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...urse I am!’ cried Dora, ‘but I am so frightened!’

‘Frightened, my own?’

‘Oh yes! I don’t like him,’ said Dora. ‘Why don’t he go?’

‘Who, my life?’

‘Youfriend,’ said Dora. ‘It isn’t any business of his. What a
stupid he must be!’

‘My love!’ (There nevewas anything so coaxing as hechildish
ways.) ‘He is the best creature!’

‘Oh, but we don’t want any best creatures!’ pouted Dora.

‘My dear,’ I argued, ‘you will soon know him well, and like him
of all things. And here is my aunt coming soon; and you’ll **
of all things too, when you know her.’

‘No, please don’t bring her!’ said Dora, giving me a horrified
little kiss, and folding hehands. ‘Don’t. I know she’s a naughty,
mischief-making old thing! Don’t let hecome here, Doady!’ which
was a corruption of David.

Remonstrance was of no use, then; so I laughed, and admired,

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David Copperfield 821

and was very much in love and very happy; and she showed me
Jip’s new trick of standing on his hind legs in a corner—which he
did foabout the space of a flash of lightning, and then fell down—
and I don’t know how long I should have stayed there, oblivious of
Traddles, if Miss Lavinia had not come in to take me away. Miss
Lavinia was very fond of Dora (she told me Dora was exactly like
what she had been herself at heage—she must have altered a
good deal), and she treated Dora just as if she had been a toy. I
wanted to persuade Dora to come and see Traddles, but on my
proposing it shean off to heownoom and locked herself in; so I
went to Traddles without her, and walked away with him on air.

‘Nothing could be more satisfactory,’ said Traddles; ‘and they
are very agreeable old ladies, I am sure. I shouldn’t be at all
surprised if you were to be married years before me, Copperfield.’

‘Does youSophy play on any instrument, Traddles?’ I
inquired, in the pride of my heart.

‘She knows enough of the piano to teach it to helittle sisters,’
said Traddles.

‘Does she sing at all?’ I asked.

‘Why, she sings ballads, sometimes, to freshen up the others a
little when they’re out of spirits,’ said Traddles. ‘Nothing
scientific.’

‘She doesn’t sing to the guitar?’ said I.

‘Oh deano!’ said Traddles.

‘Paint at all?’

‘Not at all,’ said Traddles.

I promised Traddles that he should heaDora sing, and see
some of heflower-painting. He said he should like it very much,
and we went home arm in arm in great good humouand delight. I

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David Copperfield 822

encouraged him to talk about Sophy, on the way; which he did
with a lovingeliance on hethat I very much admired. I
compared hein my mind with Dora, with considerable inward
satisfaction; but I candidly admitted to myself that she seemed to
be an excellent kind of girl foTraddles, too.

Of course my aunt was immediately made acquainted with the
successful issue of the conference, and with all that had been said
and done in the course of it. She was happy to see me so happy,
and promised to call on Dora’s aunts without loss of time. But she
took such a long walk up and down ourooms that night, while I
was writing to Agnes, that I began to think she meant to walk till
morning.

My letteto Agnes was a fervent and grateful one, narrating all
the good effects that hadesulted from my following headvice.
She wrote, byeturn of post, to me. Helettewas hopeful,
earnest, and cheerful. She was always cheerful from that time.

I had my hands more full than ever, now. My daily journeys to
Highgate considered, Putney was a long way off; and I naturally
wanted to go there as often as I could. The proposed tea-drinkings
being quite impracticable, I compounded with Miss Lavinia fo
permission to visit every Saturday afternoon, without detriment to
my privileged Sundays. So, the close of every week was a delicious
time fome; and I got through theest of the week by looking
forward to i