Mr。　Wickfield；　I　hope？　If　I　say　I’ve　an　ambition　to　make　your
  Agnes　my　Agnes；　I　have　as　good　a　right　to　it　as　another　man。　I
  have　a　better　right　to　it　than　any　other　man！’
  I　had　my　arms　round　Mr。　Wickfield；　imploring　him　by
  everything　that　I　could　think　of；　oftenest　of　all　by　his　love　for
  Agnes；　to　calm　himself　a　little。　He　was　mad　for　the　moment；
  tearing　out　his　hair；　beating　his　head；　trying　to　force　me　from　him；
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  and　to　force　himself　from　me；　not　answering　a　word；　not　looking　at
  or　seeing　anyone；　blindly　striving　for　he　knew　not　what；　his　face　all
  staring　and　distorted—a　frightful　spectacle。
  I　conjured　him；　incoherently；　but　in　the　most　impassioned
  manner；　not　to　abandon　himself　to　this　wildness；　but　to　hear　me。　I
  besought　him　to　think　of　Agnes；　to　connect　me　with　Agnes；　to
  recollect　how　Agnes　and　I　had　grown　up　together；　how　I　honoured
  her　and　loved　her；　how　she　was　his　pride　and　joy。　I　tried　to　bring
  her　idea　before　him　in　any　form；　I　even　reproached　him　with　not
  having　firmness　to　spare　her　the　knowledge　of　such　a　scene　as
  this。　I　may　have　effected　something；　or　his　wildness　may　have
  spent　itself；　but　by　degrees　he　struggled　less；　and　began　to　look　at
  me—strangely　at　first；　then　with　recognition　in　his　eyes。　At　length
  he　said；　‘I　know；　Trotwood！　My　darling　child　and　you—I　know！
  But　look　at　him！’
  He　pointed　to　Uriah；　pale　and　glowering　in　a　corner；　evidently
  very　much　out　in　his　calculations；　and　taken　by　surprise。
  ‘Look　at　my　torturer；’　he　replied。　‘Before　him　I　have　step　by
  step　abandoned　name　and　reputation；　peace　and　quiet；　house　and
  home。’
  ‘I　have　kept　your　name　and　reputation　for　you；　and　your　peace
  and　quiet；　and　your　house　and　home　too；’　said　Uriah；　with　a　sulky；
  hurried；　defeated　air　of　compromise。　‘Don’t　be　foolish；　Mr。
  Wickfield。　If　I　have　gone　a　little　beyond　what　you　were　prepared
  for；　I　can　go　back；　I　suppose？　There’s　no　harm　done。’
  ‘I　looked　for　single　motives　in　everyone；’　said　Mr。　Wickfield；　and
  I　was　satisfied　I　had　bound　him　to　me　by　motives　of　interest。　But
  see　what　he　is—oh；　see　what　he　is！’
  ‘You　had　better　stop　him；　Copperfield；　if　you　can；’　cried　Uriah；
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  with　his　long　forefinger　pointing　towards　me。　‘He’ll　say　something
  presently—mind　you！—he’ll　be　sorry　to　have　said　afterwards；　and
  you’ll　be　sorry　to　have　heard！’
  ‘I’ll　say　anything！’　cried　Mr。　Wickfield；　with　a　desperate　air。
  ‘Why　should　I　not　be　in　all　the　world’s　power　if　I　am　in　yours？’
  ‘Mind！　I　tell　you！’　said　Uriah；　continuing　to　warn　me。　‘If　you
  don’t　stop　his　mouth；　you’re　not　his　friend！　Why　shouldn’t　you　be
  in　all　the　world’s　power；　Mr。　Wickfield？　Because　you　have　got　a
  daughter。　You　and　me　know　what　we　know；　don’t　we？　Let
  sleeping　dogs　lie—who　wants　to　rouse　’em？　I　don’t。　Can’t　you　see　I
  am　as　umble　as　I　can　be？　I　tell　you；　if　I’ve　gone　too　far；　I’m　sorry。
  What　would　you　have；　sir？’
  ‘Oh；　Trotwood；　Trotwood！’　exclaimed　Mr。　Wickfield；　wringing
  his　hands。　‘What　I　have　come　down　to　be；　since　I　first　saw　you　in
  this　house！　I　was　on　my　downward　way　then；　but　the　dreary；
  dreary　road　I　have　traversed　since！　Weak　indulgence　has　ruined
  me。　Indulgence　in　remembrance；　and　indulgence　in　forgetfulness。
  My　natural　grief　for　my　child’s　mother　turned　to　disease；　my
  natural　love　for　my　child　turned　to　disease。　I　have　infected
  everything　I　touched。　I　have　brought　misery　on　what　I　dearly　love；
  I　know—you　know！　I　thought　it　possible　that　I　could　truly　love　one
  creature　in　the　world；　and　not　love　the　rest；　I　thought　it　possible
  that　I　could　truly　mourn　for　one　creature　gone　out　of　the　world；
  and　not　have　some　part　in　the　grief　of　all　who　mourned。　Thus　the
  lessons　of　my　life　have　been　perverted！　I　have　preyed　on　my　own
  morbid　coward　heart；　and　it　has　preyed　on　me。　Sordid　in　my　grief；
  sordid　in　my　love；　sordid　in　my　miserable　escape　from　the　darker
  side　of　both；　oh　see　the　ruin　I　am；　and　hate　me；　shun　me！’
  He　dropped　into　a　chair；　and　weakly　sobbed。　The　excitement
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  into　which　he　had　been　roused　was　leaving　him。　Uriah　came　out　of
  his　corner。
  ‘I　don’t　know　all　I　have　done；　in　my　fatuity；’　said　Mr。　Wickfield；
  putting　out　his　hands；　as　if　to　deprecate　my　condemnation。　‘He
  knows　best；’　meaning　Uriah　Heep；　‘for　he　has　always　been　at　my
  elbow；　whispering　me。　You　see　the　millstone　that　he　is　about　my
  neck。　You　find　him　in　my　house；　you　find　him　in　my　business。　You
  heard　him；　but　a　little　time　ago。　What　need　have　I　to　say　more！’
  ‘You　haven’t　need　to　say　so　much；　nor　half　so　much；　nor
  anything　at　all；’　observed　Uriah；　half　defiant；　and　half　fawning。
  ‘You　wouldn’t　have　took　it　up　so；　if　it　hadn’t　been　for　the　wine。
  You’ll　think　better　of　it　tomorrow；　sir。　If　I　have　said　too　much；　or
  more　than　I　meant；　what　of　it？　I　haven’t　stood　by　it！’
  The　door　opened；　and　Agnes；　gliding　in；　without　a　vestige　of
  colour　in　her　face；　put　her　arm　round　his　neck；　and　steadily　said；
  ‘Papa；　you　are　not　well。　Come　with　me！’
  He　laid　his　head　upon　her　shoulder；　as　if　he　were　oppressed
  with　heavy　shame；　and　went　out　with　her。　Her　eyes　met　mine　for
  but　an　instant；　yet　I　saw　how　much　she　knew　of　what　had　passed。
  ‘I　didn’t　expect　he’d　cut　up　so　rough；　Master　Copperfield；’　said
  Uriah。　‘But　it’s　nothing。　I’ll　be　friends　with　him　tomorrow。　It’s　for
  his　good。　I’m　umbly　anxious　for　his　good。’
  I　gave　him　no　answer；　and　went　upstairs　into　the　quiet　room
  where　Agnes　had　so　often　sat　beside　me　at　my　books。　Nobody
  came　near　me　until　late　at　night。　I　took　up　a　book；　and　tried　to
  read。　I　heard　the　clocks　strike　twelve；　and　was　still　reading；
  without　knowing　what　I　read；　when　Agnes　touched　me。
  ‘You　will　be　going　early　in　the　morning；　Trotwood！　Let　us　say
  good…bye；　now！’
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  She　had　been　weeping；　but　her　face　then　was　so　calm　and
  beautiful！
  ‘Heaven　bless　you！’　she　said；　giving　me　her　hand。
  ‘Dearest　Agnes！’　I　returned；　‘I　see　you　ask　me　not　to　speak　of
  tonight—but　is　there　nothing　to　be　done？’
  ‘There　is　God　to　trust　in！’　she　replied。
  ‘Can　I　do　nothing—I；　who　come　to　you　with　my　poor　sorrows？’
  ‘And　make　mine　so　much　lighter；’　she　replied。　‘Dear　Trotwood；
  no！’
  ‘Dear　Agnes；’　I　said；　‘it　is　presumptuous　for　me；　who　am　so　poor
  in　all　in　which　you　are　so　rich—goodness；　resolution；　all　noble
  qualities—to　doubt　or　direct　you；　but　you　know　how　much　I　love
  you；　and　how　much　I　owe　you。　You　will　never　sacrifice　yourself　to
  a　mistaken　sense　of　duty；　Agnes？’
  More　agitated　for　a　moment　than　I　had　ever　seen　her；　she　took
  her　hands　from　me；　and　moved　a　step　back。
  ‘Say　you　have　no　such　thought；　dear　Agnes！　Much　more　than
  sister！　Think　of　the　priceless　gift　of　such　a　heart　as　yours；　of　such　a
  love　as　yours！’
  Oh！　long；　long　afterwards；　I　saw　that　face　rise　up　before　me；
  with　its　momentary　look；　not　wondering；　not　accusing；　not
  regretting。　Oh；　long；　long　afterwards；　I　saw　that　look　subside；　as　it
  did　now；　into　the　lovely　smile；　with　which　she　told　me　she　had　no
  fear　for　herself—I　need　have　none　for　her—and　parted　from　me　by
  the　name　of　Brother；　and　was　gone！
  It　was　dark　in　the　morning；　when　I　got　upon　the　coach　at　the
  inn　door。　The　day　was　just　breaking　when　we　were　about　to　start；
  and　then；　as　I　sat　thinking　of　her；　came　struggling　up　the　coach
  side；　through　the　mingled　day　and　night；　Uriah’s　head。
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  ‘Copperfield！’　said　he；　in　a　croaking　whisper；　as　he　hung　by　the
  iron　on　the　roof；　‘I　thought　you’d　be　glad　to　hear　before　you　went
  off；　that　there　are　no　squares　broke　between　us。　I’ve　been　into　his
  room　already；　and　we’ve　made　it　all　smooth。　Why；　though　I’m
  umble；　I’m　useful　to　him；　you　know；　and　he　understands　his
  interest　when　he　isn’t　in　liquor！　What　an　agreeable　man　he　is；　after
  all；　Master　Copperfield！’
  I　obliged　myself　to　say　that　I　was　glad　he　had　made　his　apology。
  ‘Oh；　to　be　sure！’　said　Uriah。　‘When　a　person’s　umble；　you　know；
  what’s　an　apology？　So　easy！　I　say！　I　suppose；’　with　a　jerk；　‘you
  have　sometimes　plucked　a　pear　before　it　was　ripe；　Master
  Copperfield？’
  ‘I　suppose　I　have；’　I　replied。
  ‘I　did　that　last　night；’　said　Uriah；　‘but　it’ll　ripen　yet！　It　only
  wants　attending　to。　I　can　wait！’
  Profuse　in　his　farewells；　he　got　down　again　as　the　coachman　got
  up。　For　anything　I　know；　he　was　eating　something　to　keep　the　raw
  morning　air　out；　but　he　made　motions　with　his　mouth　as　if　the
  pear　were　ripe　already；　and　he　were　smacking　his　lips　over　it。
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  Chapter　40
  THE　WANDERER
  We　had　a　very　serious　conversation　in　Buckingham
  Street　that　night；　about　the　domestic　occurrences　I
  have　detailed　in　the　last　chapter。　My　aunt　was　deeply
  interested　in　them；　and　walked　up　and　down　the　room　with　her