David　Copperfield
  Wickfield；　sir！　Would　you　be　so　good　as　tell　us？　Yes　or　no；　sir？
  Come；　partner！’
  ‘For　God’s　sake；　my　dear　Doctor；’　said　Mr。　Wickfield　again
  laying　his　irresolute　hand　upon　the　Doctor’s　arm；　‘don’t　attach　too
  much　weight　to　any　suspicions　I　may　have　entertained。’
  ‘There！’　cried　Uriah；　shaking　his　head。　‘What　a　melancholy
  confirmation：　ain’t　it？　Him！　Such　an　old　friend！　Bless　your　soul；
  when　I　was　nothing　but　a　clerk　in　his　office；　Copperfield；　I’ve　seen
  him　twenty　times；　if　I’ve　seen　him　once；　quite　in　a　taking　about　it—
  quite　put　out；　you　know　（and　very　proper　in　him　as　a　father；　I’m
  sure　I　can’t　blame　him）；　to　think　that　Miss　Agnes　was　mixing
  herself　up　with　what　oughtn’t　to　be。’
  ‘My　dear　Strong；’　said　Mr。　Wickfield　in　a　tremulous　voice；　‘my
  good　friend；　I　needn’t　tell　you　that　it　has　been　my　vice　to　look　for
  some　one　master　motive　in　everybody；　and　to　try　all　actions　by　one
  narrow　test。　I　may　have　fallen　into　such　doubts　as　I　have　had；
  through　this　mistake。’
  ‘You　have　had　doubts；　Wickfield；’　said　the　Doctor；　without
  lifting　up　his　head。　‘You　have　had　doubts。’
  ‘Speak　up；　fellow…partner；’　urged　Uriah。
  ‘I　had；　at　one　time；　certainly；’　said　Mr。　Wickfield。　‘I—God
  forgive　me—I　thought　you　had。’
  ‘No；　no；　no！’　returned　the　Doctor；　in　a　tone　of　most　pathetic
  grief。　‘I　thought；　at　one　time；’　said　Mr。　Wickfield；　‘that　you　wished
  to　send　Maldon　abroad　to　effect　a　desirable　separation。’
  ‘No；　no；　no！’　returned　the　Doctor。　‘To　give　Annie　pleasure；　by
  making　some　provision　for　the　companion　of　her　childhood。
  Nothing　else。’
  ‘So　I　found；’　said　Mr。　Wickfield。　‘I　couldn’t　doubt　it；　when　you
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  told　me　so。　But　I　thought—I　implore　you　to　remember　the　narrow
  construction　which　has　been　my　besetting　sin—that；　in　a　case
  where　there　was　so　much　disparity　in　point　of　years—’
  ‘That’s　the　way　to　put　it；　you　see；　Master　Copperfield！’　observed
  Uriah；　with　fawning　and　offensive　pity。
  ‘—a　lady　of　such　youth；　and　such　attractions；　however　real　her
  respect　for　you；　might　have　been　influenced　in　marrying；　by
  worldly　considerations　only。　I　make　no　allowance　for　innumerable
  feelings　and　circumstances　that　may　have　all　tended　to　good。　For
  Heaven’s　sake　remember　that！’
  ‘How　kind　he　puts　it！’　said　Uriah；　shaking　his　head。
  ‘Always　observing　her　from　one　point　of　view；’　said　Mr。
  Wickfield；　‘but　by　all　that　is　dear　to　you；　my　old　friend；　I　entreat
  you　to　consider　what　it　was；　I　am　forced　to　confess　now；　having　no
  escape—’
  ‘No！　There’s　no　way　out　of　it；　Mr。　Wickfield；　sir；’　observed
  Uriah；　‘when　it’s　got　to　this。’
  ‘—that　I　did；’　said　Mr。　Wickfield；　glancing　helplessly　and
  distractedly　at　his　partner；　‘that　I　did　doubt　her；　and　think　her
  wanting　in　her　duty　to　you；　and　that　I　did　sometimes；　if　I　must　say
  all；　feel　averse　to　Agnes　being　in　such　a　familiar　relation　towards
  her；　as　to　see　what　I　saw；　or　in　my　diseased　theory　fancied　that　I
  saw。　I　never　mentioned　this　to　anyone。　I　never　meant　it　to　be
  known　to　anyone。　And　though　it　is　terrible　to　you　to　hear；’　said　Mr。
  Wickfield；　quite　subdued；　‘if　you　knew　how　terrible　it　is　for　me　to
  tell；　you　would　feel　compassion　for　me！’
  The　Doctor；　in　the　perfect　goodness　of　his　nature；　put　out　his
  hand。　Mr。　Wickfield　held　it　for　a　little　while　in　his；　with　his　head
  bowed　down。
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  ‘I　am　sure；’　said　Uriah；　writhing　himself　into　the　silence　like　a
  Conger…eel；　‘that　this　is　a　subject　full　of　unpleasantness　to
  everybody。　But　since　we　have　got　so　far；　I　ought　to　take　the　liberty
  of　mentioning　that　Copperfield　has　noticed　it　too。’
  I　turned　upon　him；　and　asked　him　how　he　dared　refer　to　me！
  ‘Oh！　it’s　very　kind　of　you；　Copperfield；’　returned　Uriah；
  undulating　all　over；　‘and　we　all　know　what　an　amiable　character
  yours　is；　but　you　know　that　the　moment　I　spoke　to　you　the　other
  night；　you　knew　what　I　meant。　You　know　you　knew　what　I　meant；
  Copperfield。　Don’t　deny　it！　You　deny　it　with　the　best　intentions；
  but　don’t　do　it；　Copperfield。’
  I　saw　the　mild　eye　of　the　good　old　Doctor　turned　upon　me　for　a
  moment；　and　I　felt　that　the　confession　of　my　old　misgivings　and
  remembrances　was　too　plainly　written　in　my　face　to　be
  overlooked。　It　was　of　no　use　raging。　I　could　not　undo　that。　Say
  what　I　would；　I　could　not　unsay　it。
  We　were　silent　again；　and　remained　so；　until　the　Doctor　rose
  and　walked　twice　or　thrice　across　the　room。　Presently　he　returned
  to　where　his　chair　stood；　and；　leaning　on　the　back　of　it；　and
  occasionally　putting　his　handkerchief　to　his　eyes；　with　a　simple
  honesty　that　did　him　more　honour；　to　my　thinking；　than　any
  disguise　he　could　have　effected；　said：
  ‘I　have　been　much　to　blame。　I　believe　I　have　been　very　much　to
  blame。　I　have　exposed　one　whom　I　hold　in　my　heart；　to　trials　and
  aspersions—I　call　them　aspersions；　even　to　have　been　conceived　in
  anybody’s　inmost　mind—of　which　she　never；　but　for　me；　could
  have　been　the　object。’
  Uriah　Heep　gave　a　kind　of　snivel。　I　think　to　express　sympathy。
  ‘Of　which　my　Annie；’　said　the　Doctor；　‘never；　but　for　me；　could
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  have　been　the　object。　Gentlemen；　I　am　old　now；　as　you　know；　I　do
  not　feel；　tonight；　that　I　have　much　to　live　for。　But　my　life—my
  Life—upon　the　truth　and　honour　of　the　dear　lady　who　has　been
  the　subject　of　this　conversation！’
  I　do　not　think　that　the　best　embodiment　of　chivalry；　the
  realization　of　the　handsomest　and　most　romantic　figure　ever
  imagined　by　painter；　could　have　said　this；　with　a　more　impressive
  and　affecting　dignity　than　the　plain　old　Doctor　did。
  ‘But　I　am　not　prepared；’　he　went　on；　‘to　deny—perhaps　I　may
  have　been；　without　knowing　it；　in　some　degree　prepared　to
  admit—that　I　may　have　unwittingly　ensnared　that　lady　into　an
  unhappy　marriage。　I　am　a　man　quite　unaccustomed　to　observe；
  and　I　cannot　but　believe　that　the　observation　of　several　people；　of
  different　ages　and　positions；　all　too　plainly　tending　in　one
  direction　（and　that　so　natural）；　is　better　than　mine。’
  I　had　often　admired；　as　I　have　elsewhere　described；　his
  benignant　manner　towards　his　youthful　wife；　but　the　respectful
  tenderness　he　manifested　in　every　reference　to　her　on　this
  occasion；　and　the　almost　reverential　manner　in　which　he　put　away
  from　him　the　lightest　doubt　of　her　integrity；　exalted　him；　in　my
  eyes；　beyond　description。
  ‘I　married　that　lady；’　said　the　Doctor；　‘when　she　was　extremely
  young。　I　took　her　to　myself　when　her　character　was　scarcely
  formed。　So　far　as　it　was　developed；　it　had　been　my　happiness　to
  form　it。　I　knew　her　father　well。　I　knew　her　well。　I　had　taught　her
  what　I　could；　for　the　love　of　all　her　beautiful　and　virtuous　qualities。
  If　I　did　her　wrong；　as　I　fear　I　did；　in　taking　advantage　（but　I　never
  meant　it）　of　her　gratitude　and　her　affection；　I　ask　pardon　of　that
  lady；　in　my　heart！’
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  He　walked　across　the　room；　and　came　back　to　the　same　place；
  holding　the　chair　with　a　grasp　that　trembled；　like　his　subdued
  voice；　in　its　earnestness。
  ‘I　regarded　myself　as　a　refuge；　for　her；　from　the　dangers　and
  vicissitudes　of　life。　I　persuaded　myself　that；　unequal　though　we
  were　in　years；　she　would　live　tranquilly　and　contentedly　with　me。　I
  did　not　shut　out　of　my　consideration　the　time　when　I　should　leave
  her　free；　and　still　young　and　still　beautiful；　but　with　her　judgement
  more　matured—no；　gentlemen—upon　my　truth！’
  His　homely　figure　seemed　to　be　lightened　up　by　his　fidelity　and
  generosity。　Every　word　he　uttered　had　a　force　that　no　other　grace
  could　have　imparted　to　it。
  ‘My　life　with　this　lady　has　been　very　happy。　Until　tonight；　I　have
  had　uninterrupted　occasion　to　bless　the　day　on　which　I　did　her
  great　injustice。’
  His　voice；　more　and　more　faltering　in　the　utterance　of　these
  words；　stopped　for　a　few　moments；　then　he　went　on：
  ‘Once　awakened　from　my　dream—I　have　been　a　poor　dreamer；
  in　one　way　or　other；　all　my　life—I　see　how　natural　it　is　that　she
  should　have　some　regretful　feeling　towards　her　old　companion
  and　her　equal。　That　she　does　regard　him　with　some　innocent
  regret；　with　some　blameless　thoughts　of　what　might　have　been；
  but　for　me；　is；　I　fear；　too　true。　Much　that　I　have　seen；　but　not
  noted；　has　come　back　upon　me　with　new　meaning；　during　this　last
  trying　hour。　But；　beyond　this；　gentlemen；　the　dear　lady’s　name
  never　must　be　coupled　with　a　word；　a　breath；　of　doubt。’
  For　a　little　while；　his　eye　kindled　and　his　voice　was　firm；　for　a
  little　while　he　was　again　silent。　Presently；　he　proceeded　as　before：
  ‘It　only　remains　for　me；　to　bear　the　knowledge　of　the
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  unhappiness　I　have　occasioned；　as　submissively　as　I　can。　It　is　she
  who　should　reproach；　not　I。　To　save　her　from　misconstruction；
  cruel　misconstruction；　that　even　my　friends　have　not