‘What　an　extraordinary　fellow　you　are；　Steerforth！’　I　exclaimed；
  stopping—for　this　was　the　first　I　had　heard　of　it。　‘When　you　may
  never　care　to　come　near　the　place　again！’
  ‘I　don’t　know　that；’　he　returned。　‘I　have　taken　a　fancy　to　the
  place。　At　all　events；’　walking　me　briskly　on；　‘I　have　bought　a　boat
  that　was　for　sale—a　clipper；　Mr。　Peggotty　says；　and　so　she　is—and
  Mr。　Peggotty　will　be　master　of　her　in　my　absence。’
  ‘Now　I　understand　you；　Steerforth！’　said　I；　exultingly。　‘You
  pretend　to　have　bought　it　for　yourself；　but　you　have　really　done　so
  to　confer　a　benefit　on　him。　I　might　have　known　as　much　at　first；
  knowing　you。　My　dear　kind　Steerforth；　how　can　I　tell　you　what　I
  think　of　your　generosity？’
  ‘Tush！’　he　answered；　turning　red。　‘The　less　said；　the　better。’
  ‘Didn’t　I　know？’　cried　I；　‘didn’t　I　say　that　there　was　not　a　joy；　or
  sorrow；　or　any　emotion　of　such　honest　hearts　that　was　indifferent
  to　you？’
  ‘Aye；　aye；’　he　answered；　‘you　told　me　all　that。　There　let　it　rest。
  We　have　said　enough！’
  Afraid　of　offending　him　by　pursuing　the　subject　when　he　made
  so　light　of　it；　I　only　pursued　it　in　my　thoughts　as　we　went　on　at
  even　a　quicker　pace　than　before。
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  ‘She　must　be　newly　rigged；’　said　Steerforth；　‘and　I　shall　leave
  Littimer　behind　to　see　it　done；　that　I　may　know　she　is　quite
  complete。　Did　I　tell　you　Littimer　had　come　down？’
  ‘　No。’
  ‘Oh　yes！　came　down　this　morning；　with　a　letter　from　my
  mother。’
  As　our　looks　met；　I　observed　that　he　was　pale　even　to　his　lips；
  though　he　looked　very　steadily　at　me。　I　feared　that　some　difference
  between　him　and　his　mother　might　have　led　to　his　being　in　the
  frame　of　mind　in　which　I　had　found　him　at　the　solitary　fireside。　I
  hinted　so。
  ‘Oh　no！’　he　said；　shaking　his　head；　and　giving　a　slight　laugh。
  ‘Nothing　of　the　sort！　Yes。　He　is　come　down；　that　man　of　mine。’
  ‘The　same　as　ever？’　said　I。
  ‘The　same　as　ever；’　said　Steerforth。　‘Distant　and　quiet　as　the
  North　Pole。　He　shall　see　to　the　boat　being　fresh　named。　She’s　the
  “Stormy　Petrel”　now。　What　does　Mr。　Peggotty　care　for　Stormy
  Petrels！　I’ll　have　her　christened　again。’
  ‘By　what　name？’　I　asked。
  ‘The　“Little　Em’ly”。’
  As　he　had　continued　to　look　steadily　at　me；　I　took　it　as　a
  reminder　that　he　objected　to　being　extolled　for　his　consideration。　I
  could　not　help　showing　in　my　face　how　much　it　pleased　me；　but　I
  said　little；　and　he　resumed　his　usual　smile；　and　seemed　relieved。
  ‘But　see　here；’　he　said；　looking　before　us；　‘where　the　original
  little　Em’ly　comes！　And　that　fellow　with　her；　eh？　Upon　my　soul；
  he’s　a　true　knight。　He　never　leaves　her！’
  Ham　was　a　boat…builder　in　these　days；　having　improved　a
  natural　ingenuity　in　that　handicraft；　until　he　had　become　a　skilled
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  workman。　He　was　in　his　working…dress；　and　looked　rugged
  enough；　but　manly　withal；　and　a　very　fit　protector　for　the
  blooming　little　creature　at　his　side。　Indeed；　there　was　a　frankness
  in　his　face；　an　honesty；　and　an　undisguised　show　of　his　pride　in
  her；　and　his　love　for　her；　which　were；　to　me；　the　best　of　good　looks。
  I　thought；　as　they　came　towards　us；　that　they　were　well　matched
  even　in　that　particular。
  She　withdrew　her　hand　timidly　from　his　arm　as　we　stopped　to
  speak　to　them；　and　blushed　as　she　gave　it　to　Steerforth　and　to　me。
  When　they　passed　on；　after　we　had　exchanged　a　few　words；　she
  did　not　like　to　replace　that　hand；　but；　still　appearing　timid　and
  constrained；　walked　by　herself。　I　thought　all　this　very　pretty　and
  engaging；　and　Steerforth　seemed　to　think　so　too；　as　we　looked
  after　them　fading　away　in　the　light　of　a　young　moon。
  Suddenly　there　passed　us—evidently　following　them—a　young
  woman　whose　approach　we　had　not　observed；　but　whose　face　I
  saw　as　she　went　by；　and　thought　I　had　a　faint　remembrance　of。
  She　was　lightly　dressed；　looked　bold；　and　haggard；　and　flaunting；
  and　poor；　but　seemed；　for　the　time；　to　have　given　all　that　to　the
  wind　which　was　blowing；　and　to　have　nothing　in　her　mind　but
  going　after　them。　As　the　dark　distant　level；　absorbing　their　figures
  into　itself；　left　but　itself　visible　between　us　and　the　sea　and　clouds；
  her　figure　disappeared　in　like　manner；　still　no　nearer　to　them　than
  before。
  ‘That　is　a　black　shadow　to　be　following　the　girl；’　said　Steerforth；
  standing　still；　‘what　does　it　mean？’
  He　spoke　in　a　low　voice　that　sounded　almost　strange　to　Me。
  ‘She　must　have　it　in　her　mind　to　beg　of　them；　I　think；’　said　I。
  ‘A　beggar　would　be　no　novelty；’　said　Steerforth；　‘but　it　is　a
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  strange　thing　that　the　beggar　should　take　that　shape　tonight。’
  ‘Why？’　I　asked。
  ‘For　no　better　reason；　truly；　than　because　I　was　thinking；’　he
  said；　after　a　pause；　‘of　something　like　it；　when　it　came　by。　Where
  the　Devil　did　it　come　from；　I　wonder！’
  ‘From　the　shadow　of　this　wall；　I　think；’　said　I；　as　we　emerged
  upon　a　road　on　which　a　wall　abutted。
  ‘It’s　gone！’　he　returned；　looking　over　his　shoulder。　‘And　all　ill　go
  with　it。　Now　for　our　dinner！’
  But　he　looked　again　over　his　shoulder　towards　the　sea…line
  glimmering　afar　off；　and　yet　again。　And　he　wondered　about　it；　in
  some　broken　expressions；　several　times；　in　the　short　remainder　of
  our　walk；　and　only　seemed　to　forget　it　when　the　light　of　fire　and
  candle　shone　upon　us；　seated　warm　and　merry；　at　table。
  Littimer　was　there；　and　had　his　usual　effect　upon　me。　When　I
  said　to　him　that　I　hoped　Mrs。　Steerforth　and　Miss　Dartle　were
  well；　he　answered　respectfully　（and　of　course　respectably）；　that
  they　were　tolerably　well；　he　thanked　me；　and　had　sent　their
  compliments。　This　was　all；　and　yet　he　seemed　to　me　to　say　as
  plainly　as　a　man　could　say：　‘You　are　very　young；　sir；　you　are
  exceedingly　young。’
  We　had　almost　finished　dinner；　when　taking　a　step　or　two
  towards　the　table；　from　the　corner　where　he　kept　watch　upon　us；
  or　rather　upon　me；　as　I　felt；　he　said　to　his　master：
  ‘I　beg　your　pardon；　sir。　Miss　Mowcher　is　down　here。’
  ‘Who？’　cried　Steerforth；　much　astonished。
  ‘Miss　Mowcher；　sir。’
  ‘Why；　what　on　earth　does　she　do　here？’　said　Steerforth。
  ‘It　appears　to　be　her　native　part　of　the　country；　sir。　She　informs
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  me　that　she　makes　one　of　her　professional　visits　here；　every　year；
  sir。　I　met　her　in　the　street　this　afternoon；　and　she　wished　to　know
  if　she　might　have　the　honour　of　waiting　on　you　after　dinner；　sir。’
  ‘Do　you　know　the　Giantess　in　question；　Daisy？’　inquired
  Steerforth。
  I　was　obliged　to　confess—I　felt　ashamed；　even　of　being　at　this
  disadvantage　before　Littimer—that　Miss　Mowcher　and　I　were
  wholly　unacquainted。
  ‘Then　you　shall　know　her；’　said　Steerforth；　‘for　she　is　one　of　the
  seven　wonders　of　the　world。　When　Miss　Mowcher　comes；　show　her
  in。’
  I　felt　some　curiosity　and　excitement　about　this　lady；　especially
  as　Steerforth　burst　into　a　fit　of　laughing　when　I　referred　to　her；
  and　positively　refused　to　answer　any　question　of　which　I　made　her
  the　subject。　I　remained；　therefore；　in　a　state　of　considerable
  expectation　until　the　cloth　had　been　removed　some　half　an　hour；
  and　we　were　sitting　over　our　decanter　of　wine　before　the　fire；
  when　the　door　opened；　and　Littimer；　with　his　habitual　serenity
  quite　undisturbed；　announced：
  ‘Miss　Mowcher！’
  I　looked　at　the　doorway　and　saw　nothing。　I　was　still　looking　at
  the　doorway；　thinking　that　Miss　Mowcher　was　a　long　while
  making　her　appearance；　when；　to　my　infinite　astonishment；　there
  came　waddling　round　a　sofa　which　stood　between　me　and　it；　a
  pursy　dwarf；　of　about　forty　or　forty…five；　with　a　very　large　head　and
  face；　a　pair　of　roguish　grey　eyes；　and　such　extremely　little　arms；
  that；　to　enable　herself　to　lay　a　finger　archly　against　her　snub　nose；
  as　she　ogled　Steerforth；　she　was　obliged　to　meet　the　finger　halfway；　and　lay　her　nose　against　it。　Her　chin；　which　was　what　is
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  called　a　double　chin；　was　so　fat　that　it　entirely　swallowed　up　the
  strings　of　her　bonnet；　bow　and　all。　Throat　she　had　none；　waist　she
  had　none；　legs　she　had　none；　worth　mentioning；　for　though　she
  was　more　than　full…sized　down　to　where　her　waist　would　have
  been；　if　she　had　had　any；　and　though　she　terminated；　as　human
  beings　generally　do；　in　a　pair　of　feet；　she　was　so　short　that　she
  stood　at　a　common…sized　chair　as　at　a　table；　resting　a　bag　she
  carried　on　the　seat。　This　lady—dressed　in　an　off…hand；　easy　style；
  bringing　her　nose　and　her　forefinger　together；　with　the　difficulty　I
  have　described；　standing　with　her　head　necessarily　on　one　side；
  and；　with　one　of　her　sharp　eyes　shut　up；　making　an　uncommonly
  knowing　face—after　ogling　Steerforth　for　a　few　moments；　broke
  into　a　torrent　of　words。
  ‘What！　My　flower！’　she　pleasantly　began；　shaking　her　large　head
  at　him。　‘You’re　there；　are　you！　Oh；　you　naughty　boy；　fie　for