Page 545 - david-copperfield

CHAPTER 25

GOOD AND BAD ANGELS

was going out at my door on the morning after that de-
p
I lorable day of headache, sickness, and repentance, with
an odd confusion in my mind relative to the date of my din-
ner-party, as if a body of Titans had taken an enormous lever
and pushed the day before yesterday some months back,
when I saw a ticket-porter coming upstairs, with a letter in
his hand. He was taking his time about his errand, then; but
when he saw me on the top of the staircase, looking at him
over the banisters, he swung into a trot, and came up pant-
ing as if he had run himself into a state of exhaustion.
‘T. Copperfield, Esquire,’ said the ticket-porter, touching
his hat with his little cane.
I could scarcely lay claim to the name: I was so disturbed
by the conviction that the letter came from Agnes. However,
I told him I was T. Copperfield, Esquire, and he believed it,
and gave me the letter, which he said required an answer.
I shut him out on the landing to wait for the answer, and
went into my chambers again, in such a nervous state that I
was fain to lay the letter down on my breakfast table, and fa-
miliarize myself with the outside of it a little, before I could

David Copperfield