‘How　absurd　you　are；　Peggotty！’　returned　my　mother。　‘One
  would　suppose　you　wanted　a　second　visit　from　her。’
  ‘Lord　forbid！’　cried　Peggotty。
  ‘Well　then；　don’t　talk　about　such　uncomfortable　things；　there’s　a
  good　soul；’　said　my　mother。　‘Miss　Betsey　is　shut　up　in　her　cottage
  by　the　sea；　no　doubt；　and　will　remain　there。　At　all　events；　she　is　not
  likely　ever　to　trouble　us　again。’
  ‘No！’　mused　Peggotty。　‘No；　that　ain’t　likely　at　all。—I　wonder；　if
  she　was　to　die；　whether　she’d　leave　Davy　anything？’
  ‘Good　gracious　me；　Peggotty；’　returned　my　mother；　‘what　a
  nonsensical　woman　you　are！　when　you　know　that　she　took　offence
  at　the　poor　dear　boy’s　ever　being　born　at　all。’
  ‘I　suppose　she　wouldn’t　be　inclined　to　forgive　him　now；’　hinted
  Peggotty。
  ‘Why　should　she　be　inclined　to　forgive　him　now？’　said　my
  mother；　rather　sharply。
  ‘Now　that　he’s　got　a　brother；　I　mean；’　said　Peggotty。
  My　mother　immediately　began　to　cry；　and　wondered　how
  Peggotty　dared　to　say　such　a　thing。
  ‘As　if　this　poor　little　innocent　in　its　cradle　had　ever　done　any
  harm　to　you　or　anybody　else；　you　jealous　thing！’　said　she。　‘You　had
  much　better　go　and　marry　Mr。　Barkis；　the　carrier。　Why　don’t　you？’
  ‘I　should　make　Miss　Murdstone　happy；　if　I　was　to；’　said
  Peggotty。
  ‘What　a　bad　disposition　you　have；　Peggotty！’　returned　my
  mother。　‘You　are　as　jealous　of　Miss　Murdstone　as　it　is　possible　for
  a　ridiculous　creature　to　be。　You　want　to　keep　the　keys　yourself；
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  David　Copperfield
  and　give　out　all　the　things；　I　suppose？　I　shouldn’t　be　surprised　if
  you　did。　When　you　know　that　she　only　does　it　out　of　kindness　and
  the　best　intentions！　You　know　she　does；　Peggotty—you　know　it
  well。’
  Peggotty　muttered　something　to　the　effect　of　‘Bother　the　best
  intentions！’　and　something　else　to　the　effect　that　there　was　a　little
  too　much　of　the　best　intentions　going　on。
  ‘I　know　what　you　mean；　you　cross　thing；’　said　my　mother。　‘I
  understand　you；　Peggotty；　perfectly。　You　know　I　do；　and　I　wonder
  you　don’t　colour　up　like　fire。　But　one　point　at　a　time。　Miss
  Murdstone　is　the　point　now；　Peggotty；　and　you　sha’n’t　escape　from
  it。　Haven’t　you　heard　her　say；　over　and　over　again；　that　she　thinks
  I　am　too　thoughtless　and　too—a—a—’
  ‘Pretty；’　suggested　Peggotty。
  ‘Well；’　returned　my　mother；　half　laughing；　‘and　if　she　is　so　silly
  as　to　say　so；　can　I　be　blamed　for　it？’
  ‘No　one　says　you　can；’　said　Peggotty。
  ‘No；　I　should　hope　not；　indeed！’　returned　my　mother。　‘Haven’t
  you　heard　her　say；　over　and　over　again；　that　on　this　account　she
  wished　to　spare　me　a　great　deal　of　trouble；　which　she　thinks　I　am
  not　suited　for；　and　which　I　really　don’t　know　myself　that　I　am
  suited　for；　and　isn’t　she　up　early　and　late；　and　going　to　and　fro
  continually—and　doesn’t　she　do　all　sorts　of　things；　and　grope　into
  all　sorts　of　places；　coal…holes　and　pantries　and　I　don’t　know　where；
  that　can’t　be　very　agreeable—and　do　you　mean　to　insinuate　that
  there　is　not　a　sort　of　devotion　in　that？’
  ‘I　don’t　insinuate　at　all；’　said　Peggotty。
  ‘You　do；　Peggotty；’　returned　my　mother。　‘You　never　do
  anything　else；　except　your　work。　You　are　always　insinuating。　You
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  revel　in　it。　And　when　you　talk　of　Mr。　Murdstone’s　good
  intentions—’
  ‘I　never　talked　of　’em；’　said　Peggotty。
  ‘No；　Peggotty；’　returned　my　mother；　‘but　you　insinuated。　That’s
  what　I　told　you　just　now。　That’s　the　worst　of　you。　You　will
  insinuate。　I　said；　at　the　moment；　that　I　understood　you；　and　you
  see　I　did。　When　you　talk　of　Mr。　Murdstone’s　good　intentions；　and
  pretend　to　slight　them　（for　I　don’t　believe　you　really　do；　in　your
  heart；　Peggotty）；　you　must　be　as　well　convinced　as　I　am　how　good
  they　are；　and　how　they　actuate　him　in　everything。　If　he　seems　to
  have　been　at　all　stern　with　a　certain　person；　Peggotty—you
  understand；　and　so　I　am　sure　does　Davy；　that　I　am　not　alluding　to
  anybody　present—it　is　solely　because　he　is　satisfied　that　it　is　for　a
  certain　person’s　benefit。　He　naturally　loves　a　certain　person；　on
  my　account；　and　acts　solely　for　a　certain　person’s　good。　He　is
  better　able　to　judge　of　it　than　I　am；　for　I　very　well　know　that　I　am　a
  weak；　light；　girlish　creature；　and　that　he　is　a　firm；　grave；　serious
  man。　And　he　takes；’　said　my　mother；　with　the　tears　which　were
  engendered　in　her　affectionate　nature；　stealing　down　her　face；　‘he
  takes　great　pains　with　me；　and　I　ought　to　be　very　thankful　to　him；
  and　very　submissive　to　him　even　in　my　thoughts；　and　when　I　am
  not；　Peggotty；　I　worry　and　condemn　myself；　and　feel　doubtful　of
  my　own　heart；　and　don’t　know　what　to　do。’
  Peggotty　sat　with　her　chin　on　the　foot　of　the　stocking；　looking
  silently　at　the　fire。
  ‘There；　Peggotty；’　said　my　mother；　changing　her　tone；　‘don’t　let
  us　fall　out　with　one　another；　for　I　couldn’t　bear　it。　You　are　my　true
  friend；　I　know；　if　I　have　any　in　the　world。　When　I　call　you　a
  ridiculous　creature；　or　a　vexatious　thing；　or　anything　of　that　sort；
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  David　Copperfield
  Peggotty；　I　only　mean　that　you　are　my　true　friend；　and　always
  have　been；　ever　since　the　night　when　Mr。　Copperfield　first　brought
  me　home　here；　and　you　came　out　to　the　gate　to　meet　me。’
  Peggotty　was　not　slow　to　respond；　and　ratify　the　treaty　of
  friendship　by　giving　me　one　of　her　best　hugs。　I　think　I　had　some
  glimpses　of　the　real　character　of　this　conversation　at　the　time；　but
  I　am　sure；　now；　that　the　good　creature　originated　it；　and　took　her
  part　in　it；　merely　that　my　mother　might　comfort　herself　with　the
  little　contradictory　summary　in　which　she　had　indulged。　The
  design　was　efficacious；　for　I　remember　that　my　mother　seemed
  more　at　ease　during　the　rest　of　the　evening；　and　that　Peggotty
  observed　her　less。
  When　we　had　had　our　tea；　and　the　ashes　were　thrown　up；　and
  the　candles　snuffed；　I　read　Peggotty　a　chapter　out　of　the　Crocodile
  Book；　in　remembrance　of　old　times—she　took　it　out　of　her　pocket：
  I　don’t　know　whether　she　had　kept　it　there　ever　since—and　then
  we　talked　about　Salem　House；　which　brought　me　round　again　to
  Steerforth；　who　was　my　great　subject。　We　were　very　happy；　and
  that　evening；　as　the　last　of　its　race；　and　destined　evermore　to　close
  that　volume　of　my　life；　will　never　pass　out　of　my　memory。
  It　was　almost　ten　o’clock　before　we　heard　the　sound　of　wheels。
  We　all　got　up　then；　and　my　mother　said　hurriedly　that；　as　it　was　so
  late；　and　Mr。　and　Miss　Murdstone　approved　of　early　hours　for
  young　people；　perhaps　I　had　better　go　to　bed。　I　kissed　her；　and
  went　upstairs　with　my　candle　directly；　before　they　came　in。　It
  appeared　to　my　childish　fancy；　as　I　ascended　to　the　bedroom
  where　I　had　been　imprisoned；　that　they　brought　a　cold　blast　of　air
  into　the　house　which　blew　away　the　old　familiar　feeling　like　a
  feather。
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  David　Copperfield
  I　felt　uncomfortable　about　going　down　to　breakfast　in　the
  morning；　as　I　had　never　set　eyes　on　Mr。　Murdstone　since　the　day
  when　I　committed　my　memorable　offence。　However；　as　it　must　be
  done；　I　went　down；　after　two　or　three　false　starts　half…way；　and　as
  many　runs　back　on　tiptoe　to　my　own　room；　and　presented　myself
  in　the　parlour。
  He　was　standing　before　the　fire　with　his　back　to　it；　while　Miss
  Murdstone　made　the　tea。　He　looked　at　me　steadily　as　I　entered；
  but　made　no　sign　of　recognition　whatever。　I　went　up　to　him；　after　a
  moment　of　confusion；　and　said：　‘I　beg　your　pardon；　sir。　I　am　very
  sorry　for　what　I　did；　and　I　hope　you　will　forgive　me。’
  ‘I　am　glad　to　hear　you　are　sorry；　David；’　he　replied。
  The　hand　he　gave　me　was　the　hand　I　had　bitten。　I　could　not
  restrain　my　eye　from　resting　for　an　instant　on　a　red　spot　upon　it；
  but　it　was　not　so　red　as　I　turned；　when　I　met　that　sinister
  expression　in　his　face。
  ‘How　do　you　do；　ma’am？’　I　said　to　Miss　Murdstone。
  ‘Ah；　dear　me！’　sighed　Miss　Murdstone；　giving　me　the　tea…caddy
  scoop　instead　of　her　fingers。　‘How　long　are　the　holidays？’
  ‘A　month；　ma’am。’
  ‘Counting　from　when？’
  ‘From　today；　ma’am。’
  ‘Oh！’　said　Miss　Murdstone。　‘Then　here’s　one　day　off。’
  She　kept　a　calendar　of　the　holidays　in　this　way；　and　every
  morning　checked　a　day　off　in　exactly　the　same　manner。　She　did　it
  gloomily　until　she　came　to　ten；　but　when　she　got　into　two　figures
  she　became　more　hopeful；　and；　as　the　time　advanced；　even　jocular。
  It　was　on　this　very　first　day　that　I　had　the　misfortune　to　throw
  her；　though　she　was　not　subject　to　such　weakness　in　general；　into
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  a　state　of　violent　consternation。　I　came　into　the　room　where　she
  and　my　mother　were　sitting；　and　the　baby　（who　was　only　a　few
  weeks　old）　being　on　my　mother’s　lap；　I　took　it　very　carefully　in　my
  arms。　Suddenly　Miss　Murdstone　gave　such　a　scream　that　I　all　but
  dropped　it。
  ‘My　dear　Jane！’　cried　my　mother。
  ‘Good　heavens；　Clara；　do　you　see？’　exclaimed　Miss　Murdstone