11 David Copperfield
know; but she certainly pulled at it as if she thought so. I
hastened to put myself between them, and to assure her that
we would all take care that he should make the utmost res-
titution of everything he had wrongly got. This, and a few
moments’ reflection, pacified her; but she was not at all dis-
concerted by what she had done (though I cannot say as
much for her bonnet) and resumed her seat composedly.
During the last few minutes, Mrs. Heep had been
clamouring to her son to be ‘umble’; and had been going
down on her knees to all of us in succession, and making
the wildest promises. Her son sat her down in his chair; and,
standing sulkily by her, holding her arm with his hand, but
not rudely, said to me, with a ferocious look:
‘What do you want done?’
‘I will tell you what must be done,’ said Traddles.
‘Has that Copperfield no tongue?’ muttered Uriah, ‘I
would do a good deal for you if you could tell me, without
lying, that somebody had cut it out.’
‘My Uriah means to be umble!’ cried his mother. ‘Don’t
mind what he says, good gentlemen!’
‘What must be done,’ said Traddles, ‘is this. First, the
deed of relinquishment, that we have heard of, must be giv-
en over to me now - here.’
‘Suppose I haven’t got it,’ he interrupted.
‘But you have,’ said Traddles; ‘therefore, you know, we
won’t suppose so.’ And I cannot help avowing that this was
the first occasion on which I really did justice to the clear
head, and the plain, patient, practical good sense, of my
old schoolfellow. ‘Then,’ said Traddles, ‘you must prepare