cruel　misconstruction；　that　even　my　friends　have　not　been　able　to
  avoid；　becomes　my　duty。　The　more　retired　we　live；　the　better　I
  shall　discharge　it。　And　when　the　time　comes—may　it　come　soon；　if
  it　be　His　merciful　pleasure！—when　my　death　shall　release　her
  from　constraint；　I　shall　close　my　eyes　upon　her　honoured　face；
  with　unbounded　confidence　and　love；　and　leave　her；　with　no
  sorrow　then；　to　happier　and　brighter　days。’
  I　could　not　see　him　for　the　tears　which　his　earnestness　and
  goodness；　so　adorned　by；　and　so　adorning；　the　perfect　simplicity　of
  his　manner；　brought　into　my　eyes。　He　had　moved　to　the　door；
  when　he　added：
  ‘Gentlemen；　I　have　shown　you　my　heart。　I　am　sure　you　will
  respect　it。　What　we　have　said　tonight　is　never　to　be　said　more。
  Wickfield；　give　me　an　old　friend’s　arm　upstairs！’
  Mr。　Wickfield　hastened　to　him。　Without　interchanging　a　word
  they　went　slowly　out　of　the　room　together；　Uriah　looking　after
  them。
  ‘Well；　Master　Copperfield！’　said　Uriah；　meekly　turning　to　me。
  ‘The　thing　hasn’t　took　quite　the　turn　that　might　have　been
  expected；　for　the　old　Scholar—what　an　excellent　man！—is　as　blind
  as　a　brickbat；　but　this　family’s　out　of　the　cart；　I　think！’
  I　needed　but　the　sound　of　his　voice　to　be　so　madly　enraged　as　I
  never　was　before；　and　never　have　been　since。
  ‘You　villain；’　said　I；　‘what　do　you　mean　by　entrapping　me　into
  your　schemes？　How　dare　you　appeal　to　me　just　now；　you　false
  rascal；　as　if　we　had　been　in　discussion　together？’
  As　we　stood；　front　to　front；　I　saw　so　plainly；　in　the　stealthy
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  David　Copperfield
  exultation　of　his　face；　what　I　already　so　plainly　knew；　I　mean　that
  he　forced　his　confidence　upon　me；　expressly　to　make　me
  miserable；　and　had　set　a　deliberate　trap　for　me　in　this　very　matter；
  that　I　couldn’t　bear　it。　The　whole　of　his　lank　cheek　was　invitingly
  before　me；　and　I　struck　it　with　my　open　hand　with　that　force　that
  my　fingers　tingled　as　if　I　had　burnt　them。
  He　caught　the　hand　in　his；　and　we　stood　in　that　connexion；
  looking　at　each　other。　We　stood　so；　a　long　time；　long　enough　for
  me　to　see　the　white　marks　of　my　fingers　die　out　of　the　deep　red　of
  his　cheek；　and　leave　it　a　deeper　red。
  ‘Copperfield；’　he　said　at　length；　in　a　breathless　voice；　‘have　you
  taken　leave　of　your　senses？’
  ‘I　have　taken　leave　of　you；’　said　I；　wresting　my　hand　away。　‘You
  dog；　I’ll　know　no　more　of　you。’
  ‘Won’t　you？’　said　he；　constrained　by　the　pain　of　his　cheek　to　put
  his　hand　there。　‘Perhaps　you　won’t　be　able　to　help　it。　Isn’t　this
  ungrateful　of　you；　now？’
  ‘I　have　shown　you　often　enough；’　said　I；　‘that　I　despise　you。　I
  have　shown　you　now；　more　plainly；　that　I　do。　Why　should　I　dread
  your　doing　your　worst　to　all　about　you？　What　else　do　you　ever　do？’
  He　perfectly　understood　this　allusion　to　the　considerations　that
  had　hitherto　restrained　me　in　my　communications　with　him。　I
  rather　think　that　neither　the　blow；　nor　the　allusion；　would　have
  escaped　me；　but　for　the　assurance　I　had　had　from　Agnes　that
  night。　It　is　no　matter。
  There　was　another　long　pause。　His　eyes；　as　he　looked　at　me；
  seemed　to　take　every　shade　of　colour　that　could　make　eyes　ugly。
  ‘Copperfield；’　he　said；　removing　his　hand　from　his　cheek；　‘you
  have　always　gone　against　me。　I　know　you　always　used　to　be
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  David　Copperfield
  against　me　at　Mr。　Wickfield’s。’
  ‘You　may　think　what　you　like；’　said　I；　still　in　a　towering　rage。　‘If
  it　is　not　true；　so　much　the　worthier　you。’
  ‘And　yet　I　always　liked　you；　Copperfield！’　he　rejoined。
  I　deigned　to　make　him　no　reply；　and；　taking　up　my　hat；　was
  going　out　to　bed；　when　he　came　between　me　and　the　door。
  ‘Copperfield；’　he　said；　‘there　must　be　two　parties　to　a　quarrel。　I
  won’t　be　one。’
  ‘You　may　go　to　the　devil！’　said　I。
  ‘Don’t　say　that！’　he　replied。　‘I　know　you’ll　be　sorry　afterwards。
  How　can　you　make　yourself　so　inferior　to　me；　as　to　show　such　a
  bad　spirit？　But　I　forgive　you。’
  ‘You　forgive　me！’　I　repeated　disdainfully。
  ‘I　do；　and　you　can’t　help　yourself；’　replied　Uriah。　‘To　think　of
  your　going　and　attacking　me；　that　have　always　been　a　friend　to
  you！　But　there　can’t　be　a　quarrel　without　two　parties；　and　I　won’t
  be　one。　I　will　be　a　friend　to　you；　in　spite　of　you。　So　now　you　know
  what　you’ve　got　to　expect。’
  The　necessity　of　carrying　on　this　dialogue　（his　part　in　which
  was　very　slow；　mine　very　quick）　in　a　low　tone；　that　the　house
  might　not　be　disturbed　at　an　unseasonable　hour；　did　not　improve
  my　temper；　though　my　passion　was　cooling　down。　Merely　telling
  him　that　I　should　expect　from　him　what　I　always　had　expected；
  and　had　never　yet　been　disappointed　in；　I　opened　the　door　upon
  him；　as　if　he　had　been　a　great　walnut　put　there　to　be　cracked；　and
  went　out　of　the　house。　But　he　slept　out　of　the　house　too；　at　his
  mother’s　lodging；　and　before　I　had　gone　many　hundred　yards；
  came　up　with　me。
  ‘You　know；　Copperfield；’　he　said；　in　my　ear　（I　did　not　turn　my
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  head）；　‘you’re　in　quite　a　wrong　position’；　which　I　felt　to　be　true；
  and　that　made　me　chafe　the　more；　‘you　can’t　make　this　a　brave
  thing；　and　you　can’t　help　being　forgiven。　I　don’t　intend　to　mention
  it　to　mother；　nor　to　any　living　soul。　I’m　determined　to　forgive　you。
  But　I　do　wonder　that　you　should　lift　your　hand　against　a　person
  that　you　knew　to　be　so　umble！’
  I　felt　only　less　mean　than　he。　He　knew　me　better　than　I　knew
  myself。　If　he　had　retorted　or　openly　exasperated　me；　it　would　have
  been　a　relief　and　a　justification；　but　he　had　put　me　on　a　slow　fire；
  on　which　I　lay　tormented　half　the　night。
  In　the　morning；　when　I　came　out；　the　early　church…bell　was
  ringing；　and　he　was　walking　up　and　down　with　his　mother。　He
  addressed　me　as　if　nothing　had　happened；　and　I　could　do　no　less
  than　reply。　I　had　struck　him　hard　enough　to　give　him　the
  toothache；　I　suppose。　At　all　events　his　face　was　tied　up　in　a　black
  silk　handkerchief；　which；　with　his　hat　perched　on　the　top　of　it；　was
  far　from　improving　his　appearance。　I　heard　that　he　went　to　a
  dentist’s　in　London　on　the　Monday　morning；　and　had　a　tooth　out。　I
  hope　it　was　a　double　one。
  The　Doctor　gave　out　that　he　was　not　quite　well；　and　remained
  alone；　for　a　considerable　part　of　every　day；　during　the　remainder
  of　the　visit。　Agnes　and　her　father　had　been　gone　a　week；　before　we
  resumed　our　usual　work。　On　the　day　preceding　its　resumption；　the
  Doctor　gave　me　with　his　own　hands　a　folded　note　not　sealed。　It
  was　addressed　to　myself；　and　laid　an　injunction　on　me；　in　a　few
  affectionate　words；　never　to　refer　to　the　subject　of　that　evening。　I
  had　confided　it　to　my　aunt；　but　to　no　one　else。　It　was　not　a　subject　I
  could　discuss　with　Agnes；　and　Agnes　certainly　had　not　the　least
  suspicion　of　what　had　passed。
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  David　Copperfield
  Neither；　I　felt　convinced；　had　Mrs。　Strong　then。　Several　weeks
  elapsed　before　I　saw　the　least　change　in　her。　It　came　on　slowly；
  like　a　cloud　when　there　is　no　wind。　At　first；　she　seemed　to　wonder
  at　the　gentle　compassion　with　which　the　Doctor　spoke　to　her；　and
  at　his　wish　that　she　should　have　her　mother　with　her；　to　relieve　the
  dull　monotony　of　her　life。　Often；　when　we　were　at　work；　and　she
  was　sitting　by；　I　would　see　her　pausing　and　looking　at　him　with
  that　memorable　face。　Afterwards；　I　sometimes　observed　her　rise；
  with　her　eyes　full　of　tears；　and　go　out　of　the　room。　Gradually；　an
  unhappy　shadow　fell　upon　her　beauty；　and　deepened　every　day。
  Mrs。　Markleham　was　a　regular　inmate　of　the　cottage　then；　but　she
  talked　and　talked；　and　saw　nothing。
  As　this　change　stole　on　Annie；　once　like　sunshine　in　the
  Doctor’s　house；　the　Doctor　became　older　in　appearance；　and　more
  grave；　but　the　sweetness　of　his　temper；　the　placid　kindness　of　his
  manner；　and　his　benevolent　solicitude　for　her；　if　they　were　capable
  of　any　increase；　were　increased。　I　saw　him　once；　early　on　the
  morning　of　her　birthday；　when　she　came　to　sit　in　the　window
  while　we　were　at　work　（which　she　had　always　done；　but　now
  began　to　do　with　a　timid　and　uncertain　air　that　I　thought　very
  touching）；　take　her　forehead　between　his　hands；　kiss　it；　and　go
  hurriedly　away；　too　much　moved　to　remain。　I　saw　her　stand　where
  he　had　left　her；　like　a　statue；　and　then　bend　down　her　head；　and
  clasp　her　hands；　and　weep；　I　cannot　say　how　sorrowfully。
  Sometimes；　after　that；　I　fancied　that　she　tried　to　speak　even　to
  me；　in　intervals　when　we　were　left　alone。　But　she　never　uttered　a
  word。　The　Doctor　always　had　some　new　project　for　her
  participating　in　amusements　away　from　home；　with　her　mother；
  and　Mrs。　Markleham；　who　was　very　fond　of　amusements；　and　very
  Charles　Dickens　ElecBook　Classics
  David　Copperfield
  easily　dissatisfied　with　anything　else；　entered　into　them　with　great
  good…will；　and　was　loud　in　her　commendations。　But　Annie；　in　a
  spiritless　unhappy　way；　only　went　whither　she　was　led；　and
  seemed　to　have　no　care　for　anything。
  I　did　not　know