would　be　one　of　the　dearest　girls　that　ever　was；　in　anybody’s　eyes
  （I　should　think）。　But　when　I　say　the　eldest　is　a　Beauty；　I　mean　she
  really　is　a—’　he　seemed　to　be　describing　clouds　about　himself；　with
  both　hands：　‘Splendid；　you　know；’　said　Traddles；　energetically。
  ‘Indeed！’　said　I。
  ‘Oh；　I　assure　you；’　said　Traddles；　‘something　very　uncommon；
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  indeed！　Then；　you　know；　being　formed　for　society　and　admiration；
  and　not　being　able　to　enjoy　much　of　it　in　consequence　of　their
  limited　means；　she　naturally　gets　a　little　irritable　and　exacting；
  sometimes。　Sophy　puts　her　in　good　humour！’
  ‘Is　Sophy　the　youngest？’　I　hazarded。
  ‘Oh　dear；　no！’　said　Traddles；　stroking　his　chin。　‘The　two
  youngest　are　only　nine　and　ten。　Sophy　educates　’em。’
  ‘The　second　daughter；　perhaps？’　I　hazarded。
  ‘No；’　said　Traddles。　‘Sarah’s　the　second。　Sarah　has　something
  the　matter　with　her　spine；　poor　girl。　The　malady　will　wear　out　by
  and　by；　the　doctors　say；　but　in　the　meantime　she　has　to　lie　down
  for　a　twelvemonth。　Sophy　nurses　her。　Sophy’s　the　fourth。’
  ‘Is　the　mother　living？’　I　inquired。
  ‘Oh　yes；’　said　Traddles；　‘she　is　alive。　She　is　a　very　superior
  woman　indeed；　but　the　damp　country　is　not　adapted　to　her
  constitution；　and—in　fact；　she　has　lost　the　use　of　her　limbs。’
  ‘Dear　me！’　said　I。
  ‘Very　sad；　is　it　not？’　returned　Traddles。　‘But　in　a　merely
  domestic　view　it　is　not　so　bad　as　it　might　be；　because　Sophy　takes
  her　place。　She　is　quite　as　much　a　mother　to　her　mother；　as　she　is
  to　the　other　nine。’
  I　felt　the　greatest　admiration　for　the　virtues　of　this　young　lady；
  and；　honestly　with　the　view　of　doing　my　best　to　prevent　the　good…
  nature　of　Traddles　from　being　imposed　upon；　to　the　detriment　of
  their　joint　prospects　in　life；　inquired　how　Mr。　Micawber　was？
  ‘He　is　quite　well；　Copperfield；　thank　you；’　said　Traddles。　‘I　am
  not　living　with　him　at　present。’
  ‘No？’
  ‘No。　You　see　the　truth　is；’　said　Traddles；　in　a　whisper；　‘he　had
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  changed　his　name　to　Mortimer；　in　consequence　of　his　temporary
  embarrassments；　and　he　don’t　come　out　till　after　dark—and　then
  in　spectacles。　There　was　an　execution　put　into　our　house；　for　rent。
  Mrs。　Micawber　was　in　such　a　dreadful　state　that　I　really　couldn’t
  resist　giving　my　name　to　that　second　bill　we　spoke　of　here。　You
  may　imagine　how　delightful　it　was　to　my　feelings；　Copperfield；　to
  see　the　matter　settled　with　it；　and　Mrs。　Micawber　recover　her
  spirits。’
  ‘Hum！’　said　I。　‘Not　that　her　happiness　was　of　long　duration；’
  pursued　Traddles；　‘for；　unfortunately；　within　a　week　another
  execution　came　in。　It　broke　up　the　establishment。　I　have　been
  living　in　a　furnished　apartment　since　then；　and　the　Mortimers
  have　been　very　private　indeed。　I　hope　you　won’t　think　it　selfish；
  Copperfield；　if　I　mention　that　the　broker　carried　off　my　little　round
  table　with　the　marble　top；　and　Sophy’s　flower…pot　and　stand？’
  ‘What　a　hard　thing！’　I　exclaimed　indignantly。
  ‘It　was　a—it　was　a　pull；’　said　Traddles；　with　his　usual　wince　at
  that　expression。　‘I　don’t　mention　it　reproachfully；　however；　but
  with　a　motive。　The　fact　is；　Copperfield；　I　was　unable　to　repurchase
  them　at　the　time　of　their　seizure；　in　the　first　place；　because　the
  broker；　having　an　idea　that　I　wanted　them；　ran　the　price　up　to　an
  extravagant　extent；　and；　in　the　second　place；　because　I—hadn’t
  any　money。　Now；　I　have　kept　my　eye　since；　upon　the　broker’s
  shop；’　said　Traddles；　with　a　great　enjoyment　of　his　mystery；　‘which
  is　up　at　the　top　of　Tottenham　Court　Road；　and；　at　last；　today　I　find
  them　put　out　for　sale。　I　have　only　noticed　them　from　over　the　way；
  because　if　the　broker　saw　me；　bless　you；　he’d　ask　any　price　for
  them！　What　has　occurred　to　me；　having　now　the　money；　is；　that
  perhaps　you　wouldn’t　object　to　ask　that　good　nurse　of　yours　to
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  come　with　me　to　the　shop—I　can　show　it　her　from　round　the
  corner　of　the　next　street—and　make　the　best　bargain　for　them；　as
  if　they　were　for　herself；　that　she　can！’
  The　delight　with　which　Traddles　propounded　this　plan　to　me；
  and　the　sense　he　had　of　its　uncommon　artfulness；　are　among　the
  freshest　things　in　my　remembrance。
  I　told　him　that　my　old　nurse　would　be　delighted　to　assist　him；
  and　that　we　would　all　three　take　the　field　together；　but　on　one
  condition。　That　condition　was；　that　he　should　make　a　solemn
  resolution　to　grant　no　more　loans　of　his　name；　or　anything　else；　to
  Mr。　Micawber。
  ‘My　dear　Copperfield；’　said　Traddles；　‘I　have　already　done　so；
  because　I　begin　to　feel　that　I　have　not　only　been　inconsiderate；　but
  that　I　have　been　positively　unjust　to　Sophy。　My　word　being　passed
  to　myself；　there　is　no　longer　any　apprehension；　but　I　pledge　it　to
  you；　too；　with　the　greatest　readiness。　That　first　unlucky
  obligation；　I　have　paid。　I　have　no　doubt　Mr。　Micawber　would　have
  paid　it　if　he　could；　but　he　could　not。　One　thing　I　ought　to　mention；
  which　I　like　very　much　in　Mr。　Micawber；　Copperfield。　It　refers　to
  the　second　obligation；　which　is　not　yet　due。　He　don’t　tell　me　that　it
  is　provided　for；　but　he　says　it　will　be。　Now；　I　think　there　is
  something　very　fair　and　honest　about　that！’
  I　was　unwilling　to　damp　my　good　friend’s　confidence；　and
  therefore　assented。　After　a　little　further　conversation；　we　went
  round　to　the　chandler’s　shop；　to　enlist　Peggotty；　Traddles
  declining　to　pass　the　evening　with　me；　both　because　he　endured
  the　liveliest　apprehensions　that　his　property　would　be　bought　by
  somebody　else　before　he　could　re…purchase　it；　and　because　it　was
  the　evening　he　always　devoted　to　writing　to　the　dearest　girl　in　the
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  world。
  I　never　shall　forget　him　peeping　round　the　corner　of　the　street
  in　Tottenham　Court　Road；　while　Peggotty　was　bargaining　for　the
  precious　articles；　or　his　agitation　when　she　came　slowly　towards
  us　after　vainly　offering　a　price；　and　was　hailed　by　the　relenting
  broker；　and　went　back　again。　The　end　of　the　negotiation　was；　that
  she　bought　the　property　on　tolerably　easy　terms；　and　Traddles　was
  transported　with　pleasure。
  ‘I　am　very　much　obliged　to　you；　indeed；’　said　Traddles；　on
  hearing　it　was　to　be　sent　to　where　he　lived；　that　night。　‘If　I　might
  ask　one　other　favour；　I　hope　you　would　not　think　it　absurd；
  Copperfield？’
  I　said　beforehand；　certainly　not。
  ‘Then　if　you　would　be　good　enough；’　said　Traddles　to　Peggotty；
  ‘to　get　the　flower…pot　now；　I　think　I　should　like　（it　being　Sophy’s；
  Copperfield）　to　carry　it　home　myself！’
  Peggotty　was　glad　to　get　it　for　him；　and　he　overwhelmed　her
  with　thanks；　and　went　his　way　up　Tottenham　Court　Road；
  carrying　the　flower…pot　affectionately　in　his　arms；　with　one　of　the
  most　delighted　expressions　of　countenance　I　ever　saw。
  We　then　turned　back　towards　my　chambers。　As　the　shops　had
  charms　for　Peggotty　which　I　never　knew　them　possess　in　the　same
  degree　for　anybody　else；　I　sauntered　easily　along；　amused　by　her
  staring　in　at　the　windows；　and　waiting　for　her　as　often　as　she
  chose。　We　were　thus　a　good　while　in　getting　to　the　Adelphi。
  On　our　way　upstairs；　I　called　her　attention　to　the　sudden
  disappearance　of　Mrs。　Crupp’s　pitfalls；　and　also　to　the　prints　of
  recent　footsteps。　We　were　both　very　much　surprised；　coming
  higher　up；　to　find　my　outer　door　standing　open　（which　I　had　shut）
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  and　to　hear　voices　inside。
  We　looked　at　one　another；　without　knowing　what　to　make　of
  this；　and　went　into　the　sitting…room。　What　was　my　amazement　to
  find；　of　all　people　upon　earth；　my　aunt　there；　and　Mr。　Dick！　My
  aunt　sitting　on　a　quantity　of　luggage；　with　her　two　birds　before
  her；　and　her　cat　on　her　knee；　like　a　female　Robinson　Crusoe；
  drinking　tea。　Mr。　Dick　leaning　thoughtfully　on　a　great　kite；　such
  as　we　had　often　been　out　together　to　fly；　with　more　luggage　piled
  about　him！
  ‘My　dear　aunt！’　cried　I。　‘Why；　what　an　unexpected　pleasure！’
  We　cordially　embraced；　and　Mr。　Dick　and　I　cordially　shook
  hands；　and　Mrs。　Crupp；　who　was　busy　making　tea；　and　could　not
  be　too　attentive；　cordially　said　she　had　knowed　well　as　Mr。
  Copperfull　would　have　his　heart　in　his　mouth；　when　he　see　his
  dear　relations。
  ‘Holloa！’　said　my　aunt　to　Peggotty；　who　quailed　before　her
  awful　presence。　‘How　are　you？’
  ‘You　remember　my　aunt；　Peggotty？’　said　I。
  ‘For　the　love　of　goodness；　child；’　exclaimed　my　aunt；　‘don’t　call
  the　woman　by　that　South　Sea　Island　name！　If　she　married　and　got
  rid　of　it；　which　was　the　best　thing　she　could　do；　why　don’t　you　give
  her　the　benefit　of　the　change？　What’s　your　name　now；—P？’　said
  my　aunt；　as　a　compromise　for　the　obnoxious　appellation。
  ‘Barkis；　ma’am；’　said　Peggotty；　with　a　curtsey。
  ‘Well！　That’s　human；’　said　my　aunt。　‘It　sounds　less　as　if　you
  wanted　a　missionary。　How　d’ye　do；　Barkis？　I　hope　you’re　well？’
  Encouraged　by　th