weights　that　she　was　quite　unequal　to；　and　fagging　to　and　fro　on
  all　sorts　of　unnecessary　errands。　As　to　deploring　her　misfortunes；
  she　appeared　to　have　entirely　lost　the　recollection　of　ever　having
  had　any。　She　preserved　an　equable　cheerfulness　in　the　midst　of
  her　sympathy；　which　was　not　the　least　astonishing　part　of　the
  change　that　had　come　over　her。　Querulousness　was　out　of　the
  question。　I　did　not　even　observe　her　voice　to　falter；　or　a　tear　to
  escape　from　her　eyes；　the　whole　day　through；　until　twilight；　when
  she　and　I　and　Mr。　Peggotty　being　alone　together；　and　he　having
  fallen　asleep　in　perfect　exhaustion；　she　broke　into　a　half…
  suppressed　fit　of　sobbing　and　crying；　and　taking　me　to　the　door；
  said；　‘Ever　bless　you；　Mas’r　Davy；　be　a　friend　to　him；　poor　dear！’
  Then；　she　immediately　ran　out　of　the　house　to　wash　her　face；　in
  order　that　she　might　sit　quietly　beside　him；　and　be　found　at　work
  there；　when　he　should　awake。　In　short　I　left　her；　when　I　went　away
  at　night；　the　prop　and　staff　of　Mr。　Peggotty’s　affliction；　and　I　could
  not　meditate　enough　upon　the　lesson　that　I　read　in　Mrs。
  Gummidge；　and　the　new　experience　she　unfolded　to　me。
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  It　was　between　nine　and　ten　o’clock　when；　strolling　in　a
  melancholy　manner　through　the　town；　I　stopped　at　Mr。　Omer’s
  door。　Mr。　Omer　had　taken　it　so　much　to　heart；　his　daughter　told
  me；　that　he　had　been　very　low　and　poorly　all　day；　and　had　gone　to
  bed　without　his　pipe。
  ‘A　deceitful；　bad…hearted　girl；’　said　Mrs。　Joram。　‘There　was　no
  good　in　her；　ever！’
  ‘Don’t　say　so；’　I　returned。　‘You　don’t　think　so。’
  ‘Yes；　I　do！’　cried　Mrs。　Joram；　angrily。
  ‘No；　no；’　said　I。
  Mrs。　Joram　tossed　her　head；　endeavouring　to　be　very　stern　and
  cross；　but　she　could　not　command　her　softer　self；　and　began　to　cry。
  I　was　young；　to　be　sure；　but　I　thought　much　the　better　of　her　for
  this　sympathy；　and　fancied　it　became　her；　as　a　virtuous　wife　and
  mother；　very　well　indeed。
  ‘What　will　she　ever　do！’　sobbed　Minnie。　‘Where　will　she　go！
  What　will　become　of　her！　Oh；　how　could　she　be　so　cruel；　to　herself
  and　him！’
  I　remembered　the　time　when　Minnie　was　a　young　and　pretty
  girl；　and　I　was　glad　she　remembered　it　too；　so　feelingly。
  ‘My　little　Minnie；’　said　Mrs。　Joram；　‘has　only　just　now　been　got
  to　sleep。　Even　in　her　sleep　she　is　sobbing　for　Em’ly。　All　day　long；
  little　Minnie　has　cried　for　her；　and　asked　me；　over　and　over　again；
  whether　Em’ly　was　wicked？　What　can　I　say　to　her；　when　Em’ly
  tied　a　ribbon　off　her　own　neck　round　little　Minnie’s　the　last　night
  she　was　here；　and　laid　her　head　down　on　the　pillow　beside　her　till
  she　was　fast　asleep！　The　ribbon’s　round　my　little　Minnie’s　neck
  now。　It　ought　not　to　be；　perhaps；　but　what　can　I　do？　Em’ly　is　very
  bad；　but　they　were　fond　of　one　another。　And　the　child　knows
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  nothing！’
  Mrs。　Joram　was　so　unhappy　that　her　husband　came　out　to　take
  care　of　her。　Leaving　them　together；　I　went　home　to　Peggotty’s；
  more　melancholy　myself；　if　possible；　than　I　had　been　yet。
  That　good　creature—I　mean　Peggotty—all　untired　by　her　late
  anxieties　and　sleepless　nights；　was　at　her　brother’s；　where　she
  meant　to　stay　till　morning。　An　old　woman；　who　had　been
  employed　about　the　house　for　some　weeks　past；　while　Peggotty
  had　been　unable　to　attend　to　it；　was　the　house’s　only　other
  occupant　besides　myself。　As　I　had　no　occasion　for　her　services；　I
  sent　her　to　bed；　by　no　means　against　her　will；　and　sat　down　before
  the　kitchen　fire　a　little　while；　to　think　about　all　this。
  I　was　blending　it　with　the　deathbed　of　the　late　Mr。　Barkis；　and
  was　driving　out　with　the　tide　towards　the　distance　at　which　Ham
  had　looked　so　singularly　in　the　morning；　when　I　was　recalled　from
  my　wanderings　by　a　knock　at　the　door。　There　was　a　knocker　upon
  the　door；　but　it　was　not　that　which　made　the　sound。　The　tap　was
  from　a　hand；　and　low　down　upon　the　door；　as　if　it　were　given　by　a
  child。
  It　made　me　start　as　much　as　if　it　had　been　the　knock　of　a
  footman　to　a　person　of　distinction。　I　opened　the　door；　and　at　first
  looked　down；　to　my　amazement；　on　nothing　but　a　great　umbrella
  that　appeared　to　be　walking　about　of　itself。　But　presently　I
  discovered　underneath　it；　Miss　Mowcher。
  I　might　not　have　been　prepared　to　give　the　little　creature　a　very
  kind　reception；　if；　on　her　removing　the　umbrella；　which　her
  utmost　efforts　were　unable　to　shut　up；　she　had　shown　me　the
  ‘volatile’　expression　of　face　which　had　made　so　great　an
  impression　on　me　at　our　first　and　last　meeting。　But　her　face；　as　she
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  turned　it　up　to　mine；　was　so　earnest；　and　when　I　relieved　her　of
  the　umbrella　（which　would　have　been　an　inconvenient　one　for　the
  Irish　Giant）；　she　wrung　her　little　hands　in　such　an　afflicted
  manner；　that　I　rather　inclined　towards　her。
  ‘Miss　Mowcher！’　said　I；　after　glancing　up　and　down　the　empty
  street；　without　distinctly　knowing　what　I　expected　to　see　besides；
  ‘how　do　you　come　here？　What　is　the　matter？’　She　motioned　to　me
  with　her　short　right　arm；　to　shut　the　umbrella　for　her；　and　passing
  me　hurriedly；　went　into　the　kitchen。　When　I　had　closed　the　door；
  and　followed；　with　the　umbrella　in　my　hand；　I　found　her　sitting　on
  the　corner　of　the　fender—it　was　a　low　iron　one；　with　two　flat　bars
  at　top　to　stand　plates　upon—in　the　shadow　of　the　boiler；　swaying
  herself　backwards　and　forwards；　and　chafing　her　hands　upon　her
  knees　like　a　person　in　pain。
  Quite　alarmed　at　being　the　only　recipient　of　this　untimely　visit；
  and　the　only　spectator　of　this　portentous　behaviour；　I　exclaimed
  again；　‘Pray　tell　me；　Miss　Mowcher；　what　is　the　matter！　are　you
  ill？’
  ‘My　dear　young　soul；’　returned　Miss　Mowcher；　squeezing　her
  hands　upon　her　heart　one　over　the　other。　‘I　am　ill　here；　I　am　very
  ill。　To　think　that　it　should　come　to　this；　when　I　might　have　known
  it　and　perhaps　prevented　it；　if　I　hadn’t　been　a　thoughtless　fool！’
  Again　her　large　bonnet　（very　disproportionate　to　the　figure）
  went　backwards　and　forwards；　in　her　swaying　of　her　little　body　to
  and　fro；　while　a　most　gigantic　bonnet　rocked；　in　unison　with　it；
  upon　the　wall。
  ‘I　am　surprised；’　I　began；　‘to　see　you　so　distressed　and
  serious’—when　she　interrupted　me。
  ‘Yes；　it’s　always　so！’　she　said。　‘They　are　all　surprised；　these
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  inconsiderate　young　people；　fairly　and　full　grown；　to　see　any
  natural　feeling　in　a　little　thing　like　me！　They　make　a　plaything　of
  me；　use　me　for　their　amusement；　throw　me　away　when　they　are
  tired；　and　wonder　that　I　feel　more　than　a　toy　horse　or　a　wooden
  soldier！　Yes；　yes；　that’s　the　way。　The　old　way！’
  ‘It　may　be；　with　others；’　I　returned；　‘but　I　do　assure　you　it　is　not
  with　me。　Perhaps　I　ought　not　to　be　at　all　surprised　to　see　you　as
  you　are　now：　I　know　so　little　of　you。　I　said；　without　consideration；
  what　I　thought。’
  ‘What　can　I　do？’　returned　the　little　woman；　standing　up；　and
  holding　out　her　arms　to　show　herself。　‘See！　What　I　am；　my　father
  was；　and　my　sister　is；　and　my　brother　is。　I　have　worked　for　sister
  and　brother　these　many　years—hard；　Mr。　Copperfield—all　day。　I
  must　live。　I　do　no　harm。　If　there　are　people　so　unreflecting　or　so
  cruel；　as　to　make　a　jest　of　me；　what　is　left　for　me　to　do　but　to　make
  a　jest　of　myself；　them；　and　everything？　If　I　do　so；　for　the　time；
  whose　fault　is　that？　Mine？’
  No。　Not　Miss　Mowcher’s；　I　perceived。
  ‘If　I　had　shown　myself　a　sensitive　dwarf　to　your　false　friend；’
  pursued　the　little　woman；　shaking　her　head　at　me；　with
  reproachful　earnestness；　‘how　much　of　his　help　or　good　will　do　you
  think　I　should　ever　have　had？　If　little　Mowcher　（who　had　no　hand；
  young　gentleman；　in　the　making　of　herself）　addressed　herself　to
  him；　or　the　like　of　him；　because　of　her　misfortunes；　when　do　you
  suppose　her　small　voice　would　have　been　heard？　Little　Mowcher
  would　have　as　much　need　to　live；　if　she　was　the　bitterest　and
  dullest　of　pigmies；　but　she　couldn’t　do　it。　No。　She　might　whistle　for
  her　bread　and　butter　till　she　died　of　Air。’
  Miss　Mowcher　sat　down　on　the　fender　again；　and　took　out　her
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  handkerchief；　and　wiped　her　eyes。
  ‘Be　thankful　for　me；　if　you　have　a　kind　heart；　as　I　think　you
  have；’　she　said；　‘that　while　I　know　well　what　I　am；　I　can　be　cheerful
  and　endure　it　all。　I　am　thankful　for　myself；　at　any　rate；　that　I　can
  find　my　tiny　way　through　the　world；　without　being　beholden　to
  anyone；　and　that　in　return　for　all　that　is　thrown　at　me；　in　folly　or
  vanity；　as　I　go　along；　I　can　throw　bubbles　back。　If　I　don’t　brood
  over　all　I　want；　it　is　the　better　for　me；　and　not　the　worse　for
  anyone。　If　I　am　a　plaything　for　you　giants；　be　gentle　with　me。’
  Miss　Mowcher　replaced　her　handkerchief　in　her　pocket；　looking
  at　me　with　very　intent　expression　all　the　while；　and　pursued：
  ‘I　saw　you　in　the　street　just　now。　You　may　suppose　I　am　not
  abl