conscientious　gentleman；　and　if　I　had　not　implicit　reliance　on　my
  son；　I　should　have　reliance　on　him。’
  ‘Should　you？’　said　Miss　Dartle。　‘Dear　me！　Conscientious；　is　he？
  Really　conscientious；　now？’
  ‘Yes；　I　am　convinced　of　it；’　said　Mrs。　Steerforth。
  ‘How　very　nice！’　exclaimed　Miss　Dartle。　‘What　a　comfort！　Really
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  David　Copperfield
  conscientious？　Then　he’s　not—but　of　course　he　can’t　be；　if　he’s
  really　conscientious。　Well；　I　shall　be　quite　happy　in　my　opinion　of
  him；　from　this　time。　You　can’t　think　how　it　elevates　him　in　my
  opinion；　to　know　for　certain　that　he’s　really　conscientious！’
  Her　own　views　of　every　question；　and　her　correction　of
  everything　that　was　said　to　which　she　was　opposed；　Miss　Dartle
  insinuated　in　the　same　way：　sometimes；　I　could　not　conceal　from
  myself；　with　great　power；　though　in　contradiction　even　of
  Steerforth。　An　instance　happened　before　dinner　was　done。　Mrs。
  Steerforth　speaking　to　me　about　my　intention　of　going　down　into
  Suffolk；　I　said　at　hazard　how　glad　I　should　be；　if　Steerforth　would
  only　go　there　with　me；　and　explaining　to　him　that　I　was　going　to
  see　my　old　nurse；　and　Mr。　Peggotty’s　family；　I　reminded　him　of　the
  boatman　whom　he　had　seen　at　school。
  ‘Oh！　That　bluff　fellow！’　said　Steerforth。　‘He　had　a　son　with　him；
  hadn’t　he？’
  ‘No。　That　was　his　nephew；’　I　replied；　‘whom　he　adopted；
  though；　as　a　son。　He　has　a　very　pretty　little　niece　too；　whom　he
  adopted　as　a　daughter。　In　short；　his　house—or　rather　his　boat；　for
  he　lives　in　one；　on　dry　land—is　full　of　people　who　are　objects　of　his
  generosity　and　kindness。　You　would　be　delighted　to　see　that
  household。’
  ‘Should　I？’　said　Steerforth。　‘Well；　I　think　I　should。　I　must　see
  what　can　be　done。　It　would　be　worth　a　journey　（not　to　mention　the
  pleasure　of　a　journey　with　you；　Daisy）；　to　see　that　sort　of　people
  together；　and　to　make　one　of　’em。’
  My　heart　leaped　with　a　new　hope　of　pleasure。　But　it　was　in
  reference　to　the　tone　in　which　he　had　spoken　of　‘that　sort　of
  people’；　that　Miss　Dartle；　whose　sparkling　eyes　had　been　watchful
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  David　Copperfield
  of　us；　now　broke　in　again。
  ‘Oh；　but；　really？　Do　tell　me。　Are　they；　though？’　she　said。
  ‘Are　they　what？　And　are　who　what？’　said　Steerforth。
  ‘That　sort　of　people。—Are　they　really　animals　and　clods；　and
  beings　of　another　order？　I　want　to　know　so　much。’
  ‘Why；　there’s　a　pretty　wide　separation　between　them　and　us；’
  said　Steerforth；　with　indifference。　‘They　are　not　to　be　expected　to
  be　as　sensitive　as　we　are。　Their　delicacy　is　not　to　be　shocked；　or
  hurt　easily。　They　are　wonderfully　virtuous；　I　dare　say—some
  people　contend　for　that；　at　least；　and　I　am　sure　I　don’t　want　to
  contradict　them—but　they　have　not　very　fine　natures；　and　they
  may　be　thankful　that；　like　their　coarse　rough　skins；　they　are　not
  easily　wounded。’
  ‘Really！’　said　Miss　Dartle。　‘Well；　I　don’t　know；　now；　when　I　have
  been　better　pleased　than　to　hear　that。　It’s　so　consoling！　It’s　such　a
  delight　to　know　that；　when　they　suffer；　they　don’t　feel！　Sometimes
  I　have　been　quite　uneasy　for　that　sort　of　people；　but　now　I　shall
  just　dismiss　the　idea　of　them；　altogether。　Live　and　learn。　I　had　my
  doubts；　I　confess；　but　now　they’re　cleared　up。　I　didn’t　know；　and
  now　I　do　know；　and　that　shows　the　advantage　of　asking—don’t　it？’
  I　believed　that　Steerforth　had　said　what　he　had；　in　jest；　or　to
  draw　Miss　Dartle　out；　and　I　expected　him　to　say　as　much　when　she
  was　gone；　and　we　two　were　sitting　before　the　fire。　But　he　merely
  asked　me　what　I　thought　of　her。
  ‘She　is　very　clever；　is　she　not？’　I　asked。
  ‘Clever！　She　brings　everything　to　a　grindstone；’　said　Steerforth；
  and　sharpens　it；　as　she　has　sharpened　her　own　face　and　figure
  these　years　past。　She　has　worn　herself　away　by　constant
  sharpening。　She　is　all　edge。’
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  David　Copperfield
  ‘What　a　remarkable　scar　that　is　upon　her　lip！’　I　said。
  Steerforth’s　face　fell；　and　he　paused　a　moment。
  ‘Why；　the　fact　is；’　he　returned；　‘I　did　that。’
  ‘By　an　unfortunate　accident！’
  ‘No。　I　was　a　young　boy；　and　she　exasperated　me；　and　I　threw　a
  hammer　at　her。　A　promising　young　angel　I　must　have　been！’　I　was
  deeply　sorry　to　have　touched　on　such　a　painful　theme；　but　that
  was　useless　now。
  ‘She　has　borne　the　mark　ever　since；　as　you　see；’　said　Steerforth；
  ‘and　she’ll　bear　it　to　her　grave；　if　she　ever　rests　in　one—though　I
  can　hardly　believe　she　will　ever　rest　anywhere。　She　was　the
  motherless　child　of　a　sort　of　cousin　of　my　father’s。　He　died　one　day。
  My　mother；　who　was　then　a　widow；　brought　her　here　to　be
  company　to　her。　She　has　a　couple　of　thousand　pounds　of　her　own；
  and　saves　the　interest　of　it　every　year；　to　add　to　the　principal。
  There’s　the　history　of　Miss　Rosa　Dartle　for　you。’
  ‘And　I　have　no　doubt　she　loves　you　like　a　brother？’　said　I。
  ‘Humph！’　retorted　Steerforth；　looking　at　the　fire。　‘Some
  brothers　are　not　loved　over　much；　and　some　love—but　help
  yourself；　Copperfield！　We’ll　drink　the　daisies　of　the　field；　in
  compliment　to　you；　and　the　lilies　of　the　valley　that　toil　not；　neither
  do　they　spin；　in　compliment　to　me—the　more　shame　for　me！’　A
  moody　smile　that　had　overspread　his　features　cleared　off　as　he
  said　this　merrily；　and　he　was　his　own　frank；　winning　self　again。
  I　could　not　help　glancing　at　the　scar　with　a　painful　interest
  when　we　went　in　to　tea。　It　was　not　long　before　I　observed　that　it
  was　the　most　susceptible　part　of　her　face；　and　that；　when　she
  turned　pale；　that　mark　altered　first；　and　became　a　dull；　leadcoloured　streak；　lengthening　out　to　its　full　extent；　like　a　mark　in
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  invisible　ink　brought　to　the　fire。　There　was　a　little　altercation
  between　her　and　Steerforth　about　a　cast　of　the　dice　at　back
  gammon—when　I　thought　her；　for　one　moment；　in　a　storm　of　rage；
  and　then　I　saw　it　start　forth　like　the　old　writing　on　the　wall。
  It　was　no　matter　of　wonder　to　me　to　find　Mrs。　Steerforth
  devoted　to　her　son。　She　seemed　to　be　able　to　speak　or　think　about
  nothing　else。　She　showed　me　his　picture　as　an　infant；　in　a　locket；
  with　some　of　his　baby…hair　in　it；　she　showed　me　his　picture　as　he
  had　been　when　I　first　knew　him；　and　she　wore　at　her　breast　his
  picture　as　he　was　now。　All　the　letters　he　had　ever　written　to　her；
  she　kept　in　a　cabinet　near　her　own　chair　by　the　fire；　and　she　would
  have　read　me　some　of　them；　and　I　should　have　been　very　glad　to
  hear　them　too；　if　he　had　not　interposed；　and　coaxed　her　out　of　the
  design。
  ‘It　was　at　Mr。　Creakle’s；　my　son　tells　me；　that　you　first　became
  acquainted；’　said　Mrs。　Steerforth；　as　she　and　I　were　talking　at　one
  table；　while　they　played　backgammon　at　another。　‘Indeed；　I
  recollect　his　speaking；　at　that　time；　of　a　pupil　younger　than　himself
  who　had　taken　his　fancy　there；　but　your　name；　as　you　may
  suppose；　has　not　lived　in　my　memory。’
  ‘He　was　very　generous　and　noble　to　me　in　those　days；　I　assure
  you；　ma’am；’　said　I；　‘and　I　stood　in　need　of　such　a　friend。　I　should
  have　been　quite　crushed　without　him。’
  ‘He　is　always　generous　and　noble；’　said　Mrs。　Steerforth；
  proudly。
  I　subscribed　to　this　with　all　my　heart；　God　knows。　She　knew　I
  did；　for　the　stateliness　of　her　manner　already　abated　towards　me；
  except　when　she　spoke　in　praise　of　him；　and　then　her　air　was
  always　lofty。
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  David　Copperfield
  ‘It　was　not　a　fit　school　generally　for　my　son；’　said　she；　‘far　from
  it；　but　there　were　particular　circumstances　to　be　considered　at　the
  time；　of　more　importance　even　than　that　selection。　My　son’s　high
  spirit　made　it　desirable　that　he　should　be　placed　with　some　man
  who　felt　its　superiority；　and　would　be　content　to　bow　himself
  before　it；　and　we　found　such　a　man　there。’
  I　knew　that；　knowing　the　fellow。　And　yet　I　did　not　despise　him
  the　more　for　it；　but　thought　it　a　redeeming　quality　in　him　if　he
  could　be　allowed　any　grace　for　not　resisting　one　so　irresistible　as
  Steerforth。
  ‘My　son’s　great　capacity　was　tempted　on；　there；　by　a　feeling　of
  voluntary　emulation　and　conscious　pride；’　the　fond　lady　went　on　to
  say。　‘He　would　have　risen　against　all　constraint；　but　he　found
  himself　the　monarch　of　the　place；　and　he　haughtily　determined　to
  be　worthy　of　his　station。　It　was　like　himself。’
  I　echoed；　with　all　my　heart　and　soul；　that　it　was　like　himself。
  ‘So　my　son　took；　of　his　own　will；　and　on　no　compulsion；　to　the
  course　in　which　he　can　always；　when　it　is　his　pleasure；　outstrip
  every　competitor；’　she　pursued。　‘My　son　informs　me；　Mr。
  Copperfield；　that　you　were　quite　devoted　to　him；　and　that　when
  you　met　yesterday　you　made　yourself　known　to　him　with　tears　of
  joy。　I　should　be　an　affected　woman　if　I　made　any　pretence　of　being
  surprised　by　my　son’s　inspiring　such　emotions；　but　I　cannot　be
  indifferent　to　anyone　who　is　so　sensible　of　his　merit；　and　I　am　very
  glad　to　see　you　here；　and　can　assure　you　that　he