him　long　myself；　though　he　was　a　friend　of　my　aunt’s。
  ‘Oh；　indeed；　Master　Copperfield；’　said　Uriah。　‘Your　aunt　is　a
  sweet　lady；　Master　Copperfield！’
  He　had　a　way　of　writhing　when　he　wanted　to　express
  enthusiasm；　which　was　very　ugly；　and　which　diverted　my　attention
  from　the　compliment　he　had　paid　my　relation；　to　the　snaky
  twistings　of　his　throat　and　body。
  ‘A　sweet　lady；　Master　Copperfield！’　said　Uriah　Heep。　‘She　has　a
  great　admiration　for　Miss　Agnes；　Master　Copperfield；　I　believe？’
  I　said；　‘Yes；’　boldly；　not　that　I　knew　anything　about　it；　Heaven
  forgive　me！
  ‘I　hope　you　have；　too；　Master　Copperfield；’　said　Uriah。　‘But　I　am
  sure　you　must　have。’
  ‘Everybody　must　have；’　I　returned。
  ‘Oh；　thank　you；　Master　Copperfield；’　said　Uriah　Heep；　‘for　that
  remark！　It　is　so　true！　Umble　as　I　am；　I　know　it　is　so　true！　Oh；　thank
  you；　Master　Copperfield！’　He　writhed　himself　quite　off　his　stool　in
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  the　excitement　of　his　feelings；　and；　being　off；　began　to　make
  arrangements　for　going　home。
  ‘Mother　will　be　expecting　me；’　he　said；　referring　to　a　pale；
  inexpressive…faced　watch　in　his　pocket；　‘and　getting　uneasy；　for
  though　we　are　very　umble；　Master　Copperfield；　we　are　much
  attached　to　one　another。　If　you　would　come　and　see　us；　any
  afternoon；　and　take　a　cup　of　tea　at　our　lowly　dwelling；　mother
  would　be　as　proud　of　your　company　as　I　should　be。’
  I　said　I　should　be　glad　to　come。
  ‘Thank　you；　Master　Copperfield；’　returned　Uriah；　putting　his
  book　away　upon　the　shelf—‘I　suppose　you　stop　here；　some　time；
  Master　Copperfield？’
  I　said　I　was　going　to　be　brought　up　there；　I　believed；　as　long　as　I
  remained　at　school。
  ‘Oh；　indeed！’　exclaimed　Uriah。　‘I　should　think　you　would　come
  into　the　business　at　last；　Master　Copperfield！’
  I　protested　that　I　had　no　views　of　that　sort；　and　that　no　such
  scheme　was　entertained　in　my　behalf　by　anybody；　but　Uriah
  insisted　on　blandly　replying　to　all　my　assurances；　‘Oh；　yes；　Master
  Copperfield；　I　should　think　you　would；　indeed！’　and；　‘Oh；　indeed；
  Master　Copperfield；　I　should　think　you　would；　certainly！’　over　and
  over　again。　Being；　at　last；　ready　to　leave　the　office　for　the　night；　he
  asked　me　if　it　would　suit　my　convenience　to　have　the　light　put　out；
  and　on　my　answering　‘Yes；’　instantly　extinguished　it。　After
  shaking　hands　with　me—his　hand　felt　like　a　fish；　in　the　dark—he
  opened　the　door　into　the　street　a　very　little；　and　crept　out；　and
  shut　it；　leaving　me　to　grope　my　way　back　into　the　house：　which
  cost　me　some　trouble　and　a　fall　over　his　stool。　This　was　the
  proximate　cause；　I　suppose；　of　my　dreaming　about　him；　for　what
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  appeared　to　me　to　be　half　the　night；　and　dreaming；　among　other
  things；　that　he　had　launched　Mr。　Peggotty’s　house　on　a　piratical
  expedition；　with　a　black　flag　at　the　masthead；　bearing　the
  inscription　‘Tidd’s　Practice’；　under　which　diabolical　ensign　he　was
  carrying　me　and　little　Em’ly　to　the　Spanish　Main；　to　be　drowned。
  I　got　a　little　the　better　of　my　uneasiness　when　I　went　to　school
  next　day；　and　a　good　deal　the　better　next　day；　and　so　shook　it　off
  by　degrees；　that　in　less　than　a　fortnight　I　was　quite　at　home；　and
  happy；　among　my　new　companions。　I　was　awkward　enough　in
  their　games；　and　backward　enough　in　their　studies；　but　custom
  would　improve　me　in　the　first　respect；　I　hoped；　and　hard　work　in
  the　second。　Accordingly；　I　went　to　work　very　hard；　both　in　play
  and　in　earnest；　and　gained　great　commendation。　And；　in　a　very
  little　while；　the　Murdstone　and　Grinby　life　became　so　strange　to
  me　that　I　hardly　believed　in　it；　while　my　present　life　grew　so
  familiar；　that　I　seemed　to　have　been　leading　it　a　long　time。
  Doctor　Strong’s　was　an　excellent　school；　as　different　from　Mr。
  Creakle’s　as　good　is　from　evil。　It　was　very　gravely　and　decorously
  ordered；　and　on　a　sound　system；　with　an　appeal；　in　everything；　to
  the　honour　and　good　faith　of　the　boys；　and　an　avowed　intention　to
  rely　on　their　possession　of　those　qualities　unless　they　proved
  themselves　unworthy　of　it；　which　worked　wonders。　We　all　felt　that
  we　had　a　part　in　the　management　of　the　place；　and　in　sustaining
  its　character　and　dignity。　Hence；　we　soon　became　warmly　attached
  to　it—I　am　sure　I　did　for　one；　and　I　never　knew；　in　all　my　time；　of
  any　other　boy　being　otherwise—and　learnt　with　a　good　will；
  desiring　to　do　it　credit。　We　had　noble　games　out　of　hours；　and
  plenty　of　liberty；　but　even　then；　as　I　remember；　we　were　well
  spoken　of　in　the　town；　and　rarely　did　any　disgrace；　by　our
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  appearance　or　manner；　to　the　reputation　of　Doctor　Strong　and
  Doctor　Strong’s　boys。
  Some　of　the　higher　scholars　boarded　in　the　Doctor’s　house；　and
  through　them　I　learned；　at　second　hand；　some　particulars　of　the
  Doctor’s　history—as；　how　he　had　not　yet　been　married　twelve
  months　to　the　beautiful　young　lady　I　had　seen　in　the　study；　whom
  he　had　married　for　love；　for　she　had　not　a　sixpence；　and　had　a
  world　of　poor　relations　（so　our　fellows　said）　ready　to　swarm　the
  Doctor　out　of　house　and　home。　Also；　how　the　Doctor’s　cogitating
  manner　was　attributable　to　his　being　always　engaged　in　looking
  out　for　Greek　roots；　which；　in　my　innocence　and　ignorance；　I
  supposed　to　be　a　botanical　furor　on　the　Doctor’s　part；　especially　as
  he　always　looked　at　the　ground　when　he　walked　about；　until　I
  understood　that　they　were　roots　of　words；　with　a　view　to　a　new
  Dictionary　which　he　had　in　contemplation。　Adams；　our　head…boy；
  who　had　a　turn　for　mathematics；　had　made　a　calculation；　I　was
  informed；　of　the　time　this　Dictionary　would　take　in　completing；　on
  the　Doctor’s　plan；　and　at　the　Doctor’s　rate　of　going。　He　considered
  that　it　might　be　done　in　one　thousand　six　hundred　and　forty…nine
  years；　counting　from　the　Doctor’s　last；　or　sixty…second；　birthday。
  But　the　Doctor　himself　was　the　idol　of　the　whole　school：　and　it
  must　have　been　a　badly　composed　school　if　he　had　been　anything
  else；　for　he　was　the　kindest　of　men；　with　a　simple　faith　in　him　that
  might　have　touched　the　stone　hearts　of　the　very　urns　upon　the
  wall。　As　he　walked　up　and　down　that　part　of　the　courtyard　which
  was　at　the　side　of　the　house；　with　the　stray　rooks　and　jackdaws
  looking　after　him　with　their　heads　cocked　slyly；　as　if　they　knew
  how　much　more　knowing　they　were　in　worldly　affairs　than　he；　if
  any　sort　of　vagabond　could　only　get　near　enough　to　his　creaking
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
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  shoes　to　attract　his　attention　to　one　sentence　of　a　tale　of　distress；
  that　vagabond　was　made　for　the　next　two　days。　It　was　so　notorious
  in　the　house；　that　the　masters　and　head…boys　took　pains　to　cut
  these　marauders　off　at　angles；　and　to　get　out　of　windows；　and　turn
  them　out　of　the　courtyard；　before　they　could　make　the　Doctor
  aware　of　their　presence；　which　was　sometimes　happily　effected
  within　a　few　yards　of　him；　without　his　knowing　anything　of　the
  matter；　as　he　jogged　to　and　fro。　Outside　his　own　domain；　and
  unprotected；　he　was　a　very　sheep　for　the　shearers。　He　would　have
  taken　his　gaiters　off　his　legs；　to　give　away。　In　fact；　there　was　a　story
  current　among　us　（I　have　no　idea；　and　never　had；　on　what
  authority；　but　I　have　believed　it　for　so　many　years　that　I　feel　quite
  certain　it　is　true）；　that　on　a　frosty　day；　one　winter…time；　he　actually
  did　bestow　his　gaiters　on　a　beggar…woman；　who　occasioned　some
  scandal　in　the　neighbourhood　by　exhibiting　a　fine　infant　from　door
  to　door；　wrapped　in　those　garments；　which　were　universally
  recognized；　being　as　well　known　in　the　vicinity　as　the　Cathedral。
  The　legend　added　that　the　only　person　who　did　not　identify　them
  was　the　Doctor　himself；　who；　when　they　were　shortly　afterwards
  displayed　at　the　door　of　a　little　second…hand　shop　of　no　very　good
  repute；　where　such　things　were　taken　in　exchange　for　gin；　was
  more　than　once　observed　to　handle　them　approvingly；　as　if
  admiring　some　curious　novelty　in　the　pattern；　and　considering
  them　an　improvement　on　his　own。
  It　was　very　pleasant　to　see　the　Doctor　with　his　pretty　young
  wife。　He　had　a　fatherly；　benignant　way　of　showing　his　fondness　for
  her；　which　seemed　in　itself　to　express　a　good　man。　I　often　saw
  them　walking　in　the　garden　where　the　peaches　were；　and　I
  sometimes　had　a　nearer　observation　of　them　in　the　study　or　the
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
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  parlour。　She　appeared　to　me　to　take　great　care　of　the　Doctor；　and
  to　like　him　very　much；　though　I　never　thought　her　vitally
  interested　in　the　Dictionary：　some　cumbrous　fragments　of　which
  work　the　Doctor　always　carried　in　his　pockets；　and　in　the　lining　of
  his　hat；　and　generally　seemed　to　be　expounding　to　her　as　they
  walked　about。
  I　saw　a　good　deal　of　Mrs。　Strong；　both　because　she　had　taken　a
  liking　for　me　on　the　morning　of　my　introduction　to　the　Doctor；　and
  was　always　afterwards　kind　to　me；　and　interested　in　me；　and
  because　she　was　very　fond　of　Agnes；　and　was　often　back