登陆注册
34906000000216

第216章

Micawber, assuming a profound air, 'a judge, or even say a Chancellor. Does an individual place himself beyond the pale of those preferments by entering on such an office as Mr. Micawber has accepted?'

'My dear,' observed Mr. Micawber - but glancing inquisitively at Traddles, too; 'we have time enough before us, for the consideration of those questions.'

'Micawber,' she returned, 'no! Your mistake in life is, that you do not look forward far enough. You are bound, in justice to your family, if not to yourself, to take in at a comprehensive glance the extremest point in the horizon to which your abilities may lead you.'

Mr. Micawber coughed, and drank his punch with an air of exceeding satisfaction - still glancing at Traddles, as if he desired to have his opinion.

'Why, the plain state of the case, Mrs. Micawber,' said Traddles, mildly breaking the truth to her. 'I mean the real prosaic fact, you know -'

'Just so,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'my dear Mr. Traddles, I wish to be as prosaic and literal as possible on a subject of so much importance.'

'- Is,' said Traddles, 'that this branch of the law, even if Mr. Micawber were a regular solicitor -'

'Exactly so,' returned Mrs. Micawber. ('Wilkins, you are squinting, and will not be able to get your eyes back.')'- Has nothing,' pursued Traddles, 'to do with that. Only a barrister is eligible for such preferments; and Mr. Micawber could not be a barrister, without being entered at an inn of court as a student, for five years.'

'Do I follow you?' said Mrs. Micawber, with her most affable air of business. 'Do I understand, my dear Mr. Traddles, that, at the expiration of that period, Mr. Micawber would be eligible as a Judge or Chancellor?'

'He would be ELIGIBLE,' returned Traddles, with a strong emphasis on that word.

'Thank you,' said Mrs. Micawber. 'That is quite sufficient. If such is the case, and Mr. Micawber forfeits no privilege by entering on these duties, my anxiety is set at rest. I speak,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'as a female, necessarily; but I have always been of opinion that Mr. Micawber possesses what I have heard my papa call, when I lived at home, the judicial mind; and I hope Mr. Micawber is now entering on a field where that mind will develop itself, and take a commanding station.'

I quite believe that Mr. Micawber saw himself, in his judicial mind's eye, on the woolsack. He passed his hand complacently over his bald head, and said with ostentatious resignation:

'My dear, we will not anticipate the decrees of fortune. If I am reserved to wear a wig, I am at least prepared, externally,' in allusion to his baldness, 'for that distinction. I do not,' said Mr. Micawber, 'regret my hair, and I may have been deprived of it for a specific purpose. I cannot say. It is my intention, my dear Copperfield, to educate my son for the Church; I will not deny that I should be happy, on his account, to attain to eminence.'

'For the Church?' said I, still pondering, between whiles, on Uriah Heep.

'Yes,' said Mr. Micawber. 'He has a remarkable head-voice, and will commence as a chorister. Our residence at Canterbury, and our local connexion, will, no doubt, enable him to take advantage of any vacancy that may arise in the Cathedral corps.'

On looking at Master Micawber again, I saw that he had a certain expression of face, as if his voice were behind his eyebrows; where it presently appeared to be, on his singing us (as an alternative between that and bed) 'The Wood-Pecker tapping'. After many compliments on this performance, we fell into some general conversation; and as I was too full of my desperate intentions to keep my altered circumstances to myself, I made them known to Mr. and Mrs. Micawber. I cannot express how extremely delighted they both were, by the idea of my aunt's being in difficulties; and how comfortable and friendly it made them.

同类推荐
  • 无文道灿禅师语录

    无文道灿禅师语录

    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。
  • 大方广十轮经

    大方广十轮经

    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。
  • 古今医统大全

    古今医统大全

    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。
  • 煎茶水记

    煎茶水记

    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。
  • 东国僧尼录

    东国僧尼录

    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。
热门推荐
  • 绝世瘟仙

    绝世瘟仙

    幽冥茫茫,怖火滚烫。尸骨未寒欲断肠,不如天葬!深仇大恨烹肺腑。顺我者昌,逆我者亡!——吕岳炼阴气以入道,则为鬼道。吕岳,幽冥界一佃户,被道士收进葫芦却意外成为天命宿主。因一颗红豆,与地府首富孟婆结缘。收妖王,灭阎王殿九大派阀!一统幽冥十三宗,荡平十万大山之群妖!横扫天界四百八十座仙岛!屠灭魔域!只为再听小孟婆说一句:青梅竹马,可熬粥乎?
  • 燕云至

    燕云至

    燕有一军,名曰燕云,燕云所至,皆为燕土。“孤只想把带来的穿越知识抄袭完,然后舒舒服服的躺在摇椅上晒太阳,有着花不完的钱。”“先跪搓衣板再来跟我讲这些话。”
  • 歙州砚谱

    歙州砚谱

    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。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 那些荒谬的往事叫青春

    那些荒谬的往事叫青春

    劈腿?出轨?被小三?爱上有妇之夫?守望份看不到光的感情?正所谓情到深处自然贱,贱不要紧,关键是能不能互相贱并贱出幸福感,女人真正的成长就是敢于撕开青春的伤口,直视下面的虱子,然后淡然一笑……
  • 混沌来临

    混沌来临

    “风冥消逝的那一刻,就注定了他的一生,都将行走在黑夜中,这是他永远无法改变的宿命!”传承了千万年的混沌火一道,突然发生转变,新一任混沌火魔断桥,突破重重磨难,本以为改变了自己命运的魔王断桥,到最后却发现自己从一开始就成了别人的棋子。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 极品灵狐

    极品灵狐

    欢脱版简介:传闻司花神君养了一只宠物,宠上了天。传闻这只宠物爱上了一条龙,闹翻了天。坑蒙拐骗,厮混天阙。化身萌宠,调戏神君。寻到真爱,死缠烂打……最后,画花了王母容颜,剪坏了圣君发型,天阙一怒,天雷降世,一下把萌宠轰下凡间变成狐狸。你才是狐狸,你全家都是狐狸,你祖祖辈辈都是狐狸!严肃版文案:白罹:她为了寻他来到九重天阙,忘了世界却忘不了他的容颜。她献上一切,换来的却是他消失在九重天阙的惩罚。既然你已不在,徒留天阙又有何意?碧落:他第一次见到她就知道她是那个人,为她摆平一切,为她收拾烂摊子,为她自降凡尘,化为谪仙,可她却不爱他。傲炽:他是龙族的太子,天降奇才,却因此引来灭族之灾。他不愿面对她的真心,因为他的人生没有爱情,只有复仇。路人甲乙丙丁:我们见证了一场三生三世的纠葛,甘愿化作路人。这是一个暖萌温馨小虐的故事,也是一个另类的异族修仙故事。
  • 狐仙传之白二娘

    狐仙传之白二娘

    灵狐受佛陀点化,修炼成仙的故事。正义与邪恶的较量,仇恨和情感的纠葛。
  • 王爷独宠之羽神驾到

    王爷独宠之羽神驾到

    她是世人口中的废物,一朝穿越,建势力,杀仇人!她成他的妻子,却因差阳差误会了他。