Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
,z-;.+.%=.=x::...a.e.......=:..
. ., mxmm ,..:.,.-,2-.=.-==e
174
fraught with so much pain to me, with so much mental
suifering and want of hope, that I liavelnever had the
courage even to examine how longl was doomed to‘ lead
it. Whether it lasted for a year, or more, or less, ‘I do
not know. I only know that it was, and ceased to be,
and that I have written, and there I leave it.
x
CHAPTER XV.
1 make another Beginning.
MR. DICK and I soon became the best of friends, and
yer often, when his day's work was done, went out to-
et er to fly the great kite. Every day of his life he
iad along sitting at the Memorial, which never made
the least progress, however hard he laboured, for King
Charles the First always strayed into it, sooner or later,
and then it was thrown aside, and another one begun.
The patience and hope with which he bore these perpet-
ual disappointments, the mild perception he had that
there was something wrong about King Charles the
First, the feeble efforts he made to keep him out, and
the certainty with which he came in, and tumbled the
Memorial out of all shape, made a. deep impression on
me. What Mr. Dick supposed would come of the Me-
morial, if it were completed ; where he thought it was to
go, or what he thought it was to do ; he knew no more
than anybody else, I believe. Nor was it at all necessary
that he should trouble himself with such questions, for
if anything was certain under the sun, it was certain
that the Memorial never would be finished.
It was quite an affecting sight, I used to think, to see
him with the kite when it was up a great height in the
air. VVliat he had told me, in his room, about his be-
lief in its disseminating the statements pasted on it,
which were nothing but old leaves of abortive Memo-
rials, might have been a. fancy with him sometimes ; but
not when he was out, looking up at the kite in the sky,
and feeling it ull and tug at his hand. He never looked
so serene as lie did then. I used to fancy, as I sat
by him of ‘an evening, on a green slope, and saw him
watch the kite high in the quiet air, that it lifted his
mind out of itscoufusion, and bore it (such was my boy-
ish thought) into the skies. As he wound the string in,
and it conic lower and lower down out of the beautiful
light, until it fluttered to the ground, and lay there like
a dead thing, he‘ seemed to wake gradually out of a
dream ; andzl remember to have seen him take it up, and
look about him in a lost way, as if they had both come
down together, so that I pitied him with all my heart.
VVhile I advanced in friendship and intimacy with Mr.
Dick, I did not go backward in the favour of his staunch
friend, my aunt. She took so kindly to me, that, in the
course of a few weeks, she shortened my adopted name
of Trotwood into Trot ; and even encouraged me to hope
that if I went on its I had begun, I might take equal rank
in her affections with my sister Betsey Trotwood. ‘
“Trot," said my aunt one evening, when the‘back-
%3.T!1l110l1l)0aI‘(l was placed as usual for herself and Mr.
ick, “ we must not forget your education.”
This was my only subject of anxiety, and I felt quite
delighted by her referring to it. ’ - '
“ Should you like to go to school at Canterbury?”
said my aunt. ' 'v ‘ I -
I replied that I should like it very much, as it -wasrso
near her. . . .,
“Good,” said my aunt. “Should you like to go to-
morrow.” . ‘
Being already no stranger to the generalrropidity of
my aunt’s evolutions, Iwas not surprised.'oy tho sud-
denness of the proposal, and said :- “ Yes.” ‘ ‘ = V’ 2
“ Good,” said my aunt again. “ Janet, hire the ‘grey
pony and chaise to-morrow morning at’ ten o’clock, and
pack up Master 'I‘rotwood’s clothes ,to-night.” I -
I was greatlyielated by these orders; but my heart
smote me for my selfishness, rwhen Iwitnessed their
effect on Mr. Dick, who was so low-spirited at the pros-
pcct of our separation, and played'so,il1 iniconsequence,-7
4 in the skins of red-haired people.
ornuarzrs IDIOKENS’ WORKS-
' to la with him any more. But, on hear.
flginhlsg Ilullljt tliat I should sometimes come over on
9, Saturday, andthat he could‘ come and see melon 3
XVednesda,Y; 110 r<=ViV?d3 a“d‘‘’‘’‘‘’F‘1 ‘“ mm’ ‘mother
kite for those occasions, 0f’P1‘0I’01't10n5 greatly “ID388-
ing the present one. In the mornin ll0.IVi1S(l0iVl1-ll-e:%1'f,
ea again, and would haversustninc himself by givm
me all the money he had in li1S P05505910“: Elllfl 512161 si .
ver too, if my aunt had pot 1l1tBl'Il05ed: and lgqllted the
gift to five shillings, wlncll. at 1115 9“"195t P0m1Q11.'were
afterwards increased to ten. We ’P“T’‘9d 5“ We Sflfden
gate in a most affectionate manner. and Mr. Dick did not
ilitofit. ' . .‘ ‘ . ‘
s ghy aunt, who was perfectly indilgrent to public opin.
ion, drove the grey pony 11301131,! W01‘ In 1‘ masterly
manner ; sitting high and stiff like J1 Stage cozichnian,
keeping a steady eye upon him wherever ie vrvent, and
making a point of not letting him have his own way in
any respect. “’hen we came into the countr road, she
permitted him to relax ii little, however; an looking at
me down in a valley of cushion by her side, asked me
whether I was happy. V ' ' ‘ ” ; ‘ ‘
U Very happy indeed, thank you, aunt, I said.
She was much gratified; and both her hands
occupied, patted me on, the head with her whip.
“ls it a large school, aunt?” I asked.
u ‘Vhy’ 1 don’t know,” said my aunt.
to Mr. Wickfield’s first.” i z ‘ i‘ . ’ ,
“ Does he keep ii sclioo1?f’ I asked. 1 ,’
" No, Trot,” said my aunt. f‘ He keeps an ofiice,”
I asked for no more information about Mr. “ickliekl,
as she offered none, and we conversed on, other subJect5
until we came to Canterbury, where, ‘asit was market-
day, my aunt had a great opportunity of insinuatinlg the
grey pony among carts, baskets, ‘vegetables, and ‘' uck.
sters’ goods. The hair-breadth turns and twists we made,
drew down upon us avariety of speeches from the peo.
ple standing about, which were.not always compliment.
ary, but my aunt adrove, on with perfect indifference,
and I daresay would have taken her own “'ay"lV1tl1 ‘as
much coolness through an enemy’s country.‘ -’ I I
At length we stopped before ii very old house bulging
out over the road; :1 house‘ with long low lattice-uim
dows bulging out still farther, and beams with carved
heads on the ends bulging out too, so that I fancied the
whole house was leaning forward, trying to see who was
passing on the narrow. pavement below. It was quite
spotless in its cleanliness. 4 The old-fasliioned brass
knocker on the low-arched door, ornamented with carved
garlands of fruit and flowers, twinkledr like ii star; the
two stone stepsdescending to the door were as wlfite as
if they had been covered with fair linen ; and all the,
angles and corners, and carvings and’ mouldings, and
quaint little panes of glass, and quainter little windows,
though as old as the hills, were as pure as any snow that
ever fell upon the hills. ' I ’ ‘ '
“Then the pony-chaise stopped at the door, and my eyes
were intent upon the liouse,‘Ilso.w n cadaverous face
appear at a small window on the ground iicor (in a‘ little
round tower that formed one side of the house), and quick-
ly disappear. The low-arched door then opened, and the
face came out. It was quite as cadnverous as it'had
looked in the window, though in the grain of it there
was that tinge of red which is someltiipes to be observedd
t elon ed toare -
haired person-ii youth of‘ fifteen, as I takg it now, but
lplokipg mtucli glger--“ilioio ‘llltillr glue croppcdlps closes;
a c oses stn e ; w io n at an e ‘e rows, an
no eyelashes, nnd'eyes of ' a red-brolvvn I so) unshcltered
and unshaded, that I remember wondering.liow he went
to sleep. ' He was high-sliouldered and bony; dressed in
being
“ iVe are going
i decent black, with a white wisp of n neckcloth ; buttoned
up to the throat; and lmdra 'long,‘lank skeleton hand;
which particularly attracted my attention, as he stood at
= the p0ny's head, rubbing liisychin with it, and looking up
at us in the chaise. I i ’ -I V
- -f‘tls liIr.“lVick1icld‘at home, Uriah Ilcep?" said my
aun.<-" I - ’ , -H. -‘V is
“ Mr.-vIVickfield’sat liorne,'ma’am.” said Uriah Heep,
that my aunt; after iving him several admonitory iraps
on thoknuckles witll her dice-box, shut up the board,
“if you'll.please- to walk in there"-'-pointing with his
long hand to the room he meant. ' ‘ -
0 into the house until my aunt had: driven me out of 5
v.-.- -‘-exam EE!E9.‘1.‘E‘EFl
I2“
C arm as -9-a.=""‘F-‘! ':?"'m'-1