CHAPTER 1. I AM BORN

‘AndwasDavidgoodtoyou,child?’askedMissBetsey,whenshehadbeensilentforalittlewhile,andthesemotionsofherheadhadgraduallyceased.‘Wereyoucomfortabletogether?’ ‘Wewereveryhappy,’saidmymother.‘Mr.Copperfieldwasonlytoogoodtome.’ ‘What,hespoiltyou,Isuppose?’returnedMissBetsey. ‘Forbeingquitealoneanddependentonmyselfinthisroughworldagain,yes,Ifearhedidindeed,’sobbedmymother. ‘Well!Don’tcry!’saidMissBetsey.‘Youwerenotequallymatched,child—ifanytwopeoplecanbeequallymatched—andsoIaskedthequestion.Youwereanorphan,weren’tyou?’‘Yes.’ ‘Andagoverness?’ ‘Iwasnursery-governessinafamilywhereMr.Copperfieldcametovisit.Mr.Copperfieldwasverykindtome,andtookagreatdealofnoticeofme,andpaidmeagooddealofattention,andatlastproposedtome.AndIacceptedhim.Andsoweweremarried,’saidmymothersimply. ‘Ha!PoorBaby!’musedMissBetsey,withherfrownstillbentuponthefire.‘Doyouknowanything?’ ‘Ibegyourpardon,ma’am,’falteredmymother. ‘Aboutkeepinghouse,forinstance,’saidMissBetsey. ‘Notmuch,Ifear,’returnedmymother.‘NotsomuchasIcouldwish.ButMr.Copperfieldwasteachingme—’ (‘Muchheknewaboutithimself!’)saidMissBetseyinaparenthesis.—‘AndIhopeIshouldhaveimproved,beingveryanxioustolearn,andheverypatienttoteachme,ifthegreatmisfortuneofhisdeath’—mymotherbrokedownagainhere,andcouldgetnofarther. ‘Well,well!’saidMissBetsey.—‘Ikeptmyhousekeeping-bookregularly,andbalanceditwithMr.Copperfieldeverynight,’criedmymotherinanotherburstofdistress,andbreakingdownagain. ‘Well,well!’saidMissBetsey.‘Don’tcryanymore.’—‘AndIamsureweneverhadawordofdifferencerespectingit,exceptwhenMr.Copperfieldobjectedtomythreesandfivesbeingtoomuchlikeeachother,ortomyputtingcurlytailstomysevensandnines,’resumedmymotherinanotherburst,andbreakingdownagain. ‘You’llmakeyourselfill,’saidMissBetsey,‘andyouknowthatwillnotbegoodeitherforyouorformygod-daughter.Come!Youmustn’tdoit!’ Thisargumenthadsomeshareinquietingmymother,thoughherincreasingindispositionhadalargerone.Therewasanintervalofsilence,onlybrokenbyMissBetsey’soccasionallyejaculating‘Ha!’asshesatwithherfeetuponthefender. ‘Davidhadboughtanannuityforhimselfwithhismoney,Iknow,’saidshe,byandby.‘Whatdidhedoforyou?’ ‘Mr.Copperfield,’saidmymother,answeringwithsomedifficulty,‘wassoconsiderateandgoodastosecurethereversionofapartofittome.’ ‘Howmuch?’askedMissBetsey. ‘Ahundredandfivepoundsayear,’saidmymother. ‘Hemighthavedoneworse,’saidmyaunt. Thewordwasappropriatetothemoment.MymotherwassomuchworsethatPeggotty,cominginwiththeteaboardandcandles,andseeingataglancehowillshewas,—asMissBetseymighthavedonesooneriftherehadbeenlightenough,—conveyedherupstairstoherownroomwithallspeedandimmediatelydispatchedHamPeggotty,hernephew,whohadbeenforsomedayspastsecretedinthehouse,unknowntomymother,asaspecialmessengerincaseofemergency,tofetchthenurseanddoctor. Thosealliedpowerswereconsiderablyastonished,whentheyarrivedwithinafewminutesofeachother,tofindanunknownladyofportentousappearance,sittingbeforethefire,withherbonnettiedoverherleftarm,stoppingherearswithjewellers’cotton.Peggottyknowingnothingabouther,andmymothersayingnothingabouther,shewasquiteamysteryintheparlourandthefactofherhavingamagazineofjewellers’cottoninherpocket,andstickingthearticleinherearsinthatway,didnotdetractfromthesolemnityofherpresence. Thedoctorhavingbeenupstairsandcomedownagain,andhavingsatisfiedhimself,Isuppose,thattherewasaprobabilityofthisunknownladyandhimselfhavingtositthere,facetoface,forsomehours,laidhimselfouttobepoliteandsocial.Hewasthemeekestofhissex,themildestoflittlemen.Hesidledinandoutofaroom,totakeupthelessspace.HewalkedassoftlyastheGhostinHamlet,andmoreslowly.Hecarriedhisheadononeside,partlyinmodestdepreciationofhimself,partlyinmodestpropitiationofeverybodyelse.Itisnothingtosaythathehadn’tawordtothrowatadog.Hecouldn’thavethrownawordatamaddog.Hemighthaveofferedhimonegently,orhalfaone,orafragmentofoneforhespokeasslowlyashewalkedbuthewouldn’thavebeenrudetohim,andhecouldn’thavebeenquickwithhim,foranyearthlyconsideration. Mr.Chillip,lookingmildlyatmyauntwithhisheadononeside,andmakingheralittlebow,said,inallusiontothejewellers’cotton,ashesoftlytouchedhisleftear: ‘Somelocalirritation,ma’am?’ ‘What!’repliedmyaunt,pullingthe