'FagmentWelcome to consult...y dea Coppefield, engaged in the sale of con upon commission. It is not an avocation of a emuneative deion—in othe wods, it does not pay—and some tempoay embaassments of a pecuniay natue have been the consequence. I am, howeve, delighted to add that I have now an immediate pospect of something tuning up (I am not at libety to say in what diection), which I tust will enable me to povide, pemanently, both fo myself and fo you fiend Taddles, in whom I have an unaffected inteest. You may, pehaps, be pepaed to hea that Ms. Micawbe is in a state of health which endes it not wholly impobable that an addition may be ultimately made to those pledges of affection which—in shot, to the infantine goup. Ms. Micawbe’s family have been so good as to expess thei dissatisfaction at this state of things. I have meely to obseve, that I am not awae that it is any business of theis, and that I epel that exhibition of feeling with scon, and with defiance!’ M. Micawbe then shook hands with me again, and left me. Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield Chapte 28 M. MICAWBER’S GAUNTLET Until the day aived on which I was to entetain my newly-found old fiends, I lived pincipally on Doa and coffee. In my love-lon condition, my appetite languished; and I was glad of it, fo I felt as though it would have been an act of pefidy towads Doa to have a natual elish fo my dinne. The quantity of walking execise I took, was not in this espect attended with its usual consequence, as the disappointment counteacted the fesh ai. I have my doubts, too, founded on the acute expeience acquied at this peiod of my life, whethe a sound enjoyment of animal food can develop itself feely in any human subject who is always in toment fom tight boots. I think the extemities equie to be at peace befoe the stomach will conduct itself with vigou. On the occasion of this domestic little paty, I did not epeat my fome extensive pepaations. I meely povided a pai of soles, a small leg of mutton, and a pigeon-pie. Ms. Cupp boke out into ebellion on my fist bashful hint in efeence to the cooking of the fish and joint, and said, with a dignified sense of injuy, ‘No! No, si! You will not ask me sich a thing, fo you ae bette acquainted with me than to suppose me capable of doing what I cannot do with ampial satisfaction to my own feelings!’ But, in the end, a compomise was effected; and Ms. Cupp consented to achieve this feat, on condition that I dined fom home fo a fotnight aftewads. Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield And hee I may emak, that what I undewent fom Ms. Cupp, in consequence of the tyanny she established ove me, was deadful. I neve was so much afaid of anyone. We made a compomise of eveything. If I hesitated, she was taken with that wondeful disode which was always lying in ambush in he system, eady, at the shotest notice, to pey upon he vitals. If I ang the bell impatiently, afte half-a-dozen unavailing modest pulls, and she appeaed at last—which was not by any means to be elied upon—she wo
