tears of pain in my eyes. " |
| [13:15.71] | " Ah, but you soon will! Oh yes, I have a strong character too, you' ll see!" Hebangedhis hand hard on the table. " |
| [13:28.56] | I was very frightened, but I made myself ask the question I had beenconsideringfor a whole month. |
| [13:37.18] | " Please, sir, I' m very sorry for what I did to Mr Murdstone. Could could I take this sign off, before the other boys see it..." " |
| [13:51.85] | Mr Creakle gave a sudden, terrible shout and jumped out of his chair. |
| [13:58.26] | I did not wait to see whether he was going to hit me, but ran out of his room and hid in my bed for the next hour. |
| [14:08.58] | However, the boys were not as cruel to me as I had feared. |
| [14:15.95] | I made a friend almost immediately, a boy called Tommy Traddles, who was known to be the unluckiest boy in the school. |
| [14:24.93] | I was also noticed, and even smiled on, by the great James Steerforth, one of the oldest boys, at least six years older than me. |
| [14:37.44] | He was a handsome, intelligent, curlyhaired young man, |
| [14:43.15] | who had become an important figure at the school, with great influence over the younger boys. |
| [14:49.15] | " How much money have you got, Copperfield?" he asked me. " |
| [14:54.10] | " Eight shillings, Steerforth," I answered, remembering the present my mother and Peggotty had given me. " 8 |
| [15:02.06] | " You' d better give it to me. I' ll take care of it for you," he offered in a friendly way. " |
| [15:09.69] | I opened Peggotty' s purse and turned it upsidedown into his hand. |
| [15:15.16] | " Perhaps you' d like to spend some of it now?" he suggested, smiling." " |
| [15:20.68] | A bottle of wine, a tin of biscuits, a few cakes, that sort of thing? " |
| [15:27.66] | I can go out whenever I like, so I can buy it for you." |
| [15:32.13] | " Yees, that' s very kind of you," I said, although I was a little worried that all my money would disappear. " |
| [15:43.19] | When we went upstairs to bed, I realized that all my money had been spent, |
| [15:50.25] | as eight shillings' worth of food and drink was laid out on my bed in the moonlight. |
| [15:57.41] | Of course I did not want to eat and drink it all by myself, |
| [16:03.33] | so I invited Steerforth and the others tohelp themselves. |
| [16:08.43] | The boys were very willing, and we spent a pleasant evening, sitting on our beds, whispering to each other. |
| [16:16.13] | I discovered that the boys all hated Salem House, which they considered one of the worst schools in the country. |
| [16:26.85] | They especially hated Mr Creakle, |
| [16:29.80] | who was in the habit of beating them regularly with a heavy stick which he carried with him at all times. |
| [16:37.34] | The only boy he dared not beat was Steerforth. I admired Steerforth even more when I heard this. |
| [16:46.36] | When we were all too tired to stay awake, Steerforth got up to go. |
| [16:53.11] | " Goodnight, young Copperfield, " he said, putting a hand on my head." I' ll take care of you." " |
| [17:01.00] | " It' s very kind of you," I replied gratefully. " |
| [17:05.10] | " You haven' t got a sister, have you?" he asked sleepily. " |
| [17:09.65] | |
| [17:14.77] | If you had one, I' m sure she' d be a pretty, brighteyed little girl. I would have liked to meet her." |
| [17:23.54] | I thought of him a lot that night, with his laughing, handsome face, and his careless, confident manner. |
| [17:33.69] | I could never have imagined what a dark shadow he would throw over the lives of people who were dear to me. |
| [17:42.51] | I stayed at Salem House for three more months. Although one or two of the teachers, like Mr Mell, were kind to us boys, |
| [17:55.38] | and tried to teach us properly, we were too afraid of Mr Creakle and his stick to concentrate on our studies. |
| [18:04.04] | But Tommy Traddles and I cheered each other up if we were beaten, |
| [18:09.23] | and I was lucky enough to be friendly with the great Steerforth, in spite ofthe difference in our ages. |
| [18:17.16] | However, my home, even with the Murdstones there, seemed a much pleasanter place than school, |
| [18:25.76] | and I was glad when the Christmas holidays arrived, |
| [18:29.35] | and I was allowed to return to Blunderstone. |
| [18:32.55] | I was a little surprised to find that my mother had a new baby, and I could see at once that she was not well. |
| [18:41.96] | She looked tired and worried, and very thin. But she and Peggotty were delighted to see me, |
| [18:51.43] | although they dared not show it if the Murdstones were present. |
| [18:55.82] | My stepfather and his sister seemed to hate me even more than before, if that were possible, |
| [19:04.37] | and they made my life quite miserable whenever they could. |
| [19:09.05] | In fact, I was almost pleased when it was time to return to school, and see Traddles and Steerforth again. |
| [19:18.26] | As the cart drove away, I remember my mother standing outside our house, with her baby in her arms, smiling sadly at me. |
| [19:30.19] | That was the last time I saw her, and that is how I shall always remember her. |
| [00:28.93] | Chapter 2: David is sent away to school |
| [00:35.69] | I was very unhappy during this time. |
| [00:37.91] | Mr Murdstone insisted on my studying, and so my mother gave me lessons. |
| [00:45.43] | In the past she and I had enjoyed our studies together, |
| [00:49.78] | and she had taught me a lot in her gentle way. |
| [00:53.95] | But now both Mr and Miss Murdstone were present during my lessons, |
| [01:00.11] | and somehow I could not concentrate or remember what I had learnt. |
| [01:06.05] | My poor mother was very sympathetic, and tried to encourage me, sometimes even whispering the answer to me. |
| [01:16.12] | But the Murdstones had sharp ears. |
| [01:20.03] | " Clara, my love!" Mr Murdstone used to say crossly. " |
| [01:24.19] | " Remember! Be firm! You' re making the boy' s character worse by helping him like that!" " |
| [01:31.79] | " Oh, Edward, I' m sorry," my mother replied, looking embarrassed and hanging her head like a guilty child. " |
| [01:42.44] | One morning when I arrived in the sittingroom as usual for my lesson, |
| [01:48.66] | I saw that Mr Murd stone had a thin stick in his hand. I could not take my eyes off it. |
| [01:57.82] | " You must be very careful today, David," he said with his unpleasant smile, " |
| [02:05.25] | holding the stick in both hands. I knew what would happen then. |
| [02:11.81] | A terrible fear took hold of me, and all that I had learnt disappeared immediately from my memory, |
| [02:20.30] | so that I could not answer any of my mother' s questions. |
| [02:25.28] | Mr Murdstone got up from his chair. |
| [02:29.19] | " Well David," he said heavily, " I think you' ve worried your mother enough today. " |
| [02:36.53] | We' ll go upstairs, boy. Come," and he picked up the stick. |
| [02:43.17] | I heard my mother crying as we went upstairs. " Please, Mr Murdstone!" I cried. |
| [02:51.52] | " Don' t beat me! I' ve tried to learn, really I have, sir!" " |
| [02:56.81] | But he did not listen to me. In my bedroom, he held my arms and started hitting me with the stick. |
| [03:05.57] | I managed to get hold of his hand, and bit deep into it. |
| [03:11.08] | He cried out angrily, and began to hit me as hard as he could. Above the noise of my screams, |
| [03:21.79] | I could hear my mother and Peggotty crying outside the door. |
| [03:26.87] | Then the next moment, he was gone. I heard him lock the door. |
| [03:33.66] | And I was lying, sore and bleeding, on the floor. The whole house seemed suddenly very quiet. |
| [03:45.08] | I stayed there for a time, without moving. |
| [03:51.61] | In the evening Miss Murdstone brought me some bread and milk, |
| [03:57.39] | which she left on the floor beside me, frowning angrily at me as she went out. |
| [04:04.10] | I was kept locked in that room for five days and nights, |
| [04:09.90] | and saw nobody except Miss Murdstone, who brought me food but never spoke to me. |
| [04:17.43] | To a small boy, the five days seemed like years, |
| [04:23.91] | and I can still remember how frightened and guilty I felt. |
| [04:29.91] | But during the fifth night I heard a strange noise at the keyhole. |
| [04:36.71] | It was Peggotty, trying to give me a message. |
| [04:40.78] | " Master David, my dear," she whispered, sobbing," they are going to send you away to? boarding? school! Tomorrow!" " |
| [04:51.24] | " Oh Peggotty!" I cried." Then I won' t see you and mother very often!" " |
| [04:57.36] | " No, my love. But don' t forget, I' ll take care of your mother. She needs her cross old Peggotty! " |
| [05:08.16] | I' ll stay with her, although I hate these Murdstones. |
| [05:14.91] | And remember, David, I love you as much as I love your mother, and more. And I' ll Write to you." |
| [05:25.53] | " Thank you, dear Peggotty!" I whispered back, tears rolling down my face." " |
| [05:34.23] | Will you write to your brother too, and Ham, and little Emily, " |
| [05:38.83] | and tell them I' m not as bad as the Murdstones think? |
| [05:44.11] | And send my love to them, especially little Emily?" |
| [05:50.64] | Peggotty promised to do what I asked. |
| [05:54.26] | The next morning Miss Murdstone told me that because of my wickedness, I was going away to school. |
| [06:03.03] | She had already packed my case for me. My mother was only allowed to say a very quick goodbye to me, |
| [06:11.52] | when the horse and cart arrived the driver put my case on the cart, and we drove slowly out of Blunderstone. |
| [06:20.65] | I was still sobbing loudly when suddenly I saw Peggotty running after us on the road. |
| [06:29.48] | The driver stopped and waited for her. With difficulty she climbed up onto the cart. |
| [06:37.24] | " Here, Master David!" she cried breathlessly. " |
| [06:41.74] | " A little present from me and your dear mother! Take care of yourself, my dear!" " |
| [06:49.54] | She put a small purse and a paper bag into my hands, |
| [06:54.75] | and held me so close to her fat body that I thought I would never breathe again. |
| [07:01.51] | Then she jumped down and ran back along the road to the village. |
| [07:08.06] | As we continued our journey, I dried my tears and looked at what she had given me. |
| [07:15.70] | The bag was full of Peggotty' s special cakes, and in the purse were eight bright shilling coins. |
| [07:24.73] | Thinking of my mother and Peggotty made me start crying again, but just then the driver, Mr Barkis, began to talk to me. |
| [07:37.02] | He was a large, redfaced man, who clearly found conversation difficult. |
| [07:44.52] | " Did she make those cakes?" he asked slowly, having finished the one that I had offered him. " |
| [07:55.83] | " You mean Peggotty, sir? Yes, she does all our cooking." " |
| [08:02.61] | " Does she?" replied Mr Barkis with great interest. " |
| [08:08.58] | There was a long silence while heconsideredhis next question. |
| [08:15.56] | " Does she have a young man?" he asked." You know, someone who wants to marry her?" " |
| [08:26.88] | " Peggotty? A young man?" I repeated, surprised." Oh no, she' s never had any young men." " |
| [08:38.09] | " Ah!" replied Mr Barkis, looking very pleased. Again he thought for a long time before speaking. " |
| [08:49.86] | " Well," he said at last," perhaps if you write to her will you be writing to her? You could give her a message from me. " |
| [09:06.53] | You could say ' Barkis is willing'. Would you do that?" |
| [09:15.30] | "' Barkis is willing'," I repeated innocently, wondering what the message meant. "' |
| [09:24.55] | " Yes, of course. But you could tell her yourself, Mr Barkis, when you return to Blunderstone tomorrow." " |
| [09:32.41] | |
| [09:45.65] | After this conversation Mr Barkis was completely silent for the rest of the journey. |
| [09:53.90] | When we arrived in Yarmouth, I bought paper at the hotel and wrote this letter to Peggotty: |
| [10:01.89] | My dear Peggotty, I have arrived safely in Yarmouth. Barkis is willing. Please give my love to mother. |
| [10:13.46] | Yours, David P. S. He says it' s important Barkis is willing. |
| [10:24.58] | In Yarmouth I was put on the long distance coach to London, and travelled all through the night. |
| [10:32.63] | At the coach station in London I was collected by a teacher, Mr Mell, |
| [10:39.58] | and taken to Salem House, the school which the Murdstones had chosen for me. |
| [10:46.22] | The school was a large old building with a dusty playground, |
| [10:52.47] | surrounded by a high brick wall. It looked strangely deserted. |
| [10:58.15] | I was very surprised to find that none of the boys were there, and was told that they were all on holiday, |
| [11:07.32] | and that I had been sent there during the holidays as a punishment for mywickedness. |
| [11:13.88] | The headmaster and teachers were on holiday too, all except for Mr Mell, who had to look after me. |
| [11:23.06] | I spent a whole month in thatmiserableplace, doing my lessons in the dirty, empty classroom, |
| [11:33.17] | which smelt of old food and unwashed boys. |
| [11:36.83] | Every evening I had to eat my supper with Mr Mell, and then go straight to bed. |
| [11:45.68] | The worst thing was the sign I had to wear round my neck. |
| [11:49.82] | It said: BE CAREFUL! HE BITES. I was only allowed to take it off when I went to bed. |
| [11:58.90] | Although I was extremely lonely and unhappy at this time, I was not looking forward to meeting all the other boys. |
| [12:08.60] | I felt sure they would laugh at me and especially at the sign I was forced to wear. |
| [12:14.79] | But one day Mr Mell told me that the headmaster, Mr Creakle, had returned, and wanted to see me. |
| [12:24.00] | So I went, trembling, to his part of the house. |
| [12:28.94] | I realized at once that Mr Creakle lived much more comfortably than the boys or the teachers. |
| [12:35.86] | He was a small, fat man with a purple nose, who was sitting in an armchair with a bottle and a glass in front of him. |
| [12:45.58] | " So, this is the boy who bites, is it?" he asked unpleasantly." I know your stepfather, boy. " |
| [12:54.24] | He' s a man of strong character, he is. He knows me, and I know him. |
| [13:02.77] | Do you know me? Answer me, boy!" He pulled violently at my ear. |
| [13:09.05] | " Not yet, sir," I answered, tears of pain in my eyes. " |
| [13:15.71] | " Ah, but you soon will! Oh yes, I have a strong character too, you' ll see!" Hebangedhis hand hard on the table. " |
| [13:28.56] | I was very frightened, but I made myself ask the question I had beenconsideringfor a whole month. |
| [13:37.18] | " Please, sir, I' m very sorry for what I did to Mr Murdstone. Could could I take this sign off, before the other boys see it..." " |
| [13:51.85] | Mr Creakle gave a sudden, terrible shout and jumped out of his chair. |
| [13:58.26] | I did not wait to see whether he was going to hit me, but ran out of his room and hid in my bed for the next hour. |
| [14:08.58] | However, the boys were not as cruel to me as I had feared. |
| [14:15.95] | I made a friend almost immediately, a boy called Tommy Traddles, who was known to be the unluckiest boy in the school. |
| [14:24.93] | I was also noticed, and even smiled on, by the great James Steerforth, one of the oldest boys, at least six years older than me. |
| [14:37.44] | He was a handsome, intelligent, curlyhaired young man, |
| [14:43.15] | who had become an important figure at the school, with great influence over the younger boys. |
| [14:49.15] | " How much money have you got, Copperfield?" he asked me. " |
| [14:54.10] | " Eight shillings, Steerforth," I answered, remembering the present my mother and Peggotty had given me. " 8 |
| [15:02.06] | " You' d better give it to me. I' ll take care of it for you," he offered in a friendly way. " |
| [15:09.69] | I opened Peggotty' s purse and turned it upsidedown into his hand. |
| [15:15.16] | " Perhaps you' d like to spend some of it now?" he suggested, smiling." " |
| [15:20.68] | A bottle of wine, a tin of biscuits, a few cakes, that sort of thing? " |
| [15:27.66] | I can go out whenever I like, so I can buy it for you." |
| [15:32.13] | " Yees, that' s very kind of you," I said, although I was a little worried that all my money would disappear. " |
| [15:43.19] | When we went upstairs to bed, I realized that all my money had been spent, |
| [15:50.25] | as eight shillings' worth of food and drink was laid out on my bed in the moonlight. |
| [15:57.41] | Of course I did not want to eat and drink it all by myself, |
| [16:03.33] | so I invited Steerforth and the others tohelp themselves. |
| [16:08.43] | The boys were very willing, and we spent a pleasant evening, sitting on our beds, whispering to each other. |
| [16:16.13] | I discovered that the boys all hated Salem House, which they considered one of the worst schools in the country. |
| [16:26.85] | They especially hated Mr Creakle, |
| [16:29.80] | who was in the habit of beating them regularly with a heavy stick which he carried with him at all times. |
| [16:37.34] | The only boy he dared not beat was Steerforth. I admired Steerforth even more when I heard this. |
| [16:46.36] | When we were all too tired to stay awake, Steerforth got up to go. |
| [16:53.11] | " Goodnight, young Copperfield, " he said, putting a hand on my head." I' ll take care of you." " |
| [17:01.00] | " It' s very kind of you," I replied gratefully. " |
| [17:05.10] | " You haven' t got a sister, have you?" he asked sleepily. " |
| [17:09.65] | |
| [17:14.77] | If you had one, I' m sure she' d be a pretty, brighteyed little girl. I would have liked to meet her." |
| [17:23.54] | I thought of him a lot that night, with his laughing, handsome face, and his careless, confident manner. |
| [17:33.69] | I could never have imagined what a dark shadow he would throw over the lives of people who were dear to me. |
| [17:42.51] | I stayed at Salem House for three more months. Although one or two of the teachers, like Mr Mell, were kind to us boys, |
| [17:55.38] | and tried to teach us properly, we were too afraid of Mr Creakle and his stick to concentrate on our studies. |
| [18:04.04] | But Tommy Traddles and I cheered each other up if we were beaten, |
| [18:09.23] | and I was lucky enough to be friendly with the great Steerforth, in spite ofthe difference in our ages. |
| [18:17.16] | However, my home, even with the Murdstones there, seemed a much pleasanter place than school, |
| [18:25.76] | and I was glad when the Christmas holidays arrived, |
| [18:29.35] | and I was allowed to return to Blunderstone. |
| [18:32.55] | I was a little surprised to find that my mother had a new baby, and I could see at once that she was not well. |
| [18:41.96] | She looked tired and worried, and very thin. But she and Peggotty were delighted to see me, |
| [18:51.43] | although they dared not show it if the Murdstones were present. |
| [18:55.82] | My stepfather and his sister seemed to hate me even more than before, if that were possible, |
| [19:04.37] | and they made my life quite miserable whenever they could. |
| [19:09.05] | In fact, I was almost pleased when it was time to return to school, and see Traddles and Steerforth again. |
| [19:18.26] | As the cart drove away, I remember my mother standing outside our house, with her baby in her arms, smiling sadly at me. |
| [19:30.19] | That was the last time I saw her, and that is how I shall always remember her. |
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