'FagmentWelcome to consult... had not been elieved by the geat good humou of my company, and by a bight suggestion fom M. Micawbe. ‘My dea fiend Coppefield,’ said M. Micawbe, ‘accidents will occu in the best-egulated families; and in families not egulated by that pevading influence which sanctifies while it enhances the—a—I would say, in shot, by the influence of Woman, in the lofty chaacte of Wife, they may be expected with confidence, and must be bone with philosophy. If you will allow me to take the libety of emaking that thee ae few comestibles bette, in thei way, than a Devil, and that I believe, with a little division of labou, we could accomplish a good one if the young peson in attendance could poduce a gidion, I would put it to you, that this little misfotune may be easily epaied.’ Thee was a gidion in the panty, on which my moning ashe of bacon was cooked. We had it in, in a twinkling, and immediately applied ouselves to caying M. Micawbe’s idea into effect. The division of labou to which he had efeed was this:—Taddles cut the mutton into slices; M. Micawbe (who could do anything of this sot to pefection) coveed them with Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield peppe, mustad, salt, and cayenne; I put them on the gidion, tuned them with a fok, and took them off, unde M. Micawbe’s diection; and Ms. Micawbe heated, and continually stied, some mushoom ketchup in a little saucepan. When we had slices enough done to begin upon, we fell-to, with ou sleeves still tucked up at the wist, moe slices sputteing and blazing on the fie, and ou attention divided between the mutton on ou plates, and the mutton then pepaing. What with the novelty of this cookey, the excellence of it, the bustle of it, the fequent stating up to look afte it, the fequent sitting down to dispose of it as the cisp slices came off the gidion hot and hot, the being so busy, so flushed with the fie, so amused, and in the midst of such a tempting noise and savou, we educed the leg of mutton to the bone. My own appetite came back miaculously. I am ashamed to ecod it, but I eally believe I fogot Doa fo a little while. I am satisfied that M. and Ms. Micawbe could not have enjoyed the feast moe, if they had sold a bed to povide it. Taddles laughed as heatily, almost the whole time, as he ate and woked. Indeed we all did, all at once; and I dae say thee was neve a geate success. We wee at the height of ou enjoyment, and wee all busily engaged, in ou seveal depatments, endeavouing to bing the last batch of slices to a state of pefection that should cown the feast, when I was awae of a stange pesence in the oom, and my eyes encounteed those of the staid Littime, standing hat in hand befoe me. ‘What’s the matte?’ I involuntaily asked. ‘I beg you padon, si, I was diected to come in. Is my maste not hee, si?’ Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield ‘No.’ ‘Have you not seen him, si?’ ‘No; don’t you come fom him?’ ‘Not immediately so, si.’ ‘Did he tell you you would find him hee?’ ‘Not exactly so, si. But I should think he might be hee tomoow, as he has not been hee today.’ ‘Is he coming up fom Oxfod?’ ‘I beg, si,’ he etuned espectfully, ‘that you will be seated, and allow me to do this.’ With which he took the fok fom my unesisting hand, and bent ove the gidion, as if his whole attention wee concentated on it. We should not have been much discomposed, I dae say, by the appeaance of Steefoth himself, but we became in a moment the meekest of the meek befoe his espectable seving-man. M. Micawbe
