very　poor　man；　sir！’
  ‘I　am　sorry　to　hear　it；　Mr。　Barkis。’
  ‘A　very　poor　man；　indeed　I　am；’　said　Mr。　Barkis。
  Here　his　right　hand　came　slowly　and　feebly　from　under　the
  bedclothes；　and　with　a　purposeless　uncertain　grasp　took　hold　of　a
  stick　which　was　loosely　tied　to　the　side　of　the　bed。　After　some
  poking　about　with　this　instrument；　in　the　course　of　which　his　face
  assumed　a　variety　of　distracted　expressions；　Mr。　Barkis　poked　it
  against　a　box；　an　end　of　which　had　been　visible　to　me　all　the　time。
  Then　his　face　became　composed。
  ‘Old　clothes；’　said　Mr。　Barkis。
  ‘Oh！’　said　I。
  ‘I　wish　it　was　Money；　sir；’　said　Mr。　Barkis。
  ‘I　wish　it　was；　indeed；’　said　I。
  ‘But　it　ain’t；’　said　Mr。　Barkis；　opening　both　his　eyes　as　wide　as
  he　possibly　could。
  I　expressed　myself　quite　sure　of　that；　and　Mr。　Barkis；　turning
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  his　eyes　more　gently　to　his　wife；　said：
  ‘She’s　the　usefullest　and　best　of　women；　C。　P。　Barkis。　All　the
  praise　that　anyone　can　give　to　C。　P。　Barkis；　she　deserves；　and
  more！　My　dear；　you’ll　get　a　dinner　today；　for　company；　something
  good　to　eat　and　drink；　will　you？’
  I　should　have　protested　against　this　unnecessary　demonstration
  in　my　honour；　but　that　I　saw　Peggotty；　on　the　opposite　side　of　the
  bed；　extremely　anxious　I　should　not。　So　I　held　my　peace。
  ‘I　have　got　a　trifle　of　money　somewhere　about　me；　my　dear；’
  said　Mr。　Barkis；　‘but　I’m　a　little　tired。　If　you　and　Mr。　David　will
  leave　me　for　a　short　nap；　I’ll　try　and　find　it　when　I　wake。’
  We　left　the　room；　in　compliance　with　this　request。　When　we　got
  outside　the　door；　Peggotty　informed　me　that　Mr。　Barkis；　being
  now　‘a　little　nearer’　than　he　used　to　be；　always　resorted　to　this
  same　device　before　producing　a　single　coin　from　his　store；　and
  that　he　endured　unheard…of　agonies　in　crawling　out　of　bed　alone；
  and　taking　it　from　that　unlucky　box。　In　effect；　we　presently　heard
  him　uttering　suppressed　groans　of　the　most　dismal　nature；　as　this
  magpie　proceeding　racked　him　in　every　joint；　but　while　Peggotty’s
  eyes　were　full　of　compassion　for　him；　she　said　his　generous
  impulse　would　do　him　good；　and　it　was　better　not　to　check　it。　So
  he　groaned　on；　until　he　had　got　into　bed　again；　suffering；　I　have　no
  doubt；　a　martyrdom；　and　then　called　us　in；　pretending　to　have　just
  woke　up　from　a　refreshing　sleep；　and　to　produce　a　guinea　from
  under　his　pillow。　His　satisfaction　in　which　happy　imposition　on　us；
  and　in　having　preserved　the　impenetrable　secret　of　the　box；
  appeared　to　be　a　sufficient　compensation　to　him　for　all　his
  tortures。
  I　prepared　Peggotty　for　Steerforth’s　arrival　and　it　was　not　long
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  before　he　came。　I　am　persuaded　she　knew　no　difference　between
  his　having　been　a　personal　benefactor　of　hers；　and　a　kind　friend　to
  me；　and　that　she　would　have　received　him　with　the　utmost
  gratitude　and　devotion　in　any　case。　But　his　easy；　spirited　good
  humour；　his　genial　manner；　his　handsome　looks；　his　natural　gift　of
  adapting　himself　to　whomsoever　he　pleased；　and　making　direct；
  when　he　cared　to　do　it；　to　the　main　point　of　interest　in　anybody’s
  heart；　bound　her　to　him　wholly　in　five　minutes。　His　manner　to　me；
  alone；　would　have　won　her。　But；　through　all　these　causes
  combined；　I　sincerely　believe　she　had　a　kind　of　adoration　for　him
  before　he　left　the　house　that　night。
  He　stayed　there　with　me　to　dinner—if　I　were　to　say　willingly；　I
  should　not　half　express　how　readily　and　gaily。　He　went　into　Mr。
  Barkis’s　room　like　light　and　air；　brightening　and　refreshing　it　as　if
  he　were　healthy　weather。　There　was　no　noise；　no　effort；　no
  consciousness；　in　anything　he　did；　but　in　everything　an
  indescribable　lightness；　a　seeming　impossibility　of　doing　anything
  else；　or　doing　anything　better；　which　was　so　graceful；　so　natural；
  and　agreeable；　that　it　overcomes　me；　even　now；　in　the
  remembrance。
  We　made　merry　in　the　little　parlour；　where　the　Book　of
  Martyrs；　unthumbed　since　my　time；　was　laid　out　upon　the　desk　as
  of　old；　and　where　I　now　turned　over　its　terrific　pictures；
  remembering　the　old　sensations　they　had　awakened；　but　not
  feeling　them。　When　Peggotty　spoke　of　what　she　called　my　room；
  and　of　its　being　ready　for　me　at　night；　and　of　her　hoping　I　would
  occupy　it；　before　I　could　so　much　as　look　at　Steerforth；　hesitating；
  he　was　possessed　of　the　whole　case。
  ‘Of　course；’　he　said。　‘You’ll　sleep　here；　while　we　stay；　and　I　shall
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  sleep　at　the　hotel。’
  ‘But　to　bring　you　so　far；’　I　returned；　‘and　to　separate；　seems　bad
  companionship；　Steerforth。’
  ‘Why；　in　the　name　of　Heaven；　where　do　you　naturally　belong？’
  he　said。　‘What　is　“seems”；　compared　to　that？’　It　was　settled　at
  once。
  He　maintained　all　his　delightful　qualities　to　the　last；　until　we
  started　forth；　at　eight　o’clock；　for　Mr。　Peggotty’s　boat。　Indeed；　they
  were　more　and　more　brightly　exhibited　as　the　hours　went　on；　for　I
  thought　even　then；　and　I　have　no　doubt　now；　that　the
  consciousness　of　success　in　his　determination　to　please；　inspired
  him　with　a　new　delicacy　of　perception；　and　made　it；　subtle　as　it
  was；　more　easy　to　him。　If　anyone　had　told　me；　then；　that　all　this
  was　a　brilliant　game；　played　for　the　excitement　of　the　moment；　for
  the　employment　of　high　spirits；　in　the　thoughtless　love　of
  superiority；　in　a　mere　wasteful　careless　course　of　winning　what
  was　worthless　to　him；　and　next　minute　thrown　away—I　say；　if
  anyone　had　told　me　such　a　lie　that　night；　I　wonder　in　what　manner
  of　receiving　it　my　indignation　would　have　found　a　vent！　Probably
  only　in　an　increase；　had　that　been　possible；　of　the　romantic
  feelings　of　fidelity　and　friendship　with　which　I　walked　beside　him；
  over　the　dark　wintry　sands　towards　the　old　boat；　the　wind　sighing
  around　us　even　more　mournfully；　than　it　had　sighed　and　moaned
  upon　the　night　when　I　first　darkened　Mr。　Peggotty’s　door。
  ‘This　is　a　wild　kind　of　place；　Steerforth；　is　it　not？’
  ‘Dismal　enough　in　the　dark；’　he　said：　‘and　the　sea　roars　as　if　it
  were　hungry　for　us。　Is　that　the　boat；　where　I　see　a　light　yonder？’
  ‘That’s　the　boat；’　said　I。
  ‘And　it’s　the　same　I　saw　this　morning；’　he　returned。　‘I　came
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  straight　to　it；　by　instinct；　I　suppose。’
  We　said　no　more　as　we　approached　the　light；　but　made　softly
  for　the　door。　I　laid　my　hand　upon　the　latch；　and　whispering
  Steerforth　to　keep　close　to　me；　went　in。
  A　murmur　of　voices　had　been　audible　on　the　outside；　and；　at　the
  moment　of　our　entrance；　a　clapping　of　hands：　which　latter　noise；　I
  was　surprised　to　see；　proceeded　from　the　generally　disconsolate
  Mrs。　Gummidge。　But　Mrs。　Gummidge　was　not　the　only　person
  there　who　was　unusually　excited。　Mr。　Peggotty；　his　face　lighted　up
  with　uncommon　satisfaction；　and　laughing　with　all　his　might；　held
  his　rough　arms　wide　open；　as　if　for　little　Em’ly　to　run　into　them；
  Ham；　with　a　mixed　expression　in　his　face　of　admiration；
  exultation；　and　a　lumbering　sort　of　bashfulness　that　sat　upon　him
  very　well；　held　little　Em’ly　by　the　hand；　as　if　he　were　presenting
  her　to　Mr。　Peggotty；　little　Em’ly　herself；　blushing　and　shy；　but
  delighted　with　Mr。　Peggotty’s　delight；　as　her　joyous　eyes
  expressed；　was　stopped　by　our　entrance　（for　she　saw　us　first）　in
  the　very　act　of　springing　from　Ham　to　nestle　in　Mr。　Peggotty’s
  embrace。　In　the　first　glimpse　we　had　of　them　all；　and　at　the
  moment　of　our　passing　from　the　dark　cold　night　into　the　warm
  light　room；　this　was　the　way　in　which　they　were　all　employed：　Mrs。
  Gummidge　in　the　background；　clapping　her　hands　like　a
  madwoman。
  The　little　picture　was　so　instantaneously　dissolved　by　our　going
  in；　that　one　might　have　doubted　whether　it　had　ever　been。　I　was　in
  the　midst　of　the　astonished　family；　face　to　face　with　Mr。　Peggotty；
  and　holding　out　my　hand　to　him；　when　Ham　shouted：
  ‘Mas’r　Davy！　It’s　Mas’r　Davy！’
  In　a　moment　we　were　all　shaking　hands　with　one　another；　and
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  asking　one　another　how　we　did；　and　telling　one　another　how　glad
  we　were　to　meet；　and　all　talking　at　once。　Mr。　Peggotty　was　so
  proud　and　overjoyed　to　see　us；　that　he　did　not　know　what　to　say　or
  do；　but　kept　over　and　over　again　shaking　hands　with　me；　and　then
  with　Steerforth；　and　then　with　me；　and　then　ruffling　his　shaggy
  hair　all　over　his　head；　and　laughing　with　such　glee　and　triumph；
  that　it　was　a　treat　to　see　him。
  ‘Why；　that　you　two　gent’lmen—gent’lmen　growed—should
  come　to　this　here　roof　tonight；　of　all　nights　in　my　life；’　said　Mr。
  Peggotty；　‘is　such　a　thing　as　never　happened　afore；　I　do　rightly
  believe！　Em’ly；　my　darling；　come　here！　Come　here；　my　little　witch！
  There’s　Mas’r　Davy’s　friend；　my　dear！　There’s　the　gent’lman　as
  you’ve　heerd　on；　Em’ly。　He　comes　to　see　you；　along　with　Mas’r
  Davy；　on　the　brightest　night　of　your　uncle’s　life　as　ever　was　or　will
  be；　Gorm　the　t’other　one；　and　horroar　for　it！’