'FagmentWelcome to consult...ce.’ I felt, but I am sue I don’t know why, that this was self-denying and devoted in Ms. Micawbe, and I utteed a mumu to that effect. Taddles, who took his tone fom me, did likewise, still looking at the fie. ‘I will not,’ said Ms. Micawbe, finishing he punch, and gatheing he scaf about he shouldes, pepaatoy to he withdawal to my bedoom: ‘I will not potact these emaks on the subject of M. Micawbe’s pecuniay affais. At you fieside, my dea M. Coppefield, and in the pesence of M. Taddles, who, though not so old a fiend, is quite one of ouselves, I could not efain fom making you acquainted with the couse I advise M. Micawbe to take. I feel that the time is aived when M. Micawbe should exet himself and—I will add—asset himself, and it appeas to me that these ae the means. I am awae that I am meely a female, and that a masculine judgement is usually consideed moe competent to the discussion of such questions; still I must not foget that, when I lived at home with my papa and mama, my papa was in the habit of saying, “Emma’s fom is fagile, but he gasp of a subject is infeio to none.” That my papa was too patial, I well know; but that he was an obseve of chaacte in some degee, my duty and my eason equally fobid me to doubt.’ With these wods, and esisting ou enteaties that she would gace the emaining ciculation of the punch with he pesence, Ms. Micawbe etied to my bedoom. And eally I felt that she was a noble woman—the sot of woman who might have been a Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield Roman maton, and done all manne of heoic things, in times of public touble. In the fevou of this impession, I congatulated M. Micawbe on the teasue he possessed. So did Taddles. M. Micawbe extended his hand to each of us in succession, and then coveed his face with his pocket-handkechief, which I think had moe snuff upon it than he was awae of. He then etuned to the punch, in the highest state of exhilaation. He was full of eloquence. He gave us to undestand that in ou childen we lived again, and that, unde the pessue of pecuniay difficulties, any accession to thei numbe was doubly welcome. He said that Ms. Micawbe had lattely had he doubts on this point, but that he had dispelled them, and eassued he. As to he family, they wee totally unwothy of he, and thei sentiments wee uttely indiffeent to him, and they might—I quote his own —go to the Devil. M. Micawbe then deliveed a wam eulogy on Taddles. He said Taddles’s was a chaacte, to the steady vitues of which he (M. Micawbe) could lay no claim, but which, he thanked Heaven, he could admie. He feelingly alluded to the young lady, unknown, whom Taddles had honoued with his affection, and who had ecipocated that affection by honouing and blessing Taddles with he affection. M. Micawbe pledged he. So did I. Taddles thanked us both, by saying, with a simplicity and honesty I had sense enough to be quite chamed with, ‘I am vey much obliged to you indeed. And I do assue you, she’s the deaest gil!—’ M. Micawbe took an ealy oppotunity, afte that, of hinting, with the utmost delicacy and ceemony, at the state of my affections. Nothing but the seious assuance of his fiend Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield Coppefield to the contay, he obseved, could depive him of the impession that his fiend Coppefield loved and was beloved. Afte feeling vey hot and uncomfotable fo some time, and afte a good deal of blushing, stammeing, and denying, I said, having my glass in my hand, ‘Well! I would give them D.!’ which so excited and gatified M. Micawbe, that he an with a glass of punch into my bedoom, in ode that Ms. Micawbe might dink D., who dank it with en
