open；　and　her　brown　hair　fell　in　two　rich　clusters　on　her　shoulders；
  and　on　her　white　dress；　disordered　by　the　want　of　the　lost　ribbon。
  Distinctly　as　I　recollect　her　look；　I　cannot　say　of　what　it　was
  expressive；　I　cannot　even　say　of　what　it　is　expressive　to　me　now；
  rising　again　before　my　older　judgement。　Penitence；　humiliation；
  shame；　pride；　love；　and　trustfulness—I　see　them　all；　and　in　them
  all；　I　see　that　horror　of　I　don’t　know　what。
  My　entrance；　and　my　saying　what　I　wanted；　roused　her。　It
  disturbed　the　Doctor　too；　for　when　I　went　back　to　replace　the
  candle　I　had　taken　from　the　table；　he　was　patting　her　head；　in　his
  fatherly　way；　and　saying　he　was　a　merciless　drone　to　let　her　tempt
  him　into　reading　on；　and　he　would　have　her　go　to　bed。
  But　she　asked　him；　in　a　rapid；　urgent　manner；　to　let　her　stay—
  to　let　her　feel　assured　（I　heard　her　murmur　some　broken　words　to
  this　effect）　that　she　was　in　his　confidence　that　night。　And；　as　she
  turned　again　towards　him；　after　glancing　at　me　as　I　left　the　room
  and　went　out　at　the　door；　I　saw　her　cross　her　hands　upon　his　knee；
  and　look　up　at　him　with　the　same　face；　something　quieted；　as　he
  resumed　his　reading。
  It　made　a　great　impression　on　me；　and　I　remembered　it　a　long
  time　afterwards；　as　I　shall　have　occasion　to　narrate　when　the　time
  comes。
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  Chapter　17
  SOMEBODY　TURNS　UP
  It　has　not　occurred　to　me　to　mention　Peggotty　since　I　ran
  away；　but；　of　course；　I　wrote　her　a　letter　almost　as　soon　as　I
  was　housed　at　Dover；　and　another；　and　a　longer　letter；
  containing　all　particulars　fully　related；　when　my　aunt　took　me
  formally　under　her　protection。　On　my　being　settled　at　Doctor
  Strong’s　I　wrote　to　her　again；　detailing　my　happy　condition　and
  prospects。　I　never　could　have　derived　anything　like　the　pleasure
  from　spending　the　money　Mr。　Dick　had　given　me；　that　I　felt　in
  sending　a　gold　half…guinea　to　Peggotty；　per　post；　enclosed　in　this
  last　letter；　to　discharge　the　sum　I　had　borrowed　of　her：　in　which
  epistle；　not　before；　I　mentioned　about　the　young　man　with　the
  donkey…cart。
  To　these　communications　Peggotty　replied　as　promptly；　if　not
  as　concisely；　as　a　merchant’s　clerk。　Her　utmost　powers　of
  expression　（which　were　certainly　not　great　in　ink）　were　exhausted
  in　the　attempt　to　write　what　she　felt　on　the　subject　of　my　journey。
  Four　sides　of　incoherent　and　interjectional　beginnings　of
  sentences；　that　had　no　end；　except　blots；　were　inadequate　to　afford
  her　any　relief。　But　the　blots　were　more　expressive　to　me　than　the
  best　composition；　for　they　showed　me　that　Peggotty　had　been
  crying　all　over　the　paper；　and　what　could　I　have　desired　more？
  I　made　out；　without　much　difficulty；　that　she　could　not　take
  quite　kindly　to　my　aunt　yet。　The　notice　was　too　short　after　so　long
  a　prepossession　the　other　way。　We　never　knew　a　person；　she
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  wrote；　but　to　think　that　Miss　Betsey　should　seem　to　be　so　different
  from　what　she　had　been　thought　to　be；　was　a　Moral！—that　was　her
  word。　She　was　evidently　still　afraid　of　Miss　Betsey；　for　she　sent　her
  grateful　duty　to　her　but　timidly；　and　she　was　evidently　afraid　of
  me；　too；　and　entertained　the　probability　of　my　running　away　again
  soon：　if　I　might　judge　from　the　repeated　hints　she　threw　out；　that
  the　coach…fare　to　Yarmouth　was　always　to　be　had　of　her　for　the
  asking。
  She　gave　me　one　piece　of　intelligence　which　affected　me　very
  much；　namely；　that　there　had　been　a　sale　of　the　furniture　at　our
  old　home；　and　that　Mr。　and　Miss　Murdstone　were　gone　away；　and
  the　house　was　shut　up；　to　be　let　or　sold。　God　knows　I　had　no　part
  in　it　while　they　remained　there；　but　it　pained　me　to　think　of　the
  dear　old　place　as　altogether　abandoned；　of　the　weeds　growing　tall
  in　the　garden；　and　the　fallen　leaves　lying　thick　and　wet　upon　the
  paths。　I　imagined　how　the　winds　of　winter　would　howl　round　it；
  how　the　cold　rain　would　beat　upon　the　window…glass；　how　the
  moon　would　make　ghosts　on　the　walls　of　the　empty　rooms；
  watching　their　solitude　all　night。　I　thought　afresh　of　the　grave　in
  the　churchyard；　underneath　the　tree：　and　it　seemed　as　if　the　house
  were　dead　too；　now；　and　all　connected　with　my　father　and　mother
  were　faded　away。
  There　was　no　other　news　in　Peggotty’s　letters。　Mr。　Barkis　was
  an　excellent　husband；　she　said；　though　still　a　little　near；　but　we　all
  had　our　faults；　and　she　had　plenty　（though　I　am　sure　I　don’t　know
  what　they　were）；　and　he　sent　his　duty；　and　my　little　bedroom　was
  always　ready　for　me。　Mr。　Peggotty　was　well；　and　Ham　was　well；
  and　Mrs。。　Gummidge　was　but　poorly；　and　little　Em’ly　wouldn’t
  send　her　love；　but　said　that　Peggotty　might　send　it；　if　she　liked。
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  All　this　intelligence　I　dutifully　imparted　to　my　aunt；　only
  reserving　to　myself　the　mention　of　little　Em’ly；　to　whom　I
  instinctively　felt　that　she　would　not　very　tenderly　incline。　While　I
  was　yet　new　at　Doctor　Strong’s；　she　made　several　excursions　over
  to　Canterbury　to　see　me；　and　always　at　unseasonable　hours：　with
  the　view；　I　suppose；　of　taking　me　by　surprise。　But；　finding　me　well
  employed；　and　bearing　a　good　character；　and　hearing　on　all　hands
  that　I　rose　fast　in　the　school；　she　soon　discontinued　these　visits。　I
  saw　her　on　a　Saturday；　every　third　or　fourth　week；　when　I　went
  over　to　Dover　for　a　treat；　and　I　saw　Mr。　Dick　every　alternate
  Wednesday；　when　he　arrived　by　stage…coach　at　noon；　to　stay　until
  next　morning。
  On　these　occasions　Mr。　Dick　never　travelled　without　a　leathern
  writing…desk；　containing　a　supply　of　stationery　and　the　Memorial；
  in　relation　to　which　document　he　had　a　notion　that　time　was
  beginning　to　press　now；　and　that　it　really　must　be　got　out　of　hand。
  Mr。　Dick　was　very　partial　to　gingerbread。　To　render　his　visits
  the　more　agreeable；　my　aunt　had　instructed　me　to　open　a　credit
  for　him　at　a　cake　shop；　which　was　hampered　with　the　stipulation
  that　he　should　not　be　served　with　more　than　one　shilling’s…worth
  in　the　course　of　any　one　day。　This；　and　the　reference　of　all　his　little
  bills　at　the　county　inn　where　he　slept；　to　my　aunt；　before　they　were
  paid；　induced　me　to　suspect　that　he　was　only　allowed　to　rattle　his
  money；　and　not　to　spend　it。　I　found　on　further　investigation　that
  this　was　so；　or　at　least　there　was　an　agreement　between　him　and
  my　aunt　that　he　should　account　to　her　for　all　his　disbursements。
  As　he　had　no　idea　of　deceiving　her；　and　always　desired　to　please
  her；　he　was　thus　made　chary　of　launching　into　expense。　On　this
  point；　as　well　as　on　all　other　possible　points；　Mr。　Dick　was
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  convinced　that　my　aunt　was　the　wisest　and　most　wonderful　of
  women；　as　he　repeatedly　told　me　with　infinite　secrecy；　and　always
  in　a　whisper。
  ‘Trotwood；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　with　an　air　of　mystery；　after
  imparting　this　confidence　to　me；　one　Wednesday；　‘who’s　the　man
  that　hides　near　our　house　and　frightens　her？’
  ‘Frightens　my　aunt；　sir？’
  Mr。　Dick　nodded。　‘I　thought　nothing　would　have　frightened
  her；’　he　said；　‘for　she’s—’　here　he　whispered　softly；　‘don’t　mention
  it—the　wisest　and　most　wonderful　of　women。’　Having　said　which；
  he　drew　back；　to　observe　the　effect　which　this　description　of　her
  made　upon　me。
  ‘The　first　time　he　came；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘was—let　me　see—
  sixteen　hundred　and　forty…nine　was　the　date　of　King　Charles’s
  execution。　I　think　you　said　sixteen　hundred　and　forty…nine？’
  ‘Yes；　sir。’
  ‘I　don’t　know　how　it　can　be；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　sorely　puzzled　and
  shaking　his　head。　‘I　don’t　think　I　am　as　old　as　that。’
  ‘Was　it　in　that　year　that　the　man　appeared；　sir？’　I　asked。
  ‘Why；　really’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘I　don’t　see　how　it　can　have　been　in
  that　year；　Trotwood。　Did　you　get　that　date　out　of　history？’
  ‘Yes；　sir。’
  ‘I　suppose　history　never　lies；　does　it？’　said　Mr。　Dick；　with　a
  gleam　of　hope。
  ‘Oh　dear；　no；　sir！’　I　replied；　most　decisively。　I　was　ingenuous
  and　young；　and　I　thought　so。
  ‘I　can’t　make　it　out；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　shaking　his　head。　‘There’s
  something　wrong；　somewhere。　However；　it　was　very　soon　after　the
  mistake　was　made　of　putting　some　of　the　trouble　out　of　King
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  Charles’s　head　into　my　head；　that　the　man　first　came。　I　was
  walking　out　with　Miss　Trotwood　after　tea；　just　at　dark；　and　there
  he　was；　close　to　our　house。’
  ‘Walking　about？’　I　inquired。
  ‘Walking　about？’　repeated　Mr。　Dick。　‘Let　me　see；　I　must
  recollect　a　bit。　N…no；　no；　he　was　not　walking　about。’
  I　asked；　as　the　shortest　way　to　get　at　it；　what　he　WAS　doing。
  ‘Well；　he　wasn’t　there　at　all；’　said　Mr。　Dick；　‘until　he　came　up
  behind　her；　and　whispered。　Then　she　turned　round　and　fainted；
  and　I　stood　still　and　looked　at　him；　and　he　walked　away；　but　that
  he　should　have　been　hiding　ever　since　（in　the　ground　or
  somewhere）；　is　the　most　extraordinary　thing！’
  ‘Has　he　been　hiding　ever　since？’　I　asked。
  ‘To　be　sure　h