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ened heart, though with a profound sense of the weighty
importance of my task, I devoted the whole afternoon to
the composition of the draft of this letter; for which great
purpose, Agnes relinquished her desk to me. But first I went
downstairs to see Mr. Wickfield and Uriah Heep.
I found Uriah in possession of a new, plaster-smelling of-
fice, built out in the garden; looking extraordinarily mean,
in the midst of a quantity of books and papers. He received
me in his usual fawning way, and pretended not to have
heard of my arrival from Mr. Micawber; a pretence I took
the liberty of disbelieving. He accompanied me into Mr.
Wickfield’s room, which was the shadow of its former self
- having been divested of a variety of conveniences, for the
accommodation of the new partner - and stood before the
fire, warming his back, and shaving his chin with his bony
hand, while Mr. Wickfield and I exchanged greetings.
‘You stay with us, Trotwood, while you remain in Can-
terbury?’ said Mr. Wickfield, not without a glance at Uriah
for his approval.
‘Is there room for me?’ said I.
‘I am sure, Master Copperfield - I should say Mister, but
the other comes so natural,’ said Uriah, -’I would turn out
of your old room with pleasure, if it would be agreeable.’
‘No, no,’ said Mr. Wickfield. ‘Why should you be incon-
venienced? There’s another room. There’s another room.’
‘Oh, but you know,’ returned Uriah, with a grin, ‘I should
really be delighted!’
To cut the matter short, I said I would have the other
room or none at all; so it was settled that I should have the
