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  David　Copperfield
  walked　along　the　path　towards　the　house；　glancing　at　the
  windows；　and　fearing　at　every　step　to　see　Mr。　Murdstone　or　Miss
  Murdstone　lowering　out　of　one　of　them。　No　face　appeared；
  however；　and　being　come　to　the　house；　and　knowing　how　to　open
  the　door；　before　dark；　without　knocking；　I　went　in　with　a　quiet；
  timid　step。
  God　knows　how　infantine　the　memory　may　have　been；　that　was
  awakened　within　me　by　the　sound　of　my　mother’s　voice　in　the　old
  parlour；　when　I　set　foot　in　the　hall。　She　was　singing　in　a　low　tone。　I
  think　I　must　have　lain　in　her　arms；　and　heard　her　singing　so　to　me
  when　I　was　but　a　baby。　The　strain　was　new　to　me；　and　yet　it　was　so
  old　that　it　filled　my　heart　brim…full；　like　a　friend　come　back　from　a
  long　absence。
  I　believed；　from　the　solitary　and　thoughtful　way　in　which　my
  mother　murmured　her　song；　that　she　was　alone。　And　I　went　softly
  into　the　room。　She　was　sitting　by　the　fire；　suckling　an　infant；
  whose　tiny　hand　she　held　against　her　neck。　Her　eyes　were　looking
  down　upon　its　face；　and　she　sat　singing　to　it。　I　was　so　far　right；　that
  she　had　no　other　companion。
  I　spoke　to　her；　and　she　started；　and　cried　out。　But　seeing　me；
  she　called　me　her　dear　Davy；　her　own　boy！　and　coming　half　across
  the　room　to　meet　me；　kneeled　down　upon　the　ground　and　kissed
  me；　and　laid　my　head　down　on　her　bosom　near　the　little　creature
  that　was　nestling　there；　and　put　its　hand　to　my　lips。
  I　wish　I　had　died。　I　wish　I　had　died　then；　with　that　feeling　in　my
  heart！　I　should　have　been　more　fit　for　Heaven　than　I　ever　have
  been　since。
  ‘He　is　your　brother；’　said　my　mother；　fondling　me。　‘Davy；　my
  pretty　boy！　My　poor　child！’　Then　she　kissed　me　more　and　more；
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  and　clasped　me　round　the　neck。　This　she　was　doing　when
  Peggotty　came　running　in；　and　bounced　down　on　the　ground
  beside　us；　and　went　mad　about　us　both　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour。
  It　seemed　that　I　had　not　been　expected　so　soon；　the　carrier
  being　much　before　his　usual　time。　It　seemed；　too；　that　Mr。　and
  Miss　Murdstone　had　gone　out　upon　a　visit　in　the　neighbourhood；
  and　would　not　return　before　night。　I　had　never　hoped　for　this。　I
  had　never　thought　it　possible　that　we　three　could　be　together
  undisturbed；　once　more；　and　I　felt；　for　the　time；　as　if　the　old　days
  were　come　back。
  We　dined　together　by　the　fireside。　Peggotty　was　in　attendance
  to　wait　upon　us；　but　my　mother　wouldn’t　let　her　do　it；　and　made
  her　dine　with　us。　I　had　my　own　old　plate；　with　a　brown　view　of　a
  man…of…war　in　full　sail　upon　it；　which　Peggotty　had　hoarded
  somewhere　all　the　time　I　had　been　away；　and　would　not　have　had
  broken；　she　said；　for　a　hundred　pounds。　I　had　my　own　old　mug
  with　David　on　it；　and　my　own　old　little　knife　and　fork　that　wouldn’t
  cut。
  While　we　were　at　table；　I　thought　it　a　favourable　occasion　to　tell
  Peggotty　about　Mr。　Barkis；　who；　before　I　had　finished　what　I　had
  to　tell　her；　began　to　laugh；　and　throw　her　apron　over　her　face。
  ‘Peggotty；’　said　my　mother。　‘What’s　the　matter？’
  Peggotty　only　laughed　the　more；　and　held　her　apron　tight　over
  her　face　when　my　mother　tried　to　pull　it　away；　and　sat　as　if　her
  head　were　in　a　bag。
  ‘What　are　you　doing；　you　stupid　creature？’　said　my　mother；
  laughing。
  ‘Oh；　drat　the　man！’　cried　Peggotty。　‘He　wants　to　marry　me。’
  ‘It　would　be　a　very　good　match　for　you；　wouldn’t　it？’　said　my
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  mother。
  ‘Oh！　I　don’t　know；’　said　Peggotty。　‘Don’t　ask　me。　I　wouldn’t　have
  him　if　he　was　made　of　gold。　Nor　I　wouldn’t　have　anybody。’
  ‘Then；　why　don’t　you　tell　him　so；　you　ridiculous　thing？’　said　my
  mother。
  ‘Tell　him　so；’　retorted　Peggotty；　looking　out　of　her　apron。　‘He
  has　never　said　a　word　to　me　about　it。　He　knows　better。　If　he　was　to
  make　so　bold　as　say　a　word　to　me；　I　should　slap　his　face。’
  Her　own　was　as　red　as　ever　I　saw　it；　or　any　other　face；　I　think；
  but　she　only　covered　it　again；　for　a　few　moments　at　a　time；　when
  she　was　taken　with　a　violent　fit　of　laughter；　and　after　two　or　three
  of　those　attacks；　went　on　with　her　dinner。
  I　remarked　that　my　mother；　though　she　smiled　when　Peggotty
  looked　at　her；　became　more　serious　and　thoughtful。　I　had　seen　at
  first　that　she　was　changed。　Her　face　was　very　pretty　still；　but　it
  looked　careworn；　and　too　delicate；　and　her　hand　was　so　thin　and
  white　that　it　seemed　to　me　to　be　almost　transparent。　But　the
  change　to　which　I　now　refer　was　superadded　to　this：　it　was　in　her
  manner；　which　became　anxious　and　fluttered。　At　last　she　said；
  putting　out　her　hand；　and　laying　it　affectionately　on　the　hand　of
  her　old　servant；
  ‘Peggotty；　dear；　you　are　not　going　to　be　married？’
  ‘Me；　ma’am？’　returned　Peggotty；　staring。　‘Lord　bless　you；　no！’
  ‘Not　just　yet？’　said　my　mother；　tenderly。
  ‘Never！’　cried　Peggotty。
  My　mother　took　her　hand；　and　said：
  ‘Don’t　leave　me；　Peggotty。　Stay　with　me。　It　will　not　be　for　long；
  perhaps。　What　should　I　ever　do　without　you！’
  ‘Me　leave　you；　my　precious！’　cried　Peggotty。　‘Not　for　all　the
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  world　and　his　wife。　Why；　what’s　put　that　in　your　silly　little
  head？’—For　Peggotty　had　been　used　of　old　to　talk　to　my　mother
  sometimes　like　a　child。
  But　my　mother　made　no　answer；　except　to　thank　her；　and
  Peggotty　went　running　on　in　her　own　fashion。
  ‘Me　leave　you？　I　think　I　see　myself。　Peggotty　go　away　from　you？
  I　should　like　to　catch　her　at　it！　No；　no；　no；’　said　Peggotty；　shaking
  her　head；　and　folding　her　arms；　‘not　she；　my　dear。　It　isn’t　that
  there　ain’t　some　Cats　that　would　be　well　enough　pleased　if　she　did；
  but　they　sha’n’t　be　pleased。　They　shall　be　aggravated。　I’ll　stay　with
  you　till　I　am　a　cross　cranky　old　woman。　And　when　I’m　too　deaf；
  and　too　lame；　and　too　blind；　and　too　mumbly　for　want　of　teeth；　to
  be　of　any　use　at　all；　even　to　be　found　fault　with；　than　I　shall　go　to
  my　Davy；　and　ask　him　to　take　me　in。’
  ‘And；　Peggotty；’　says　I；　‘I　shall　be　glad　to　see　you；　and　I’ll　make
  you　as　welcome　as　a　queen。’
  ‘Bless　your　dear　heart！’　cried　Peggotty。　‘I　know　you　will！’　And
  she　kissed　me　beforehand；　in　grateful　acknowledgement　of　my
  hospitality。　After　that；　she　covered　her　head　up　with　her　apron
  again　and　had　another　laugh　about　Mr。　Barkis。　After　that；　she　took
  the　baby　out　of　its　little　cradle；　and　nursed　it。　After　that；　she
  cleared　the　dinner　table；　after　that；　came　in　with　another　cap　on；
  and　her　work…box；　and　the　yard…measure；　and　the　bit　of　wax…
  candle；　all　just　the　same　as　ever。
  We　sat　round　the　fire；　and　talked　delightfully。　I　told　them　what
  a　hard　master　Mr。　Creakle　was；　and　they　pitied　me　very　much。　I
  told　them　what　a　fine　fellow　Steerforth　was；　and　what　a　patron　of
  mine；　and　Peggotty　said　she　would　walk　a　score　of　miles　to　see
  him。　I　took　the　little　baby　in　my　arms　when　it　was　awake；　and
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  nursed　it　lovingly。　When　it　was　asleep　again；　I　crept　close　to　my
  mother’s　side　according　to　my　old　custom；　broken　now　a　long
  time；　and　sat　with　my　arms　embracing　her　waist；　and　my　little　red
  cheek　on　her　shoulder；　and　once　more　felt　her　beautiful　hair
  drooping　over　me—like　an　angel’s　wing　as　I　used　to　think；　I
  recollect—and　was　very　happy　indeed。
  While　I　sat　thus；　looking　at　the　fire；　and　seeing　pictures　in　the
  red…hot　coals；　I　almost　believed　that　I　had　never　been　away；　that
  Mr。　and　Miss　Murdstone　were　such　pictures；　and　would　vanish
  when　the　fire　got　low；　and　that　there　was　nothing　real　in　all　that　I
  remembered；　save　my　mother；　Peggotty；　and　I。
  Peggotty　darned　away　at　a　stocking　as　long　as　she　could　see；
  and　then　sat　with　it　drawn　on　her　left　hand　like　a　glove；　and　her
  needle　in　her　right；　ready　to　take　another　stitch　whenever　there
  was　a　blaze。　I　cannot　conceive　whose　stockings　they　can　have　been
  that　Peggotty　was　always　darning；　or　where　such　an　unfailing
  supply　of　stockings　in　want　of　darning　can　have　come　from。　From
  my　earliest　infancy　she　seems　to　have　been　always　employed　in
  that　class　of　needlework；　and　never　by　any　chance　in　any　other。
  ‘I　wonder；’　said　Peggotty；　who　was　sometimes　seized　with　a　fit
  of　wondering　on　some　most　unexpected　topic；　‘what’s　become　of
  Davy’s　great…aunt？’
  ‘Lor；　Peggotty！’　observed　my　mother；　rousing　herself　from　a
  reverie；　‘what　nonsense　you　talk！’
  ‘Well；　but　I　really　do　wonder；　ma’am；’　said　Peggotty。
  ‘What　can　have　put　such　a　person　in　your　head？’　inquired　my
  mother。　‘Is　there　nobody　else　in　the　world　to　come　there？’
  ‘I　don’t　know　how　it　is；’　said　Peggotty；　‘unless　it’s　on　account　of
  being　stupid；　but　my　head　never　can　pick　and　choose　its　people。
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  They　come　and　they　go；　and　they　don’t　come　and　they　don’t　go；
  just　as　they　like。　I　wonder　what’s　become　of　her？’
  ‘How　absurd　you　are；　Peggotty！’　returned　my　mother。　‘One
  would　suppose　you　wanted　a　second