Page 770 - david-copperfield

Here he shook hands with me: not in the common way,
but standing at a good distance from me, and lifting my
hand up and down like a pump handle, that he was a little
afraid of.
‘And how do you think we are looking, Master Copper-
field, - I should say, Mister?’ fawned Uriah. ‘Don’t you find
Mr. Wickfield blooming, sir? Years don’t tell much in our
firm, Master Copperfield, except in raising up the umble,
namely, mother and self - and in developing,’ he added, as
an afterthought, ‘the beautiful, namely, Miss Agnes.’
He jerked himself about, after this compliment, in such
an intolerable manner, that my aunt, who had sat looking
straight at him, lost all patience.
‘Deuce take the man!’ said my aunt, sternly, ‘what’s he
about? Don’t be galvanic, sir!’
‘I ask your pardon, Miss Trotwood,’ returned Uriah; ‘I’m
aware you’re nervous.’
‘Go along with you, sir!’ said my aunt, anything but ap-
peased. ‘Don’t presume to say so! I am nothing of the sort. If
you’re an eel, sir, conduct yourself like one. If you’re a man,
control your limbs, sir! Good God!’ said my aunt, with great
indignation, ‘I am not going to be serpentined and cork-
screwed out of my senses!’
Mr. Heep was rather abashed, as most people might have
been, by this explosion; which derived great additional
force from the indignant manner in which my aunt after-
wards moved in her chair, and shook her head as if she were
making snaps or bounces at him. But he said to me aside in
a meek voice: