At last, an answer came from the two old ladies. They presented theircompliments to Mr. Copperfield, and informed him that they had given hisletter their best consideration, 'with a view to the happiness ofboth parties'--which I thought rather an alarming expression, notonly because of the use they had made of it in relation to the familydifference before-mentioned, but because I had (and have all my life)observed that conventional phrases are a sort of fireworks, easily letoff, and liable to take a great variety of shapes and colours not atall suggested by their original form. The Misses Spenlow added that theybegged to forbear expressing, 'through the medium of correspondence', anopinion on the subject of Mr. Copperfield's communication; but that ifMr. Copperfield would do them the favour to call, upon a certain day(accompanied, if he thought proper, by a confidential friend), theywould be happy to hold some conversation on the subject.

To this favour, Mr. Copperfield immediately replied, with his respectfulcompliments, that he would have the honour of waiting on the MissesSpenlow, at the time appointed; accompanied, in accordance with theirkind permission, by his friend Mr. Thomas Traddles of the Inner Temple.Having dispatched which missive, Mr. Copperfield fell into a conditionof strong nervous agitation; and so remained until the day arrived.

It was a great augmentation of my uneasiness to be bereaved, at thiseventful crisis, of the inestimable services of Miss Mills. But Mr.Mills, who was always doing something or other to annoy me--or I feltas if he were, which was the same thing--had brought his conduct to aclimax, by taking it into his head that he would go to India. Why shouldhe go to India, except to harass me? To be sure he had nothing to dowith any other part of the world, and had a good deal to do with thatpart; being entirely in the India trade, whatever that was (I hadfloating dreams myself concerning golden shawls and elephants' teeth);having been at Calcutta in his youth; and designing now to go out thereagain, in the capacity of resident partner. But this was nothing to me.However, it was so much to him that for India he was bound, andJulia with him; and Julia went into the country to take leave ofher relations; and the house was put into a perfect suit of bills,announcing that it was to be let or sold, and that the furniture (Mangleand all) was to be taken at a valuation. So, here was another earthquakeof which I became the sport, before I had recovered from the shock ofits predecessor!

I was in several minds how to dress myself on the important day; beingdivided between my desire to appear to advantage, and my apprehensionsof putting on anything that might impair my severely practical characterin the eyes of the Misses Spenlow. I endeavoured to hit a happy mediumbetween these two extremes; my aunt approved the result; and Mr. Dickthrew one of his shoes after Traddles and me, for luck, as we wentdownstairs.

Excellent fellow as I knew Traddles to be, and warmly attached to him asI was, I could not help wishing, on that delicate occasion, that he hadnever contracted the habit of brushing his hair so very upright. Itgave him a surprised look--not to say a hearth-broomy kind ofexpression--which, my apprehensions whispered, might be fatal to us.

I took the liberty of mentioning it to Traddles, as we were walking toPutney; and saying that if he WOULD smooth it down a little--

'My dear Copperfield,' said Traddles, lifting off his hat, and rubbinghis hair all kinds of ways, 'nothing would give me greater pleasure. Butit won't.'

'Won't be smoothed down?' said I.

'No,' said Traddles. 'Nothing will induce it. If I was to carry ahalf-hundred-weight upon it, all the way to Putney, it would be up againthe moment the weight was taken off. You have no idea what obstinatehair mine is, Copperfield. I am quite a fretful porcupine.'

I was a little disappointed, I must confess, but thoroughly charmed byhis good-nature too. I told him how I esteemed his good-nature; and saidthat his hair must have taken all the obstinacy out of his character,for he had none.

'Oh!' returned Traddles, laughing. 'I assure you, it's quite an oldstory, my unfortunate hair. My uncle's wife couldn't bear it. She saidit exasperated her. It stood very much in my way, too, when I first fellin love with Sophy. Very much!'

'Did she object to it?'

'SHE didn't,' rejoined Traddles; 'but her eldest sister--the one that'sthe Beauty--quite made game of it, I understand. In fact, all thesisters laugh at it.'

'Agreeable!' said I.

'Yes,' returned Traddles with perfect innocence, 'it's a joke for us.They pretend that Sophy has a lock of it in her desk, and is obliged toshut it in a clasped book, to keep it down. We laugh about it.'

'By the by, my dear Traddles,' said I, 'your experience may suggestsomething to me. When you became engaged to the young lady whom you havejust mentioned, did you make a regular proposal to her family? Was thereanything like--what we are going through today, for instance?' I added,nervously.

'Why,' replied Traddles, on whose attentive face a thoughtful shade hadstolen, 'it was rather a painful transaction, Copperfield, in my case.You see, Sophy being of so much use in the family, none of them couldendure the thought of her ever being married. Indeed, they had quitesettled among themselves that she never was to be married, and theycalled her the old maid. Accordingly, when I mentioned it, with thegreatest precaution, to Mrs. Crewler--'

'The mama?' said I.

'The mama,' said Traddles--'Reverend Horace Crewler--when I mentioned itwith every possible precaution to Mrs. Crewler, the effect upon her wassuch that she gave a scream and became insensible. I couldn't approachthe subject again, for months.'

'You did at last?' said I.

'Well, the Reverend Horace did,' said Traddles. 'He is an excellent man,most exemplary in every way; and he pointed out to her that she ought,as a Christian, to reconcile herself to the sacrifice (especially as itwas so uncertain), and to bear no uncharitable feeling towards me. As tomyself, Copperfield, I give you my word, I felt a perfect bird of preytowards the family.'

'The sisters took your part, I hope, Traddles?'

'Why, I can't say they did,' he returned. 'When we had comparativelyreconciled Mrs. Crewler to it, we had to break it to Sarah. Yourecollect my mentioning Sarah, as the one that has something the matterwith her spine?'

'Perfectly!'

'She clenched both her hands,' said Traddles, looking at me in dismay;'shut her eyes; turned lead-colour; became perfectly stiff; andtook nothing for two days but toast-and-water, administered with atea-spoon.'

'What a very unpleasant girl, Traddles!' I remarked.

'Oh, I beg your pardon, Copperfield!' said Traddles. 'She is a verycharming girl, but she has a great deal of feeling. In fact, they allhave. Sophy told me afterwards, that the self-reproach she underwentwhile she was in attendance upon Sarah, no words could describe. I knowit must have been severe, by my own feelings, Copperfield; which werelike a criminal's. After Sarah was restored, we still had to break itto the other eight; and it produced various effects upon them of a mostpathetic nature. The two little ones, whom Sophy educates, have onlyjust left off de-testing me.'

'At any rate, they are all reconciled to it now, I hope?' said I.

'Ye-yes, I should say they were, on the whole, resigned to it,' saidTraddles, doubtfully. 'The fact is, we avoid mentioning the subject;and my unsettled prospects and indifferent circumstances are a greatconsolation to them. There will be a deplorable scene, whenever weare married. It will be much more like a funeral, than a wedding. Andthey'll all hate me for taking her away!'

His honest face, as he looked at me with a serio-comic shake of hishead, impresses me more in the remembrance than it did in the reality,for I was by this time in a state of such excessive trepidationand wandering of mind, as to be quite unable to fix my attention onanything. On our approaching the house where the Misses Spenlow lived,I was at such a discount in respect of my personal looks and presence ofmind, that Traddles proposed a gentle stimulant in the form of a glassof ale. This having been administered at a neighbouring public-house, heconducted me, with tottering steps, to the Misses Spenlow's door.

I had a vague sensation of being, as it were, on view, when the maidopened it; and of wavering, somehow, across a hall with a weather-glassin it, into a quiet little drawing-room on the ground-floor, commandinga neat garden. Also of sitting down here, on a sofa, and seeingTraddles's hair start up, now his hat was removed, like one of thoseobtrusive little figures made of springs, that fly out of fictitioussnuff-boxes when the lid is taken off. Also of hearing an old-fashionedclock ticking away on the chimney-piece, and trying to make it keep timeto the jerking of my heart,--which it wouldn't. Also of looking roundthe room for any sign of Dora, and seeing none. Also of thinking thatJip once barked in the distance, and was instantly choked by somebody.Ultimately I found myself backing Traddles into the fireplace, andbowing in great confusion to two dry little elderly ladies, dressed inblack, and each looking wonderfully like a preparation in chip or tan ofthe late Mr. Spenlow.

'Pray,' said one of the two little ladies, 'be seated.'

When I had done tumbling over Traddles, and had sat upon something whichwas not a cat--my first seat was--I so far recovered my sight, as toperceive that Mr. Spenlow had evidently been the youngest of thefamily; that there was a disparity of six or eight years between thetwo sisters; and that the younger appeared to be the manager of theconference, inasmuch as she had my letter in her hand--so familiar asit looked to me, and yet so odd!--and was referring to it through aneye-glass. They were dressed alike, but this sister wore her dress witha more youthful air than the other; and perhaps had a trifle more frill,or tucker, or brooch, or bracelet, or some little thing of that kind,which made her look more lively. They were both upright in theircarriage, formal, precise, composed, and quiet. The sister who hadnot my letter, had her arms crossed on her breast, and resting on eachother, like an Idol.

'Mr. Copperfield, I believe,' said the sister who had got my letter,addressing herself to Traddles.

This was a frightful beginning. Traddles had to indicate that I was Mr.Copperfield, and I had to lay claim to myself, and they had to divestthemselves of a preconceived opinion that Traddles was Mr. Copperfield,and altogether we were in a nice condition. To improve it, we alldistinctly heard Jip give two short barks, and receive another choke.

'Mr. Copperfield!' said the sister with the letter.

I did something--bowed, I suppose--and was all attention, when the othersister struck in.

'My sister Lavinia,' said she 'being conversant with matters of thisnature, will state what we consider most calculated to promote thehappiness of both parties.'

I discovered afterwards that Miss Lavinia was an authority in affairsof the heart, by reason of there having anciently existed a certain Mr.Pidger, who played short whist, and was supposed to have been enamouredof her. My private opinion is, that this was entirely a gratuitousassumption, and that Pidger was altogether innocent of any suchsentiments--to which he had never given any sort of expression thatI could ever hear of. Both Miss Lavinia and Miss Clarissa had asuperstition, however, that he would have declared his passion, if hehad not been cut short in his youth (at about sixty) by over-drinkinghis constitution, and over-doing an attempt to set it right again byswilling Bath water. They had a lurking suspicion even, that he died ofsecret love; though I must say there was a picture of him in the housewith a damask nose, which concealment did not appear to have ever preyedupon.

'We will not,' said Miss Lavinia, 'enter on the past history of thismatter. Our poor brother Francis's death has cancelled that.'

'We had not,' said Miss Clarissa, 'been in the habit of frequentassociation with our brother Francis; but there was no decided divisionor disunion between us. Francis took his road; we took ours. Weconsidered it conducive to the happiness of all parties that it shouldbe so. And it was so.'

Each of the sisters leaned a little forward to speak, shook her headafter speaking, and became upright again when silent. Miss Clarissanever moved her arms. She sometimes played tunes upon them with herfingers--minuets and marches I should think--but never moved them.

'Our niece's position, or supposed position, is much changed by ourbrother Francis's death,' said Miss Lavinia; 'and therefore we considerour brother's opinions as regarded her position as being changed too. Wehave no reason to doubt, Mr. Copperfield, that you are a young gentlemanpossessed of good qualities and honourable character; or that you havean affection--or are fully persuaded that you have an affection--for ourniece.'

I replied, as I usually did whenever I had a chance, that nobody hadever loved anybody else as I loved Dora. Traddles came to my assistancewith a confirmatory murmur.

Miss Lavinia was going on to make some rejoinder, when Miss Clarissa,who appeared to be incessantly beset by a desire to refer to her brotherFrancis, struck in again:

'If Dora's mama,' she said, 'when she married our brother Francis, hadat once said that there was not room for the family at the dinner-table,it would have been better for the happiness of all parties.'

'Sister Clarissa,' said Miss Lavinia. 'Perhaps we needn't mind thatnow.'

'Sister Lavinia,' said Miss Clarissa, 'it belongs to the subject. Withyour branch of the subject, on which alone you are competent to speak, Ishould not think of interfering. On this branch of the subject I have avoice and an opinion. It would have been better for the happiness ofall parties, if Dora's mama, when she married our brother Francis, hadmentioned plainly what her intentions were. We should then have knownwhat we had to expect. We should have said "Pray do not invite us,at any time"; and all possibility of misunderstanding would have beenavoided.'

When Miss Clarissa had shaken her head, Miss Lavinia resumed: againreferring to my letter through her eye-glass. They both had littlebright round twinkling eyes, by the way, which were like birds' eyes.They were not unlike birds, altogether; having a sharp, brisk, suddenmanner, and a little short, spruce way of adjusting themselves, likecanaries.

Miss Lavinia, as I have said, resumed:

'You ask permission of my sister Clarissa and myself, Mr. Copperfield,to visit here, as the accepted suitor of our niece.'

'If our brother Francis,' said Miss Clarissa, breaking out again, if Imay call anything so calm a breaking out, 'wished to surround himselfwith an atmosphere of Doctors' Commons, and of Doctors' Commons only,what right or desire had we to object? None, I am sure. We have everbeen far from wishing to obtrude ourselves on anyone. But why not sayso? Let our brother Francis and his wife have their society. Letmy sister Lavinia and myself have our society. We can find it forourselves, I hope.'

As this appeared to be addressed to Traddles and me, both Traddles andI made some sort of reply. Traddles was inaudible. I think I observed,myself, that it was highly creditable to all concerned. I don't in theleast know what I meant.

'Sister Lavinia,' said Miss Clarissa, having now relieved her mind, 'youcan go on, my dear.'

Miss Lavinia proceeded:

'Mr. Copperfield, my sister Clarissa and I have been very carefulindeed in considering this letter; and we have not considered it withoutfinally showing it to our niece, and discussing it with our niece. Wehave no doubt that you think you like her very much.'

'Think, ma'am,' I rapturously began, 'oh!--'

But Miss Clarissa giving me a look (just like a sharp canary), asrequesting that I would not interrupt the oracle, I begged pardon.

'Affection,' said Miss Lavinia, glancing at her sister forcorroboration, which she gave in the form of a little nod to everyclause, 'mature affection, homage, devotion, does not easily expressitself. Its voice is low. It is modest and retiring, it lies in ambush,waits and waits. Such is the mature fruit. Sometimes a life glides away,and finds it still ripening in the shade.'

Of course I did not understand then that this was an allusion to hersupposed experience of the stricken Pidger; but I saw, from the gravitywith which Miss Clarissa nodded her head, that great weight was attachedto these words.

'The light--for I call them, in comparison with such sentiments, thelight--inclinations of very young people,' pursued Miss Lavinia, 'aredust, compared to rocks. It is owing to the difficulty of knowingwhether they are likely to endure or have any real foundation, thatmy sister Clarissa and myself have been very undecided how to act, Mr.Copperfield, and Mr.--'

'Traddles,' said my friend, finding himself looked at.

'I beg pardon. Of the Inner Temple, I believe?' said Miss Clarissa,again glancing at my letter.

Traddles said 'Exactly so,' and became pretty red in the face.

Now, although I had not received any express encouragement as yet, Ifancied that I saw in the two little sisters, and particularly in MissLavinia, an intensified enjoyment of this new and fruitful subject ofdomestic interest, a settling down to make the most of it, a dispositionto pet it, in which there was a good bright ray of hope. I thoughtI perceived that Miss Lavinia would have uncommon satisfaction insuperintending two young lovers, like Dora and me; and that MissClarissa would have hardly less satisfaction in seeing her superintendus, and in chiming in with her own particular department of the subjectwhenever that impulse was strong upon her. This gave me courage toprotest most vehemently that I loved Dora better than I could tell, oranyone believe; that all my friends knew how I loved her; that my aunt,Agnes, Traddles, everyone who knew me, knew how I loved her, and howearnest my love had made me. For the truth of this, I appealed toTraddles. And Traddles, firing up as if he were plunging into aParliamentary Debate, really did come out nobly: confirming me in goodround terms, and in a plain sensible practical manner, that evidentlymade a favourable impression.

'I speak, if I may presume to say so, as one who has some littleexperience of such things,' said Traddles, 'being myself engaged to ayoung lady--one of ten, down in Devonshire--and seeing no probability,at present, of our engagement coming to a termination.'

'You may be able to confirm what I have said, Mr. Traddles,' observedMiss Lavinia, evidently taking a new interest in him, 'of the affectionthat is modest and retiring; that waits and waits?'

'Entirely, ma'am,' said Traddles.

Miss Clarissa looked at Miss Lavinia, and shook her head gravely. MissLavinia looked consciously at Miss Clarissa, and heaved a little sigh.'Sister Lavinia,' said Miss Clarissa, 'take my smelling-bottle.'

Miss Lavinia revived herself with a few whiffs of aromaticvinegar--Traddles and I looking on with great solicitude the while; andthen went on to say, rather faintly:

'My sister and myself have been in great doubt, Mr. Traddles, whatcourse we ought to take in reference to the likings, or imaginarylikings, of such very young people as your friend Mr. Copperfield andour niece.'

'Our brother Francis's child,' remarked Miss Clarissa. 'If our brotherFrancis's wife had found it convenient in her lifetime (though she hadan unquestionable right to act as she thought best) to invite the familyto her dinner-table, we might have known our brother Francis's childbetter at the present moment. Sister Lavinia, proceed.'

Miss Lavinia turned my letter, so as to bring the superscription towardsherself, and referred through her eye-glass to some orderly-lookingnotes she had made on that part of it.

'It seems to us,' said she, 'prudent, Mr. Traddles, to bring thesefeelings to the test of our own observation. At present we know nothingof them, and are not in a situation to judge how much reality theremay be in them. Therefore we are inclined so far to accede to Mr.Copperfield's proposal, as to admit his visits here.'

'I shall never, dear ladies,' I exclaimed, relieved of an immense loadof apprehension, 'forget your kindness!'

'But,' pursued Miss Lavinia,--'but, we would prefer to regard thosevisits, Mr. Traddles, as made, at present, to us. We must guardourselves from recognizing any positive engagement between Mr.Copperfield and our niece, until we have had an opportunity--'

'Until YOU have had an opportunity, sister Lavinia,' said Miss Clarissa.

'Be it so,' assented Miss Lavinia, with a sigh--'until I have had anopportunity of observing them.'

'Copperfield,' said Traddles, turning to me, 'you feel, I am sure, thatnothing could be more reasonable or considerate.'

'Nothing!' cried I. 'I am deeply sensible of it.'

'In this position of affairs,' said Miss Lavinia, again referring toher notes, 'and admitting his visits on this understanding only, wemust require from Mr. Copperfield a distinct assurance, on his word ofhonour, that no communication of any kind shall take place between himand our niece without our knowledge. That no project whatever shall beentertained with regard to our niece, without being first submitted tous--' 'To you, sister Lavinia,' Miss Clarissa interposed.

'Be it so, Clarissa!' assented Miss Lavinia resignedly--'to me--andreceiving our concurrence. We must make this a most express and seriousstipulation, not to be broken on any account. We wished Mr. Copperfieldto be accompanied by some confidential friend today,' with aninclination of her head towards Traddles, who bowed, 'in order thatthere might be no doubt or misconception on this subject. If Mr.Copperfield, or if you, Mr. Traddles, feel the least scruple, in givingthis promise, I beg you to take time to consider it.'

I exclaimed, in a state of high ecstatic fervour, that not a moment'sconsideration could be necessary. I bound myself by the requiredpromise, in a most impassioned manner; called upon Traddles to witnessit; and denounced myself as the most atrocious of characters if I everswerved from it in the least degree.

'Stay!' said Miss Lavinia, holding up her hand; 'we resolved, before wehad the pleasure of receiving you two gentlemen, to leave you alonefor a quarter of an hour, to consider this point. You will allow us toretire.'

It was in vain for me to say that no consideration was necessary. Theypersisted in withdrawing for the specified time. Accordingly, theselittle birds hopped out with great dignity; leaving me to receive thecongratulations of Traddles, and to feel as if I were translated toregions of exquisite happiness. Exactly at the expiration of thequarter of an hour, they reappeared with no less dignity than they haddisappeared. They had gone rustling away as if their little dresses weremade of autumn-leaves: and they came rustling back, in like manner.

I then bound myself once more to the prescribed conditions.

'Sister Clarissa,' said Miss Lavinia, 'the rest is with you.'

Miss Clarissa, unfolding her arms for the first time, took the notes andglanced at them.

'We shall be happy,' said Miss Clarissa, 'to see Mr. Copperfield todinner, every Sunday, if it should suit his convenience. Our hour isthree.'

I bowed.

'In the course of the week,' said Miss Clarissa, 'we shall be happy tosee Mr. Copperfield to tea. Our hour is half-past six.'

I bowed again.

'Twice in the week,' said Miss Clarissa, 'but, as a rule, not oftener.'

I bowed again.

'Miss Trotwood,' said Miss Clarissa, 'mentioned in Mr. Copperfield'sletter, will perhaps call upon us. When visiting is better for thehappiness of all parties, we are glad to receive visits, and returnthem. When it is better for the happiness of all parties that novisiting should take place, (as in the case of our brother Francis, andhis establishment) that is quite different.'

I intimated that my aunt would be proud and delighted to make theiracquaintance; though I must say I was not quite sure of their gettingon very satisfactorily together. The conditions being now closed, Iexpressed my acknowledgements in the warmest manner; and, taking thehand, first of Miss Clarissa, and then of Miss Lavinia, pressed it, ineach case, to my lips.

Miss Lavinia then arose, and begging Mr. Traddles to excuse us for aminute, requested me to follow her. I obeyed, all in a tremble, and wasconducted into another room. There I found my blessed darling stoppingher ears behind the door, with her dear little face against the wall;and Jip in the plate-warmer with his head tied up in a towel.

Oh! How beautiful she was in her black frock, and how she sobbed andcried at first, and wouldn't come out from behind the door! How fond wewere of one another, when she did come out at last; and what a state ofbliss I was in, when we took Jip out of the plate-warmer, and restoredhim to the light, sneezing very much, and were all three reunited!

'My dearest Dora! Now, indeed, my own for ever!'

'Oh, DON'T!' pleaded Dora. 'Please!'

'Are you not my own for ever, Dora?'

'Oh yes, of course I am!' cried Dora, 'but I am so frightened!'

'Frightened, my own?'

'Oh yes! I don't like him,' said Dora. 'Why don't he go?'

'Who, my life?'

'Your friend,' said Dora. 'It isn't any business of his. What a stupidhe must be!'

'My love!' (There never was anything so coaxing as her childish ways.)'He is the best creature!'

'Oh, but we don't want any best creatures!' pouted Dora.

'My dear,' I argued, 'you will soon know him well, and like him of allthings. And here is my aunt coming soon; and you'll like her of allthings too, when you know her.'

'No, please don't bring her!' said Dora, giving me a horrifiedlittle kiss, and folding her hands. 'Don't. I know she's a naughty,mischief-making old thing! Don't let her come here, Doady!' which was acorruption of David.

Remonstrance was of no use, then; so I laughed, and admired, and wasvery much in love and very happy; and she showed me Jip's new trick ofstanding on his hind legs in a corner--which he did for about the spaceof a flash of lightning, and then fell down--and I don't know how long Ishould have stayed there, oblivious of Traddles, if Miss Lavinia had notcome in to take me away. Miss Lavinia was very fond of Dora (she toldme Dora was exactly like what she had been herself at her age--she musthave altered a good deal), and she treated Dora just as if she had beena toy. I wanted to persuade Dora to come and see Traddles, but on myproposing it she ran off to her own room and locked herself in; so Iwent to Traddles without her, and walked away with him on air.

'Nothing could be more satisfactory,' said Traddles; 'and they are veryagreeable old ladies, I am sure. I shouldn't be at all surprised if youwere to be married years before me, Copperfield.'

'Does your Sophy play on any instrument, Traddles?' I inquired, in thepride of my heart.

'She knows enough of the piano to teach it to her little sisters,' saidTraddles.

'Does she sing at all?' I asked.

'Why, she sings ballads, sometimes, to freshen up the others a littlewhen they're out of spirits,' said Traddles. 'Nothing scientific.'

'She doesn't sing to the guitar?' said I.

'Oh dear no!' said Traddles.

'Paint at all?'

'Not at all,' said Traddles.

I promised Traddles that he should hear Dora sing, and see some of herflower-painting. He said he should like it very much, and we went homearm in arm in great good humour and delight. I encouraged him to talkabout Sophy, on the way; which he did with a loving reliance on herthat I very much admired. I compared her in my mind with Dora, withconsiderable inward satisfaction; but I candidly admitted to myself thatshe seemed to be an excellent kind of girl for Traddles, too.

Of course my aunt was immediately made acquainted with the successfulissue of the conference, and with all that had been said and done in thecourse of it. She was happy to see me so happy, and promised to call onDora's aunts without loss of time. But she took such a long walk up anddown our rooms that night, while I was writing to Agnes, that I began tothink she meant to walk till morning.

My letter to Agnes was a fervent and grateful one, narrating all thegood effects that had resulted from my following her advice. She wrote,by return of post, to me. Her letter was hopeful, earnest, and cheerful.She was always cheerful from that time.

I had my hands more full than ever, now. My daily journeys to Highgateconsidered, Putney was a long way off; and I naturally wanted to gothere as often as I could. The proposed tea-drinkings being quiteimpracticable, I compounded with Miss Lavinia for permission to visitevery Saturday afternoon, without detriment to my privileged Sundays.So, the close of every week was a delicious time for me; and I gotthrough the rest of the week by looking forward to it.

I was wonderfully relieved to find that my aunt and Dora's auntsrubbed on, all things considered, much more smoothly than I could haveexpected. My aunt made her promised visit within a few days of theconference; and within a few more days, Dora's aunts called upon her,in due state and form. Similar but more friendly exchanges took placeafterwards, usually at intervals of three or four weeks. I know that myaunt distressed Dora's aunts very much, by utterly setting at naught thedignity of fly-conveyance, and walking out to Putney at extraordinarytimes, as shortly after breakfast or just before tea; likewise bywearing her bonnet in any manner that happened to be comfortable to herhead, without at all deferring to the prejudices of civilization on thatsubject. But Dora's aunts soon agreed to regard my aunt as an eccentricand somewhat masculine lady, with a strong understanding; and althoughmy aunt occasionally ruffled the feathers of Dora's aunts, by expressingheretical opinions on various points of ceremony, she loved me toowell not to sacrifice some of her little peculiarities to the generalharmony.

The only member of our small society who positively refused to adapthimself to circumstances, was Jip. He never saw my aunt withoutimmediately displaying every tooth in his head, retiring under a chair,and growling incessantly: with now and then a doleful howl, as if shereally were too much for his feelings. All kinds of treatment were triedwith him, coaxing, scolding, slapping, bringing him to BuckinghamStreet (where he instantly dashed at the two cats, to the terror of allbeholders); but he never could prevail upon himself to bear myaunt's society. He would sometimes think he had got the better of hisobjection, and be amiable for a few minutes; and then would put up hissnub nose, and howl to that extent, that there was nothing for it butto blind him and put him in the plate-warmer. At length, Dora regularlymuffled him in a towel and shut him up there, whenever my aunt wasreported at the door.

One thing troubled me much, after we had fallen into this quiet train.It was, that Dora seemed by one consent to be regarded like a pretty toyor plaything. My aunt, with whom she gradually became familiar, alwayscalled her Little Blossom; and the pleasure of Miss Lavinia's life wasto wait upon her, curl her hair, make ornaments for her, and treat herlike a pet child. What Miss Lavinia did, her sister did as a matter ofcourse. It was very odd to me; but they all seemed to treat Dora, in herdegree, much as Dora treated Jip in his.

I made up my mind to speak to Dora about this; and one day when we wereout walking (for we were licensed by Miss Lavinia, after a while, togo out walking by ourselves), I said to her that I wished she could getthem to behave towards her differently.

'Because you know, my darling,' I remonstrated, 'you are not a child.'

'There!' said Dora. 'Now you're going to be cross!'

'Cross, my love?'

'I am sure they're very kind to me,' said Dora, 'and I am very happy--'

'Well! But my dearest life!' said I, 'you might be very happy, and yetbe treated rationally.'

Dora gave me a reproachful look--the prettiest look!--and then began tosob, saying, if I didn't like her, why had I ever wanted so much to beengaged to her? And why didn't I go away, now, if I couldn't bear her?

What could I do, but kiss away her tears, and tell her how I doted onher, after that!

'I am sure I am very affectionate,' said Dora; 'you oughtn't to be cruelto me, Doady!'

'Cruel, my precious love! As if I would--or could--be cruel to you, forthe world!'

'Then don't find fault with me,' said Dora, making a rosebud of hermouth; 'and I'll be good.'

I was charmed by her presently asking me, of her own accord, to giveher that cookery-book I had once spoken of, and to show her how to keepaccounts as I had once promised I would. I brought the volume with me onmy next visit (I got it prettily bound, first, to make it look less dryand more inviting); and as we strolled about the Common, I showed her anold housekeeping-book of my aunt's, and gave her a set of tablets, anda pretty little pencil-case and box of leads, to practise housekeepingwith.

But the cookery-book made Dora's head ache, and the figures made hercry. They wouldn't add up, she said. So she rubbed them out, and drewlittle nosegays and likenesses of me and Jip, all over the tablets.

Then I playfully tried verbal instruction in domestic matters, as wewalked about on a Saturday afternoon. Sometimes, for example, when wepassed a butcher's shop, I would say:

'Now suppose, my pet, that we were married, and you were going to buy ashoulder of mutton for dinner, would you know how to buy it?'

My pretty little Dora's face would fall, and she would make her mouthinto a bud again, as if she would very much prefer to shut mine with akiss.

'Would you know how to buy it, my darling?' I would repeat, perhaps, ifI were very inflexible.

Dora would think a little, and then reply, perhaps, with great triumph:

'Why, the butcher would know how to sell it, and what need I know? Oh,you silly boy!'

So, when I once asked Dora, with an eye to the cookery-book, what shewould do, if we were married, and I were to say I should like a niceIrish stew, she replied that she would tell the servant to make it; andthen clapped her little hands together across my arm, and laughed insuch a charming manner that she was more delightful than ever.

Consequently, the principal use to which the cookery-book was devoted,was being put down in the corner for Jip to stand upon. But Dora was sopleased, when she had trained him to stand upon it without offering tocome off, and at the same time to hold the pencil-case in his mouth,that I was very glad I had bought it.

And we fell back on the guitar-case, and the flower-painting, and thesongs about never leaving off dancing, Ta ra la! and were as happy asthe week was long. I occasionally wished I could venture to hint to MissLavinia, that she treated the darling of my heart a little too much likea plaything; and I sometimes awoke, as it were, wondering to find thatI had fallen into the general fault, and treated her like a playthingtoo--but not often.