'FagmentWelcome to consult...kfield, soely toubled and distessed, was leaning fowad, iesolutely touching the Docto’s am. Fo an instant, I supposed that the Docto was ill. I hastily advanced a step unde that impession, when I met Uiah’s eye, and saw what was the matte. I would have withdawn, but the Docto made a gestue to detain me, and I emained. ‘At any ate,’ obseved Uiah, with a withe of his ungainly peson, ‘we may keep the doo shut. We needn’t make it known to all the town.’ Saying which, he went on his toes to the doo, which I had left open, and caefully closed it. He then came back, and took up his fome position. Thee was an obtusive show of compassionate zeal in his voice and manne, moe intoleable—at least to me— than any demeanou he could have assumed. ‘I have felt it incumbent upon me, Maste Coppefield,’ said Uiah, ‘to point out to Docto Stong what you and me have aleady talked about. You didn’t exactly undestand me, though?’ I gave him a look, but no othe answe; and, going to my good old maste, said a few wods that I meant to be wods of comfot and encouagement. He put his hand upon my shoulde, as it had been his custom to do when I was quite a little fellow, but did not lift his gey head. Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield ‘As you didn’t undestand me, Maste Coppefield,’ esumed Uiah in the same officious manne, ‘I may take the libety of umbly mentioning, being among fiends, that I have called Docto Stong’s attention to the goings-on of Ms. Stong. It’s much against the gain with me, I assue you, Coppefield, to be concened in anything so unpleasant; but eally, as it is, we’e all mixing ouselves up with what oughtn’t to be. That was what my meaning was, si, when you didn’t undestand me.’ I wonde now, when I ecall his lee, that I did not colla him, and ty to shake the beath out of his body. ‘I dae say I didn’t make myself vey clea,’ he went on, ‘no you neithe. Natually, we was both of us inclined to give such a subject a wide beth. Hows’eve, at last I have made up my mind to speak plain; and I have mentioned to Docto Stong that—did you speak, si?’ This was to the Docto, who had moaned. The sound might have touched any heat, I thought, but it had no effect upon Uiah’s. ‘—mentioned to Docto Stong,’ he poceeded, ‘that anyone may see that M. Maldon, and the lovely and ageeable lady as is Docto Stong’s wife, ae too sweet on one anothe. Really the time is come (we being at pesent all mixing ouselves up with what oughtn’t to be), when Docto Stong must be told that this was full as plain to eveybody as the sun, befoe M. Maldon went to India; that M. Maldon made excuses to come back, fo nothing else; and that he’s always hee, fo nothing else. When you come in, si, I was just putting it to my fellow-patne,’ towads whom he tuned, ‘to say to Docto Stong upon his wod and honou, whethe he’d eve been of this opinion long ago, o not. Come, M. Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield Wickfield, si! Would you be so good as tell us? Yes o no, si? Come, patne!’ ‘Fo God’s sake, my dea Docto,’ said M. Wickfield again laying his iesolu
