went　to　Martha。　What　she　gave　her；　I　don’t　know。　I　saw　her
  stooping　over　her；　and　putting　money　in　her　bosom。　She
  whispered　something；　as　she　asked　was　that　enough？　‘More　than
  enough；’　the　other　said；　and　took　her　hand　and　kissed　it。
  Then　Martha　arose；　and　gathering　her　shawl　about　her；
  covering　her　face　with　it；　and　weeping　aloud；　went　slowly　to　the
  door。　She　stopped　a　moment　before　going　out；　as　if　she　would　have
  uttered　something　or　turned　back；　but　no　word　passed　her　lips。
  Making　the　same　low；　dreary；　wretched　moaning　in　her　shawl；　she
  went　away。
  As　the　door　closed；　little　Em’ly　looked　at　us　three　in　a　hurried
  manner　and　then　hid　her　face　in　her　hands；　and　fell　to　sobbing。
  ‘Doen’t；　Em’ly！’　said　Ham；　tapping　her　gently　on　the　shoulder。
  ‘Doen’t；　my　dear！　You　doen’t　ought　to　cry　so；　pretty！’
  ‘Oh；　Ham！’　she　exclaimed；　still　weeping　pitifully；　‘I　am　not　so
  good　a　girl　as　I　ought　to　be！　I　know　I　have　not　the　thankful　heart；
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  sometimes；　I　ought　to　have！’
  ‘Yes；　yes；　you　have；　I’m　sure；’　said　Ham。
  ‘No！　no！　no！’　cried　little　Em’ly；　sobbing；　and　shaking　her　head。　‘I
  am　not　as　good　a　girl　as　I　ought　to　be。　Not　near！　not　near！’　And　still
  she　cried；　as　if　her　heart　would　break。
  ‘I　try　your　love　too　much。　I　know　I　do！’　she　sobbed。　‘I’m　often
  cross　to　you；　and　changeable　with　you；　when　I　ought　to　be　far
  different。　You　are　never　so　to　me。　Why　am　I　ever　so　to　you；　when　I
  should　think　of　nothing　but　how　to　be　grateful；　and　to　make　you
  happy！’
  ‘You　always　make　me　so；’　said　Ham；　‘my　dear！　I　am　happy　in
  the　sight　of　you。　I　am　happy；　all　day　long；　in　the　thoughts　of　you。’
  ‘Ah！　that’s　not　enough！’　she　cried。　‘That　is　because　you　are
  good；　not　because　I　am！　Oh；　my　dear；　it　might　have　been　a　better
  fortune　for　you；　if　you　had　been　fond　of　someone　else—of　someone
  steadier　and　much　worthier　than　me；　who　was　all　bound　up　in
  you；　and　never　vain　and　changeable　like　me！’
  ‘Poor　little　tender…heart；’　said　Ham；　in　a　low　voice。　‘Martha　has
  overset　her；　altogether。’
  ‘Please；　aunt；’　sobbed　Em’ly；　‘come　here；　and　let　me　lay　my
  head　upon　you。　Oh；　I　am　very　miserable　tonight；　aunt！　Oh；　I　am
  not　as　good　a　girl　as　I　ought　to　be。　I　am　not；　I　know！’
  Peggotty　had　hastened　to　the　chair　before　the　fire。　Em’ly；　with
  her　arms　around　her　neck；　kneeled　by　her；　looking　up　most
  earnestly　into　her　face。
  ‘Oh；　pray；　aunt；　try　to　help　me！　Ham；　dear；　try　to　help　me！　Mr。
  David；　for　the　sake　of　old　times；　do；　please；　try　to　help　me！　I　want
  to　be　a　better　girl　than　I　am。　I　want　to　feel　a　hundred　times　more
  thankful　than　I　do。　I　want　to　feel　more；　what　a　blessed　thing　it　is　to
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  be　the　wife　of　a　good　man；　and　to　lead　a　peaceful　life。　Oh　me；　oh
  me！　Oh　my　heart；　my　heart！’
  She　dropped　her　face　on　my　old　nurse’s　breast；　and；　ceasing
  this　supplication；　which　in　its　agony　and　grief　was　half　a　woman’s；
  half　a　child’s；　as　all　her　manner　was　（being；　in　that；　more　natural；
  and　better　suited　to　her　beauty；　as　I　thought；　than　any　other
  manner　could　have　been）；　wept　silently；　while　my　old　nurse
  hushed　her　like　an　infant。
  She　got　calmer　by　degrees；　and　then　we　soothed　her；　now
  talking　encouragingly；　and　now　jesting　a　little　with　her；　until　she
  began　to　raise　her　head　and　speak　to　us。　So　we　got　on；　until　she
  was　able　to　smile；　and　then　to　laugh；　and　then　to　sit　up；　half
  ashamed；　while　Peggotty　recalled　her　stray　ringlets；　dried　her
  eyes；　and　made　her　neat　again；　lest　her　uncle　should　wonder；
  when　she　got　home；　why　his　darling　had　been　crying。
  I　saw　her　do；　that　night；　what　I　had　never　seen　her　do　before。　I
  saw　her　innocently　kiss　her　chosen　husband　on　the　cheek；　and
  creep　close　to　his　bluff　form　as　if　it　were　her　best　support。　When
  they　went　away　together；　in　the　waning　moonlight；　and　I　looked
  after　them；　comparing　their　departure　in　my　mind　with　Martha’s；　I
  saw　that　she　held　his　arm　with　both　her　hands；　and　still　kept　close
  to　him。
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  Chapter　23
  I　CORROBORATE　MR。　DICK；　AND　CHOOSE　A
  PROFESSION
  When　I　awoke　in　the　morning　I　thought　very　much　of　little
  Em’ly；　and　her　emotion　last　night；　after　Martha　had　left。　I　felt　as　if
  I　had　come　into　the　knowledge　of　those　domestic　weaknesses　and
  tendernesses　in　a　sacred　confidence；　and　that　to　disclose　them；
  even　to　Steerforth；　would　be　wrong。　I　had　no　gentler　feeling
  towards　anyone　than　towards　the　pretty　creature　who　had　been
  my　playmate；　and　whom　I　have　always　been　persuaded；　and　shall
  always　be　persuaded；　to　my　dying　day；　I　then　devotedly　loved。　The
  repetition　to　any　ears—even　to　Steerforth’s—of　what　she　had　been
  unable　to　repress　when　her　heart　lay　open　to　me　by　an　accident；　I
  felt　would　be　a　rough　deed；　unworthy　of　myself；　unworthy　of　the
  light　of　our　pure　childhood；　which　I　always　saw　encircling　her
  head。　I　made　a　resolution；　therefore；　to　keep　it　in　my　own　breast；
  and　there　it　gave　her　image　a　new　grace。
  While　we　were　at　breakfast；　a　letter　was　delivered　to　me　from
  my　aunt。　As　it　contained　matter　on　which　I　thought　Steerforth
  could　advise　me　as　well　as　anyone；　and　on　which　I　knew　I　should
  be　delighted　to　consult　him；　I　resolved　to　make　it　a　subject　of
  discussion　on　our　journey　home。　For　the　present　we　had　enough
  to　do；　in　taking　leave　of　all　our　friends。　Mr。　Barkis　was　far　from
  being　the　last　among　them；　in　his　regret　at　our　departure；　and　I
  believe　would　even　have　opened　the　box　again；　and　sacrificed
  another　guinea；　if　it　would　have　kept　us　eight…and…forty　hours　in
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  Yarmouth。　Peggotty　and　all　her　family　were　full　of　grief　at　our
  going。　The　whole　house　of　Omer　and　Joram　turned　out　to　bid　us
  good…bye；　and　there　were　so　many　seafaring　volunteers　in
  attendance　on　Steerforth；　when　our　portmanteaux　went　to　the
  coach；　that　if　we　had　had　the　baggage　of　a　regiment　with　us；　we
  should　hardly　have　wanted　porters　to　carry　it。　In　a　word；　we
  departed　to　the　regret　and　admiration　of　all　concerned；　and　left　a
  great　many　people　very　sorry　behind　us。
  Do　you　stay　long　here；　Littimer？’　said　I；　as　he　stood　waiting　to
  see　the　coach　start。
  ‘No；　sir；’　he　replied；　‘probably　not　very　long；　sir。’
  ‘He　can　hardly　say；　just　now；’　observed　Steerforth；　carelessly。
  ‘He　knows　what　he　has　to　do；　and　he’ll　do　it。’
  ‘That　I　am　sure　he　will；’　said　I。
  Littimer　touched　his　hat　in　acknowledgement　of　my　good
  opinion；　and　I　felt　about　eight　years　old。　He　touched　it　once　more；
  wishing　us　a　good　journey；　and　we　left　him　standing　on　the
  pavement；　as　respectable　a　mystery　as　any　pyramid　in　Egypt。
  For　some　little　time　we　held　no　conversation；　Steerforth　being
  unusually　silent；　and　I　being　sufficiently　engaged　in　wondering；
  within　myself；　when　I　should　see　the　old　places　again；　and　what
  new　changes　might　happen　to　me　or　them　in　the　meanwhile。　At
  length　Steerforth；　becoming　gay　and　talkative　in　a　moment；　as　he
  could　become　anything　he　liked　at　any　moment；　pulled　me　by　the
  arm：
  ‘Find　a　voice；　David。　What　about　that　letter　you　were　speaking
  of　at　breakfast？’
  ‘Oh！’　said　I；　taking　it　out　of　my　pocket。　‘It’s　from　my　aunt。’
  ‘And　what　does　she　say；　requiring　consideration？’
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  ‘Why；　she　reminds　me；　Steerforth；’　said　I；　‘that　I　came　out　on
  this　expedition　to　look　about　me；　and　to　think　a　little。’
  ‘Which；　of　course；　you　have　done？’
  ‘Indeed　I　can’t　say　I　have；　particularly。　To　tell　you　the　truth；　I
  am　afraid　I　have　forgotten　it。’
  ‘Well！　look　about　you　now；　and　make　up　for　your　negligence；’
  said　Steerforth。　‘Look　to　the　right；　and　you’ll　see　a　flat　country；
  with　a　good　deal　of　marsh　in　it；　look　to　the　left；　and　you’ll　see　the
  same。　Look　to　the　front；　and　you’ll　find　no　difference；　look　to　the
  rear；　and　there　it　is　still。’　I　laughed；　and　replied　that　I　saw　no
  suitable　profession　in　the　whole　prospect；　which　was　perhaps　to　be
  attributed　to　its　flatness。
  ‘What　says　our　aunt　on　the　subject？’　inquired　Steerforth；
  glancing　at　the　letter　in　my　hand。　‘Does　she　suggest　anything？’
  ‘Why；　yes；’　said　I。　‘She　asks　me；　here；　if　I　think　I　should　like　to
  be　a　proctor？　What　do　you　think　of　it？’
  ‘Well；　I　don’t　know；’　replied　Steerforth；　coolly。　‘You　may　as　well
  do　that　as　anything　else；　I　suppose？’
  I　could　not　help　laughing　again；　at　his　balancing　all　callings　and
  professions　so　equally；　and　I　told　him　so。
  ‘What　is　a　proctor；　Steerforth？’　said　I。
  ‘Why；　he　is　a　sort　of　monkish　attorney；’　replied　Steerforth。　‘He
  is；　to　some　faded　courts　held　in　Doctors’　Commons；—a　lazy　old
  nook　near　St。　Paul’s　Churchyard—what　solicitors　are　to　the　courts
  of　law　and　equity。　He　is　a　functionary　whose　existence；　in　the
  natural　course　of　things；　would　have　terminated　about　two
  hundred　years　ago。　I　can　tell　you　best　what　he　is；　by　telling　you
  what　Doctors’　Commons　is。　It’s　a　li