Listen To: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens|Relaxing Nature Background

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens chapter 28 Mr maa's Gauntlet until the day arrived on which I was to entertain my newly found old friends I lived principally on Dora and coffee in my Lov laor condition my appetite languished and I was glad of it for I felt as though it would have been an act of pery towards Dora to have a natural relish for my dinner the quantity of walking exercise I took was not in this respect attended with its usual consequence as the disappointment counteracted the fresh air I have my doubts too founded on the acute experience acquired at this period of my life whether a sound enjoyment of animal food can develop itself freely in any human subject who is always in torment from tight boots I think the extremities require to be at peace before the stomach will conduct itself with Vigor on the occasion of this domestic little party I did not repeat my former extensive preparations I merely provided a pair of SS a small leg of mutton and a pigeon pie Mrs kup broke out into Rebellion on my first bashful hint in reference to the cooking of the fish and joint and said with a dignified sense of injury no no sir you will not ask me such a thing for you are better acquainted with me than to suppose me capable of doing what I cannot do with ampal satisfaction to my own feelings but in the end a compromise was affected and Mrs kup consented to achieve this feat on condition that I D from home for a fortnight afterwards and here I may remark that what I underwent from Mrs kup in consequence of the Tyranny she established over me was Dreadful I never was so much afraid of anyone we made a compromise of everything if I hesitated she was taken with that wonderful disorder which was always lying in ambush in her system ready at the shortest notice to pray upon her vitals if I rang the bell impatiently after half a dozen unavailing modest pulls and she appeared at last which was not by any means to be relied upon she would appear with a reproachful aspect sink breathless on a chair near the door lay her hand upon her nanen bosom and become so ill that I was glad at any sacrifice of brandy or anything else to get rid of her if I objected to having my bed made at 5:00 in the afternoon which I do still think an uncomfortable Arrangement one motion of her hand towards the same nanen region of wounded sensibility was enough to make me falter an apology in short I would have done anything in an honorable away rather than give Mrs crup offense and she was the terror of my life I bought a secondhand dumb waiter for this dinner party in preference to re-engaging the handy young man against whom I had conceived a Prejudice in consequence of meeting him in the Strand one Sunday morning in a waste coat remarkably like one of mine which had been missing since the former occasion the young gal was re-engaged but on the stipulation that she should only bring in the dishes and then withdraw to The Landing place beyond the outer door where a habit of sniffing she had contracted would be be lost upon the guests and where her retiring on the plates would be a physical impossibility having laid in the materials for a bowl of punch to be compounded by Mr macauba having provided a bottle of lavender water two wax candles a paper of mixed pins and a pin cushion to assist Mrs maber in her toilet at my Dressing Table having also caused the fire in my bedroom to be lighted for Mrs maca's convenience and having laid the cloth with my own hands I awaited the result with composure at the appointed time my three visitors arrived together Mr macauba with more shirt collar than usual and a new ribbon to his eyeglass Mrs macauba with her cap in a Whitey brown paper parcel trattles carrying the parcel and supporting Mrs maber on his arm they were all delighted with my residence when I conducted Mrs macauba to my dressing table and she saw the scale on which it was prepared for her she was in such raptures that she called Mr macauba to come in and look my dear Copperfield said Mr macauba this is luxurious this is a way of life which reminds me of the period when I was myself in a state of celibacy and Mrs macauba had not yet been solicited to plight her faith at the himal altar he means solicited by him Mr Copperfield said Mrs macauba archly he cannot answer for others my dear returned Mr macauba with sudden seriousness I have no desire to answer for others I am too well aware that when in the inscrutable decrees of Fate you were res reserved for me it is possible you may have been reserved for one destined after a protracted struggle at length to fall a victim to pecuniary involvements of a complicated nature I understand your illusion my love I regret it but I can bear it maber exclaimed Mrs maber in tears have I deserved this I who never have deserted you who never will desert you macauba my love said Mr macauba much affected you will forgive and our old and tried friend Copperfield will I am sure forgive the momentary laceration of a wounded Spirit made sensitive by a recent collision with a minion of power in other words with a Ribble turnock attached to the Waterworks and will pity not condemn its sucesses Mr mowa then embraced Mrs macauba and pressed my hand leaving me to infer from this broken illusion that his domestic supply of water had been cut off that afternoon in consequence of default in the payment of the company's rates to divert his thoughts from this melan ol subject I informed Mr macauba that I relied upon him for a bowl of punch and led him to the lemons his recent despondency not to say despair was gone in a moment I never saw a man so thoroughly enjoy himself amid the fragrance of lemon peel and sugar the odor of burning rum and the steam of boiling water as Mr macauba did that afternoon it was wonderful to see his face shining at us out of a thin cloud of these delicate fumes as he stirred and mixed and tasted and looked as if he were making instead of punch a fortune for his family down to the latest posterity as to Mrs macauba I don't know whether it was the effect of the cap or the lavender water or the pins or the Fire or the wax candles but she came out of my room comparatively speaking lovely and the Lark was never gayer than that excellent woman I suppose I never ventured to inquire but I suppose that Mrs kup after frying the SS was taken ill because we broke down at that point the of mutton came up very red within and very pale without besides having a foreign substance of a gritty nature sprinkled over it as if if it had a fall into the ashes of that remarkable kitchen fireplace but we were not in condition to judge of this fact from the appearance of the gravy for as much as the young gal had dropped it all upon the stairs where it remained by the by in a long train until it was worn out the pigeon pie was not bad but it was a delusive pie the crust being like a disappointing until it was worn out the p pie was not bad but it was a delusive pie the crust being like a disappointing head phenologically speaking full of lumps and bumps with nothing particular underneath in short the banquet was such a failure that I should have been quite unhappy about the failure I mean for I was always unhappy about Dora if I had not been relieved by the great Good Humor of my company and by a bright suggestion from Mr macauba my dear friend Copperfield said Mr macauba accidents will occur in the best regulated families and in families not regul ated by that pervading influence which sanctifies while it enhances the I would say in short by the influence of woman in the lofty character of wife they may be expected with confidence and must be borne with philosophy if you will allow me to take the liberty of remarking that there are few comestibles better in their way than a devil and that I believe with a little division of labor we could accomplish a good one if the young person in attendance could produce a grid iron I would put it to you that this little Misfortune may be easily repaired there was a grid iron in the pantry on which my morning rasher of bacon was cooked we had it in in a twinkling and immediately applied ourselves to carrying Mr maca's idea into effect the division of labor to which he had referred was this trattles cut the mutton into slices Mr macauba who could do anything of this sort to Perfection covered them with pepper mustard salt and cayan I put them on the grid iron turned them with a fork and took them off under Mr maca's Direction and Mrs macauba heated and continually stirred some mushroom ketchup in little saucepan when we had slices enough done to begin upon we fell to with our sleeves still tucked up at the wrist more slices sputtering and blazing on the fire and our attention divided between the mutton on our plates and the mutton then preparing what with the novelty of this cookery the Excellence of it the bustle of it the frequence starting up to look after it the frequent sitting down to dispose of it as the crisp slices came off the grid iron Hot and Hot the being so busy so flushed with the fire so amused and in the midst of such a tempting noise and savor we reduced the leg of mutton to the Bone my own appetite came back miraculously I am ashamed to record it but I really believe I forgot Dora for a little while I am satisfied that Mr and Mrs macauba could not have enjoyed the feast more if they had sold a bed to provide it trattles laughed as heartily almost the whole time as he ate and worked indeed we all did all at once and I dare say there was never a greater success we were at the height of our enjoyment and were all busily engaged in our several departments endeavoring to bring the last batch of slices to a state of perfection that should Crown The Feast when I was aware of a strange presence in the room and my eyes encountered those of the stayed littimer standing hat in hand before me what's the matter I involuntarily asked I beg your pardon sir I was directed to come in is my master not here sir no have you not seen him sir no don't you come from him not immediately so sir did he tell you you would find him here not exactly so sir but I should think he might be here tomorrow as he has not been here today is he coming up from Oxford I beg sir he returned respectfully that you will be seated and allow me to do this with which he took the fork from my unresisting hand and bent over the grid iron as if his whole attention were concentrated on it we should not have been much discomposed I dare say by the appearance of steerforth himself but we became in a moment the meekest of the meek before his respectable serving man Mr macauba humming aun to show that he was quite at ease subsided into his chair with a handle of a hastily concealed Fork sticking out of the bosom of his coat as if he had stabbed himself Mrs maber put on her Brown gloves and assumed a gential Langer trattles ran his greasy hands through his hair and stood at bolt upright and stared in confusion on the tablecloth as for me I was a mere infant at the head of my own table and hardly ventured to glance at the respectable phenomenon who had come from heaven knows where to put my establishment to rights meanwhile he took the mutton off the grid iron and Gravely handed it round we all took some but our appreciation of it was gone and we merely made a show of eating it as we severally pushed away our plates he noiselessly removed them and set on the cheese he took that off too when it was done with clear the table piled everything on the dumb waiter gave us our wine glasses and of his own accord wheeled the dumb waiter into the pantry all this was done in a perfect Manner and he never raised his eyes from what he was about yet his very elbows when he had his back towards me seemed to team with the expression of his fixed opinion that I was extremely young can I do anything more sir I thanked him and said no but would he take no dinner himself none I am obliged to you sir is Mr steerforth coming from Oxford I beg your pardon sir is Mr steerforth coming from Oxford I should imagine that he might be here tomorrow sir I rather thought he might have been here today sir the mistake is mine no doubt sir if you should see him first said I if you'll excuse me sir I don't think I shall see him first in case you do said I pray say that I am sorry he was not here today as an old school fellow of his was here indeed sir and he divided a bow between me and trattles with a glance at the latter he was moving softly to the door when in a forlorn hope of saying something naturally which I never could to this man I said oh lit timer sir did you remain long at Yarmouth that time not particularly so sir you saw the boat completed yes sir I remained behind on on purpose to see the boat completed I know he raised his eyes to mine respectfully Mr steerforth has not seen it yet I suppose I really can't say sir I think but I really can't say sir I wish you good night Sir he comprehended everybody present in the respectful bow with which he followed these words and disappeared my visitors seemed to breathe more freely when he was gone but my own relief was very great for besides the constraint arising from that extraordinary sense of being at a disadvantage which I always had in this man's presence my conscience had embarrassed me with Whispers that I had mistrusted his master and I could not repress a vague uneasy dread that he might find it out how was it having so little in reality to conceal that I always did feel as if this man were Finding Me Out Mr macauba roused me from this reflection which was blended with a certain remorseful apprehension of seeing steerforth himself by bestowing many encomiums on the absent l timer as a most respectable fellow and a thoroughly admirable servant Mr maber I may remark had taken his full share of the general bow and had received it with infinite condescension but punch my dear Copperfield said Mr macauba tasting it like Time and Tide waits for no man ah it is at the present moment in high flavor my love will you give me your opinion Mrs maber pronounced it excellent then I will drink said Mr macauba if my friend Copperfield will permit me to take that social Liberty to the days when my friend Copperfield and myself were younger and fought our way in the world side by side I may say of myself and Copperfield in words we have sung together before now that we tww a run about the bra and pu the gow fine in a figurative point of view on several occasions I am not exactly aware said Mr macauba with the old role in his voice and the old Indescribable air of saying something Gentile what gow may be but I have no doubt that Copperfield and myself would frequently have taken a pull at them if it had been feasible Mr maber at the then present moment took a pull at his punch so we all did traddles evidently lost in wondering at what distant time Mr macauba and I could have been comrades in the battle of the world a hem said Mr mowa clearing his throat and warming with a punch and with a fire my dear another glass Mrs macauba said it must be very little but we couldn't allow that so it was a glassful as we are quite confidential here Mr Copperfield said Mrs macauba sipping her punch Mr trattles being a part of our Domesticity I should much like to have your opinion on Mr maca's prospects for corn said Mrs macauba argumentatively as I have repeatedly said to Mr macauba may be gentlemanly but it is not remunerative commissioned to the extent of 2 and9 p in a fortnite cannot however limited our ideas be considered remunerative we were all agreed upon that then said Mrs macauba who prided herself on taking a clear view of things and keeping Mr macauba straight by her woman's wisdom when he might otherwise go a little crooked then I ask myself this question If corn is not to be relied upon what is are coals to be relied upon not at all we have turned our attention to that experiment on the suggestion of my family and we find it fallacious Mr maber leaning back in his chair with his hands in his pockets eyed us aside and nodded his head as much as to say that the case was very clearly put the articles of corn and coals said Mrs macauba still more argumentatively being equally out of the question Mr Copperfield I naturally look around the world and say what is there in which a person of Mr macau's Talent is likely to succeed and I exclude the doing anything on commission because Commission is not a certainty what is best suited to a person of Mr maa's peculiar temperament is I am convinced a certainty trattles and I both expressed by a feeling murmur that this great discovery was no doubt true of Mr macauba and that it did him much credit I will not conceal from you my dear Mr Copperfield said Mrs macauba that I have long felt the Brewing business to be particularly adapted to Mr macauba look at Barkley and Perkins look at truman hanberry and buckton it is on that extensive footing that Mr macauba I know from my own knowledge of him is calculated to shine and the profits I am told are Engish but if Mr macauba cannot get into those firms which decline to answer his letters when he offers his Services even in an inferior capacity what is the use of dwelling upon that idea none I may have a conviction that Mr maca's manners hem really My Dear interposed Mr macauba my love be silent said Mrs macauba laying her Brown glove on his hand I may have a conviction Mr Copperfield that Mr maa's manners peculiarly qualify him for the banking business I may argue Within Myself that if I had a deposit at a banking house the manners of Mr macauba as representing that banking house would Inspire confidence and must extend the connection but if the various banking houses refus to Avail themselves of Mr macau's abilities or receive the offer of them with con what is the use of dwelling upon that idea none as to originating a banking business I may know that there are members of my family who if they chose to place their money in Mr maca's hands might found an establishment of that description but if they do not choose to place their money in Mr maa's hands which they don't what is the use of that again I contend that we are no farther advanced than we were before I shook my head and said not a bit trattles also shook his head and said not a bit what do I deduce from this Mrs macauba went on to say still with the same air of putting a case lucidly what is the conclusion My Dear Mr Copperfield to which I am irresistibly brought am I wrong in saying it is clear that we must live I answered not at all and trattles answered not at all and I found myself afterwards sagely adding alone that a person must either live or die just so returned Mrs macauba it is precisely that and the fact is My Dear Mr Copperfield that we cannot live without something widely different from existing circumstances shortly turning up now I am convinced myself and this I have pointed out to Mr macauba several times of late that things cannot be expected to turn up of themselves we must in a measure assist to turn them up I may be wrong but I have formed that opinion both travles and and I applauded it highly very well said Mrs macauba then what do I recommend here is Mr maber with a variety of qualifications with great talent really my love said Mr macauba pray my dear allow me to conclude here is Mr macauba with a variety of qualifications with great talent I should say with genius but that may be the partiality of a wife trattles and I both murmured no and here is Mr macauba without any suitable position or employment where does that responsibility rest clearly on society then I would make a fact so disgraceful known and boldly challenge Society to set it right it appears to me My Dear Mr Copperfield said Mrs macauba forcibly that what Mr macauba has to do is to throw down the gauntlet to society and say in effect show me who will take that up let the party immediately step forward I ventured to ask Mrs macauba how this was to be done by advertising said Mrs macauba in all the papers it appears to me that what Mr macauba has to do Injustice to himself Injustice to his family and I will even go so far as to say Injustice to society by which he has been hither to overlooked is to advertise in all the papers to describe himself plainly as so and so with such and such qualifications and to put it thus now employ me on remunerative terms and address s postpaid to W M post office Camden town this idea of Mrs macauba my dear Copperfield said Mr macauba making his shirt collar meet in front of his chin and glancing at me sideways is in fact the leap to which I alluded when I last had the pleasure of seeing you advertising is rather expensive I remarked dubiously exactly so said Mrs macauba preserving the same logical air quite true My Dear Mr Copperfield I have made the identical observation to Mr maber it is for that reason especially that I think Mr maber ought as I have already said Injustice to himself Injustice to his family and Injustice to society to raise a certain sum of money on a bill Mr maber leaning back in his chair trifled with his Eyeglass and cast his eyes up at the ceiling but I thought him observant of traddles too who was looking at the fire if no member of my family said Mrs macauba is possessed of sufficient natural feeling to negotiate that bill I believe there is a Better Business term to express what I mean Mr maber with his eyes still cast up at the ceiling suggested discount to Discount that Bill said Mrs macauba then my opinion is that Mr macauba should go into the city should take that bill into the money market and should dispose of it for what he can get if the individuals in the money market oblig Mr macauba to sustain a great sacrifice that is between themselves and their consciences I view it steadily as an investment I recommend Mr macauba My Dear Mr Copperfield to do the same to regard it as an investment which is sure of return and to make up his mind to any sacrifice I felt but I am sure I don't know why that this was self-denying and devoted in Mrs macauba and I uttered a murmur to that effect trattles who took his tone from me did likewise still looking at the fire I will not said Mrs macauba finishing her punch and Gathering her scarf about her shoulders Preparatory to her withdrawal to my bedroom I will not protract these remarks on the subject of Mr maca's pecuniary Affairs at your Fireside My Dear Mr Copperfield and in the presence of Mr trattles who though not so old a friend is quite one of ourselves I could not refrain from making you acquainted with the course I advise Mr macauba to take I feel that the time has arrived when Mr macauba should exert himself and I will add assert himself and it it appears to me that these are the means I am aware that I am merely a female and that a masculine judgment is usually considered more competent to the discussion of such questions still I must not forget that when I lived at home with my Papa and Mama my papa was in the habit of saying Emma's form is fragile but her grasp of a subject is inferior to none that my papa was too partial I well know but that he was an observer of character in some degree my duty and my reason equally forbid me to doubt with these words and resisting our intreaty that she would Grace the remaining circulation of the punch with her presence Mrs maber retired to my bedroom and really I felt that she was a noble woman the sort of woman who might have been a Roman matron and done all manner of heroic things in times of public trouble in the fervor of this impression I congratulated Mr maber on the treasure he possessed so did trattles Mr maber extended his hand to each of us in succession and then covered his face with his pocket handkerchief which I think had more enough upon it than he was aware of he then returned to the punch in the highest state of exhilaration he was full of eloquence he gave us to understand that in our children we lived again and that under the pressure of pecuniary difficulties any accession to their number was doubly welcome he said that Mrs macauba had latly had her doubts on this point but that he had dispelled them and reassured her as to her family they were totally Unworthy of her and their sentiments were utter indifferent to him and they might I quote his own expression go to the devil Mr mcber then delivered a warm eulogy on trattles he said trattles was a character to the steady Virtues Of which he Mr macauba could lay no claim but which he thanked Heaven he could admire he feelingly alluded to the young lady unknown whom trattles had honored with his affection and who had reciprocated that affection by honoring and blessing trattles with her affection Mr M cber pledged her so did I trattles thanked us both by saying with a Simplicity and honesty I had sense enough to be quite Charmed with I am very much obliged to you indeed and I do assure you she's the dearest girl Mr macauba took an early opportunity after that of hinting with the utmost delicacy and ceremony at the state of my affections nothing but the serious Assurance of his friend Copperfield to the contrary he observed could deprive him of the impression that his friend Copperfield loved and was beloved after feeling very hot and uncomfortable for some time and after a good deal of blushing stammering and denying I said having my glass in my hand well I would give them D which so excited and gratified Mr macauba that he ran with a glass of punch into my bedroom in order that Mrs macauba might drink D who drank it with enthusiasm crying from within in a shrill voice here Here My Dear Mr Copperfield I am delighted here and tap at the wall by way of Applause our conversation afterwards took a more worldly turn Mr macauba telling us that he found Camden Town inconvenient and that the first thing he contemplated doing when the advertisement should have been the cause of something satisfactory turning up was to move he mentioned a Terrace at the Western end of Oxford Street fronting Hyde Park on which he had always had his eye but which he did not expect to attain immediately as it would require a large establishment there would probably be an interval he explained in which he should content himself with the upper part of a house over some respectable place of business say in Picadilly which would be a cheerful situation for Mrs mowa and where by throwing out a bow window or carrying up the roof another story or making some little alteration of that sort they might live comfortably and reputably for a few years whatever was reserved for him he expressly said or wherever his Abode might be we might rely on this there would always be a room for traddles and a knife and fork for me we acknowledged his kindness and he begged us to forgive his having launched into these practical and business-like details and to excuse it as natural in one who was making entirely new Arrangements in life Mrs maber tapping at the wall again to know if te were ready broke up this particular phase of our friendly conversation she made tea for us in a most agreeable Manner and whenever I went near her in handing about the teacups and bread and butter asked me in a whisper whether D was fair or dark or whether she was short or tall or something of that kind which I I think I liked after tea we discussed a variety of topics before the fire and Mrs macauba was good enough to sing us in a small thin flat voice which I remember to have considered when I first knew her the very table beer of Acoustics the favorite ballads Of The Dashing white sergeant and little taflin for both of these songs Mrs macauba had been famous when she lived at home with her Papa and Mama Mr macauba told us that when he heard her sing the first one on the first occasion of his seeing her beneath the parental roof she had attra Ed his attention in an extraordinary degree but that when it came to little tafflin he had resolved to win that woman or perish in the attempt it was between 10 and 11:00 when Mrs macauba Rose to replace her cap in the Whitey brown paper parcel and to put on her Bonnet Mr macauba took the opportunity of trattles putting on his great coat to slip a letter into my hand with a whispered request that I would read it at my leisure I also took the opportunity of my holding a candle over the banisters to light them down when Mr macauba was going first leading Mrs macauba and trattles was following with a cap to detain trattles for a moment on the top of the stairs trattles said I Mr Maba don't mean any harm poor fellow but if I were you I wouldn't lend him anything my dear Copperfield returned trattles smiling I haven't got anything to lend you have got a name you know said I oh you call that something to lend returned traddles with a thoughtful look certainly oh said trattles yes to be sure I am very much obliged to you Copperfield but I am afraid I have lent him that already for the bill that is to be a certain investment I inquired no said trattles not for that one this is the first I have heard of that one I have been thinking that he will most likely propose that one on the way home mine's another I hope there will be nothing wrong about it said I I hope not said trattles I should think not though because he told me only the other day that it was provided for that was Mr maca's expression provided for Mr macauba looking up at this juncture to where we were standing I had only time to repeat my caution traddles thanked me and descended but I was much afraid when I observed the good-natured manner in which he went down with a cap in his hand and gave Mrs macauba his arm that he would be carried into the money market neck and heels I returned to my Fireside and was musing half Gravely and half laughing on the character of Mr MBA and the old relations between us when I heard a quick step ascending the stairs at first I thought it was trattles coming back for something Mrs macauba had left behind but as the step approached I knew it and felt my heart beat High and the blood rushed to my face for it was steerforth I was never unmindful of Agnes and she never left that sanctuary in my thoughts if I may may call it so where I had placed her from the first but when he entered and stood before me with his hand out the darkness that had fallen on him changed to light and I felt confounded and ashamed of having doubted one I loved so heartily I loved her nonetheless I thought of her as the same benignant gentle angel in my life I reproached myself not her with having done him an injury and I would have made him any atonement if I had known what to make and how to make it why Daisy old boy dumbfounded laughed steerforth shaking my hand heartily and throwing it gay away have I detected you in another Feast you cite these doctors common fellows are the gayest men in town I believe and beat us sober Oxford people all to nothing his bright glance went merrily around the room as he took the seat on the sofa opposite to me which Mrs macauba had recently vacated and stirred the fire into a blaze I was so surprised at first said I giving him welcome with all the cordiality I felt that I had hardly breath to greet you with steerforth well the sight of me is good for sore eyes as the scotch say replied steerforth and so is the sight of you Daisy in full bloom how are you my back andal I am very well said I and not at all back an alien tonight though I confess to another party of three all of whom I met in the street talking loud in your praise returned steerforth who's our friend in the tights I gave him the best idea I could in a few words of Mr macauba he laughed heartily at my feeble portrait of that gentleman and said he was a man to know and he must know him but who do you suppose our other friend is said I in my turn Heaven Knows said steerforth not a boar I hope I thought he looked a little like one traddles I replied triumphantly who's he asked steerforth in his careless way don't you remember remember traddles traddles in our room at Salem House oh that fellow said steerforth beating a lump of coal on the top of the fire with the poker is he as soft as ever and where the deuce did you pick him up I extoled trattles in reply as highly as I could for I felt that steerforth rather slighted him steerforth dismissing the subject with a light Nord and a smile and a remark that he would be glad to see the old fellow too for he had always been an odd fish inquired if I could give him anything to eat during most of this short dialogue when he had not been speaking in a wild vivacious manner he had sat idly beating on the lump of coal with a poker I observed that he did the same thing while I was getting out the remains of the pigeon pie and so forth why Daisy here's a supper for a king he exclaimed starting out of his silence with a burst and taking his seat at the table I shall do it justice for I have come from Yarmouth I thought you came from Oxford I returned not I said steerforth I have been seafaring better employed littimer was here today to inquire for you I remarked and I understood him that you were at Oxford though now I think of it he certainly did not say so littimer is a greater fool than I thought him to have been inquiring for me at all said steerforth jovially pouring out a glass of wine and drinking to me as to understanding him you are a clever fellow than most of us Daisy if you can do that that's true indeed said I moving my chair to the table so you have been at Yarmouth steerforth interested to know all about it have you been there long no he returned an Escapade of a week or so and how are they all of course little Emily is not married yet not yet going to be I believe in so many weeks or months or something or other I have not seen much of them by the by he laid down his knife and fork which he had been using with great diligence and began feeling in his pockets I have a letter for you from whom why from your old nurse he returned taking some papers out of his breast pocket Jay steerforth Esquire deta to the Willing mind that's not it patience and we'll find it presently old Watts's name's in a bad way and it's a about that I believe but kiss do you mean yes still feeling in his pockets and looking over their contents it's all over with poor biss I am afraid I saw a little Apothecary there surgeon or whatever he is who brought your worship into the world he was mighty learned about the case to me but the upshot of his opinion was that the carrier was making his last journey rather fast put your hand into the breast pocket of my great coat on the chair Yonder and I think you'll find the letter is it there there here it is said I that's right it was from peggoty something less legible than usual and brief it informed me of her husband's hopeless State and hinted at his being a little nearer than here to for and consequently more difficult to manage for his own Comfort it said nothing of her weariness and watching and praised him highly it was written with a plain unaffected homely piety that I knew to be genuine and ended with my duty to my ever darling meaning myself while I deciphered it steerforth continued to eat and drink it's a bad job he said when I had done but the sun sets every day and people die every minute and we mustn't be scared by the common lot if we fail to hold our own because that equal foot at all men's doors Was Heard knocking somewhere every object in this world would slip from us no ride on rough Shard if need be smooth Shard if that will do but ride on ride on over all obstacles and win the race and win what race said I the race that one has started in said he ride on I noticed I remember as he paused looking at me with his handsome head a little thrown back and his glass raised in his hand that though the freshness of the sea wind was on his face and it was Ruddy there were traces in it made since I last saw it as if he had applied himself to some habitual strain of the fervent energy which when roused was so passionately roused within him I had it in my thoughts to remonstrate with him upon his desperate way of pursuing any fancy that he took such as this buffeting of rough seas and braving of hard weather for example when my mind glanced off to the immediate subject of our conversation again and pursued that instead I tell you what steerforth said I if your High Spirits will listen to me they are potent spirits and will do whatever you like he answered moving from the table to the Fireside again then I tell you what steer forth I think I will go down and see my old nurse it is not that I can do her any good or render her any real service but she is so attached to me that my visit will have as much effect on her as if I could do both she will take it so kindly that it will be a comfort and support to her it is no great effort to make I am sure for such a friend as she has been to me wouldn't you go a Day's Journey if you were in my place his face was thoughtful and he sat considering a little before he answered in a low voice voice well go You Can Do no harm you have just come back said I and it would be in vain to ask you to go with me quite he returned I am for Highgate tonight I have not seen my mother this long time and it lies upon my conscience for it's something to be loved as she loves her prodigal son B nonsense you mean to go tomorrow I suppose he said holding me out at arms length with a hand on each of my shoulders yes yes I think so well then don't go till next day I wanted you to come and stay a few days with us here I am on purpose to bid you and you fly off to Yarmouth you are a nice fellow to talk of flying off steerforth who are always running wild on some unknown Expedition or other he looked at me for a moment without speaking and then rejoined still holding me as before and giving me a shake call me say the next day and pass as much of tomorrow as you can with us who knows when we may meet again else call me say the next day I want you to stand between Rosa dartle and me and keep us aunder would you love each other too much without me yes or hate laughed steerforth no matter which call me say the next day I said the next day and he put on his great coat and lighted his cigar and set off to walk home finding him in this intention I put on my own great coat but did not light my own cigar having had enough of that for one while and walked with him as far as the open road a dull road then at night he was in great spirits all the way and when we parted and I looked after him going so gallantly and arily Homeward I thought of his saying Ride on over all obstacles and win the race and wished for the first time that he had some worthy race to run I was undressing in my own room when Mr maa's letter tumbled on the floor thus reminded of it I broke the seal and read as follows it was dated an hour and a half before dinner I am not sure whether I have mentioned that when Mr macauba was at any particularly desperate crisis he used a sort of legal phraseology which he seemed to think equivalent to winding up his Affairs Essa for I dare not say my dear Copperfield it is expedient that I should inform you that the undersigned is crushed some flickering efforts to spare you the premature knowledge of his calamitous position you may observe in him this day but hope has sunk Beneath The Horizon and the undersigned is crushed the present communication is penned within the personal range I cannot call it the Society of an individual in a state closely bordering on intoxication employed by a broker that individual is in legal possession of the premises under a distress for rent his inventory includes not only the chatles and effects of every description belonging to the undersigned as yearly tenant of this habitation but also those appertaining to Mr Thomas trattles lodger a member of The Honorable Society of the inner Temple if any drop of Gloom were wanting in the overflowing cup which is now commended in the language of an immortal writer to the lips of the undersigned it would be found in the fact that a friendly acceptance granted to the undersigned by the before mentioned Mr Thomas trattles for the sum of 23 l4s 912d is overdue and is not provided for also in the fact that the living responsibilities clinging to the assigned will in the course of nature be increased by the sum of one more helpless victim whose miserable appearance may be looked for in round numbers at the expiration of a period not exceeding six lunar months from the present date after premising thus much it would be a work of super irrigation to add that dust and ashes are forever scattered on the head of Wilkins maber poor traddles I knew enough of Mr Maba by this time to foresee that he might be expected to cover the blow but my night's rest was sorely distressed by thoughts of trattles and of the curate's daughter who was one of 10 down in devenshire and who was such a dear girl and who would wait for trattles ominous praise until she was 60 or any age that could be mentioned