CHAPTER 36 - ENTHUSIASM

I began the next day with another dive into the Roman bath, and

then started for Highgate. I was not dispirited now. I was not

afraid of the shabby coat, and had no yearnings after gallant

greys. My whole manner of thinking of our late misfortune was

changed. What I had to do, was, to show my aunt that her past

goodness to me had not been thrown away on an insensible,

ungrateful object. What I had to do, was, to turn the painful

discipline of my younger days to account, by going to work with a

resolute and steady heart. What I had to do, was, to take my

woodman's axe in my hand, and clear my own way through the forest

of difficulty, by cutting down the trees until I came to Dora. And

I went on at a mighty rate, as if it could be done by walking.

When I found myself on the familiar Highgate road, pursuing such a

different errand from that old one of pleasure, with which it was

associated, it seemed as if a complete change had come on my whole

life. But that did not discourage me. With the new life, came new

purpose, new intention. Great was the labour; priceless the

reward. Dora was the reward, and Dora must be won.

I got into such a transport, that I felt quite sorry my coat was

not a little shabby already. I wanted to be cutting at those trees

in the forest of difficulty, under circumstances that should prove

my strength. I had a good mind to ask an old man, in wire

spectacles, who was breaking stones upon the road, to lend me his

hammer for a little while, and let me begin to beat a path to Dora

out of granite. I stimulated myself into such a heat, and got so

out of breath, that I felt as if I had been earning I don't know

how much.

In this state, I went into a cottage that I saw was to let, and

examined it narrowly, - for I felt it necessary to be practical.

It would do for me and Dora admirably: with a little front garden

for Jip to run about in, and bark at the tradespeople through the

railings, and a capital room upstairs for my aunt. I came out

again, hotter and faster than ever, and dashed up to Highgate, at

such a rate that I was there an hour too early; and, though I had

not been, should have been obliged to stroll about to cool myself,

before I was at all presentable.

My first care, after putting myself under this necessary course of

preparation, was to find the Doctor's house. It was not in that

part of Highgate where Mrs. Steerforth lived, but quite on the

opposite side of the little town. When I had made this discovery,

I went back, in an attraction I could not resist, to a lane by Mrs.

Steerforth's, and looked over the corner of the garden wall. His

room was shut up close. The conservatory doors were standing open,

and Rosa Dartle was walking, bareheaded, with a quick, impetuous

step, up and down a gravel walk on one side of the lawn. She gave

me the idea of some fierce thing, that was dragging the length of

its chain to and fro upon a beaten track, and wearing its heart

out.

I came softly away from my place of observation, and avoiding that

part of the neighbourhood, and wishing I had not gone near it,

strolled about until it was ten o'clock. The church with the

slender spire, that stands on the top of the hill now, was not

there then to tell me the time. An old red-brick mansion, used as

a school, was in its place; and a fine old house it must have been

to go to school at, as I recollect it.

When I approached the Doctor's cottage - a pretty old place, on

which he seemed to have expended some money, if I might judge from

the embellishments and repairs that had the look of being just

completed - I saw him walking in the garden at the side, gaiters

and all, as if he had never left off walking since the days of my

pupilage. He had his old companions about him, too; for there were

plenty of high trees in the neighbourhood, and two or three rooks

were on the grass, looking after him, as if they had been written

to about him by the Canterbury rooks, and were observing him

closely in consequence.

Knowing the utter hopelessness of attracting his attention from

that distance, I made bold to open the gate, and walk after him, so

as to meet him when he should turn round. When he did, and came

towards me, he looked at me thoughtfully for a few moments,

evidently without thinking about me at all; and then his benevolent

face expressed extraordinary pleasure, and he took me by both

hands.

'Why, my dear Copperfield,' said the Doctor, 'you are a man! How

do you do? I am delighted to see you. My dear Copperfield, how

very much you have improved! You are quite - yes - dear me!'

I hoped he was well, and Mrs. Strong too.

'Oh dear, yes!' said the Doctor; 'Annie's quite well, and she'll be

delighted to see you. You were always her favourite. She said so,

last night, when I showed her your letter. And - yes, to be sure

- you recollect Mr. Jack Maldon, Copperfield?'

'Perfectly, sir.'

'Of course,' said the Doctor. 'To be sure. He's pretty well,

too.'

'Has he come home, sir?' I inquired.

'From India?' said the Doctor. 'Yes. Mr. Jack Maldon couldn't

bear the climate, my dear. Mrs. Markleham - you have not forgotten

Mrs. Markleham?'

Forgotten the Old Soldier! And in that short time!

'Mrs. Markleham,' said the Doctor, 'was quite vexed about him, poor

thing; so we have got him at home again; and we have bought him a

little Patent place, which agrees with him much better.'

I knew enough of Mr. Jack Maldon to suspect from this account that

it was a place where there was not much to do, and which was pretty

well paid. The Doctor, walking up and down with his hand on my

shoulder, and his kind face turned encouragingly to mine, went on:

'Now, my dear Copperfield, in reference to this proposal of yours.

It's very gratifying and agreeable to me, I am sure; but don't you

think you could do better? You achieved distinction, you know,

when you were with us. You are qualified for many good things.

You have laid a foundation that any edifice may be raised upon; and

is it not a pity that you should devote the spring-time of your

life to such a poor pursuit as I can offer?'

I became very glowing again, and, expressing myself in a

rhapsodical style, I am afraid, urged my request strongly;

reminding the Doctor that I had already a profession.

'Well, well,' said the Doctor, 'that's true. Certainly, your

having a profession, and being actually engaged in studying it,

makes a difference. But, my good young friend, what's seventy

pounds a year?'

'It doubles our income, Doctor Strong,' said I.

'Dear me!' replied the Doctor. 'To think of that! Not that I mean

to say it's rigidly limited to seventy pounds a-year, because I

have always contemplated making any young friend I might thus

employ, a present too. Undoubtedly,' said the Doctor, still

walking me up and down with his hand on my shoulder. 'I have

always taken an annual present into account.'

'My dear tutor,' said I (now, really, without any nonsense), 'to

whom I owe more obligations already than I ever can acknowledge -'

'No, no,' interposed the Doctor. 'Pardon me!'

'If you will take such time as I have, and that is my mornings and

evenings, and can think it worth seventy pounds a year, you will do

me such a service as I cannot express.'

'Dear me!' said the Doctor, innocently. 'To think that so little

should go for so much! Dear, dear! And when you can do better,

you will? On your word, now?' said the Doctor, - which he had

always made a very grave appeal to the honour of us boys.

'On my word, sir!' I returned, answering in our old school manner.

'Then be it so,' said the Doctor, clapping me on the shoulder, and

still keeping his hand there, as we still walked up and down.

'And I shall be twenty times happier, sir,' said I, with a little

- I hope innocent - flattery, 'if my employment is to be on the

Dictionary.'

The Doctor stopped, smilingly clapped me on the shoulder again, and

exclaimed, with a triumph most delightful to behold, as if I had

penetrated to the profoundest depths of mortal sagacity, 'My dear

young friend, you have hit it. It IS the Dictionary!'

How could it be anything else! His pockets were as full of it as

his head. It was sticking out of him in all directions. He told

me that since his retirement from scholastic life, he had been

advancing with it wonderfully; and that nothing could suit him

better than the proposed arrangements for morning and evening work,

as it was his custom to walk about in the daytime with his

considering cap on. His papers were in a little confusion, in

consequence of Mr. Jack Maldon having lately proffered his

occasional services as an amanuensis, and not being accustomed to

that occupation; but we should soon put right what was amiss, and

go on swimmingly. Afterwards, when we were fairly at our work, I

found Mr. Jack Maldon's efforts more troublesome to me than I had

expected, as he had not confined himself to making numerous

mistakes, but had sketched so many soldiers, and ladies' heads,

over the Doctor's manuscript, that I often became involved in

labyrinths of obscurity.

The Doctor was quite happy in the prospect of our going to work

together on that wonderful performance, and we settled to begin

next morning at seven o'clock. We were to work two hours every

morning, and two or three hours every night, except on Saturdays,

when I was to rest. On Sundays, of course, I was to rest also, and

I considered these very easy terms.

Our plans being thus arranged to our mutual satisfaction, the

Doctor took me into the house to present me to Mrs. Strong, whom we

found in the Doctor's new study, dusting his books, - a freedom

which he never permitted anybody else to take with those sacred

favourites.

They had postponed their breakfast on my account, and we sat down

to table together. We had not been seated long, when I saw an

approaching arrival in Mrs. Strong's face, before I heard any sound

of it. A gentleman on horseback came to the gate, and leading his

horse into the little court, with the bridle over his arm, as if he

were quite at home, tied him to a ring in the empty coach-house

wall, and came into the breakfast parlour, whip in hand. It was

Mr. Jack Maldon; and Mr. Jack Maldon was not at all improved by

India, I thought. I was in a state of ferocious virtue, however,

as to young men who were not cutting down trees in the forest of

difficulty; and my impression must be received with due allowance.

'Mr. Jack!' said the Doctor. 'Copperfield!'

Mr. Jack Maldon shook hands with me; but not very warmly, I

believed; and with an air of languid patronage, at which I secretly

took great umbrage. But his languor altogether was quite a

wonderful sight; except when he addressed himself to his cousin

Annie.

'Have you breakfasted this morning, Mr. Jack?' said the Doctor.

'I hardly ever take breakfast, sir,' he replied, with his head

thrown back in an easy-chair. 'I find it bores me.'

'Is there any news today?' inquired the Doctor.

'Nothing at all, sir,' replied Mr. Maldon. 'There's an account

about the people being hungry and discontented down in the North,

but they are always being hungry and discontented somewhere.'

The Doctor looked grave, and said, as though he wished to change

the subject, 'Then there's no news at all; and no news, they say,

is good news.'

'There's a long statement in the papers, sir, about a murder,'

observed Mr. Maldon. 'But somebody is always being murdered, and

I didn't read it.'

A display of indifference to all the actions and passions of

mankind was not supposed to be such a distinguished quality at that

time, I think, as I have observed it to be considered since. I

have known it very fashionable indeed. I have seen it displayed

with such success, that I have encountered some fine ladies and

gentlemen who might as well have been born caterpillars. Perhaps

it impressed me the more then, because it was new to me, but it

certainly did not tend to exalt my opinion of, or to strengthen my

confidence in, Mr. Jack Maldon.

'I came out to inquire whether Annie would like to go to the opera

tonight,' said Mr. Maldon, turning to her. 'It's the last good

night there will be, this season; and there's a singer there, whom

she really ought to hear. She is perfectly exquisite. Besides

which, she is so charmingly ugly,' relapsing into languor.

The Doctor, ever pleased with what was likely to please his young

wife, turned to her and said:

'You must go, Annie. You must go.'

'I would rather not,' she said to the Doctor. 'I prefer to remain

at home. I would much rather remain at home.'

Without looking at her cousin, she then addressed me, and asked me

about Agnes, and whether she should see her, and whether she was

not likely to come that day; and was so much disturbed, that I

wondered how even the Doctor, buttering his toast, could be blind

to what was so obvious.

But he saw nothing. He told her, good-naturedly, that she was

young and ought to be amused and entertained, and must not allow

herself to be made dull by a dull old fellow. Moreover, he said,

he wanted to hear her sing all the new singer's songs to him; and

how could she do that well, unless she went? So the Doctor

persisted in making the engagement for her, and Mr. Jack Maldon was

to come back to dinner. This concluded, he went to his Patent

place, I suppose; but at all events went away on his horse, looking

very idle.

I was curious to find out next morning, whether she had been. She

had not, but had sent into London to put her cousin off; and had

gone out in the afternoon to see Agnes, and had prevailed upon the

Doctor to go with her; and they had walked home by the fields, the

Doctor told me, the evening being delightful. I wondered then,

whether she would have gone if Agnes had not been in town, and

whether Agnes had some good influence over her too!

She did not look very happy, I thought; but it was a good face, or

a very false one. I often glanced at it, for she sat in the window

all the time we were at work; and made our breakfast, which we took

by snatches as we were employed. When I left, at nine o'clock, she

was kneeling on the ground at the Doctor's feet, putting on his

shoes and gaiters for him. There was a softened shade upon her

face, thrown from some green leaves overhanging the open window of

the low room; and I thought all the way to Doctors' Commons, of the

night when I had seen it looking at him as he read.

I was pretty busy now; up at five in the morning, and home at nine

or ten at night. But I had infinite satisfaction in being so

closely engaged, and never walked slowly on any account, and felt

enthusiastically that the more I tired myself, the more I was doing

to deserve Dora. I had not revealed myself in my altered character

to Dora yet, because she was coming to see Miss Mills in a few

days, and I deferred all I had to tell her until then; merely

informing her in my letters (all our communications were secretly

forwarded through Miss Mills), that I had much to tell her. In the

meantime, I put myself on a short allowance of bear's grease,

wholly abandoned scented soap and lavender water, and sold off

three waistcoats at a prodigious sacrifice, as being too luxurious

for my stern career.

Not satisfied with all these proceedings, but burning with

impatience to do something more, I went to see Traddles, now

lodging up behind the parapet of a house in Castle Street, Holborn.

Mr. Dick, who had been with me to Highgate twice already, and had

resumed his companionship with the Doctor, I took with me.

I took Mr. Dick with me, because, acutely sensitive to my aunt's

reverses, and sincerely believing that no galley-slave or convict

worked as I did, he had begun to fret and worry himself out of

spirits and appetite, as having nothing useful to do. In this

condition, he felt more incapable of finishing the Memorial than

ever; and the harder he worked at it, the oftener that unlucky head

of King Charles the First got into it. Seriously apprehending that

his malady would increase, unless we put some innocent deception

upon him and caused him to believe that he was useful, or unless we

could put him in the way of being really useful (which would be

better), I made up my mind to try if Traddles could help us.

Before we went, I wrote Traddles a full statement of all that had

happened, and Traddles wrote me back a capital answer, expressive

of his sympathy and friendship.

We found him hard at work with his inkstand and papers, refreshed

by the sight of the flower-pot stand and the little round table in

a corner of the small apartment. He received us cordially, and

made friends with Mr. Dick in a moment. Mr. Dick professed an

absolute certainty of having seen him before, and we both said,

'Very likely.'

The first subject on which I had to consult Traddles was this, - I

had heard that many men distinguished in various pursuits had begun

life by reporting the debates in Parliament. Traddles having

mentioned newspapers to me, as one of his hopes, I had put the two

things together, and told Traddles in my letter that I wished to

know how I could qualify myself for this pursuit. Traddles now

informed me, as the result of his inquiries, that the mere

mechanical acquisition necessary, except in rare cases, for

thorough excellence in it, that is to say, a perfect and entire

command of the mystery of short-hand writing and reading, was about

equal in difficulty to the mastery of six languages; and that it

might perhaps be attained, by dint of perseverance, in the course

of a few years. Traddles reasonably supposed that this would

settle the business; but I, only feeling that here indeed were a

few tall trees to be hewn down, immediately resolved to work my way

on to Dora through this thicket, axe in hand.

'I am very much obliged to you, my dear Traddles!' said I. 'I'll

begin tomorrow.'

Traddles looked astonished, as he well might; but he had no notion

as yet of my rapturous condition.

'I'll buy a book,' said I, 'with a good scheme of this art in it;

I'll work at it at the Commons, where I haven't half enough to do;

I'll take down the speeches in our court for practice - Traddles,

my dear fellow, I'll master it!'

'Dear me,' said Traddles, opening his eyes, 'I had no idea you were

such a determined character, Copperfield!'

I don't know how he should have had, for it was new enough to me.

I passed that off, and brought Mr. Dick on the carpet.

'You see,' said Mr. Dick, wistfully, 'if I could exert myself, Mr.

Traddles - if I could beat a drum- or blow anything!'

Poor fellow! I have little doubt he would have preferred such an

employment in his heart to all others. Traddles, who would not

have smiled for the world, replied composedly:

'But you are a very good penman, sir. You told me so,

Copperfield?'

'Excellent!' said I. And indeed he was. He wrote with

extraordinary neatness.

'Don't you think,' said Traddles, 'you could copy writings, sir, if

I got them for you?'

Mr. Dick looked doubtfully at me. 'Eh, Trotwood?'

I shook my head. Mr. Dick shook his, and sighed. 'Tell him about

the Memorial,' said Mr. Dick.

I explained to Traddles that there was a difficulty in keeping King

Charles the First out of Mr. Dick's manuscripts; Mr. Dick in the

meanwhile looking very deferentially and seriously at Traddles, and

sucking his thumb.

'But these writings, you know, that I speak of, are already drawn

up and finished,' said Traddles after a little consideration. 'Mr.

Dick has nothing to do with them. Wouldn't that make a difference,

Copperfield? At all events, wouldn't it be well to try?'

This gave us new hope. Traddles and I laying our heads together

apart, while Mr. Dick anxiously watched us from his chair, we

concocted a scheme in virtue of which we got him to work next day,

with triumphant success.

On a table by the window in Buckingham Street, we set out the work

Traddles procured for him - which was to make, I forget how many

copies of a legal document about some right of way - and on another

table we spread the last unfinished original of the great Memorial.

Our instructions to Mr. Dick were that he should copy exactly what

he had before him, without the least departure from the original;

and that when he felt it necessary to make the slightest allusion

to King Charles the First, he should fly to the Memorial. We

exhorted him to be resolute in this, and left my aunt to observe

him. My aunt reported to us, afterwards, that, at first, he was

like a man playing the kettle-drums, and constantly divided his

attentions between the two; but that, finding this confuse and

fatigue him, and having his copy there, plainly before his eyes, he

soon sat at it in an orderly business-like manner, and postponed

the Memorial to a more convenient time. In a word, although we

took great care that he should have no more to do than was good for

him, and although he did not begin with the beginning of a week, he

earned by the following Saturday night ten shillings and

nine-pence; and never, while I live, shall I forget his going about

to all the shops in the neighbourhood to change this treasure into

sixpences, or his bringing them to my aunt arranged in the form of

a heart upon a waiter, with tears of joy and pride in his eyes. He

was like one under the propitious influence of a charm, from the

moment of his being usefully employed; and if there were a happy

man in the world, that Saturday night, it was the grateful creature

who thought my aunt the most wonderful woman in existence, and me

the most wonderful young man.

'No starving now, Trotwood,' said Mr. Dick, shaking hands with me

in a corner. 'I'll provide for her, Sir!' and he flourished his

ten fingers in the air, as if they were ten banks.

I hardly know which was the better pleased, Traddles or I. 'It

really,' said Traddles, suddenly, taking a letter out of his

pocket, and giving it to me, 'put Mr. Micawber quite out of my

head!'

The letter (Mr. Micawber never missed any possible opportunity of

writing a letter) was addressed to me, 'By the kindness of T.

Traddles, Esquire, of the Inner Temple.' It ran thus: -

'MY DEAR COPPERFIELD,

'You may possibly not be unprepared to receive the intimation that

something has turned up. I may have mentioned to you on a former

occasion that I was in expectation of such an event.

'I am about to establish myself in one of the provincial towns of

our favoured island (where the society may be described as a happy

admixture of the agricultural and the clerical), in immediate

connexion with one of the learned professions. Mrs. Micawber and

our offspring will accompany me. Our ashes, at a future period,

will probably be found commingled in the cemetery attached to a

venerable pile, for which the spot to which I refer has acquired a

reputation, shall I say from China to Peru?

'In bidding adieu to the modern Babylon, where we have undergone

many vicissitudes, I trust not ignobly, Mrs. Micawber and myself

cannot disguise from our minds that we part, it may be for years

and it may be for ever, with an individual linked by strong

associations to the altar of our domestic life. If, on the eve of

such a departure, you will accompany our mutual friend, Mr. Thomas

Traddles, to our present abode, and there reciprocate the wishes

natural to the occasion, you will confer a Boon

'On

'One

'Who

'Is

'Ever yours,

'WILKINS MICAWBER.'

I was glad to find that Mr. Micawber had got rid of his dust and

ashes, and that something really had turned up at last. Learning

from Traddles that the invitation referred to the evening then

wearing away, I expressed my readiness to do honour to it; and we

went off together to the lodging which Mr. Micawber occupied as Mr.

Mortimer, and which was situated near the top of the Gray's Inn

Road.

The resources of this lodging were so limited, that we found the

twins, now some eight or nine years old, reposing in a turn-up

bedstead in the family sitting-room, where Mr. Micawber had

prepared, in a wash-hand-stand jug, what he called 'a Brew' of the

agreeable beverage for which he was famous. I had the pleasure, on

this occasion, of renewing the acquaintance of Master Micawber,

whom I found a promising boy of about twelve or thirteen, very

subject to that restlessness of limb which is not an unfrequent

phenomenon in youths of his age. I also became once more known to

his sister, Miss Micawber, in whom, as Mr. Micawber told us, 'her

mother renewed her youth, like the Phoenix'.

'My dear Copperfield,' said Mr. Micawber, 'yourself and Mr.

Traddles find us on the brink of migration, and will excuse any

little discomforts incidental to that position.'

Glancing round as I made a suitable reply, I observed that the

family effects were already packed, and that the amount of luggage

was by no means overwhelming. I congratulated Mrs. Micawber on the

approaching change.

'My dear Mr. Copperfield,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'of your friendly

interest in all our affairs, I am well assured. My family may

consider it banishment, if they please; but I am a wife and mother,

and I never will desert Mr. Micawber.'

Traddles, appealed to by Mrs. Micawber's eye, feelingly acquiesced.

'That,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'that, at least, is my view, my dear

Mr. Copperfield and Mr. Traddles, of the obligation which I took

upon myself when I repeated the irrevocable words, "I, Emma, take

thee, Wilkins." I read the service over with a flat-candle on the

previous night, and the conclusion I derived from it was, that I

never could desert Mr. Micawber. And,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'though

it is possible I may be mistaken in my view of the ceremony, I

never will!'

'My dear,' said Mr. Micawber, a little impatiently, 'I am not

conscious that you are expected to do anything of the sort.'

'I am aware, my dear Mr. Copperfield,' pursued Mrs. Micawber, 'that

I am now about to cast my lot among strangers; and I am also aware

that the various members of my family, to whom Mr. Micawber has

written in the most gentlemanly terms, announcing that fact, have

not taken the least notice of Mr. Micawber's communication. Indeed

I may be superstitious,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'but it appears to me

that Mr. Micawber is destined never to receive any answers whatever

to the great majority of the communications he writes. I may

augur, from the silence of my family, that they object to the

resolution I have taken; but I should not allow myself to be

swerved from the path of duty, Mr. Copperfield, even by my papa and

mama, were they still living.'

I expressed my opinion that this was going in the right direction.

'It may be a sacrifice,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'to immure one's-self

in a Cathedral town; but surely, Mr. Copperfield, if it is a

sacrifice in me, it is much more a sacrifice in a man of Mr.

Micawber's abilities.'

'Oh! You are going to a Cathedral town?' said I.

Mr. Micawber, who had been helping us all, out of the

wash-hand-stand jug, replied:

'To Canterbury. In fact, my dear Copperfield, I have entered into

arrangements, by virtue of which I stand pledged and contracted to

our friend Heep, to assist and serve him in the capacity of - and

to be - his confidential clerk.'

I stared at Mr. Micawber, who greatly enjoyed my surprise.

'I am bound to state to you,' he said, with an official air, 'that

the business habits, and the prudent suggestions, of Mrs. Micawber,

have in a great measure conduced to this result. The gauntlet, to

which Mrs. Micawber referred upon a former occasion, being thrown

down in the form of an advertisement, was taken up by my friend

Heep, and led to a mutual recognition. Of my friend Heep,' said

Mr. Micawber, 'who is a man of remarkable shrewdness, I desire to

speak with all possible respect. My friend Heep has not fixed the

positive remuneration at too high a figure, but he has made a great

deal, in the way of extrication from the pressure of pecuniary

difficulties, contingent on the value of my services; and on the

value of those services I pin my faith. Such address and

intelligence as I chance to possess,' said Mr. Micawber, boastfully

disparaging himself, with the old genteel air, 'will be devoted to

my friend Heep's service. I have already some acquaintance with

the law - as a defendant on civil process - and I shall immediately

apply myself to the Commentaries of one of the most eminent and

remarkable of our English jurists. I believe it is unnecessary to

add that I allude to Mr. justice Blackstone.'

These observations, and indeed the greater part of the observations

made that evening, were interrupted by Mrs. Micawber's discovering

that Master Micawber was sitting on his boots, or holding his head

on with both arms as if he felt it loose, or accidentally kicking

Traddles under the table, or shuffling his feet over one another,

or producing them at distances from himself apparently outrageous

to nature, or lying sideways with his hair among the wine-glasses,

or developing his restlessness of limb in some other form

incompatible with the general interests of society; and by Master

Micawber's receiving those discoveries in a resentful spirit. I

sat all the while, amazed by Mr. Micawber's disclosure, and

wondering what it meant; until Mrs. Micawber resumed the thread of

the discourse, and claimed my attention.

'What I particularly request Mr. Micawber to be careful of, is,'

said Mrs. Micawber, 'that he does not, my dear Mr. Copperfield, in

applying himself to this subordinate branch of the law, place it

out of his power to rise, ultimately, to the top of the tree. I am

convinced that Mr. Micawber, giving his mind to a profession so

adapted to his fertile resources, and his flow of language, must

distinguish himself. Now, for example, Mr. Traddles,' said Mrs.

Micawber, assuming a profound air, 'a judge, or even say a

Chancellor. Does an individual place himself beyond the pale of

those preferments by entering on such an office as Mr. Micawber has

accepted?'

'My dear,' observed Mr. Micawber - but glancing inquisitively at

Traddles, too; 'we have time enough before us, for the

consideration of those questions.'

'Micawber,' she returned, 'no! Your mistake in life is, that you

do not look forward far enough. You are bound, in justice to your

family, if not to yourself, to take in at a comprehensive glance

the extremest point in the horizon to which your abilities may lead

you.'

Mr. Micawber coughed, and drank his punch with an air of exceeding

satisfaction - still glancing at Traddles, as if he desired to have

his opinion.

'Why, the plain state of the case, Mrs. Micawber,' said Traddles,

mildly breaking the truth to her. 'I mean the real prosaic fact,

you know -'

'Just so,' said Mrs. Micawber, 'my dear Mr. Traddles, I wish to be

as prosaic and literal as possible on a subject of so much

importance.'

'- Is,' said Traddles, 'that this branch of the law, even if Mr.

Micawber were a regular solicitor -'

'Exactly so,' returned Mrs. Micawber. ('Wilkins, you are

squinting, and will not be able to get your eyes back.')

'- Has nothing,' pursued Traddles, 'to do with that. Only a

barrister is eligible for such preferments; and Mr. Micawber could

not be a barrister, without being entered at an inn of court as a

student, for five years.'

'Do I follow you?' said Mrs. Micawber, with her most affable air of

business. 'Do I understand, my dear Mr. Traddles, that, at the

expiration of that period, Mr. Micawber would be eligible as a

Judge or Chancellor?'

'He would be ELIGIBLE,' returned Traddles, with a strong emphasis

on that word.

'Thank you,' said Mrs. Micawber. 'That is quite sufficient. If

such is the case, and Mr. Micawber forfeits no privilege by

entering on these duties, my anxiety is set at rest. I speak,'

said Mrs. Micawber, 'as a female, necessarily; but I have always

been of opinion that Mr. Micawber possesses what I have heard my

papa call, when I lived at home, the judicial mind; and I hope Mr.

Micawber is now entering on a field where that mind will develop

itself, and take a commanding station.'

I quite believe that Mr. Micawber saw himself, in his judicial

mind's eye, on the woolsack. He passed his hand complacently over

his bald head, and said with ostentatious resignation:

'My dear, we will not anticipate the decrees of fortune. If I am

reserved to wear a wig, I am at least prepared, externally,' in

allusion to his baldness, 'for that distinction. I do not,' said

Mr. Micawber, 'regret my hair, and I may have been deprived of it

for a specific purpose. I cannot say. It is my intention, my dear

Copperfield, to educate my son for the Church; I will not deny that

I should be happy, on his account, to attain to eminence.'

'For the Church?' said I, still pondering, between whiles, on Uriah

Heep.

'Yes,' said Mr. Micawber. 'He has a remarkable head-voice, and

will commence as a chorister. Our residence at Canterbury, and our

local connexion, will, no doubt, enable him to take advantage of

any vacancy that may arise in the Cathedral corps.'

On looking at Master Micawber again, I saw that he had a certain

expression of face, as if his voice were behind his eyebrows; where

it presently appeared to be, on his singing us (as an alternative

between that and bed) 'The Wood-Pecker tapping'. After many

compliments on this performance, we fell into some general

conversation; and as I was too full of my desperate intentions to

keep my altered circumstances to myself, I made them known to Mr.

and Mrs. Micawber. I cannot express how extremely delighted they

both were, by the idea of my aunt's being in difficulties; and how

comfortable and friendly it made them.

When we were nearly come to the last round of the punch, I

addressed myself to Traddles, and reminded him that we must not

separate, without wishing our friends health, happiness, and

success in their new career. I begged Mr. Micawber to fill us

bumpers, and proposed the toast in due form: shaking hands with him

across the table, and kissing Mrs. Micawber, to commemorate that

eventful occasion. Traddles imitated me in the first particular,

but did not consider himself a sufficiently old friend to venture

on the second.

'My dear Copperfield,' said Mr. Micawber, rising with one of his

thumbs in each of his waistcoat pockets, 'the companion of my

youth: if I may be allowed the expression - and my esteemed friend

Traddles: if I may be permitted to call him so - will allow me, on

the part of Mrs. Micawber, myself, and our offspring, to thank them

in the warmest and most uncompromising terms for their good wishes.

It may be expected that on the eve of a migration which will

consign us to a perfectly new existence,' Mr. Micawber spoke as if

they were going five hundred thousand miles, 'I should offer a few

valedictory remarks to two such friends as I see before me. But

all that I have to say in this way, I have said. Whatever station

in society I may attain, through the medium of the learned

profession of which I am about to become an unworthy member, I

shall endeavour not to disgrace, and Mrs. Micawber will be safe to

adorn. Under the temporary pressure of pecuniary liabilities,

contracted with a view to their immediate liquidation, but

remaining unliquidated through a combination of circumstances, I

have been under the necessity of assuming a garb from which my

natural instincts recoil - I allude to spectacles - and possessing

myself of a cognomen, to which I can establish no legitimate

pretensions. All I have to say on that score is, that the cloud

has passed from the dreary scene, and the God of Day is once more

high upon the mountain tops. On Monday next, on the arrival of the

four o'clock afternoon coach at Canterbury, my foot will be on my

native heath - my name, Micawber!'

Mr. Micawber resumed his seat on the close of these remarks, and

drank two glasses of punch in grave succession. He then said with

much solemnity:

'One thing more I have to do, before this separation is complete,

and that is to perform an act of justice. My friend Mr. Thomas

Traddles has, on two several occasions, "put his name", if I may

use a common expression, to bills of exchange for my accommodation.

On the first occasion Mr. Thomas Traddles was left - let me say, in

short, in the lurch. The fulfilment of the second has not yet

arrived. The amount of the first obligation,' here Mr. Micawber

carefully referred to papers, 'was, I believe, twenty-three, four,

nine and a half, of the second, according to my entry of that

transaction, eighteen, six, two. These sums, united, make a total,

if my calculation is correct, amounting to forty-one, ten, eleven

and a half. My friend Copperfield will perhaps do me the favour to

check that total?'

I did so and found it correct.

'To leave this metropolis,' said Mr. Micawber, 'and my friend Mr.

Thomas Traddles, without acquitting myself of the pecuniary part of

this obligation, would weigh upon my mind to an insupportable

extent. I have, therefore, prepared for my friend Mr. Thomas

Traddles, and I now hold in my hand, a document, which accomplishes

the desired object. I beg to hand to my friend Mr. Thomas Traddles

my I.O.U. for forty-one, ten, eleven and a half, and I am happy to

recover my moral dignity, and to know that I can once more walk

erect before my fellow man!'

With this introduction (which greatly affected him), Mr. Micawber

placed his I.O.U. in the hands of Traddles, and said he wished him

well in every relation of life. I am persuaded, not only that this

was quite the same to Mr. Micawber as paying the money, but that

Traddles himself hardly knew the difference until he had had time

to think about it.

Mr. Micawber walked so erect before his fellow man, on the strength

of this virtuous action, that his chest looked half as broad again

when he lighted us downstairs. We parted with great heartiness on

both sides; and when I had seen Traddles to his own door, and was

going home alone, I thought, among the other odd and contradictory

things I mused upon, that, slippery as Mr. Micawber was, I was

probably indebted to some compassionate recollection he retained of

me as his boy-lodger, for never having been asked by him for money.

I certainly should not have had the moral courage to refuse it; and

I have no doubt he knew that (to his credit be it written), quite

as well as I did.

Read next: CHAPTER 37 - A LITTLE COLD WATER

Read previous: CHAPTER 35 - DEPRESSION

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