I wrote to Agnes as soon as Dora and I were engaged. I wrote her a longletter, in which I tried to make her comprehend how blest I was, andwhat a darling Dora was. I entreated Agnes not to regard this as athoughtless passion which could ever yield to any other, or had theleast resemblance to the boyish fancies that we used to joke about. Iassured her that its profundity was quite unfathomable, and expressed mybelief that nothing like it had ever been known.

Somehow, as I wrote to Agnes on a fine evening by my open window, andthe remembrance of her clear calm eyes and gentle face came stealingover me, it shed such a peaceful influence upon the hurry and agitationin which I had been living lately, and of which my very happinesspartook in some degree, that it soothed me into tears. I remember thatI sat resting my head upon my hand, when the letter was half done,cherishing a general fancy as if Agnes were one of the elements of mynatural home. As if, in the retirement of the house made almost sacredto me by her presence, Dora and I must be happier than anywhere. As if,in love, joy, sorrow, hope, or disappointment; in all emotions; my heartturned naturally there, and found its refuge and best friend.

Of Steerforth I said nothing. I only told her there had been sad griefat Yarmouth, on account of Emily's flight; and that on me it made adouble wound, by reason of the circumstances attending it. I knew howquick she always was to divine the truth, and that she would never bethe first to breathe his name.

To this letter, I received an answer by return of post. As I read it, Iseemed to hear Agnes speaking to me. It was like her cordial voice in myears. What can I say more!

While I had been away from home lately, Traddles had called twice orthrice. Finding Peggotty within, and being informed by Peggotty (whoalways volunteered that information to whomsoever would receiveit), that she was my old nurse, he had established a good-humouredacquaintance with her, and had stayed to have a little chat with herabout me. So Peggotty said; but I am afraid the chat was all on herown side, and of immoderate length, as she was very difficult indeed tostop, God bless her! when she had me for her theme.

This reminds me, not only that I expected Traddles on a certainafternoon of his own appointing, which was now come, but that Mrs. Crupphad resigned everything appertaining to her office (the salary excepted)until Peggotty should cease to present herself. Mrs. Crupp, afterholding divers conversations respecting Peggotty, in a very high-pitchedvoice, on the staircase--with some invisible Familiar it would appear,for corporeally speaking she was quite alone at those times--addressed aletter to me, developing her views. Beginning it with that statementof universal application, which fitted every occurrence of her life,namely, that she was a mother herself, she went on to inform me thatshe had once seen very different days, but that at all periods of herexistence she had had a constitutional objection to spies, intruders,and informers. She named no names, she said; let them the cap fitted,wear it; but spies, intruders, and informers, especially in widders'weeds (this clause was underlined), she had ever accustomed herself tolook down upon. If a gentleman was the victim of spies, intruders, andinformers (but still naming no names), that was his own pleasure. Hehad a right to please himself; so let him do. All that she, Mrs. Crupp,stipulated for, was, that she should not be 'brought in contract'with such persons. Therefore she begged to be excused from any furtherattendance on the top set, until things were as they formerly was, andas they could be wished to be; and further mentioned that her littlebook would be found upon the breakfast-table every Saturday morning,when she requested an immediate settlement of the same, with thebenevolent view of saving trouble 'and an ill-conwenience' to allparties.

After this, Mrs. Crupp confined herself to making pitfalls on thestairs, principally with pitchers, and endeavouring to delude Peggottyinto breaking her legs. I found it rather harassing to live in thisstate of siege, but was too much afraid of Mrs. Crupp to see any way outof it.

'My dear Copperfield,' cried Traddles, punctually appearing at my door,in spite of all these obstacles, 'how do you do?'

'My dear Traddles,' said I, 'I am delighted to see you at last, and verysorry I have not been at home before. But I have been so much engaged--'

'Yes, yes, I know,' said Traddles, 'of course. Yours lives in London, Ithink.'

'What did you say?'

'She--excuse me--Miss D., you know,' said Traddles, colouring in hisgreat delicacy, 'lives in London, I believe?'

'Oh yes. Near London.'

'Mine, perhaps you recollect,' said Traddles, with a serious look,'lives down in Devonshire--one of ten. Consequently, I am not so muchengaged as you--in that sense.'

'I wonder you can bear,' I returned, 'to see her so seldom.'

'Hah!' said Traddles, thoughtfully. 'It does seem a wonder. I suppose itis, Copperfield, because there is no help for it?'

'I suppose so,' I replied with a smile, and not without a blush. 'Andbecause you have so much constancy and patience, Traddles.'

'Dear me!' said Traddles, considering about it, 'do I strike you in thatway, Copperfield? Really I didn't know that I had. But she is suchan extraordinarily dear girl herself, that it's possible she mayhave imparted something of those virtues to me. Now you mention it,Copperfield, I shouldn't wonder at all. I assure you she is alwaysforgetting herself, and taking care of the other nine.'

'Is she the eldest?' I inquired.

'Oh dear, no,' said Traddles. 'The eldest is a Beauty.'

He saw, I suppose, that I could not help smiling at the simplicity ofthis reply; and added, with a smile upon his own ingenuous face:

'Not, of course, but that my Sophy--pretty name, Copperfield, I alwaysthink?'

'Very pretty!' said I.

'Not, of course, but that Sophy is beautiful too in my eyes, and wouldbe one of the dearest girls that ever was, in anybody's eyes (I shouldthink). But when I say the eldest is a Beauty, I mean she really isa--' he seemed to be describing clouds about himself, with both hands:'Splendid, you know,' said Traddles, energetically. 'Indeed!' said I.

'Oh, I assure you,' said Traddles, 'something very uncommon, indeed!Then, you know, being formed for society and admiration, and not beingable to enjoy much of it in consequence of their limited means, shenaturally gets a little irritable and exacting, sometimes. Sophy putsher in good humour!'

'Is Sophy the youngest?' I hazarded.

'Oh dear, no!' said Traddles, stroking his chin. 'The two youngest areonly nine and ten. Sophy educates 'em.'

'The second daughter, perhaps?' I hazarded.

'No,' said Traddles. 'Sarah's the second. Sarah has something the matterwith her spine, poor girl. The malady will wear out by and by, thedoctors say, but in the meantime she has to lie down for a twelvemonth.Sophy nurses her. Sophy's the fourth.'

'Is the mother living?' I inquired.

'Oh yes,' said Traddles, 'she is alive. She is a very superior womanindeed, but the damp country is not adapted to her constitution, and--infact, she has lost the use of her limbs.'

'Dear me!' said I.

'Very sad, is it not?' returned Traddles. 'But in a merely domestic viewit is not so bad as it might be, because Sophy takes her place. She isquite as much a mother to her mother, as she is to the other nine.'

I felt the greatest admiration for the virtues of this young lady; and,honestly with the view of doing my best to prevent the good-natureof Traddles from being imposed upon, to the detriment of their jointprospects in life, inquired how Mr. Micawber was?

'He is quite well, Copperfield, thank you,' said Traddles. 'I am notliving with him at present.'

'No?'

'No. You see the truth is,' said Traddles, in a whisper, 'he had changedhis name to Mortimer, in consequence of his temporary embarrassments;and he don't come out till after dark--and then in spectacles. There wasan execution put into our house, for rent. Mrs. Micawber was in sucha dreadful state that I really couldn't resist giving my name to thatsecond bill we spoke of here. You may imagine how delightful it was tomy feelings, Copperfield, to see the matter settled with it, and Mrs.Micawber recover her spirits.'

'Hum!' said I. 'Not that her happiness was of long duration,' pursuedTraddles, 'for, unfortunately, within a week another execution camein. It broke up the establishment. I have been living in a furnishedapartment since then, and the Mortimers have been very private indeed.I hope you won't think it selfish, Copperfield, if I mention thatthe broker carried off my little round table with the marble top, andSophy's flower-pot and stand?'

'What a hard thing!' I exclaimed indignantly.

'It was a--it was a pull,' said Traddles, with his usual wince at thatexpression. 'I don't mention it reproachfully, however, but with amotive. The fact is, Copperfield, I was unable to repurchase them at thetime of their seizure; in the first place, because the broker, having anidea that I wanted them, ran the price up to an extravagant extent; and,in the second place, because I--hadn't any money. Now, I have keptmy eye since, upon the broker's shop,' said Traddles, with a greatenjoyment of his mystery, 'which is up at the top of Tottenham CourtRoad, and, at last, today I find them put out for sale. I have onlynoticed them from over the way, because if the broker saw me, bless you,he'd ask any price for them! What has occurred to me, having now themoney, is, that perhaps you wouldn't object to ask that good nurse ofyours to come with me to the shop--I can show it her from round thecorner of the next street--and make the best bargain for them, as ifthey were for herself, that she can!'

The delight with which Traddles propounded this plan to me, and thesense he had of its uncommon artfulness, are among the freshest thingsin my remembrance.

I told him that my old nurse would be delighted to assist him, and thatwe would all three take the field together, but on one condition. Thatcondition was, that he should make a solemn resolution to grant no moreloans of his name, or anything else, to Mr. Micawber.

'My dear Copperfield,' said Traddles, 'I have already done so, becauseI begin to feel that I have not only been inconsiderate, but that I havebeen positively unjust to Sophy. My word being passed to myself, thereis no longer any apprehension; but I pledge it to you, too, with thegreatest readiness. That first unlucky obligation, I have paid. I haveno doubt Mr. Micawber would have paid it if he could, but he could not.One thing I ought to mention, which I like very much in Mr. Micawber,Copperfield. It refers to the second obligation, which is not yet due.He don't tell me that it is provided for, but he says it WILL BE. Now, Ithink there is something very fair and honest about that!'

I was unwilling to damp my good friend's confidence, and thereforeassented. After a little further conversation, we went round to thechandler's shop, to enlist Peggotty; Traddles declining to pass theevening with me, both because he endured the liveliest apprehensionsthat his property would be bought by somebody else before he couldre-purchase it, and because it was the evening he always devoted towriting to the dearest girl in the world.

I never shall forget him peeping round the corner of the street inTottenham Court Road, while Peggotty was bargaining for the preciousarticles; or his agitation when she came slowly towards us after vainlyoffering a price, and was hailed by the relenting broker, and went backagain. The end of the negotiation was, that she bought the property ontolerably easy terms, and Traddles was transported with pleasure.

'I am very much obliged to you, indeed,' said Traddles, on hearing itwas to be sent to where he lived, that night. 'If I might ask one otherfavour, I hope you would not think it absurd, Copperfield?'

I said beforehand, certainly not.

'Then if you WOULD be good enough,' said Traddles to Peggotty, 'toget the flower-pot now, I think I should like (it being Sophy's,Copperfield) to carry it home myself!'

Peggotty was glad to get it for him, and he overwhelmed her with thanks,and went his way up Tottenham Court Road, carrying the flower-potaffectionately in his arms, with one of the most delighted expressionsof countenance I ever saw.

We then turned back towards my chambers. As the shops had charms forPeggotty which I never knew them possess in the same degree for anybodyelse, I sauntered easily along, amused by her staring in at the windows,and waiting for her as often as she chose. We were thus a good while ingetting to the Adelphi.

On our way upstairs, I called her attention to the sudden disappearanceof Mrs. Crupp's pitfalls, and also to the prints of recent footsteps. Wewere both very much surprised, coming higher up, to find my outer doorstanding open (which I had shut) and to hear voices inside.

We looked at one another, without knowing what to make of this, and wentinto the sitting-room. What was my amazement to find, of all people uponearth, my aunt there, and Mr. Dick! My aunt sitting on a quantity ofluggage, with her two birds before her, and her cat on her knee, like afemale Robinson Crusoe, drinking tea. Mr. Dick leaning thoughtfully ona great kite, such as we had often been out together to fly, with moreluggage piled about him!

'My dear aunt!' cried I. 'Why, what an unexpected pleasure!'

We cordially embraced; and Mr. Dick and I cordially shook hands; andMrs. Crupp, who was busy making tea, and could not be too attentive,cordially said she had knowed well as Mr. Copperfull would have hisheart in his mouth, when he see his dear relations.

'Holloa!' said my aunt to Peggotty, who quailed before her awfulpresence. 'How are YOU?'

'You remember my aunt, Peggotty?' said I.

'For the love of goodness, child,' exclaimed my aunt, 'don't call thewoman by that South Sea Island name! If she married and got rid ofit, which was the best thing she could do, why don't you give her thebenefit of the change? What's your name now,--P?' said my aunt, as acompromise for the obnoxious appellation.

'Barkis, ma'am,' said Peggotty, with a curtsey.

'Well! That's human,' said my aunt. 'It sounds less as if you wanted amissionary. How d'ye do, Barkis? I hope you're well?'

Encouraged by these gracious words, and by my aunt's extending herhand, Barkis came forward, and took the hand, and curtseyed heracknowledgements.

'We are older than we were, I see,' said my aunt. 'We have only met eachother once before, you know. A nice business we made of it then! Trot,my dear, another cup.'

I handed it dutifully to my aunt, who was in her usual inflexible stateof figure; and ventured a remonstrance with her on the subject of hersitting on a box.

'Let me draw the sofa here, or the easy-chair, aunt,' said I. 'Whyshould you be so uncomfortable?'

'Thank you, Trot,' replied my aunt, 'I prefer to sit upon my property.'Here my aunt looked hard at Mrs. Crupp, and observed, 'We needn'ttrouble you to wait, ma'am.'

'Shall I put a little more tea in the pot afore I go, ma'am?' said Mrs.Crupp.

'No, I thank you, ma'am,' replied my aunt.

'Would you let me fetch another pat of butter, ma'am?' said Mrs. Crupp.'Or would you be persuaded to try a new-laid hegg? or should I brilea rasher? Ain't there nothing I could do for your dear aunt, Mr.Copperfull?'

'Nothing, ma'am,' returned my aunt. 'I shall do very well, I thank you.'

Mrs. Crupp, who had been incessantly smiling to express sweet temper,and incessantly holding her head on one side, to express a generalfeebleness of constitution, and incessantly rubbing her hands, toexpress a desire to be of service to all deserving objects, graduallysmiled herself, one-sided herself, and rubbed herself, out of the room.'Dick!' said my aunt. 'You know what I told you about time-servers andwealth-worshippers?'

Mr. Dick--with rather a scared look, as if he had forgotten it--returneda hasty answer in the affirmative.

'Mrs. Crupp is one of them,' said my aunt. 'Barkis, I'll trouble you tolook after the tea, and let me have another cup, for I don't fancy thatwoman's pouring-out!'

I knew my aunt sufficiently well to know that she had something ofimportance on her mind, and that there was far more matter in thisarrival than a stranger might have supposed. I noticed how her eyelighted on me, when she thought my attention otherwise occupied; andwhat a curious process of hesitation appeared to be going on withinher, while she preserved her outward stiffness and composure. I beganto reflect whether I had done anything to offend her; and my consciencewhispered me that I had not yet told her about Dora. Could it by anymeans be that, I wondered!

As I knew she would only speak in her own good time, I sat down nearher, and spoke to the birds, and played with the cat, and was as easyas I could be. But I was very far from being really easy; and I shouldstill have been so, even if Mr. Dick, leaning over the great kite behindmy aunt, had not taken every secret opportunity of shaking his headdarkly at me, and pointing at her.

'Trot,' said my aunt at last, when she had finished her tea, andcarefully smoothed down her dress, and wiped her lips--'you needn't go,Barkis!--Trot, have you got to be firm and self-reliant?'

'I hope so, aunt.'

'What do you think?' inquired Miss Betsey.

'I think so, aunt.'

'Then why, my love,' said my aunt, looking earnestly at me, 'why do youthink I prefer to sit upon this property of mine tonight?'

I shook my head, unable to guess.

'Because,' said my aunt, 'it's all I have. Because I'm ruined, my dear!'

If the house, and every one of us, had tumbled out into the rivertogether, I could hardly have received a greater shock.

'Dick knows it,' said my aunt, laying her hand calmly on my shoulder. 'Iam ruined, my dear Trot! All I have in the world is in this room, exceptthe cottage; and that I have left Janet to let. Barkis, I want to get abed for this gentleman tonight. To save expense, perhaps you can makeup something here for myself. Anything will do. It's only for tonight.We'll talk about this, more, tomorrow.'

I was roused from my amazement, and concern for her--I am sure, forher--by her falling on my neck, for a moment, and crying that she onlygrieved for me. In another moment she suppressed this emotion; and saidwith an aspect more triumphant than dejected:

'We must meet reverses boldly, and not suffer them to frighten us, mydear. We must learn to act the play out. We must live misfortune down,Trot!'