fork；　than　Captain　Hopkins’s　comb。　The　Captain　himself　was　in
  the　last　extremity　of　shabbiness；　with　large　whiskers；　and　an　old；
  old　brown　great…coat　with　no　other　coat　below　it。　I　saw　his　bed
  rolled　up　in　a　corner；　and　what　plates　and　dishes　and　pots　he　had；
  on　a　shelf；　and　I　divined　（God　knows　how）　that　though　the　two
  girls　with　the　shock　heads　of　hair　were　Captain　Hopkins’s
  children；　the　dirty　lady　was　not　married　to　Captain　Hopkins。　My
  timid　station　on　his　threshold　was　not　occupied　more　than　a
  couple　of　minutes　at　most；　but　I　came　down　again　with　all　this　in
  my　knowledge；　as　surely　as　the　knife　and　fork　were　in　my　hand。
  There　was　something　gipsy…like　and　agreeable　in　the　dinner；
  after　all。　I　took　back　Captain　Hopkins’s　knife　and　fork　early　in　the
  afternoon；　and　went　home　to　comfort　Mrs。　Micawber　with　an
  account　of　my　visit。　She　fainted　when　she　saw　me　return；　and
  made　a　little　jug　of　egg…hot　afterwards　to　console　us　while　we
  talked　it　over。
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  I　don’t　know　how　the　household　furniture　came　to　be　sold　for
  the　family　benefit；　or　who　sold　it；　except　that　I　did　not。　Sold　it　was；
  however；　and　carried　away　in　a　van；　except　the　bed；　a　few　chairs；
  and　the　kitchen　table。　With　these　possessions　we　encamped；　as　it
  were；　in　the　two　parlours　of　the　emptied　house　in　Windsor
  Terrace；　Mrs。　Micawber；　the　children；　the　Orfling；　and　myself；　and
  lived　in　those　rooms　night　and　day。　I　have　no　idea　for　how　long；
  though　it　seems　to　me　for　a　long　time。　At　last　Mrs。　Micawber
  resolved　to　move　into　the　prison；　where　Mr。　Micawber　had　now
  secured　a　room　to　himself。　So　I　took　the　key　of　the　house　to　the
  landlord；　who　was　very　glad　to　get　it；　and　the　beds　were　sent　over
  to　the　King’s　Bench；　except　mine；　for　which　a　little　room　was　hired
  outside　the　walls　in　the　neighbourhood　of　that　Institution；　very
  much　to　my　satisfaction；　since　the　Micawbers　and　I　had　become
  too　used　to　one　another；　in　our　troubles；　to　part。　The　Orfling　was
  likewise　accommodated　with　an　inexpensive　lodging　in　the　same
  neighbourhood。　Mine　was　a　quiet　back…garret　with　a　sloping　roof；
  commanding　a　pleasant　prospect　of　a　timberyard；　and　when　I　took
  possession　of　it；　with　the　reflection　that　Mr。　Micawber’s　troubles
  had　come　to　a　crisis　at　last；　I　thought　it　quite　a　paradise。
  All　this　time　I　was　working　at　Murdstone　and　Grinby’s　in　the
  same　common　way；　and　with　the　same　common　companions；　and
  with　the　same　sense　of　unmerited　degradation　as　at　first。　But　I
  never；　happily　for　me　no　doubt；　made　a　single　acquaintance；　or
  spoke　to　any　of　the　many　boys　whom　I　saw　daily　in　going　to　the
  warehouse；　in　coming　from　it；　and　in　prowling　about　the　streets　at
  meal…times。　I　led　the　same　secretly　unhappy　life；　but　I　led　it　in　the
  same　lonely；　self…reliant　manner。　The　only　changes　I　am　conscious
  of　are；　firstly；　that　I　had　grown　more　shabby；　and　secondly；　that　I
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  was　now　relieved　of　much　of　the　weight　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。
  Micawber’s　cares；　for　some　relatives　or　friends　had　engaged　to
  help　them　at　their　present　pass；　and　they　lived　more　comfortably
  in　the　prison　than　they　had　lived　for　a　long　while　out　of　it。　I　used　to
  breakfast　with　them　now；　in　virtue　of　some　arrangement；　of　which
  I　have　forgotten　the　details。　I　forget；　too；　at　what　hour　the　gates
  were　opened　in　the　morning；　admitting　of　my　going　in；　but　I　know
  that　I　was　often　up　at　six　o’clock；　and　that　my　favourite　lounging…
  place　in　the　interval　was　old　London　Bridge；　where　I　was　wont　to
  sit　in　one　of　the　stone　recesses；　watching　the　people　going　by；　or　to
  look　over　the　balustrades　at　the　sun　shining　in　the　water；　and
  lighting　up　the　golden　flame　on　the　top　of　the　Monument。　The
  Orfling　met　me　here　sometimes；　to　be　told　some　astonishing
  fictions　respecting　the　wharves　and　the　Tower；　of　which　I　can　say
  no　more　than　that　I　hope　I　believed　them　myself。　In　the　evening　I
  used　to　go　back　to　the　prison；　and　walk　up　and　down　the　parade
  with　Mr。　Micawber；　or　play　casino　with　Mrs。　Micawber；　and　hear
  reminiscences　of　her　papa　and　mama。　Whether　Mr。　Murdstone
  knew　where　I　was；　I　am　unable　to　say。　I　never　told　them　at
  Murdstone　and　Grinby’s。
  Mr。　Micawber’s　affairs；　although　past　their　crisis；　were　very
  much　involved　by　reason　of　a　certain　‘Deed’；　of　which　I　used　to
  hear　a　great　deal；　and　which　I　suppose；　now；　to　have　been　some
  former　composition　with　his　creditors；　though　I　was　so　far　from
  being　clear　about　it　then；　that　I　am　conscious　of　having
  confounded　it　with　those　demoniacal　parchments　which　are　held
  to　have；　once　upon　a　time；　obtained　to　a　great　extent　in　Germany。
  At　last　this　document　appeared　to　be　got　out　of　the　way；　somehow；
  at　all　events　it　ceased　to　be　the　rock…ahead　it　had　been；　and　Mrs。
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  Micawber　informed　me　that　‘her　family’　had　decided　that　Mr。
  Micawber　should　apply　for　his　release　under　the　Insolvent　Debtors
  Act；　which　would　set　him　free；　she　expected；　in　about　six　weeks。
  ‘And　then；’　said　Mr。　Micawber；　who　was　present；　‘I　have　no
  doubt　I　shall；　please　Heaven；　begin　to　be　beforehand　with　the
  world；　and　to　live　in　a　perfectly　new　manner；　if—in　short；　if
  anything　turns　up。’
  By　way　of　going　in　for　anything　that　might　be　on　the　cards；　I
  call　to　mind　that　Mr。　Micawber；　about　this　time；　composed　a
  petition　to　the　House　of　Commons；　praying　for　an　alteration　in　the
  law　of　imprisonment　for　debt。　I　set　down　this　remembrance　here；
  because　it　is　an　instance　to　myself　of　the　manner　in　which　I　fitted
  my　old　books　to　my　altered　life；　and　made　stories　for　myself；　out　of
  the　streets；　and　out　of　men　and　women；　and　how　some　main　points
  in　the　character　I　shall　unconsciously　develop；　I　suppose；　in
  writing　my　life；　were　gradually　forming　all　this　while。
  There　was　a　club　in　the　prison；　in　which　Mr。　Micawber；　as　a
  gentleman；　was　a　great　authority。　Mr。　Micawber　had　stated　his
  idea　of　this　petition　to　the　club；　and　the　club　had　strongly
  approved　of　the　same。　Wherefore　Mr。　Micawber　（who　was　a
  thoroughly　good…natured　man；　and　as　active　a　creature　about
  everything　but　his　own　affairs　as　ever　existed；　and　never　so　happy
  as　when　he　was　busy　about　something　that　could　never　be　of　any
  profit　to　him）　set　to　work　at　the　petition；　invented　it；　engrossed　it
  on　an　immense　sheet　of　paper；　spread　it　out　on　a　table；　and
  appointed　a　time　for　all　the　club；　and　all　within　the　walls　if　they
  chose；　to　come　up　to　his　room　and　sign　it。
  When　I　heard　of　this　approaching　ceremony；　I　was　so　anxious　to
  see　them　all　come　in；　one　after　another；　though　I　knew　the　greater
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  part　of　them　already；　and　they　me；　that　I　got　an　hour’s　leave　of
  absence　from　Murdstone　and　Grinby’s；　and　established　myself　in　a
  corner　for　that　purpose。　As　many　of　the　principal　members　of　the
  club　as　could　be　got　into　the　small　room　without　filling　it；
  supported　Mr。　Micawber　in　front　of　the　petition；　while　my　old
  friend　Captain　Hopkins　（who　had　washed　himself；　to　do　honour　to
  so　solemn　an　occasion）　stationed　himself　close　to　it；　to　read　it　to　all
  who　were　unacquainted　with　its　contents。　The　door　was　then
  thrown　open；　and　the　general　population　began　to　come　in；　in　a
  long　file：　several　waiting　outside；　while　one　entered；　affixed　his
  signature；　and　went　out。　To　everybody　in　succession；　Captain
  Hopkins　said：　‘Have　you　read　it？’—‘No。’—‘Would　you　like　to　hear
  it　read？’　If　he　weakly　showed　the　least　disposition　to　hear　it；
  Captain　Hopkins；　in　a　loud　sonorous　voice；　gave　him　every　word　of
  it。　The　Captain　would　have　read　it　twenty　thousand　times；　if
  twenty　thousand　people　would　have　heard　him；　one　by　one。　I
  remember　a　certain　luscious　roll　he　gave　to　such　phrases　as　‘The
  people’s　representatives　in　Parliament　assembled；’　‘Your
  petitioners　therefore　humbly　approach　your　honourable　house；’
  ‘His　gracious　Majesty’s　unfortunate　subjects；’　as　if　the　words　were
  something　real　in　his　mouth；　and　delicious　to　taste；　Mr。　Micawber；
  meanwhile；　listening　with　a　little　of　an　author’s　vanity；　and
  contemplating　（not　severely）　the　spikes　on　the　opposite　wall。
  As　I　walked　to　and　fro　daily　between　Southwark　and
  Blackfriars；　and　lounged　about　at　meal…times　in　obscure　streets；
  the　stones　of　which　may；　for　anything　I　know；　be　worn　at　this
  moment　by　my　childish　feet；　I　wonder　how　many　of　these　people
  were　wanting　in　the　crowd　that　used　to　come　filing　before　me　in
  review　again；　to　the　echo　of　Captain　Hopkins’s　voice！　When　my
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  thoughts　go　back；　now；　to　that　slow　agony　of　my　youth；　I　wonder
  how　much　of　the　histories　I　invented　for　such　people　hangs　like　a
  mist　of　fancy　over　well…remembered　facts！　When　I　tread　the　old
  ground；　I　do　not　wonder　that　I　seem　to　see　and　pity；　going　on
  before　me；　an　innocent　romantic　boy；　making　his　imaginative
  world　out　of　such　strange　experiences　and　sordid　things！
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