I began the next day with another dive into the Roman bath, and thenstarted for Highgate. I was not dispirited now. I was not afraid of theshabby coat, and had no yearnings after gallant greys. My whole mannerof thinking of our late misfortune was changed. What I had to do, was,to show my aunt that her past goodness to me had not been thrown awayon an insensible, ungrateful object. What I had to do, was, to turn thepainful discipline of my younger days to account, by going to work witha resolute and steady heart. What I had to do, was, to take my woodman'saxe in my hand, and clear my own way through the forest of difficulty,by cutting down the trees until I came to Dora. And I went on at amighty rate, as if it could be done by walking.

When I found myself on the familiar Highgate road, pursuing such adifferent errand from that old one of pleasure, with which it wasassociated, it seemed as if a complete change had come on my whole life.But that did not discourage me. With the new life, came new purpose,new intention. Great was the labour; priceless the reward. Dora was thereward, and Dora must be won.

I got into such a transport, that I felt quite sorry my coat was nota little shabby already. I wanted to be cutting at those trees in theforest of difficulty, under circumstances that should prove my strength.I had a good mind to ask an old man, in wire spectacles, who wasbreaking stones upon the road, to lend me his hammer for a little while,and let me begin to beat a path to Dora out of granite. I stimulatedmyself into such a heat, and got so out of breath, that I felt as if Ihad been earning I don't know how much.

In this state, I went into a cottage that I saw was to let, and examinedit narrowly,--for I felt it necessary to be practical. It would do forme and Dora admirably: with a little front garden for Jip to run aboutin, and bark at the tradespeople through the railings, and a capitalroom upstairs for my aunt. I came out again, hotter and faster thanever, and dashed up to Highgate, at such a rate that I was there anhour too early; and, though I had not been, should have been obliged tostroll about to cool myself, before I was at all presentable.

My first care, after putting myself under this necessary course ofpreparation, was to find the Doctor's house. It was not in that part ofHighgate where Mrs. Steerforth lived, but quite on the opposite sideof the little town. When I had made this discovery, I went back, inan attraction I could not resist, to a lane by Mrs. Steerforth's, andlooked over the corner of the garden wall. His room was shut up close.The conservatory doors were standing open, and Rosa Dartle was walking,bareheaded, with a quick, impetuous step, up and down a gravel walk onone side of the lawn. She gave me the idea of some fierce thing, thatwas dragging the length of its chain to and fro upon a beaten track, andwearing its heart out.

I came softly away from my place of observation, and avoiding that partof the neighbourhood, and wishing I had not gone near it, strolled aboutuntil it was ten o'clock. The church with the slender spire, that standson the top of the hill now, was not there then to tell me the time. Anold red-brick mansion, used as a school, was in its place; and a fineold house it must have been to go to school at, as I recollect it.

When I approached the Doctor's cottage--a pretty old place, on whichhe seemed to have expended some money, if I might judge from theembellishments and repairs that had the look of being just completed--Isaw him walking in the garden at the side, gaiters and all, as if hehad never left off walking since the days of my pupilage. He had his oldcompanions about him, too; for there were plenty of high trees in theneighbourhood, and two or three rooks were on the grass, looking afterhim, as if they had been written to about him by the Canterbury rooks,and were observing him closely in consequence.

Knowing the utter hopelessness of attracting his attention from thatdistance, I made bold to open the gate, and walk after him, so as tomeet him when he should turn round. When he did, and came towards me, helooked at me thoughtfully for a few moments, evidently without thinkingabout me at all; and then his benevolent face expressed extraordinarypleasure, and he took me by both hands.

'Why, my dear Copperfield,' said the Doctor, 'you are a man! How do youdo? I am delighted to see you. My dear Copperfield, how very much youhave improved! You are quite--yes--dear me!'

I hoped he was well, and Mrs. Strong too.

'Oh dear, yes!' said the Doctor; 'Annie's quite well, and she'll bedelighted to see you. You were always her favourite. She said so,last night, when I showed her your letter. And--yes, to be sure--yourecollect Mr. Jack Maldon, Copperfield?'

'Perfectly, sir.'

'Of course,' said the Doctor. 'To be sure. He's pretty well, too.'

'Has he come home, sir?' I inquired.

'From India?' said the Doctor. 'Yes. Mr. Jack Maldon couldn't bearthe climate, my dear. Mrs. Markleham--you have not forgotten Mrs.Markleham?'

Forgotten the Old Soldier! And in that short time!

'Mrs. Markleham,' said the Doctor, 'was quite vexed about him, poorthing; so we have got him at home again; and we have bought him a littlePatent place, which agrees with him much better.' I knew enough of Mr.Jack Maldon to suspect from this account that it was a place where therewas not much to do, and which was pretty well paid. The Doctor, walkingup and down with his hand on my shoulder, and his kind face turnedencouragingly to mine, went on:

'Now, my dear Copperfield, in reference to this proposal of yours. It'svery gratifying and agreeable to me, I am sure; but don't you think youcould do better? You achieved distinction, you know, when you were withus. You are qualified for many good things. You have laid a foundationthat any edifice may be raised upon; and is it not a pity that youshould devote the spring-time of your life to such a poor pursuit as Ican offer?'

I became very glowing again, and, expressing myself in a rhapsodicalstyle, I am afraid, urged my request strongly; reminding the Doctor thatI had already a profession.

'Well, well,' said the Doctor, 'that's true. Certainly, your havinga profession, and being actually engaged in studying it, makes adifference. But, my good young friend, what's seventy pounds a year?'

'It doubles our income, Doctor Strong,' said I.

'Dear me!' replied the Doctor. 'To think of that! Not that I mean tosay it's rigidly limited to seventy pounds a-year, because I have alwayscontemplated making any young friend I might thus employ, a present too.Undoubtedly,' said the Doctor, still walking me up and down withhis hand on my shoulder. 'I have always taken an annual present intoaccount.'

'My dear tutor,' said I (now, really, without any nonsense), 'to whom Iowe more obligations already than I ever can acknowledge--'

'No, no,' interposed the Doctor. 'Pardon me!'

'If you will take such time as I have, and that is my mornings andevenings, and can think it worth seventy pounds a year, you will do mesuch a service as I cannot express.'

'Dear me!' said the Doctor, innocently. 'To think that so little shouldgo for so much! Dear, dear! And when you can do better, you will? Onyour word, now?' said the Doctor,--which he had always made a very graveappeal to the honour of us boys.

'On my word, sir!' I returned, answering in our old school manner.

'Then be it so,' said the Doctor, clapping me on the shoulder, and stillkeeping his hand there, as we still walked up and down.

'And I shall be twenty times happier, sir,' said I, with a little--Ihope innocent--flattery, 'if my employment is to be on the Dictionary.'

The Doctor stopped, smilingly clapped me on the shoulder again, andexclaimed, with a triumph most delightful to behold, as if I hadpenetrated to the profoundest depths of mortal sagacity, 'My dear youngfriend, you have hit it. It IS the Dictionary!'

How could it be anything else! His pockets were as full of it as hishead. It was sticking out of him in all directions. He told me thatsince his retirement from scholastic life, he had been advancing withit wonderfully; and that nothing could suit him better than the proposedarrangements for morning and evening work, as it was his custom to walkabout in the daytime with his considering cap on. His papers were ina little confusion, in consequence of Mr. Jack Maldon having latelyproffered his occasional services as an amanuensis, and not beingaccustomed to that occupation; but we should soon put right what wasamiss, and go on swimmingly. Afterwards, when we were fairly at ourwork, I found Mr. Jack Maldon's efforts more troublesome to me thanI had expected, as he had not confined himself to making numerousmistakes, but had sketched so many soldiers, and ladies' heads, overthe Doctor's manuscript, that I often became involved in labyrinths ofobscurity.

The Doctor was quite happy in the prospect of our going to work togetheron that wonderful performance, and we settled to begin next morning atseven o'clock. We were to work two hours every morning, and two or threehours every night, except on Saturdays, when I was to rest. On Sundays,of course, I was to rest also, and I considered these very easy terms.

Our plans being thus arranged to our mutual satisfaction, the Doctortook me into the house to present me to Mrs. Strong, whom we found inthe Doctor's new study, dusting his books,--a freedom which he neverpermitted anybody else to take with those sacred favourites.

They had postponed their breakfast on my account, and we sat down totable together. We had not been seated long, when I saw an approachingarrival in Mrs. Strong's face, before I heard any sound of it. Agentleman on horseback came to the gate, and leading his horse into thelittle court, with the bridle over his arm, as if he were quite at home,tied him to a ring in the empty coach-house wall, and came into thebreakfast parlour, whip in hand. It was Mr. Jack Maldon; and Mr. JackMaldon was not at all improved by India, I thought. I was in a stateof ferocious virtue, however, as to young men who were not cutting downtrees in the forest of difficulty; and my impression must be receivedwith due allowance.

'Mr. Jack!' said the Doctor. 'Copperfield!'

Mr. Jack Maldon shook hands with me; but not very warmly, I believed;and with an air of languid patronage, at which I secretly took greatumbrage. But his languor altogether was quite a wonderful sight; exceptwhen he addressed himself to his cousin Annie. 'Have you breakfastedthis morning, Mr. Jack?' said the Doctor.

'I hardly ever take breakfast, sir,' he replied, with his head thrownback in an easy-chair. 'I find it bores me.'

'Is there any news today?' inquired the Doctor.

'Nothing at all, sir,' replied Mr. Maldon. 'There's an account aboutthe people being hungry and discontented down in the North, but they arealways being hungry and discontented somewhere.'

The Doctor looked grave, and said, as though he wished to change thesubject, 'Then there's no news at all; and no news, they say, is goodnews.'

'There's a long statement in the papers, sir, about a murder,' observedMr. Maldon. 'But somebody is always being murdered, and I didn't readit.'

A display of indifference to all the actions and passions of mankind wasnot supposed to be such a distinguished quality at that time, I think,as I have observed it to be considered since. I have known it veryfashionable indeed. I have seen it displayed with such success, that Ihave encountered some fine ladies and gentlemen who might as well havebeen born caterpillars. Perhaps it impressed me the more then, becauseit was new to me, but it certainly did not tend to exalt my opinion of,or to strengthen my confidence in, Mr. Jack Maldon.

'I came out to inquire whether Annie would like to go to the operatonight,' said Mr. Maldon, turning to her. 'It's the last good nightthere will be, this season; and there's a singer there, whom she reallyought to hear. She is perfectly exquisite. Besides which, she is socharmingly ugly,' relapsing into languor.

The Doctor, ever pleased with what was likely to please his young wife,turned to her and said:

'You must go, Annie. You must go.'

'I would rather not,' she said to the Doctor. 'I prefer to remain athome. I would much rather remain at home.'

Without looking at her cousin, she then addressed me, and asked me aboutAgnes, and whether she should see her, and whether she was not likely tocome that day; and was so much disturbed, that I wondered how even theDoctor, buttering his toast, could be blind to what was so obvious.

But he saw nothing. He told her, good-naturedly, that she was young andought to be amused and entertained, and must not allow herself to bemade dull by a dull old fellow. Moreover, he said, he wanted to hear hersing all the new singer's songs to him; and how could she do that well,unless she went? So the Doctor persisted in making the engagement forher, and Mr. Jack Maldon was to come back to dinner. This concluded, hewent to his Patent place, I suppose; but at all events went away on hishorse, looking very idle.

I was curious to find out next morning, whether she had been. She hadnot, but had sent into London to put her cousin off; and had gone out inthe afternoon to see Agnes, and had prevailed upon the Doctor to go withher; and they had walked home by the fields, the Doctor told me, theevening being delightful. I wondered then, whether she would have goneif Agnes had not been in town, and whether Agnes had some good influenceover her too!

She did not look very happy, I thought; but it was a good face, or avery false one. I often glanced at it, for she sat in the window all thetime we were at work; and made our breakfast, which we took by snatchesas we were employed. When I left, at nine o'clock, she was kneeling onthe ground at the Doctor's feet, putting on his shoes and gaiters forhim. There was a softened shade upon her face, thrown from some greenleaves overhanging the open window of the low room; and I thought allthe way to Doctors' Commons, of the night when I had seen it looking athim as he read.

I was pretty busy now; up at five in the morning, and home at nineor ten at night. But I had infinite satisfaction in being soclosely engaged, and never walked slowly on any account, and feltenthusiastically that the more I tired myself, the more I was doing todeserve Dora. I had not revealed myself in my altered character toDora yet, because she was coming to see Miss Mills in a few days, andI deferred all I had to tell her until then; merely informing her inmy letters (all our communications were secretly forwarded through MissMills), that I had much to tell her. In the meantime, I put myself ona short allowance of bear's grease, wholly abandoned scented soap andlavender water, and sold off three waistcoats at a prodigious sacrifice,as being too luxurious for my stern career.

Not satisfied with all these proceedings, but burning with impatienceto do something more, I went to see Traddles, now lodging up behind theparapet of a house in Castle Street, Holborn. Mr. Dick, who had beenwith me to Highgate twice already, and had resumed his companionshipwith the Doctor, I took with me.

I took Mr. Dick with me, because, acutely sensitive to my aunt'sreverses, and sincerely believing that no galley-slave or convict workedas I did, he had begun to fret and worry himself out of spirits andappetite, as having nothing useful to do. In this condition, he feltmore incapable of finishing the Memorial than ever; and the harder heworked at it, the oftener that unlucky head of King Charles the Firstgot into it. Seriously apprehending that his malady would increase,unless we put some innocent deception upon him and caused him to believethat he was useful, or unless we could put him in the way of beingreally useful (which would be better), I made up my mind to tryif Traddles could help us. Before we went, I wrote Traddles a fullstatement of all that had happened, and Traddles wrote me back a capitalanswer, expressive of his sympathy and friendship.

We found him hard at work with his inkstand and papers, refreshed by thesight of the flower-pot stand and the little round table in a corner ofthe small apartment. He received us cordially, and made friends withMr. Dick in a moment. Mr. Dick professed an absolute certainty of havingseen him before, and we both said, 'Very likely.'

The first subject on which I had to consult Traddles was this,--I hadheard that many men distinguished in various pursuits had begun lifeby reporting the debates in Parliament. Traddles having mentionednewspapers to me, as one of his hopes, I had put the two thingstogether, and told Traddles in my letter that I wished to know how Icould qualify myself for this pursuit. Traddles now informed me, as theresult of his inquiries, that the mere mechanical acquisition necessary,except in rare cases, for thorough excellence in it, that is to say,a perfect and entire command of the mystery of short-hand writing andreading, was about equal in difficulty to the mastery of six languages;and that it might perhaps be attained, by dint of perseverance, in thecourse of a few years. Traddles reasonably supposed that this wouldsettle the business; but I, only feeling that here indeed were a fewtall trees to be hewn down, immediately resolved to work my way on toDora through this thicket, axe in hand.

'I am very much obliged to you, my dear Traddles!' said I. 'I'll begintomorrow.'

Traddles looked astonished, as he well might; but he had no notion asyet of my rapturous condition.

'I'll buy a book,' said I, 'with a good scheme of this art in it; I'llwork at it at the Commons, where I haven't half enough to do; I'll takedown the speeches in our court for practice--Traddles, my dear fellow,I'll master it!'

'Dear me,' said Traddles, opening his eyes, 'I had no idea you were sucha determined character, Copperfield!'

I don't know how he should have had, for it was new enough to me. Ipassed that off, and brought Mr. Dick on the carpet.

'You see,' said Mr. Dick, wistfully, 'if I could exert myself, Mr.Traddles--if I could beat a drum--or blow anything!'

Poor fellow! I have little doubt he would have preferred such anemployment in his heart to all others. Traddles, who would not havesmiled for the world, replied composedly:

'But you are a very good penman, sir. You told me so, Copperfield?''Excellent!' said I. And indeed he was. He wrote with extraordinaryneatness.

'Don't you think,' said Traddles, 'you could copy writings, sir, if Igot them for you?'

Mr. Dick looked doubtfully at me. 'Eh, Trotwood?'

I shook my head. Mr. Dick shook his, and sighed. 'Tell him about theMemorial,' said Mr. Dick.

I explained to Traddles that there was a difficulty in keeping KingCharles the First out of Mr. Dick's manuscripts; Mr. Dick in themeanwhile looking very deferentially and seriously at Traddles, andsucking his thumb.

'But these writings, you know, that I speak of, are already drawn upand finished,' said Traddles after a little consideration. 'Mr. Dick hasnothing to do with them. Wouldn't that make a difference, Copperfield?At all events, wouldn't it be well to try?'

This gave us new hope. Traddles and I laying our heads together apart,while Mr. Dick anxiously watched us from his chair, we concocted ascheme in virtue of which we got him to work next day, with triumphantsuccess.

On a table by the window in Buckingham Street, we set out the workTraddles procured for him--which was to make, I forget how many copiesof a legal document about some right of way--and on another tablewe spread the last unfinished original of the great Memorial. Ourinstructions to Mr. Dick were that he should copy exactly what he hadbefore him, without the least departure from the original; and that whenhe felt it necessary to make the slightest allusion to King Charles theFirst, he should fly to the Memorial. We exhorted him to be resolutein this, and left my aunt to observe him. My aunt reported to us,afterwards, that, at first, he was like a man playing the kettle-drums,and constantly divided his attentions between the two; but that, findingthis confuse and fatigue him, and having his copy there, plainly beforehis eyes, he soon sat at it in an orderly business-like manner, andpostponed the Memorial to a more convenient time. In a word, although wetook great care that he should have no more to do than was good for him,and although he did not begin with the beginning of a week, he earnedby the following Saturday night ten shillings and nine-pence; and never,while I live, shall I forget his going about to all the shops in theneighbourhood to change this treasure into sixpences, or his bringingthem to my aunt arranged in the form of a heart upon a waiter, withtears of joy and pride in his eyes. He was like one under the propitiousinfluence of a charm, from the moment of his being usefully employed;and if there were a happy man in the world, that Saturday night, it wasthe grateful creature who thought my aunt the most wonderful woman inexistence, and me the most wonderful young man.

'No starving now, Trotwood,' said Mr. Dick, shaking hands with me in acorner. 'I'll provide for her, Sir!' and he flourished his ten fingersin the air, as if they were ten banks.

I hardly know which was the better pleased, Traddles or I. 'It really,'said Traddles, suddenly, taking a letter out of his pocket, and givingit to me, 'put Mr. Micawber quite out of my head!'

The letter (Mr. Micawber never missed any possible opportunity ofwriting a letter) was addressed to me, 'By the kindness of T. Traddles,Esquire, of the Inner Temple.' It ran thus:--

'MY DEAR COPPERFIELD,

'You may possibly not be unprepared to receive the intimation thatsomething has turned up. I may have mentioned to you on a formeroccasion that I was in expectation of such an event.

'I am about to establish myself in one of the provincial towns of ourfavoured island (where the society may be described as a happy admixtureof the agricultural and the clerical), in immediate connexion withone of the learned professions. Mrs. Micawber and our offspring willaccompany me. Our ashes, at a future period, will probably be foundcommingled in the cemetery attached to a venerable pile, for which thespot to which I refer has acquired a reputation, shall I say from Chinato Peru?

'In bidding adieu to the modern Babylon, where we have undergone manyvicissitudes, I trust not ignobly, Mrs. Micawber and myself cannotdisguise from our minds that we part, it may be for years and it may befor ever, with an individual linked by strong associations to the altarof our domestic life. If, on the eve of such a departure, you willaccompany our mutual friend, Mr. Thomas Traddles, to our present abode,and there reciprocate the wishes natural to the occasion, you willconfer a Boon

'On 'One 'Who 'Is 'Ever yours, 'WILKINS MICAWBER.'

I was glad to find that Mr. Micawber had got rid of his dust and ashes,and that something really had turned up at last. Learning from Traddlesthat the invitation referred to the evening then wearing away, Iexpressed my readiness to do honour to it; and we went off together tothe lodging which Mr. Micawber occupied as Mr. Mortimer, and which wassituated near the top of the Gray's Inn Road.

The resources of this lodging were so limited, that we found the twins,now some eight or nine years old, reposing in a turn-up bedstead inthe family sitting-room, where Mr. Micawber had prepared, in awash-hand-stand jug, what he called 'a Brew' of the agreeable beveragefor which he was famous. I had the pleasure, on this occasion, ofrenewing the acquaintance of Master Micawber, whom I found a promisingboy of about twelve or thirteen, very subject to that restlessness oflimb which is not an unfrequent phenomenon in youths of his age. I alsobecame once more known to his sister, Miss Micawber, in whom, as Mr.Micawber told us, 'her mother renewed her youth, like the Phoenix'.

'My dear Copperfield,' said Mr. Micawber, 'yourself and Mr. Traddlesfind us on the brink of migration, and will excuse any littlediscomforts incidental to that position.'

Glancing round as I made a suitable reply, I observed that the familyeffects were already packed, and that the amount of luggage was by nomeans overwhelming. I congratulated Mrs. Micawber on the approachingchange.

'My dear Mr. Copperfield,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'of your friendlyinterest in all our affairs, I am well assured. My family may considerit banishment, if they please; but I am a wife and mother, and I neverwill desert Mr. Micawber.'

Traddles, appealed to by Mrs. Micawber's eye, feelingly acquiesced.

'That,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'that, at least, is my view, my dear Mr.Copperfield and Mr. Traddles, of the obligation which I took upon myselfwhen I repeated the irrevocable words, "I, Emma, take thee, Wilkins." Iread the service over with a flat-candle on the previous night, andthe conclusion I derived from it was, that I never could desert Mr.Micawber. And,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'though it is possible I may bemistaken in my view of the ceremony, I never will!'

'My dear,' said Mr. Micawber, a little impatiently, 'I am not consciousthat you are expected to do anything of the sort.'

'I am aware, my dear Mr. Copperfield,' pursued Mrs. Micawber, 'that I amnow about to cast my lot among strangers; and I am also aware that thevarious members of my family, to whom Mr. Micawber has written in themost gentlemanly terms, announcing that fact, have not taken the leastnotice of Mr. Micawber's communication. Indeed I may be superstitious,'said Mrs. Micawber, 'but it appears to me that Mr. Micawber is destinednever to receive any answers whatever to the great majority of thecommunications he writes. I may augur, from the silence of my family,that they object to the resolution I have taken; but I should not allowmyself to be swerved from the path of duty, Mr. Copperfield, even by mypapa and mama, were they still living.'

I expressed my opinion that this was going in the right direction. 'Itmay be a sacrifice,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'to immure one's-self in aCathedral town; but surely, Mr. Copperfield, if it is a sacrifice in me,it is much more a sacrifice in a man of Mr. Micawber's abilities.'

'Oh! You are going to a Cathedral town?' said I.

Mr. Micawber, who had been helping us all, out of the wash-hand-standjug, replied:

'To Canterbury. In fact, my dear Copperfield, I have entered intoarrangements, by virtue of which I stand pledged and contracted to ourfriend Heep, to assist and serve him in the capacity of--and to be--hisconfidential clerk.'

I stared at Mr. Micawber, who greatly enjoyed my surprise.

'I am bound to state to you,' he said, with an official air, 'that thebusiness habits, and the prudent suggestions, of Mrs. Micawber, havein a great measure conduced to this result. The gauntlet, to which Mrs.Micawber referred upon a former occasion, being thrown down in the formof an advertisement, was taken up by my friend Heep, and led to a mutualrecognition. Of my friend Heep,' said Mr. Micawber, 'who is a man ofremarkable shrewdness, I desire to speak with all possible respect.My friend Heep has not fixed the positive remuneration at too high afigure, but he has made a great deal, in the way of extrication fromthe pressure of pecuniary difficulties, contingent on the value ofmy services; and on the value of those services I pin my faith. Suchaddress and intelligence as I chance to possess,' said Mr. Micawber,boastfully disparaging himself, with the old genteel air, 'will bedevoted to my friend Heep's service. I have already some acquaintancewith the law--as a defendant on civil process--and I shall immediatelyapply myself to the Commentaries of one of the most eminent andremarkable of our English jurists. I believe it is unnecessary to addthat I allude to Mr. justice Blackstone.'

These observations, and indeed the greater part of the observationsmade that evening, were interrupted by Mrs. Micawber's discovering thatMaster Micawber was sitting on his boots, or holding his head on withboth arms as if he felt it loose, or accidentally kicking Traddles underthe table, or shuffling his feet over one another, or producing themat distances from himself apparently outrageous to nature, or lyingsideways with his hair among the wine-glasses, or developing hisrestlessness of limb in some other form incompatible with the generalinterests of society; and by Master Micawber's receiving thosediscoveries in a resentful spirit. I sat all the while, amazed by Mr.Micawber's disclosure, and wondering what it meant; until Mrs. Micawberresumed the thread of the discourse, and claimed my attention.

'What I particularly request Mr. Micawber to be careful of, is,' saidMrs. Micawber, 'that he does not, my dear Mr. Copperfield, in applyinghimself to this subordinate branch of the law, place it out of his powerto rise, ultimately, to the top of the tree. I am convinced that Mr.Micawber, giving his mind to a profession so adapted to his fertileresources, and his flow of language, must distinguish himself. Now, forexample, Mr. Traddles,' said Mrs. Micawber, assuming a profound air, 'ajudge, or even say a Chancellor. Does an individual place himself beyondthe pale of those preferments by entering on such an office as Mr.Micawber has accepted?'

'My dear,' observed Mr. Micawber--but glancing inquisitively atTraddles, too; 'we have time enough before us, for the consideration ofthose questions.'

'Micawber,' she returned, 'no! Your mistake in life is, that you do notlook forward far enough. You are bound, in justice to your family, ifnot to yourself, to take in at a comprehensive glance the extremestpoint in the horizon to which your abilities may lead you.'

Mr. Micawber coughed, and drank his punch with an air of exceedingsatisfaction--still glancing at Traddles, as if he desired to have hisopinion.

'Why, the plain state of the case, Mrs. Micawber,' said Traddles, mildlybreaking the truth to her. 'I mean the real prosaic fact, you know--'

'Just so,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'my dear Mr. Traddles, I wish to be asprosaic and literal as possible on a subject of so much importance.'

'--Is,' said Traddles, 'that this branch of the law, even if Mr.Micawber were a regular solicitor--'

'Exactly so,' returned Mrs. Micawber. ('Wilkins, you are squinting, andwill not be able to get your eyes back.')

'--Has nothing,' pursued Traddles, 'to do with that. Only a barristeris eligible for such preferments; and Mr. Micawber could not be abarrister, without being entered at an inn of court as a student, forfive years.'

'Do I follow you?' said Mrs. Micawber, with her most affable airof business. 'Do I understand, my dear Mr. Traddles, that, at theexpiration of that period, Mr. Micawber would be eligible as a Judge orChancellor?'

'He would be ELIGIBLE,' returned Traddles, with a strong emphasis onthat word.

'Thank you,' said Mrs. Micawber. 'That is quite sufficient. If such isthe case, and Mr. Micawber forfeits no privilege by entering on theseduties, my anxiety is set at rest. I speak,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'as afemale, necessarily; but I have always been of opinion that Mr. Micawberpossesses what I have heard my papa call, when I lived at home, thejudicial mind; and I hope Mr. Micawber is now entering on a field wherethat mind will develop itself, and take a commanding station.'

I quite believe that Mr. Micawber saw himself, in his judicial mind'seye, on the woolsack. He passed his hand complacently over his baldhead, and said with ostentatious resignation:

'My dear, we will not anticipate the decrees of fortune. If I amreserved to wear a wig, I am at least prepared, externally,' in allusionto his baldness, 'for that distinction. I do not,' said Mr. Micawber,'regret my hair, and I may have been deprived of it for a specificpurpose. I cannot say. It is my intention, my dear Copperfield, toeducate my son for the Church; I will not deny that I should be happy,on his account, to attain to eminence.'

'For the Church?' said I, still pondering, between whiles, on UriahHeep.

'Yes,' said Mr. Micawber. 'He has a remarkable head-voice, and willcommence as a chorister. Our residence at Canterbury, and our localconnexion, will, no doubt, enable him to take advantage of any vacancythat may arise in the Cathedral corps.'

On looking at Master Micawber again, I saw that he had a certainexpression of face, as if his voice were behind his eyebrows; where itpresently appeared to be, on his singing us (as an alternative betweenthat and bed) 'The Wood-Pecker tapping'. After many compliments on thisperformance, we fell into some general conversation; and as I was toofull of my desperate intentions to keep my altered circumstances tomyself, I made them known to Mr. and Mrs. Micawber. I cannot express howextremely delighted they both were, by the idea of my aunt's being indifficulties; and how comfortable and friendly it made them.

When we were nearly come to the last round of the punch, I addressedmyself to Traddles, and reminded him that we must not separate, withoutwishing our friends health, happiness, and success in their new career.I begged Mr. Micawber to fill us bumpers, and proposed the toast indue form: shaking hands with him across the table, and kissing Mrs.Micawber, to commemorate that eventful occasion. Traddles imitated mein the first particular, but did not consider himself a sufficiently oldfriend to venture on the second.

'My dear Copperfield,' said Mr. Micawber, rising with one of his thumbsin each of his waistcoat pockets, 'the companion of my youth: if I maybe allowed the expression--and my esteemed friend Traddles: if I may bepermitted to call him so--will allow me, on the part of Mrs. Micawber,myself, and our offspring, to thank them in the warmest and mostuncompromising terms for their good wishes. It may be expected thaton the eve of a migration which will consign us to a perfectly newexistence,' Mr. Micawber spoke as if they were going five hundredthousand miles, 'I should offer a few valedictory remarks to two suchfriends as I see before me. But all that I have to say in this way, Ihave said. Whatever station in society I may attain, through the mediumof the learned profession of which I am about to become an unworthymember, I shall endeavour not to disgrace, and Mrs. Micawber will besafe to adorn. Under the temporary pressure of pecuniary liabilities,contracted with a view to their immediate liquidation, but remainingunliquidated through a combination of circumstances, I have beenunder the necessity of assuming a garb from which my natural instinctsrecoil--I allude to spectacles--and possessing myself of a cognomen, towhich I can establish no legitimate pretensions. All I have to say onthat score is, that the cloud has passed from the dreary scene, and theGod of Day is once more high upon the mountain tops. On Monday next, onthe arrival of the four o'clock afternoon coach at Canterbury, my footwill be on my native heath--my name, Micawber!'

Mr. Micawber resumed his seat on the close of these remarks, anddrank two glasses of punch in grave succession. He then said with muchsolemnity:

'One thing more I have to do, before this separation is complete, andthat is to perform an act of justice. My friend Mr. Thomas Traddleshas, on two several occasions, "put his name", if I may use a commonexpression, to bills of exchange for my accommodation. On the firstoccasion Mr. Thomas Traddles was left--let me say, in short, in thelurch. The fulfilment of the second has not yet arrived. The amount ofthe first obligation,' here Mr. Micawber carefully referred to papers,'was, I believe, twenty-three, four, nine and a half, of the second,according to my entry of that transaction, eighteen, six, two. Thesesums, united, make a total, if my calculation is correct, amounting toforty-one, ten, eleven and a half. My friend Copperfield will perhaps dome the favour to check that total?'

I did so and found it correct.

'To leave this metropolis,' said Mr. Micawber, 'and my friend Mr.Thomas Traddles, without acquitting myself of the pecuniary part of thisobligation, would weigh upon my mind to an insupportable extent. I have,therefore, prepared for my friend Mr. Thomas Traddles, and I now holdin my hand, a document, which accomplishes the desired object. I begto hand to my friend Mr. Thomas Traddles my I.O.U. for forty-one, ten,eleven and a half, and I am happy to recover my moral dignity, and toknow that I can once more walk erect before my fellow man!'

With this introduction (which greatly affected him), Mr. Micawber placedhis I.O.U. in the hands of Traddles, and said he wished him well inevery relation of life. I am persuaded, not only that this was quitethe same to Mr. Micawber as paying the money, but that Traddles himselfhardly knew the difference until he had had time to think about it. Mr.Micawber walked so erect before his fellow man, on the strength ofthis virtuous action, that his chest looked half as broad again when helighted us downstairs. We parted with great heartiness on both sides;and when I had seen Traddles to his own door, and was going home alone,I thought, among the other odd and contradictory things I mused upon,that, slippery as Mr. Micawber was, I was probably indebted to somecompassionate recollection he retained of me as his boy-lodger, fornever having been asked by him for money. I certainly should not havehad the moral courage to refuse it; and I have no doubt he knew that (tohis credit be it written), quite as well as I did.