she　lost　in　the　mining　way；　and　then　she　lost　in　the　diving　way—
  fishing　up　treasure；　or　some　such　Tom　Tiddler　nonsense；’
  explained　my　aunt；　rubbing　her　nose；　‘and　then　she　lost　in　the
  mining　way　again；　and；　last　of　all；　to　set　the　thing　entirely　to　rights；
  she　lost　in　the　banking　way。　I　don’t　know　what　the　Bank　shares
  were　worth　for　a　little　while；’　said　my　aunt；　‘cent　per　cent　was　the
  lowest　of　it；　I　believe；　but　the　Bank　was　at　the　other　end　of　the
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  world；　and　tumbled　into　space；　for　what　I　know；　anyhow；　it　fell　to
  pieces；　and　never　will　and　never　can　pay　sixpence；　and　Betsey’s
  sixpences　were　all　there；　and　there’s　an　end　of　them。　Least　said；
  soonest　mended！’
  My　aunt　concluded　this　philosophical　summary；　by　fixing　her
  eyes　with　a　kind　of　triumph　on　Agnes；　whose　colour　was　gradually
  returning。
  ‘Dear　Miss　Trotwood；　is　that　all　the　history？’　said　Agnes。
  ‘I　hope　it’s　enough；　child；’　said　my　aunt。　‘If　there　had　been　more
  money　to　lose；　it　wouldn’t　have　been　all；　I　dare　say。　Betsey　would
  have　contrived　to　throw　that　after　the　rest；　and　make　another
  chapter；　I　have　little　doubt。　But　there　was　no　more　money；　and
  there’s　no　more　story。’
  Agnes　had　listened　at　first　with　suspended　breath。　Her　colour
  still　came　and　went；　but　she　breathed　more　freely。　I　thought　I
  knew　why。　I　thought　she　had　had　some　fear　that　her　unhappy
  father　might　be　in　some　way　to　blame　for　what　had　happened。　My
  aunt　took　her　hand　in　hers；　and　laughed。
  ‘Is　that　all？’　repeated　my　aunt。　‘Why；　yes；　that’s　all；　except；
  “And　she　lived　happy　ever　afterwards。”　Perhaps　I　may　add　that　of
  Betsey　yet；　one　of　these　days。　Now；　Agnes；　you　have　a　wise　head。
  So　have　you；　Trot；　in　some　things；　though　I　can’t　compliment　you
  always’；　and　here　my　aunt　shook　her　own　at　me；　with　an　energy
  peculiar　to　herself。　‘What’s　to　be　done？　Here’s　the　cottage；　taking
  one　time　with　another；　will　produce　say　seventy　pounds　a　year。　I
  think　we　may　safely　put　it　down　at　that。　Well！—That’s　all　we’ve
  got；’　said　my　aunt；　with　whom　it　was　an　idiosyncrasy；　as　it　is　with
  some　horses；　to　stop　very　short　when　she　appeared　to　be　in　a　fair
  way　of　going　on　for　a　long　while。
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  ‘Then；’　said　my　aunt；　after　a　rest；　‘there’s　Dick。　He’s　good　for　a
  hundred　a…year；　but　of　course　that　must　be　expended　on　himself。　I
  would　sooner　send　him　away；　though　I　know　I　am　the　only　person
  who　appreciates　him；　than　have　him；　and　not　spend　his　money　on
  himself。　How　can　Trot　and　I　do　best；　upon　our　means？　What　do
  you　say；　Agnes？’
  ‘I　say；　aunt；’　I　interposed；　‘that　I　must　do　something！’
  ‘Go　for　a　soldier；　do　you　mean？’　returned　my　aunt；　alarmed；　‘or
  go　to　sea？　I　won’t　hear　of　it。　You　are　to　be　a　proctor。　We’re　not
  going　to　have　any　knockings　on　the　head　in　this　family；　if　you
  please；　sir。’
  I　was　about　to　explain　that　I　was　not　desirous　of　introducing
  that　mode　of　provision　into　the　family；　when　Agnes　inquired　if　my
  rooms　were　held　for　any　long　term？
  ‘You　come　to　the　point；　my　dear；’　said　my　aunt。　‘They　are　not　to
  be　got　rid　of；　for　six　months　at　least；　unless　they　could　be　underlet；
  and　that　I　don’t　believe。　The　last　man　died　here。　Five　people　out　of
  six　would　die—of　course—of　that　woman　in　nankeen　with　the
  flannel　petticoat。　I　have　a　little　ready　money；　and　I　agree　with　you；
  the　best　thing　we　can　do；　is；　to　live　the　term　out　here；　and　get　a
  bedroom　hard　by。’
  I　thought　it　my　duty　to　hint　at　the　discomfort　my　aunt　would
  sustain；　from　living　in　a　continual　state　of　guerilla　warfare　with
  Mrs。　Crupp；　but　she　disposed　of　that　objection　summarily　by
  declaring　that；　on　the　first　demonstration　of　hostilities；　she　was
  prepared　to　astonish　Mrs。　Crupp　for　the　whole　remainder　of　her
  natural　life。
  ‘I　have　been　thinking；　Trotwood；’　said　Agnes；　diffidently；　‘that　if
  you　had　time—’
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  ‘I　have　a　good　deal　of　time；　Agnes。　I　am　always　disengaged　after
  four　or　five　o’clock；　and　I　have　time　early　in　the　morning。　In　one
  way　and　another；’　said　I；　conscious　of　reddening　a　little　as　I
  thought　of　the　hours　and　hours　I　had　devoted　to　fagging　about
  town；　and　to　and　fro　upon　the　Norwood　Road；　‘I　have　abundance
  of　time。’
  ‘I　know　you　would　not　mind；’　said　Agnes；　coming　to　me；　and
  speaking　in　a　low　voice；　so　full　of　sweet　and　hopeful　consideration
  that　I　hear　it　now；　‘the　duties　of　a　secretary。’
  ‘Mind；　my　dear　Agnes？’
  ‘Because；’　continued　Agnes；　‘Doctor　Strong　has　acted　on　his
  intention　of　retiring；　and　has　come　to　live　in　London；　and　he　asked
  papa；　I　know；　if　he　could　recommend　him　one。　Don’t　you　think　he
  would　rather　have　his　favourite　old　pupil　near　him；　than　anybody
  else？’
  ‘Dear　Agnes！’　said　I。　‘What　should　I　do　without　you！　You　are
  always　my　good　angel。　I　told　you　so。　I　never　think　of　you　in　any
  other　light。’
  Agnes　answered　with　her　pleasant　laugh；　that　one　good　Angel
  （meaning　Dora）　was　enough；　and　went　on　to　remind　me　that　the
  Doctor　had　been　used　to　occupy　himself　in　his　study；　early　in　the
  morning；　and　in　the　evening—and　that　probably　my　leisure　would
  suit　his　requirements　very　well。　I　was　scarcely　more　delighted　with
  the　prospect　of　earning　my　own　bread；　than　with　the　hope　of
  earning　it　under　my　old　master；　in　short；　acting　on　the　advice　of
  Agnes；　I　sat　down　and　wrote　a　letter　to　the　Doctor；　stating　my
  object；　and　appointing　to　call　on　him　next　day　at　ten　in　the
  forenoon。　This　I　addressed　to　Highgate—for　in　that　place；　so
  memorable　to　me；　he　lived—and　went　and　posted；　myself；　without
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  losing　a　minute。
  Wherever　Agnes　was；　some　agreeable　token　of　her　noiseless
  presence　seemed　inseparable　from　the　place。　When　I　came　back；　I
  found　my　aunt’s　birds　hanging；　just　as　they　had　hung　so　long　in
  the　parlour　window　of　the　cottage；　and　my　easy…chair　imitating　my
  aunt’s　much　easier　chair　in　its　position　at　the　open　window；　and
  even　the　round　green　fan；　which　my　aunt　had　brought　away　with
  her；　screwed　on　to　the　window…sill。　I　knew　who　had　done　all　this；
  by　its　seeming　to　have　quietly　done　itself；　and　I　should　have
  known　in　a　moment　who　had　arranged　my　neglected　books　in　the
  old　order　of　my　school　days；　even　if　I　had　supposed　Agnes　to　be
  miles　away；　instead　of　seeing　her　busy　with　them；　and　smiling　at
  the　disorder　into　which　they　had　fallen。
  My　aunt　was　quite　gracious　on　the　subject　of　the　Thames　（it
  really　did　look　very　well　with　the　sun　upon　it；　though　not　like　the
  sea　before　the　cottage）；　but　she　could　not　relent　towards　the
  London　smoke；　which；　she　said；　‘peppered　everything’。　A　complete
  revolution；　in　which　Peggotty　bore　a　prominent　part；　was　being
  effected　in　every　corner　of　my　rooms；　in　regard　of　this　pepper；　and
  I　was　looking　on；　thinking　how　little　even　Peggotty　seemed　to　do
  with　a　good　deal　of　bustle；　and　how　much　Agnes　did　without　any
  bustle　at　all；　when　a　knock　came　at　the　door。
  ‘I　think；’　said　Agnes；　turning　pale；　‘it’s　papa。　He　promised　me
  that　he　would　come。’
  I　opened　the　door；　and　admitted；　not　only　Mr。　Wickfield；　but
  Uriah　Heep。　I　had　not　seen　Mr。　Wickfield　for　some　time。　I　was
  prepared　for　a　great　change　in　him；　after　what　I　had　heard　from
  Agnes；　but　his　appearance　shocked　me。
  It　was　not　that　he　looked　many　years　older；　though　still　dressed
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  with　the　old　scrupulous　cleanliness；　or　that　there　was　an
  unwholesome　ruddiness　upon　his　face；　or　that　his　eyes　were　full
  and　bloodshot；　or　that　there　was　a　nervous　trembling　in　his　hand；
  the　cause　of　which　I　knew；　and　had　for　some　years　seen　at　work。　It
  was　not　that　he　had　lost　his　good　looks；　or　his　old　bearing　of　a
  gentleman—for　that　he　had　not—but　the　thing　that　struck　me
  most；　was；　that　with　the　evidences　of　his　native　superiority　still
  upon　him；　he　should　submit　himself　to　that　crawling
  impersonation　of　meanness；　Uriah　Heep。　The　reversal　of　the　two
  natures；　in　their　relative　positions；　Uriah’s　of　power　and　Mr。
  Wickfield’s　of　dependence；　was　a　sight　more　painful　to　me　than　I
  can　express。　If　I　had　seen　an　Ape　taking　command　of　a　Man；　I
  should　hardly　have　thought　it　a　more　degrading　spectacle。
  He　appeared　to　be　only　too　conscious　of　it　himself。　When　he
  came　in；　he　stood　still；　and　with　his　head　bowed；　as　if　he　felt　it。
  This　was　only　for　a　moment；　for　Agnes　softly　said　to　him；　‘Papa！
  Here　is　Miss　Trotwood—and　Trotwood；　whom　you　have　not　seen
  for　a　long　while！’　and　then　he　approached；　and　constrainedly　gave
  my　aunt　his　hand；　and　shook　hands　more　cordially　with　me。　In　the
  moment’s　pause　I　speak　of；　I　saw　Uriah’s　countenance　form　itself
  into　a　most　ill…favoured　smile。　Agnes　saw　it　too；　I　think；　for　she
  shrank　from　him。
  What　my　aunt　saw；　or　did　not　see；　I　defy　the　science　of
  physiognomy　to　have　made　out；　without　her　own　consent。　I　believe
  there　never　was　anybody　with　such　an　imperturbable
  co