'FagmentWelcome to consult...he ejoined. ‘Now you must eally bea with me, because I ask fo infomation. We Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield neve know ouselves.’ ‘It has become a second natue,’ said Ms. Steefoth, without any displeasue; ‘but I emembe,—and so must you, I think,— when you manne was diffeent, Rosa; when it was not so guaded, and was moe tustful.’ ‘I am sue you ae ight,’ she etuned; ‘and so it is that bad habits gow upon one! Really? Less guaded and moe tustful? How can I, impeceptibly, have changed, I wonde! Well, that’s vey odd! I must study to egain my fome self.’ ‘I wish you would,’ said Ms. Steefoth, with a smile. ‘Oh! I eally will, you know!’ she answeed. ‘I will lean fankness fom—let me see—fom James.’ ‘You cannot lean fankness, Rosa,’ said Ms. Steefoth quickly—fo thee was always some effect of sacasm in what Rosa Datle said, though it was said, as this was, in the most unconscious manne in the wold—‘in a bette school.’ ‘That I am sue of,’ she answeed, with uncommon fevou. ‘If I am sue of anything, of couse, you know, I am sue of that.’ Ms. Steefoth appeaed to me to eget having been a little nettled; fo she pesently said, in a kind tone: ‘Well, my dea Rosa, we have not head what it is that you want to be satisfied about?’ ‘That I want to be satisfied about?’ she eplied, with povoking coldness. ‘Oh! It was only whethe people, who ae like each othe in thei moal constitution—is that the phase?’ ‘It’s as good a phase as anothe,’ said Steefoth. ‘Thank you:—whethe people, who ae like each othe in thei moal constitution, ae in geate dange than people not so cicumstanced, supposing any seious cause of vaiance to aise Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield between them, of being divided angily and deeply?’ ‘I should say yes,’ said Steefoth. ‘Should you?’ she etoted. ‘Dea me! Supposing then, fo instance—any unlikely thing will do fo a supposition—that you and you mothe wee to have a seious quael.’ ‘My dea Rosa,’ inteposed Ms. Steefoth, laughing goodnatuedly, ‘suggest some othe supposition! James and I know ou duty to each othe bette, I pay Heaven!’ ‘Oh!’ said Miss Datle, nodding he head thoughtfully. ‘To be sue. That would pevent it? Why, of couse it would. Exactly. Now, I am glad I have been so foolish as to put the case, fo it is so vey good to know that you duty to each othe would pevent it! Thank you vey much.’ One othe little cicumstance connected with Miss Datle I must not omit; fo I had eason to emembe it theeafte, when all the iemediable past was endeed plain. Duing the whole of this day, but especially fom this peiod of it, Steefoth exeted himself with his utmost skill, and that was with his utmost ease, to cham this singula ceatue into a pleasant and pleased companion. That he should succeed, was no matte of supise to me. That she should stuggle against the fascinating influence of his delightful at—delightful natue I thought it then—did not supise me eithe; fo I knew that she was sometimes jaundiced and pevese. I saw he featues and he manne slowly change; I saw he look at him with gowing admiation; I saw he ty, moe and moe faintly, but always angily, as if she condemned a weakness in heself, to esist the captivating powe that he possessed; and finally, I saw he shap glance soften, and he smile become quite gentle, and I ceased to be afaid of he as I had eally Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield been all day, and we al
