can　you　go　on　as　if　it　was　all　settled　and　arranged；　Peggotty；　when
  I　tell　you　over　and　over　again；　you　cruel　thing；　that　beyond　the
  commonest　civilities　nothing　has　passed！　You　talk　of　admiration。
  What　am　I　to　do？　If　people　are　so　silly　as　to　indulge　the　sentiment；
  is　it　my　fault？　What　am　I　to　do；　I　ask　you？　Would　you　wish　me　to
  shave　my　head　and　black　my　face；　or　disfigure　myself　with　a　burn；
  or　a　scald；　or　something　of　that　sort？　I　dare　say　you　would；
  Peggotty。　I　dare　say　you’d　quite　enjoy　it。’
  Peggotty　seemed　to　take　this　aspersion　very　much　to　heart；　I
  thought。
  ‘And　my　dear　boy；’　cried　my　mother；　coming　to　the　elbow…chair
  in　which　I　was；　and　caressing　me；　‘my　own　little　Davy！　Is　it　to　be
  hinted　to　me　that　I　am　wanting　in　affection　for　my　precious
  treasure；　the　dearest　little　fellow　that　ever　was！’
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  ‘Nobody　never　went　and　hinted　no　such　a　thing；’　said　Peggotty。
  ‘You　did；　Peggotty！’　returned　my　mother。　‘You　know　you　did。
  What　else　was　it　possible　to　infer　from　what　you　said；　you　unkind
  creature；　when　you　know　as　well　as　I　do；　that　on　his　account　only
  last　quarter　I　wouldn’t　buy　myself　a　new　parasol；　though　that　old
  green　one　is　frayed　the　whole　way　up；　and　the　fringe　is　perfectly
  mangy？　You　know　it　is；　Peggotty。　You　can’t　deny　it。’　Then；　turning
  affectionately　to　me；　with　her　cheek　against　mine；　‘Am　I　a　naughty
  mama　to　you；　Davy？　Am　I　a　nasty；　cruel；　selfish；　bad　mama？　Say　I
  am；　my　child；　say　“yes”；　dear　boy；　and　Peggotty　will　love　you；　and
  Peggotty’s　love　is　a　great　deal　better　than　mine；　Davy。　I　don’t　love
  you　at　all；　do　I？’
  At　this；　we　all　fell　a…crying　together。　I　think　I　was　the　loudest　of
  the　party；　but　I　am　sure　we　were　all　sincere　about　it。　I　was　quite
  heart…broken　myself；　and　am　afraid　that　in　the　first　transports　of
  wounded　tenderness　I　called　Peggotty　a　‘Beast’。　That　honest
  creature　was　in　deep　affliction；　I　remember；　and　must　have
  become　quite　buttonless　on　the　occasion；　for　a　little　volley　of　those
  explosives　went　off；　when；　after　having　made　it　up　with　my
  mother；　she　kneeled　down　by　the　elbow…chair；　and　made　it　up　with
  me。
  We　went　to　bed　greatly　dejected。　My　sobs　kept　waking　me；　for　a
  long　time；　and　when　one　very　strong　sob　quite　hoisted　me　up　in
  bed；　I　found　my　mother　sitting　on　the　coverlet；　and　leaning　over
  me。　I　fell　asleep　in　her　arms；　after　that；　and　slept　soundly。
  Whether　it　was　the　following　Sunday　when　I　saw　the　gentleman
  again；　or　whether　there　was　any　greater　lapse　of　time　before　he
  reappeared；　I　cannot　recall。　I　don’t　profess　to　be　clear　about　dates。
  But　there　he　was；　in　church；　and　he　walked　home　with　us
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  afterwards。　He　came　in；　too；　to　look　at　a　famous　geranium　we　had；
  in　the　parlour…window。　It　did　not　appear　to　me　that　he　took　much
  notice　of　it；　but　before　he　went　he　asked　my　mother　to　give　him　a
  bit　of　the　blossom。　She　begged　him　to　choose　it　for　himself；　but　he
  refused　to　do　that—I　could　not　understand　why—so　she　plucked　it
  for　him；　and　gave　it　into　his　hand。　He　said　he　would　never；　never
  part　with　it　any　more；　and　I　thought　he　must　be　quite　a　fool　not　to
  know　that　it　would　fall　to　pieces　in　a　day　or　two。
  Peggotty　began　to　be　less　with　us；　of　an　evening；　than　she　had
  always　been。　My　mother　deferred　to　her　very　much—more　than
  usual；　it　occurred　to　me—and　we　were　all　three　excellent　friends；
  still　we　were　different　from　what　we　used　to　be；　and　were　not　so
  comfortable　among　ourselves。　Sometimes　I　fancied　that　Peggotty
  perhaps　objected　to　my　mother’s　wearing　all　the　pretty　dresses　she
  had　in　her　drawers；　or　to　her　going　so　often　to　visit　at　that
  neighbour’s；　but　I　couldn’t；　to　my　satisfaction；　make　out　how　it
  was。
  Gradually；　I　became　used　to　seeing　the　gentleman　with　the
  black　whiskers。　I　liked　him　no　better　than　at　first；　and　had　the
  same　uneasy　jealousy　of　him；　but　if　I　had　any　reason　for　it　beyond
  a　child’s　instinctive　dislike；　and　a　general　idea　that　Peggotty　and　I
  could　make　much　of　my　mother　without　any　help；　it　certainly　was
  not　the　reason　that　I　might　have　found　if　I　had　been　older。　No　such
  thing　came　into　my　mind；　or　near　it。　I　could　observe；　in　little
  pieces；　as　it　were；　but　as　to　making　a　net　of　a　number　of　these
  pieces；　and　catching　anybody　in　it；　that　was；　as　yet；　beyond　me。
  One　autumn　morning　I　was　with　my　mother　in　the　front
  garden；　when　Mr。　Murdstone—I　knew　him　by　that　name　now—
  came　by；　on　horseback。　He　reined　up　his　horse　to　salute　my
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  mother；　and　said　he　was　going　to　Lowestoft　to　see　some　friends
  who　were　there　with　a　yacht；　and　merrily　proposed　to　take　me　on
  the　saddle　before　him　if　I　would　like　the　ride。
  The　air　was　so　clear　and　pleasant；　and　the　horse　seemed　to　like
  the　idea　of　the　ride　so　much　himself；　as　he　stood　snorting　and
  pawing　at　the　garden…gate；　that　I　had　a　great　desire　to　go。　So　I　was
  sent　upstairs　to　Peggotty　to　be　made　spruce；　and　in　the　meantime
  Mr。　Murdstone　dismounted；　and；　with　his　horse’s　bridle　drawn
  over　his　arm；　walked　slowly　up　and　down　on　the　outer　side　of　the
  sweetbriar　fence；　while　my　mother　walked　slowly　up　and　down　on
  the　inner　to　keep　him　company。　I　recollect　Peggotty　and　I　peeping
  out　at　them　from　my　little　window；　I　recollect　how　closely　they
  seemed　to　be　examining　the　sweetbriar　between　them；　as　they
  strolled　along；　and　how；　from　being　in　a　perfectly　angelic　temper；
  Peggotty　turned　cross　in　a　moment；　and　brushed　my　hair　the
  wrong　way；　excessively　hard。
  Mr。　Murdstone　and　I　were　soon　off；　and　trotting　along　on　the
  green　turf　by　the　side　of　the　road。　He　held　me　quite　easily　with　one
  arm；　and　I　don’t　think　I　was　restless　usually；　but　I　could　not　make
  up　my　mind　to　sit　in　front　of　him　without　turning　my　head
  sometimes；　and　looking　up　in　his　face。　He　had　that　kind　of　shallow
  black　eye—I　want　a　better　word　to　express　an　eye　that　has　no
  depth　in　it　to　be　looked　into—which；　when　it　is　abstracted；　seems
  from　some　peculiarity　of　light　to　be　disfigured；　for　a　moment　at　a
  time；　by　a　cast。　Several　times　when　I　glanced　at　him；　I　observed
  that　appearance　with　a　sort　of　awe；　and　wondered　what　he　was
  thinking　about　so　closely。　His　hair　and　whiskers　were　blacker　and
  thicker；　looked　at　so　near；　than　even　I　had　given　them　credit　for
  being。　A　squareness　about　the　lower　part　of　his　face；　and　the
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  dotted　indication　of　the　strong　black　beard　he　shaved　close　every
  day；　reminded　me　of　the　wax…work　that　had　travelled　into　our
  neighbourhood　some　half…a…year　before。　This；　his　regular
  eyebrows；　and　the　rich　white；　and　black；　and　brown；　of　his
  complexion—confound　his　complexion；　and　his　memory！—made
  me　think　him；　in　spite　of　my　misgivings；　a　very　handsome　man。　I
  have　no　doubt　that　my　poor　dear　mother　thought　him　so　too。
  We　went　to　an　hotel　by　the　sea；　where　two　gentlemen　were
  smoking　cigars　in　a　room　by　themselves。　Each　of　them　was　lying
  on　at　least　four　chairs；　and　had　a　large　rough　jacket　on。　In　a　corner
  was　a　heap　of　coats　and　boat…cloaks；　and　a　flag；　all　bundled　up
  together。
  They　both　rolled　on　to　their　feet　in　an　untidy　sort　of　manner；
  when　we　came　in；　and　said；　‘Halloa；　Murdstone！　We　thought　you
  were　dead！’
  ‘Not　yet；’　said　Mr。　Murdstone。
  ‘And　who’s　this　shaver？’　said　one　of　the　gentlemen；　taking　hold
  of　me。
  ‘That’s　Davy；’　returned　Mr。　Murdstone。
  ‘Davy　who？’　said　the　gentleman。　‘Jones？’
  ‘Copperfield；’　said　Mr。　Murdstone。
  ‘What！　Bewitching　Mrs。　Copperfield’s　encumbrance？’　cried　the
  gentleman。　‘The　pretty　little　widow？’
  ‘Quinion；’　said　Mr。　Murdstone；　‘take　care；　if　you　please。
  Somebody’s　sharp。’
  ‘Who　is？’　asked　the　gentleman；　laughing。　I　looked　up；　quickly；
  being　curious　to　know。
  ‘Only　Brooks　of　Sheffield；’　said　Mr。　Murdstone。
  I　was　quite　relieved　to　find　that　it　was　only　Brooks　of　Sheffield；
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  for；　at　first；　I　really　thought　it　was　I。
  There　seemed　to　be　something　very　comical　in　the　reputation　of
  Mr。　Brooks　of　Sheffield；　for　both　the　gentlemen　laughed　heartily
  when　he　was　mentioned；　and　Mr。　Murdstone　was　a　good　deal
  amused　also。　After　some　laughing；　the　gentleman　whom　he　had
  called　Quinion；　said：
  ‘And　what　is　the　opinion　of　Brooks　of　Sheffield；　in　reference　to
  the　projected　business？’
  ‘Why；　I　don’t　know　that　Brooks　understands　much　about　it　at
  present；’　replied　Mr。　Murdstone；　‘but　he　is　not　generally
  favourable；　I　believe。’
  There　was　more　laughter　at　this；　and　Mr。　Quinion　said　he
  would　ring　the　bell　for　some　sherry　in　which　to　drink　to　Brooks。
  This　he　did；　and　when　the　wine　came；　he　made　me　have　a　little；
  with　a　biscuit；　and；　before　I　drank　it；　stand　up　and　say；　‘Confusion
  to　Brooks　of　Sheffield！’　The　toast　was　received　with　great
  applause；　and　such　hearty　laughter　that　it　made　me　laugh　too；　at
  which　they　laughed　the　more。　In　short；　we　quite　enjoyed
  ou