05-02-大卫·科波菲尔 [49]
will！’I continued．‘It doesn't matter if we are poor，because I'll work hard to buy our bread．We don't need much as long as we have each other！Tell me your heart is still mine，dear Dora！’
‘Oh yes！’she cried．‘Oh yes，it's all yours！Only，don't frighten me again！Don't talk of hard work and bread！I don't understand！I hardly ever eat bread！’
I loved her more than ever．But I felt she was not very practical．In a few moments，when she had stopped crying and was calmer，I tried again to make her understand．
‘My dearest！May I mention something？’
‘Oh，please don't be practical！begged Dora，tears coming to her lovely eyes．‘It frightens me so much！’
‘My dear one，if we work together，and share our problems，it will make us，and our love，stronger．
‘But I'm not strong at all！’she cried miserably．‘Ask Julia！She'll tell you—I'm weak，and foolish！’
‘But if you thought sometimes，my sweet Dora，that you are engaged to a poor man—if you tried to see how your father manages the servants，or how much food costs in the markets，it would be helpful to us．We must be brave，dear Dora！Our path in life is steep and rocky—’
I was becoming quite enthusiastic，but I suddenly realized I had said far too much．Poor little Dora was sobbing and screaming with fear，and in a moment was lying unconscious on the sofa．I really thought I had killed her．I threw water on her face and went down on my knees to ask her to forgive me．I called myself a selfish，heartless creature，and shouted for Julia Mills．At last she hurried in，and I explained what had happened．When Dora opened her eyes，her friend helped her upstairs．
While Dora was upstairs，washing her face and calming herself，I asked Miss Mills's advice on the best way to encourage Dora to become more practical．Miss Mills shook her head sadly．
‘I must be honest with you，Mr Copperfield．Our dearest Dora is a beautiful，innocent child of nature，full of light and happiness．She is above the things of this world，which we poor humans have to worry about．I think you'll just have to accept that fact．’
When Dora came downstairs again，she looked so lovely that I felt bitterly angry with myself for making her unhappy， even for a moment．We had tea，and she sang her French songs to me，and played the guitar．We were happy again，until the moment when I stupidly mentioned that I had to get up at five o’clock the next morning．Suddenly her pretty face looked sad，and she did not play or sing again．When I got up to go，she came up close to me，and said lovingly，‘You bad boy，don't be so silly！Don't get up at five o’clock！Why should you？’
‘But my love，I have work to do！I have to work in order to live！’ I replied． ‘ Work？Don't be so foolish， David dear！’and she seemed to think that was the end of the matter， as she gave me a kiss straight from her innocent little heart．
I loved her， and went on loving her． But I went on working hard too， and worrying about earning money． Some evenings，as I sat opposite my aunt in my little sitting-room at the end of another exhausting day， I was quite frightened， when I thought of the problems I was going to have to solve alone．
Several months passed in this way． Dora and I wrote to each other every day， and occasionally I was able to visit her at Miss Mills's house． But one morning when I arrived at the office for work， Mr Spenlow greeted me very coldly and asked me to step into his office， where we could talk privately．When I entered the room，I was surprised to see Miss Murd-stone standing by his desk， staring unpleasantly at me． I knew at once that Dora's father had discoversd our secret， and I guessed who had told him．
‘ Mr Copperfield，’ said Mr Spenlow， frowning sternly at me，‘ I am sorry to say that Miss Murdstone has
‘Oh yes！’she cried．‘Oh yes，it's all yours！Only，don't frighten me again！Don't talk of hard work and bread！I don't understand！I hardly ever eat bread！’
I loved her more than ever．But I felt she was not very practical．In a few moments，when she had stopped crying and was calmer，I tried again to make her understand．
‘My dearest！May I mention something？’
‘Oh，please don't be practical！begged Dora，tears coming to her lovely eyes．‘It frightens me so much！’
‘My dear one，if we work together，and share our problems，it will make us，and our love，stronger．
‘But I'm not strong at all！’she cried miserably．‘Ask Julia！She'll tell you—I'm weak，and foolish！’
‘But if you thought sometimes，my sweet Dora，that you are engaged to a poor man—if you tried to see how your father manages the servants，or how much food costs in the markets，it would be helpful to us．We must be brave，dear Dora！Our path in life is steep and rocky—’
I was becoming quite enthusiastic，but I suddenly realized I had said far too much．Poor little Dora was sobbing and screaming with fear，and in a moment was lying unconscious on the sofa．I really thought I had killed her．I threw water on her face and went down on my knees to ask her to forgive me．I called myself a selfish，heartless creature，and shouted for Julia Mills．At last she hurried in，and I explained what had happened．When Dora opened her eyes，her friend helped her upstairs．
While Dora was upstairs，washing her face and calming herself，I asked Miss Mills's advice on the best way to encourage Dora to become more practical．Miss Mills shook her head sadly．
‘I must be honest with you，Mr Copperfield．Our dearest Dora is a beautiful，innocent child of nature，full of light and happiness．She is above the things of this world，which we poor humans have to worry about．I think you'll just have to accept that fact．’
When Dora came downstairs again，she looked so lovely that I felt bitterly angry with myself for making her unhappy， even for a moment．We had tea，and she sang her French songs to me，and played the guitar．We were happy again，until the moment when I stupidly mentioned that I had to get up at five o’clock the next morning．Suddenly her pretty face looked sad，and she did not play or sing again．When I got up to go，she came up close to me，and said lovingly，‘You bad boy，don't be so silly！Don't get up at five o’clock！Why should you？’
‘But my love，I have work to do！I have to work in order to live！’ I replied． ‘ Work？Don't be so foolish， David dear！’and she seemed to think that was the end of the matter， as she gave me a kiss straight from her innocent little heart．
I loved her， and went on loving her． But I went on working hard too， and worrying about earning money． Some evenings，as I sat opposite my aunt in my little sitting-room at the end of another exhausting day， I was quite frightened， when I thought of the problems I was going to have to solve alone．
Several months passed in this way． Dora and I wrote to each other every day， and occasionally I was able to visit her at Miss Mills's house． But one morning when I arrived at the office for work， Mr Spenlow greeted me very coldly and asked me to step into his office， where we could talk privately．When I entered the room，I was surprised to see Miss Murd-stone standing by his desk， staring unpleasantly at me． I knew at once that Dora's father had discoversd our secret， and I guessed who had told him．
‘ Mr Copperfield，’ said Mr Spenlow， frowning sternly at me，‘ I am sorry to say that Miss Murdstone has