Page 880 - david-copperfield

that might impair my severely practical character in the
eyes of the Misses Spenlow. I endeavoured to hit a happy
medium between these two extremes; my aunt approved
the result; and Mr. Dick threw one of his shoes after Trad-
dles and me, for luck, as we went downstairs.
Excellent fellow as I knew Traddles to be, and warmly
attached to him as I was, I could not help wishing, on that
delicate occasion, that he had never contracted the habit of
brushing his hair so very upright. It gave him a surprised
look - not to say a hearth-broomy kind of expression - which,
my apprehensions whispered, might be fatal to us.
I took the liberty of mentioning it to Traddles, as we were
walking to Putney; and saying that if he WOULD smooth
it down a little -
‘My dear Copperfield,’ said Traddles, lifting off his hat,
and rubbing his hair all kinds of ways, ‘nothing would give
me greater pleasure. But it won’t.’
‘Won’t be smoothed down?’ said I.
‘No,’ said Traddles. ‘Nothing will induce it. If I was to
carry a half-hundred-weight upon it, all the way to Putney,
it would be up again the moment the weight was taken off.
You have no idea what obstinate hair mine is, Copperfield. I
am quite a fretful porcupine.’
I was a little disappointed, I must confess, but thoroughly
charmed by his good-nature too. I told him how I esteemed
his good-nature; and said that his hair must have taken all
the obstinacy out of his character, for he had none.
‘Oh!’ returned Traddles, laughing. ‘I assure you, it’s quite
an old story, my unfortunate hair. My uncle’s wife couldn’t