her　any　warning　of　what　impended。　Thus　it　was　that　we　parted
  without　explanation：　she　waving　her　hand　and　smiling　farewell
  from　the　coach　window；　her　evil　genius　writhing　on　the　roof；　as　if
  he　had　her　in　his　clutches　and　triumphed。
  I　could　not　get　over　this　farewell　glimpse　of　them　for　a　long
  time。　When　Agnes　wrote　to　tell　me　of　her　safe　arrival；　I　was　as
  miserable　as　when　I　saw　her　going　away。　Whenever　I　fell　into　a
  thoughtful　state；　this　subject　was　sure　to　present　itself；　and　all　my
  uneasiness　was　sure　to　be　redoubled。　Hardly　a　night　passed
  without　my　dreaming　of　it。　It　became　a　part　of　my　life；　and　as
  inseparable　from　my　life　as　my　own　head。
  I　had　ample　leisure　to　refine　upon　my　uneasiness：　for
  Steerforth　was　at　Oxford；　as　he　wrote　to　me；　and　when　I　was　not　at
  the　Commons；　I　was　very　much　alone。　I　believe　I　had　at　this　time
  some　lurking　distrust　of　Steerforth。　I　wrote　to　him　most
  affectionately　in　reply　to　his；　but　I　think　I　was　glad；　upon　the
  whole；　that　he　could　not　come　to　London　just　then。　I　suspect　the
  truth　to　be；　that　the　influence　of　Agnes　was　upon　me；　undisturbed
  by　the　sight　of　him；　and　that　it　was　the　more　powerful　with　me；
  because　she　had　so　large　a　share　in　my　thoughts　and　interest。
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  David　Copperfield
  In　the　meantime；　days　and　weeks　slipped　away。　I　was　articled　to
  Spenlow　and　Jorkins。　I　had　ninety　pounds　a　year　（exclusive　of　my
  house…rent　and　sundry　collateral　matters）　from　my　aunt。　My
  rooms　were　engaged　for　twelve　months　certain：　and　though　I　still
  found　them　dreary　of　an　evening；　and　the　evenings　long；　I　could
  settle　down　into　a　state　of　equable　low　spirits；　and　resign　myself　to
  coffee；　which　I　seem；　on　looking　back；　to　have　taken　by　the　gallon
  at　about　this　period　of　my　existence。　At　about　this　time；　too；　I
  made　three　discoveries：　first；　that　Mrs。　Crupp　was　a　martyr　to　a
  curious　disorder　called　‘the　spazzums’；　which　was　generally
  accompanied　with　inflammation　of　the　nose；　and　required　to　be
  constantly　treated　with　peppermint；　secondly；　that　something
  peculiar　in　the　temperature　of　my　pantry；　made　the　brandy…bottles
  burst；　thirdly；　that　I　was　alone　in　the　world；　and　much　given　to
  record　that　circumstance　in　fragments　of　English　versification。
  On　the　day　when　I　was　articled；　no　festivity　took　place；　beyond
  my　having　sandwiches　and　sherry　into　the　office　for　the　clerks；
  and　going　alone　to　the　theatre　at　night。　I　went　to　see　The　Stranger；
  as　a　Doctors’　Commons　sort　of　play；　and　was　so　dreadfully　cut　up；
  that　I　hardly　knew　myself　in　my　own　glass　when　I　got　home。　Mr。
  Spenlow　remarked；　on　this　occasion；　when　we　concluded　our
  business；　that　he　should　have　been　happy　to　have　seen　me　at　his
  house　at　Norwood　to　celebrate　our　becoming　connected；　but　for
  his　domestic　arrangements　being　in　some　disorder；　on　account　of
  the　expected　return　of　his　daughter　from　finishing　her　education
  at　Paris。　But；　he　intimated　that　when　she　came　home　he　should
  hope　to　have　the　pleasure　of　entertaining　me。　I　knew　that　he　was　a
  widower　with　one　daughter；　and　expressed　my
  acknowledgements。
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  David　Copperfield
  Mr。　Spenlow　was　as　good　as　his　word。　In　a　week　or　two；　he
  referred　to　this　engagement；　and　said；　that　if　I　would　do　him　the
  favour　to　come　down　next　Saturday；　and　stay　till　Monday；　he
  would　be　extremely　happy。　Of　course　I　said　I　would　do　him　the
  favour；　and　he　was　to　drive　me　down　in　his　phaeton；　and　to　bring
  me　back。
  When　the　day　arrived；　my　very　carpet…bag　was　an　object　of
  veneration　to　the　stipendiary　clerks；　to　whom　the　house　at
  Norwood　was　a　sacred　mystery。　One　of　them　informed　me　that　he
  had　heard　that　Mr。　Spenlow　ate　entirely　off　plate　and　china；　and
  another　hinted　at　champagne　being　constantly　on　draught；　after
  the　usual　custom　of　table…beer。　The　old　clerk　with　the　wig；　whose
  name　was　Mr。　Tiffey；　had　been　down　on　business　several　times　in
  the　course　of　his　career；　and　had　on　each　occasion　penetrated　to
  the　breakfast…parlour。　He　described　it　as　an　apartment　of　the　most
  sumptuous　nature；　and　said　that　he　had　drunk　brown　East　India
  sherry　there；　of　a　quality　so　precious　as　to　make　a　man　wink。　We
  had　an　adjourned　cause　in　the　Consistory　that　day—about
  excommunicating　a　baker　who　had　been　objecting　in　a　vestry　to　a
  paving…rate—and　as　the　evidence　was　just　twice　the　length　of
  Robinson　Crusoe；　according　to　a　calculation　I　made；　it　was　rather
  late　in　the　day　before　we　finished。　However；　we　got　him
  excommunicated　for　six　weeks；　and　sentenced　in　no　end　of　costs；
  and　then　the　baker’s　proctor；　and　the　judge；　and　the　advocates　on
  both　sides　（who　were　all　nearly　related）；　went　out　of　town　together；
  and　Mr。　Spenlow　and　I　drove　away　in　the　phaeton。
  The　phaeton　was　a　very　handsome　affair；　the　horses　arched
  their　necks　and　lifted　up　their　legs　as　if　they　knew　they　belonged
  to　Doctors’　Commons。　There　was　a　good　deal　of　competition　in　the
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  Commons　on　all　points　of　display；　and　it　turned　out　some　very
  choice　equipages　then；　though　I　always　have　considered；　and
  always　shall　consider；　that　in　my　time　the　great　article　of
  competition　there　was　starch：　which　I　think　was　worn　among　the
  proctors　to　as　great　an　extent　as　it　is　in　the　nature　of　man　to　bear。
  We　were　very　pleasant；　going　down；　and　Mr。　Spenlow　gave　me
  some　hints　in　reference　to　my　profession。　He　said　it　was　the
  genteelest　profession　in　the　world；　and　must　on　no　account　be
  confounded　with　the　profession　of　a　solicitor：　being　quite　another
  sort　of　thing；　infinitely　more　exclusive；　less　mechanical；　and　more
  profitable。　We　took　things　much　more　easily　in　the　Commons　than
  they　could　be　taken　anywhere　else；　he　observed；　and　that　set　us；　as
  a　privileged　class；　apart。　He　said　it　was　impossible　to　conceal　the
  disagreeable　fact；　that　we　were　chiefly　employed　by　solicitors；　but
  he　gave　me　to　understand　that　they　were　an　inferior　race　of　men；
  universally　looked　down　upon　by　all　proctors　of　any　pretensions。
  I　asked　Mr。　Spenlow　what　he　considered　the　best　sort　of
  professional　business？　He　replied；　that　a　good　case　of　a　disputed
  will；　where　there　was　a　neat　little　estate　of　thirty　or　forty　thousand
  pounds；　was；　perhaps；　the　best　of　all。　In　such　a　case；　he　said；　not
  only　were　there　very　pretty　pickings；　in　the　way　of　arguments　at
  every　stage　of　the　proceedings；　and　mountains　upon　mountains　of
  evidence　on　interrogatory　and　counter…interrogatory　（to　say
  nothing　of　an　appeal　lying；　first　to　the　Delegates；　and　then　to　the
  Lords）；　but；　the　costs　being　pretty　sure　to　come　out　of　the　estate　at
  last；　both　sides　went　at　it　in　a　lively　and　spirited　manner；　and
  expense　was　no　consideration。　Then；　he　launched　into　a　general
  eulogium　on　the　Commons。　What　was　to　be　particularly　admired
  （he　said）　in　the　Commons；　was　its　compactness。　It　was　the　most
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  David　Copperfield
  conveniently　organized　place　in　the　world。　It　was　the　complete
  idea　of　snugness。　It　lay　in　a　nutshell。　For　example：　You　brought　a
  divorce　case；　or　a　restitution　case；　into　the　Consistory。　Very　good。
  You　tried　it　in　the　Consistory。　You　made　a　quiet　little　round　game
  of　it；　among　a　family　group；　and　you　played　it　out　at　leisure。
  Suppose　you　were　not　satisfied　with　the　Consistory；　what　did　you
  do　then？　Why；　you　went　into　the　Arches。　What　was　the　Arches？
  The　same　court；　in　the　same　room；　with　the　same　bar；　and　the
  same　practitioners；　but　another　judge；　for　there　the　Consistory
  judge　could　plead　any　court…day　as　an　advocate。　Well；　you　played
  your　round　game　out　again。　Still　you　were　not　satisfied。　Very　good。
  What　did　you　do　then？　Why；　you　went　to　the　Delegates。　Who　were
  the　Delegates？　Why；　the　Ecclesiastical　Delegates　were　the
  advocates　without　any　business；　who　had　looked　on　at　the　round
  game　when　it　was　playing　in　both　courts；　and　had　seen　the　cards
  shuffled；　and　cut；　and　played；　and　had　talked　to　all　the　players
  about　it；　and　now　came　fresh；　as　judges；　to　settle　the　matter　to　the
  satisfaction　of　everybody！　Discontented　people　might　talk　of
  corruption　in　the　Commons；　closeness　in　the　Commons；　and　the
  necessity　of　reforming　the　Commons；　said　Mr。　Spenlow　solemnly；
  in　conclusion；　but　when　the　price　of　wheat　per　bushel　had　been
  highest；　the　Commons　had　been　busiest；　and　a　man　might　lay　his
  hand　upon　his　heart；　and　say　this　to　the　whole　world；—‘Touch　the
  Commons；　and　down　comes　the　country！’
  I　listened　to　all　this　with　attention；　and　though；　I　must　say；　I　had
  my　doubts　whether　the　country　was　quite　as　much　obliged　to　the
  Commons　as　Mr。　Spenlow　made　out；　I　respectfully　deferred　to　his
  opinion。　That　about　the　price　of　wheat　per　bushel；　I　modestly　felt
  was　too　much　for　my　strength；　and　quite　settled　the　question。　I
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  have　never；　to　this　hour；　got　the　better　of　that　bushel　of　wheat。　It
  has　reappeared　to　annihilate　me；　all　through　my　life；　in　connexion
  with　all　kinds　of　subjects。　I　don’t　know　now；　exactly；　what　it　has　to
  do　wit