was　in　his　nature　to　laugh。　After　some　scraping　of　his　chin　with　his
  hand；　he　went　on　to　say；　with　his　eyes　cast　downward—still
  scraping；　very　slowly：
  ‘When　I　was　but　an　umble　clerk；　she　always　looked　down　upon
  me。　She　was　for　ever　having　my　Agnes　backwards　and　forwards　at
  her　ouse；　and　she　was　for　ever　being　a　friend　to　you；　Master
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  Copperfield；　but　I　was　too　far　beneath　her；　myself；　to　be　noticed。’
  ‘Well？’　said　I；　‘suppose　you　were！’
  ‘—And　beneath　him　too；’　pursued　Uriah；　very　distinctly；　and　in
  a　meditative　tone　of　voice；　as　he　continued　to　scrape　his　chin。
  ‘Don’t　you　know　the　Doctor　better；’　said　I；　‘than　to　suppose　him
  conscious　of　your　existence；　when　you　were　not　before　him？’
  He　directed　his　eyes　at　me　in　that　sidelong　glance　again；　and　he
  made　his　face　very　lantern…jawed；　for　the　greater　convenience　of
  scraping；　as　he　answered：
  ‘Oh　dear；　I　am　not　referring　to　the　Doctor！　Oh　no；　poor　man！　I
  mean　Mr。　Maldon！’
  My　heart　quite　died　within　me。　All　my　old　doubts　and
  apprehensions　on　that　subject；　all　the　Doctor’s　happiness　and
  peace；　all　the　mingled　possibilities　of　innocence　and　compromise；
  that　I　could　not　unravel；　I　saw；　in　a　moment；　at　the　mercy　of　this
  fellow’s　twisting。
  ‘He　never　could　come　into　the　office；　without　ordering　and
  shoving　me　about；’　said　Uriah。　‘One　of　your　fine　gentlemen　he
  was！　I　was　very　meek　and　umble—and　I　am。　But　I　didn’t　like　that
  sort　of　thing—and　I　don’t！’
  He　left　off　scraping　his　chin；　and　sucked　in　his　cheeks　until　they
  seemed　to　meet　inside；　keeping　his　sidelong　glance　upon　me　all
  the　while。
  ‘She　is　one　of　your　lovely　women；　she　is；’　he　pursued；　when　he
  had　slowly　restored　his　face　to　its　natural　form；　‘and　ready　to　be　no
  friend　to　such　as　me；　I　know。　She’s　just　the　person　as　would　put
  my　Agnes　up　to　higher　sort　of　game。　Now；　I　ain’t　one　of　your　lady’s
  men；　Master　Copperfield；　but　I’ve　had　eyes　in　my　ed；　a　pretty　long
  time　back。　We　umble　ones　have　got　eyes；　mostly　speaking—and
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  David　Copperfield
  we　look　out　of　’em。’
  I　endeavoured　to　appear　unconscious　and　not　disquieted；　but；　I
  saw　in　his　face；　with　poor　success。
  ‘Now；　I’m　not　a…going　to　let　myself　be　run　down；　Copperfield；’
  he　continued；　raising　that　part　of　his　countenance；　where　his　red
  eyebrows　would　have　been　if　he　had　had　any；　with　malignant
  triumph；　‘and　I　shall　do　what　I　can　to　put　a　stop　to　this　friendship。
  I　don’t　approve　of　it。　I　don’t　mind　acknowledging　to　you　that　I’ve
  got　rather　a　grudging　disposition；　and　want　to　keep　off　all
  intruders。　I　ain’t　a…going；　if　I　know　it；　to　run　the　risk　of　being
  plotted　against。’
  ‘You　are　always　plotting；　and　delude　yourself　into　the　belief　that
  everybody　else　is　doing　the　like；　I　think；’　said　I。
  ‘Perhaps　so；　Master　Copperfield；’　he　replied。　‘But　I’ve　got　a
  motive；　as　my　fellow…partner　used　to　say；　and　I　go　at　it　tooth　and
  nail。　I　mustn’t　be　put　upon；　as　a　numble　person；　too　much。　I　can’t
  allow　people　in　my　way。　Really　they　must　come　out　of　the　cart；
  Master　Copperfield！’
  ‘I　don’t　understand　you；’　said　I。
  ‘Don’t　you；　though？’　he　returned；　with　one　of　his　jerks。　‘I’m
  astonished　at　that；　Master　Copperfield；　you　being　usually　so　quick！
  I’ll　try　to　be　plainer；　another　time。　—Is　that　Mr。　Maldon　anorseback；　ringing　at　the　gate；　sir？’
  ‘It　looks　like　him；’　I　replied；　as　carelessly　as　I　could。
  Uriah　stopped　short；　put　his　hands　between　his　great　knobs　of
  knees；　and　doubled　himself　up　with　laughter。　With　perfectly　silent
  laughter。　Not　a　sound　escaped　from　him。　I　was　so　repelled　by　his
  odious　behaviour；　particularly　by　this　concluding　instance；　that　I
  turned　away　without　any　ceremony；　and　left　him　doubled　up　in
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  the　middle　of　the　garden；　like　a　scarecrow　in　want　of　support。
  It　was　not　on　that　evening；　but；　as　I　well　remember；　on　the　next
  evening　but　one；　which　was　a　Sunday；　that　I　took　Agnes　to　see
  Dora。　I　had　arranged　the　visit；　beforehand；　with　Miss　Lavinia；　and
  Agnes　was　expected　to　tea。
  I　was　in　a　flutter　of　pride　and　anxiety；　pride　in　my　dear　little
  betrothed；　and　anxiety　that　Agnes　should　like　her。　All　the　way　to
  Putney；　Agnes　being　inside　the　stage…coach；　and　I　outside；　I
  pictured　Dora　to　myself　in　every　one　of　the　pretty　looks　I　knew　so
  well；　now　making　up　my　mind　that　I　should　like　her　to　look　exactly
  as　she　looked　at　such　a　time；　and　then　doubting　whether　I　should
  not　prefer　her　looking　as　she　looked　at　such　another　time；　and
  almost　worrying　myself　into　a　fever　about　it。
  I　was　troubled　by　no　doubt　of　her　being　very　pretty；　in　any　case；
  but　it　fell　out　that　I　had　never　seen　her　look　so　well。　She　was　not　in
  the　drawing…room　when　I　presented　Agnes　to　her　little　aunts；　but
  was　shyly　keeping　out　of　the　way。　I　knew　where　to　look　for　her；
  now；　and　sure　enough　I　found　her　stopping　her　ears　again；　behind
  the　same　dull　old　door。
  At　first　she　wouldn’t　come　at　all；　and　then　she　pleaded　for　five
  minutes　by　my　watch。　When　at　length　she　put　her　arm　through
  mine；　to　be　taken　to　the　drawing…room；　her　charming　little　face
  was　flushed；　and　had　never　been　so　pretty。　But；　when　we　went
  into　the　room；　and　it　turned　pale；　she　was　ten　thousand　times
  prettier　yet。
  Dora　was　afraid　of　Agnes。　She　had　told　me　that　she　knew　Agnes
  was　‘too　clever’。　But　when　she　saw　her　looking　at　once　so　cheerful
  and　so　earnest；　and　so　thoughtful；　and　so　good；　she　gave　a　faint
  little　cry　of　pleased　surprise；　and　just　put　her　affectionate　arms
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  David　Copperfield
  round　Agnes’s　neck；　and　laid　her　innocent　cheek　against　her　face。
  I　never　was　so　happy。　I　never　was　so　pleased　as　when　I　saw
  those　two　sit　down　together；　side　by　side。　As　when　I　saw　my　little
  darling　looking　up　so　naturally　to　those　cordial　eyes。　As　when　I
  saw　the　tender；　beautiful　regard　which　Agnes　cast　upon　her。
  Miss　Lavinia　and　Miss　Clarissa　partook；　in　their　way；　of　my　joy。
  It　was　the　pleasantest　tea…table　in　the　world。　Miss　Clarissa
  presided。　I　cut　and　handed　the　sweet　seed…cake—the　little　sisters
  had　a　bird…like　fondness　for　picking　up　seeds　and　pecking　at　sugar；
  Miss　Lavinia　looked　on　with　benignant　patronage；　as　if　our　happy
  love　were　all　her　work；　and　we　were　perfectly　contented　with
  ourselves　and　one　another。
  The　gentle　cheerfulness　of　Agnes　went　to　all　their　hearts。　Her
  quiet　interest　in　everything　that　interested　Dora；　her　manner　of
  making　acquaintance　with　Jip　（who　responded　instantly）；　her
  pleasant　way；　when　Dora　was　ashamed　to　come　over　to　her　usual
  seat　by　me；　her　modest　grace　and　ease；　eliciting　a　crowd　of
  blushing　little　marks　of　confidence　from　Dora；　seemed　to　make
  our　circle　quite　complete。
  ‘I　am　so　glad；’　said　Dora；　after　tea；　‘that　you　like　me。　I　didn’t
  think　you　would；　and　I　want；　more　than　ever；　to　be　liked；　now
  Julia　Mills　is　gone。’
  I　have　omitted　to　mention　it；　by　the　by。　Miss　Mills　had　sailed；
  and　Dora　and　I　had　gone　aboard　a　great　East　Indiaman　at
  Gravesend　to　see　her；　and　we　had　had　preserved　ginger；　and
  guava；　and　other　delicacies　of　that　sort　for　lunch；　and　we　had　left
  Miss　Mills　weeping　on　a　camp…stool　on　the　quarter…deck；　with　a
  large　new　diary　under　her　arm；　in　which　the　original　reflections
  awakened　by　the　contemplation　of　Ocean　were　to　be　recorded
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  under　lock　and　key。
  Agnes　said　she　was　afraid　I　must　have　given　her　an
  unpromising　character；　but　Dora　corrected　that　directly。
  ‘Oh　no！’　she　said；　shaking　her　curls　at　me；　‘it　was　all　praise。　He
  thinks　so　much　of　your　opinion；　that　I　was　quite　afraid　of　it。’
  ‘My　good　opinion　cannot　strengthen　his　attachment　to　some
  people　whom　he　knows；’　said　Agnes；　with　a　smile；　‘it　is　not　worth
  their　having。’
  ‘But　please　let　me　have　it；’　said　Dora；　in　her　coaxing　way；　‘if　you
  can！’
  We　made　merry　about　Dora’s　wanting　to　be　liked；　and　Dora
  said　I　was　a　goose；　and　she　didn’t　like　me　at　any　rate；　and　the　short
  evening　flew　away　on　gossamer…wings。　The　time　was　at　hand
  when　the　coach　was　to　call　for　us。　I　was　standing　alone　before　the
  fire；　when　Dora　came　stealing　softly　in；　to　give　me　that　usual
  precious　little　kiss　before　I　went。
  ‘Don’t　you　think；　if　I　had　had　her　for　a　friend　a　long　time　ago；
  Doady；’　said　Dora；　her　bright　eyes　shining　very　brightly；　and　her
  little　right　hand　idly　busying　itself　with　one　of　the　buttons　of　my
  coat；　‘I　might　have　been　more　clever　perhaps？’
  ‘My　love！’　said　I；　‘what　nonsense！’
  ‘Do　you　think　it　is　nonsense？’　returned　Dora；　without　looking　at
  me。　‘Are　you　sure　it　is？’
  ‘Of　course　I　am！’
  ‘I　have　forgotten；’　said　Dora；　still　turning　the　button　round　and
  round；　‘what　relation　Agnes　is　to　you；　you　dear　bad　boy。’
  ‘No　blood…relation；’　I　replied；　‘but　we　were　brought　up　together；
  like　brother　and　sister。’
  ‘I　wonder　why　you　ever　fell　in　love　with　me？’　said　Dora