Page 885 - david-copperfield

This was a frightful beginning. Traddles had to indicate
that I was Mr. Copperfield, and I had to lay claim to my-
self, and they had to divest themselves of a preconceived
opinion that Traddles was Mr. Copperfield, and altogether
we were in a nice condition. To improve it, we all distinctly
heard Jip give two short barks, and receive another choke.
‘Mr. Copperfield!’ said the sister with the letter.
I did something - bowed, I suppose - and was all atten-
tion, when the other sister struck in.
‘My sister Lavinia,’ said she ‘being conversant with
matters of this nature, will state what we consider most cal-
culated to promote the happiness of both parties.’
I discovered afterwards that Miss Lavinia was an au-
thority in affairs of the heart, by reason of there having
anciently existed a certain Mr. Pidger, who played short
whist, and was supposed to have been enamoured of her.
My private opinion is, that this was entirely a gratuitous as-
sumption, and that Pidger was altogether innocent of any
such sentiments - to which he had never given any sort of
expression that I could ever hear of. Both Miss Lavinia and
Miss Clarissa had a superstition, however, that he would
have declared his passion, if he had not been cut short in
his youth (at about sixty) by over-drinking his constitution,
and over-doing an attempt to set it right again by swilling
Bath water. They had a lurking suspicion even, that he died
of secret love; though I must say there was a picture of him
in the house with a damask nose, which concealment did
not appear to have ever preyed upon.
‘We will not,’ said Miss Lavinia, ‘enter on the past his-

David Copperfield