Blood。
  It　occurred　to　me　several　times　that　we　should　have　got　on
  better；　if　we　had　not　been　quite　so　genteel。　We　were　so　exceedingly
  genteel；　that　our　scope　was　very　limited。　A　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Gulpidge
  were　of　the　party；　who　had　something　to　do　at　second…hand　（at
  least；　Mr。　Gulpidge　had）　with　the　law　business　of　the　Bank；　and
  what　with　the　Bank；　and　what　with　the　Treasury；　we　were　as
  exclusive　as　the　Court　Circular。　To　mend　the　matter；　Hamlet’s
  aunt　had　the　family　failing　of　indulging　in　soliloquy；　and　held　forth
  in　a　desultory　manner；　by　herself；　on　every　topic　that　was
  introduced。　These　were　few　enough；　to　be　sure；　but　as　we　always
  fell　back　upon　Blood；　she　had　as　wide　a　field　for　abstract
  speculation　as　her　nephew　himself。
  We　might　have　been　a　party　of　Ogres；　the　conversation
  assumed　such　a　sanguine　complexion。
  ‘I　confess　I　am　of　Mrs。　Waterbrook’s　opinion；’　said　Mr。
  Waterbrook；　with　his　wine…glass　at　his　eye。　‘Other　things　are　all
  very　well　in　their　way；　but　give　me　Blood！’
  ‘Oh！　There　is　nothing；’　observed　Hamlet’s　aunt；　‘so　satisfactory
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  David　Copperfield
  to　one！　There　is　nothing　that　is　so　much　one’s　beau…ideal　of—of　all
  that　sort　of　thing；　speaking　generally。　There　are　some　low　minds
  （not　many；　I　am　happy　to　believe；　but　there　are　some）　that　would
  prefer　to　do　what　I　should　call　bow　down　before　idols。　Positively
  Idols！　Before　service；　intellect；　and　so　on。　But　these　are　intangible
  points。　Blood　is　not　so。　We　see　Blood　in　a　nose；　and　we　know　it。　We
  meet　with　it　in　a　chin；　and　we　say；　“There　it　is！　That’s　Blood！”　It　is
  an　actual　matter　of　fact。　We　point　it　out。　It　admits　of　no　doubt。’
  The　simpering　fellow　with　the　weak　legs；　who　had　taken　Agnes
  down；　stated　the　question　more　decisively　yet；　I　thought。
  ‘Oh；　you　know；　deuce　take　it；’　said　this　gentleman；　looking
  round　the　board　with　an　imbecile　smile；　‘we　can’t　forego　Blood；
  you　know。　We　must　have　Blood；　you　know。　Some　young　fellows；
  you　know；　may　be　a　little　behind　their　station；　perhaps；　in　point　of
  education　and　behaviour；　and　may　go　a　little　wrong；　you　know；
  and　get　themselves　and　other　people　into　a　variety　of　fixes—and
  all　that—but　deuce　take　it；　it’s　delightful　to　reflect　that　they’ve　got
  Blood　in　’em！　Myself；　I’d　rather　at　any　time　be　knocked　down　by　a
  man　who　had　got　Blood　in　him；　than　I’d　be　picked　up　by　a　man
  who　hadn’t！’
  This　sentiment；　as　compressing　the　general　question　into　a
  nutshell；　gave　the　utmost　satisfaction；　and　brought　the　gentleman
  into　great　notice　until　the　ladies　retired。　After　that；　I　observed　that
  Mr。　Gulpidge　and　Mr。　Henry　Spiker；　who　had　hitherto　been　very
  distant；　entered　into　a　defensive　alliance　against　us；　the　common
  enemy；　and　exchanged　a　mysterious　dialogue　across　the　table　for
  our　defeat　and　overthrow。
  ‘That　affair　of　the　first　bond　for　four　thousand　five　hundred
  pounds　has　not　taken　the　course　that　was　expected；　Spiker；’　said
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  Mr。　Gulpidge。
  ‘Do　you　mean　the　D。　of　A。’s？’　said　Mr。　Spiker。
  ‘The　C。　of　B。’s！’　said　Mr。　Gulpidge。
  Mr。　Spiker　raised　his　eyebrows；　and　looked　much　concerned。
  ‘When　the　question　was　referred　to　Lord—I　needn’t　name　him；’
  said　Mr。　Gulpidge；　checking　himself—
  ‘I　understand；’　said　Mr。　Spiker；　‘N。’
  Mr。　Gulpidge　darkly　nodded—‘was　referred　to　him；　his　answer
  was；　“Money；　or　no　release。”’
  ‘Lord　bless　my　soul！’　cried　Mr。　Spiker。
  “‘Money；　or　no　release；”’　repeated　Mr。　Gulpidge；　firmly。　‘The
  next　in　reversion—you　understand　me？’
  ‘K。；’　said　Mr。　Spiker；　with　an　ominous　look。
  ‘—K。　then　positively　refused　to　sign。　He　was　attended　at
  Newmarket　for　that　purpose；　and　he　point…blank　refused　to　do　it。’
  Mr。　Spiker　was　so　interested；　that　he　became　quite　stony。
  ‘So　the　matter　rests　at　this　hour；’　said　Mr。　Gulpidge；　throwing
  himself　back　in　his　chair。　‘Our　friend　Waterbrook　will　excuse　me　if
  I　forbear　to　explain　myself　generally；　on　account　of　the　magnitude
  of　the　interests　involved。’
  Mr。　Waterbrook　was　only　too　happy；　as　it　appeared　to　me；　to
  have　such　interests；　and　such　names；　even　hinted　at；　across　his
  table。　He　assumed　an　expression　of　gloomy　intelligence　（though　I
  am　persuaded　he　knew　no　more　about　the　discussion　than　I　did）；
  and　highly　approved　of　the　discretion　that　had　been　observed。　Mr。
  Spiker；　after　the　receipt　of　such　a　confidence；　naturally　desired　to
  favour　his　friend　with　a　confidence　of　his　own；　therefore　the
  foregoing　dialogue　was　succeeded　by　another；　in　which　it　was　Mr。
  Gulpidge’s　turn　to　be　surprised；　and　that　by　another　in　which　the
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  surprise　came　round　to　Mr。　Spiker’s　turn　again；　and　so　on；　turn
  and　turn　about。　All　this　time　we；　the　outsiders；　remained
  oppressed　by　the　tremendous　interests　involved　in　the
  conversation；　and　our　host　regarded　us　with　pride；　as　the　victims
  of　a　salutary　awe　and　astonishment。　I　was　very　glad　indeed　to　get
  upstairs　to　Agnes；　and　to　talk　with　her　in　a　corner；　and　to
  introduce　Traddles　to　her；　who　was　shy；　but　agreeable；　and　the
  same　good…natured　creature　still。　As　he　was　obliged　to　leave　early；
  on　account　of　going　away　next　morning　for　a　month；　I　had　not
  nearly　so　much　conversation　with　him　as　I　could　have　wished；　but
  we　exchanged　addresses；　and　promised　ourselves　the　pleasure　of
  another　meeting　when　he　should　come　back　to　town。　He　was
  greatly　interested　to　hear　that　I　knew　Steerforth；　and　spoke　of　him
  with　such　warmth　that　I　made　him　tell　Agnes　what　he　thought　of
  him。　But　Agnes　only　looked　at　me　the　while；　and　very　slightly
  shook　her　head　when　only　I　observed　her。
  As　she　was　not　among　people　with　whom　I　believed　she　could
  be　very　much　at　home；　I　was　almost　glad　to　hear　that　she　was
  going　away　within　a　few　days；　though　I　was　sorry　at　the　prospect
  of　parting　from　her　again　so　soon。　This　caused　me　to　remain　until
  all　the　company　were　gone。　Conversing　with　her；　and　hearing　her
  sing；　was　such　a　delightful　reminder　to　me　of　my　happy　life　in　the
  grave　old　house　she　had　made　so　beautiful；　that　I　could　have
  remained　there　half　the　night；　but；　having　no　excuse　for　staying
  any　longer；　when　the　lights　of　Mr。　Waterbrook’s　society　were　all
  snuffed　out；　I　took　my　leave　very　much　against　my　inclination。　I
  felt　then；　more　than　ever；　that　she　was　my　better　Angel；　and　if　I
  thought　of　her　sweet　face　and　placid　smile；　as　though　they　had
  shone　on　me　from　some　removed　being；　like　an　Angel；　I　hope　I
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  David　Copperfield
  thought　no　harm。
  I　have　said　that　the　company　were　all　gone；　but　I　ought　to　have
  excepted　Uriah；　whom　I　don’t　include　in　that　denomination；　and
  who　had　never　ceased　to　hover　near　us。　He　was　close　behind　me
  when　I　went　downstairs。　He　was　close　beside　me；　when　I　walked
  away　from　the　house；　slowly　fitting　his　long　skeleton　fingers　into
  the　still　longer　fingers　of　a　great　Guy　Fawkes　pair　of　gloves。
  It　was　in　no　disposition　for　Uriah’s　company；　but　in
  remembrance　of　the　entreaty　Agnes　had　made　to　me；　that　I　asked
  him　if　he　would　come　home　to　my　rooms；　and　have　some　coffee。
  ‘Oh；　really；　Master　Copperfield；’　he　rejoined—‘I　beg　your
  pardon；　Mister　Copperfield；　but　the　other　comes　so　natural；　I　don’t
  like　that　you　should　put　a　constraint　upon　yourself　to　ask　a
  numble　person　like　me　to　your　ouse。’
  ‘There　is　no　constraint　in　the　case；’　said　I。　‘Will　you　come？’
  ‘I　should　like　to；　very　much；’　replied　Uriah；　with　a　writhe。
  ‘Well；　then；　come　along！’　said　I。
  I　could　not　help　being　rather　short　with　him；　but　he　appeared
  not　to　mind　it。　We　went　the　nearest　way；　without　conversing　much
  upon　the　road；　and　he　was　so　humble　in　respect　of　those
  scarecrow　gloves；　that　he　was　still　putting　them　on；　and　seemed　to
  have　made　no　advance　in　that　labour；　when　we　got　to　my　place。
  I　led　him　up　the　dark　stairs；　to　prevent　his　knocking　his　head
  against　anything；　and　really　his　damp　cold　hand　felt　so　like　a　frog
  in　mine；　that　I　was　tempted　to　drop　it　and　run　away。　Agnes　and
  hospitality　prevailed；　however；　and　I　conducted　him　to　my　fireside。
  When　I　lighted　my　candles；　he　fell　into　meek　transports　with　the
  room　that　was　revealed　to　him；　and　when　I　heated　the　coffee　in　an
  unassuming　block…tin　vessel　in　which　Mrs。　Crupp　delighted　to
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  David　Copperfield
  prepare　it　（chiefly；　I　believe；　because　it　was　not　intended　for　the
  purpose；　being　a　shaving…pot；　and　because　there　was　a　patent
  invention　of　great　price　mouldering　away　in　the　pantry）；　he
  professed　so　much　emotion；　that　I　could　joyfully　have　scalded　him。
  ‘Oh；　really；　Master　Copperfield；—I　mean　Mister　Copperfield；’
  said　Uriah；　‘to　see　you　waiting　upon　me　is　what　I　never　could　have
  expected！　But；　one　way　and　another；　so　many　things　happen　to　me
  which　I　never　could　have　expected；　I　am　sure；　in　my　umble　station；
  that　it　seems　to　rain　blessings　on　my　ed。　You　have　heard
  something；　I　des…say；　of　a　change　in　my　expe