[00:01.14] Chapter two.
[00:02.48] Banished to boarding school.
[00:04.82] My mother said a tearful goodbye to me the following morning,
[00:08.33] and after a long ride, I arrived in front of a high wall with a sign reading,
[00:13.28] Salem House.
[00:16.35] This was to be my new school.
[00:20.76] Salem House was a shabby, square brick building.
[00:25.94] It was silent inside because it was holiday time, and all of the other boys were at home.
[00:34.03] The headmaster, Mr. Creel, was also on holiday.
[00:39.50] The only people around were a teacher called Mr. Mell, and Mr. Creel's wooden-legged assistant, Tunge,
[00:47.78] a horrible man with a booming voice.
[00:52.65] Mr. Mell showed me round the building.
[00:58.47] Everything I saw dragged my spirits down further.
[01:04.58] The classrooms had long rows of desks, and their floors were filthy and littered with old scraps of paper.
[01:14.68] The dormitory where I was to sleep was bare and unwelcoming.
[01:19.99] I spotted a sign on a desk with the words,
[01:25.29] Take care of him, he bites.
[01:30.48] Where's the dog?
[01:32.82] I asked Mr. Mell, looking around fearfully.
[01:38.00] It's not for a dog, Mr. Mell replied, it's for you.
[01:47.71] I couldn't believe it.
[01:50.56] I would have to wear that horrible sign on my back.
[01:55.26] All of the other boys would laugh and bully me.
[02:00.91] On the night Mr. Creel returned, Tunge took me to see him.
[02:07.82] Mr. Creel was scary, with thick veins in his forehead, mean, small eyes and a large chin.
[02:18.57] What trouble has he got up to?
[02:22.02] Rasp Creel in a terrifying whisper.
[02:27.52] Tunge looked disappointed.
[02:29.99] Nothing yet, he bellowed.
[02:35.11] Creel beckoned me towards him.
[02:38.66] Mr.stone has told me all about you.
[02:44.58] At that second, Mr. Creel's hand suddenly shot out and grabbed my ear, pinching it tightly.
[02:51.92] Terror gripped me.
[02:54.61] Was this going to be another beating?
[02:58.70] You will behave in my school, he hissed, because if you don't, you will be in very serious trouble.
[03:08.94] Very serious trouble, shouted Tunge, making my ear throb even more.
[03:17.06] Although I was scared, I was even more scared of meeting the other boys.
[03:22.77] Can I take off this sign?
[03:25.08] I whispered.
[03:28.19] As soon as I'd said this, the dreadful man leap out of his chair with a roar.
[03:34.42] I sprang out of the way and ran up to my dorm, where I hid for two hours.
[03:40.88] But Mr. Creel didn't follow me.
[03:45.81] Soon after this, the other boys started to return.
[03:52.43] One of the first was a cheerful friendly boy called Tommy Traddles.
[03:59.84] After introducing himself, he stared at my sign.
[04:05.87] Mr. Creel says I have to wear this all of the time, I explained miserably.
[04:14.36] Traddles frowned, but then his face slowly broke into a smile.
[04:21.62] I think I can help you out, he said.
[04:27.40] As the next group of boys arrived, Traddles called out to them, Hey, come and meet the new boy Copperfield.
[04:35.93] It's a new game and he's wearing this sign.
[04:40.45] My stomach tightened with anxiety.
[04:43.91] The boys laughed a bit, but didn't bully me.
[04:47.62] Traddles told everyone about the game I was playing.
[04:54.45] A few of them said things like, sit down dog, but it could have been so much worse.
[05:03.70] Then Traddles smiled at me.
[05:06.17] Now, there's someone you need to meet.
[05:12.50] Immediately, several boys lifted me up and carried me outside like a statue.
[05:19.41] They put me down under a shed in the playground, where a handsome boy, about six years older than me, was sitting behind a desk.
[05:33.40] I'm Jay Steerforth, the boy greeted me.
[05:37.80] What name do you go by?
[05:42.52] I'm David Copperfield, I replied.
[05:48.21] And what brought you here, Copperfield?
[05:50.92] He asked.
[05:53.54] I told him all about biting Mr.stone's hand and being kept prisoner in my room for five days.
[06:04.10] Steerforth listened quietly.
[06:07.70] Sounds like a bad situation, he said.
[06:12.15] I nodded glumly.
[06:13.97] How much money have you got, Copperfield?
[06:17.26] He asked.
[06:20.44] Seven shillings, I replied nervously.
[06:26.03] Give it to me to take care of, he said.
[06:32.71] I hesitated for a few seconds.
[06:36.08] Was this going to be a cruel trick?
[06:40.56] Slowly, I handed the coins over to him.
[06:45.10] Don't worry, he said with a smile.
[06:49.90] I'll spend it well for you.
[06:54.14] And he was true to his word.
[06:57.29] That night, up in our dorm, Steerforth laid out seven shillings worth of treats, current cordial, and almond cakes and biscuits.
[07:09.37] Steerforth and I, plus the other boys in our dorm, polished off the feast, and I listened with wide eyes as Steerforth talked about our headmaster.
[07:23.68] If Creel ever dared to came me, I would hit him with his own ink bottle, said Steerforth boldly.
[07:34.79] I looked up at him in awe.
[07:37.94] The other boys told me that Mr. Creel hit every pupil in his school, but never Steerforth.
[07:47.89] When it was time to go to sleep, Steerforth came over to me.
[07:53.74] Good night, young Copperfield, he smiled.
[07:59.06] And don't worry about your stay here at Salem House.
[08:04.88] I'll look after you.
[08:11.20] School began the next day.
[08:15.22] The teachers droned on and on.
[08:21.85] And often Mr. Creel would run among us, whacking anyone who was in his way.
[08:28.89] Copperfield, he said one morning, take off your sign.
[08:36.69] I couldn't understand this sudden act of kindness until he explained viciously, wearing that sign protects you from my cane.
[08:51.05] Living with Mr. Creel lurking round every corner was a nervewracking experience.
[09:02.52] But, with Steerforth as a friend, none of the boys bullied me, and the teachers treated me quite well.
[09:12.06] I was so grateful to him for taking me under his wing that I would have done anything to please him.
[09:20.36] Sometimes, he used to ask me to tell him stories.
[09:27.76] And although it did feel a little as if I was his servant, I'd rell all the books I could remember from my long, lonely days at home.
[09:41.13] One day, I had visitors.
[09:46.32] Look at you, David Copperfield, laughed Dan Peggoty, as he and Ham bustled into the room.
[09:55.67] After listening to all their news, I told them, you must meet my new friend Steerforth.
[09:59.98] I know you'll like him.
[10:03.44] And they did like him.
[10:05.69] They were both dazzled by his gentleman's appearance, and by the way he spoke.
[10:14.34] You must come down to Yarmouth with David, insisted Dan Peggoty, shaking Steerforth by the hand.
[10:21.81] You'll always be welcome in my house.
[10:29.23] When term finished, I was very excited at the thought of seeing my mother and Peggoty again.
[10:36.52] But I was dreading having to spend the whole holiday with the hateful stones.
[10:44.38] When I got home though, to my delight, I found out that my mother had had a baby boy.
[10:53.43] She was very tired and weak after the birth, but overjoyed with her new son, my stepbrother.
[11:03.24] As the stones were out for the day, I stayed up late holding and patting my new stepbrother.
[11:11.91] As soon as I heard them return, I scampered upstairs and out of the way.
[11:19.39] The next morning, when I came down to breakfast and picked up my baby brother, Missstone was horrified.
[11:29.28] He's got it, she screamed.
[11:33.57] I looked at her in shock.
[11:36.61] Give it back, she shriek.
[11:40.58] Give that baby back now!
[11:46.63] I'm not going to hurt him, I said.
[11:49.79] You will never touch it again, yelled Missstone.
[11:58.39] Do you understand me?
[12:01.81] Instead of standing up for me, my mother took the baby back.
[12:07.61] You are right, my dear Jane, she nodded nervously at Missstone.
[12:13.67] David won't hold the baby again.
[12:19.75] How I hated what the stones had done to my mother.
[12:26.19] They had made her pale and fearful with their cruelty and bullying.
[12:35.51] How long do we have to put up with you?
[12:38.79] Snapped Missstone one morning.
[12:43.13] A month, I faltered.
[12:47.59] Then listen to me, said Missstone.
[12:52.41] From now on, you are forbidden to talk to Peggoty, and you are not allowed to sneak up to your room.
[13:04.03] The month passed incredibly slowly, and when it finally ended, I was almost glad to be going back to Salem House.
[13:14.71] At least I had friends there.
[13:21.24] As the carriage pulled away from our house, my mother held my baby brother high in the air and waved me off.
[13:31.74] I can see her even now.
[13:34.94] Her face pale and sad, full of feelings that she dared not show.
[13:45.04] Life back at Mr. Creel's school was still boring and harsh, but at times I was very happy.
[13:56.68] Tommy Traddles was full of fun, and he never stayed downhearted for long, although he was always getting into scrapes.
[14:09.08] Sometimes I laughed till my sides ached, and Steerforth was always there as my protector and friend.
[14:21.57] Two months into the new term, I was called to the Creel's parlor.
[14:28.37] Mrs. Creel was sitting with a letter in her hand.
[14:34.80] I'm sorry to say that your mother has been very ill, said Mrs. Creel, and now she is dead.