Page 561 - david-copperfield

Mr. Spiker was so interested, that he became quite stony.
‘So the matter rests at this hour,’ said Mr. Gulpidge,
throwing himself back in his chair. ‘Our friend Waterbrook
will excuse me if I forbear to explain myself generally, on
account of the magnitude of the interests involved.’
Mr. Waterbrook was only too happy, as it appeared to
me, to have such interests, and such names, even hinted at,
across his table. He assumed an expression of gloomy intel-
ligence (though I am persuaded he knew no more about the
discussion than I did), and highly approved of the discretion
that had been observed. Mr. Spiker, after the receipt of such
a confidence, naturally desired to favour his friend with
a confidence of his own; therefore the foregoing dialogue
was succeeded by another, in which it was Mr. Gulpidge’s
turn to be surprised, and that by another in which the sur-
prise came round to Mr. Spiker’s turn again, and so on, turn
and turn about. All this time we, the outsiders, remained
oppressed by the tremendous interests involved in the
conversation; and our host regarded us with pride, as the
victims of a salutary awe and astonishment. I was very glad
indeed to get upstairs to Agnes, and to talk with her in a
corner, and to introduce Traddles to her, who was shy, but
agreeable, and the same good-natured creature still. As he
was obliged to leave early, on account of going away next
morning for a month, I had not nearly so much conversa-
tion with him as I could have wished; but we exchanged
addresses, and promised ourselves the pleasure of another
meeting when he should come back to town. He was great-
ly interested to hear that I knew Steerforth, and spoke of

0 David Copperfield