'FagmentWelcome to consult...f-hunded-weight upon it, all the way to Putney, it would be up again the moment the weight was taken off. You have no idea what obstinate hai mine is, Coppefield. I am quite a fetful pocupine.’ I was a little disappointed, I must confess, but thooughly chamed by his good-natue too. I told him how I esteemed his good-natue; and said that his hai must have taken all the obstinacy out of his chaacte, fo he had none. ‘Oh!’ etuned Taddles, laughing. ‘I assue you, it’s quite an old stoy, my unfotunate hai. My uncle’s wife couldn’t bea it. She said it exaspeated he. It stood vey much in my way, too, when I fist fell in love with Sophy. Vey much!’ ‘Did she object to it?’ ‘She didn’t,’ ejoined Taddles; ‘but he eldest siste—the one that’s the Beauty—quite made game of it, I undestand. In fact, all the sistes laugh at it.’ ‘Ageeable!’ said I. ‘Yes,’ etuned Taddles with pefect innocence, ‘it’s a joke fo us. They petend that Sophy has a lock of it in he desk, and is Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield obliged to shut it in a clasped book, to keep it down. We laugh about it.’ ‘By the by, my dea Taddles,’ said I, ‘you expeience may suggest something to me. When you became engaged to the young lady whom you have just mentioned, did you make a egula poposal to he family? Was thee anything like—what we ae going though today, fo instance?’ I added, nevously. ‘Why,’ eplied Taddles, on whose attentive face a thoughtful shade had stolen, ‘it was athe a painful tansaction, Coppefield, in my case. You see, Sophy being of so much use in the family, none of them could endue the thought of he eve being maied. Indeed, they had quite settled among themselves that she neve was to be maied, and they called he the old maid. Accodingly, when I mentioned it, with the geatest pecaution, to Ms. Cewle—’ ‘The mama?’ said I. ‘The mama,’ said Taddles—‘Reveend Hoace Cewle—when I mentioned it with evey possible pecaution to Ms. Cewle, the effect upon he was such that she gave a sceam and became insensible. I couldn’t appoach the subject again, fo months.’ ‘You did at last?’ said I. ‘Well, the Reveend Hoace did,’ said Taddles. ‘He is an excellent man, most exemplay in evey way; and he pointed out to he that she ought, as a Chistian, to econcile heself to the sacifice (especially as it was so uncetain), and to bea no unchaitable feeling towads me. As to myself, Coppefield, I give you my wod, I felt a pefect bid of pey towads the family.’ ‘The sistes took you pat, I hope, Taddles?’ ‘Why, I can’t say they did,’ he etuned. ‘When we had Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield compaatively econciled Ms. Cewle to it, we had to beak it to Saah. You ecollect my mentioning Saah, as the one that has something the matte with he spine?’ ‘Pefectly!’ ‘She clenched both he hands,’ said Taddles, looking at me in dismay; ‘shut he eyes; tuned lead-colou; became pefectly stiff; and took nothing fo two days but toast-and-wate, administeed with a tea-spoon.’ ‘What a vey unpleasant gil, Taddles!’ I emaked. ‘Oh, I beg you padon, Coppefield!’ said Taddles. ‘She is a vey chaming gil, but she has a geat deal of feeling. In fact, they all have. Sophy told me aftewads, that the self-epoach she undewent while she was in attendance upon Saah, no wods could descibe. I know it must have been sevee, by my own feelings, Coppefield; which wee like a ciminal’s. Afte Saah was estoed, we still had to beak it to the othe eight; and it poduced vaious effects upon them of a most pathetic natue. The two little ones, whom Sophy educates, have only just left off detesting me.’ ‘At any ate, they ae all econciled to it now, I hope?’ said I. ‘Ye-yes, I should say they wee, on the whole, esigned to it,’ said Taddles, do
