? ? ? ? 'He comes to the office downstairs, every day,' returned Agnes. 'He was in London a week before me. I am afraid on disagreeable business, Trotwood.'
? ? ? ? 'On some business that makes you uneasy, Agnes, I see,' said I. 'What can that be?'
? ? ? ? Agnes laid aside her work, and replied, folding her hands upon one another, and looking pensively at me out of those beautiful soft eyes of hers:
? ? ? ? 'I believe he is going to enter into partnership with papa.'
? ? ? ? 'What? Uriah? That mean, fawning fellow, worm himself into such promotion!' I cried, indignantly. 'Have you made no remonstrance about it, Agnes? Consider what a connexion it is likely to be. You must speak out. You must not allow your father to take such a mad step. You must prevent it, Agnes, while there's time.'
? ? ? ? Still looking at me, Agnes shook her head while I was speaking, with a faint smile at my warmth: and then replied:
? ? ? ? 'You remember our last conversation about papa? It was not long after that - not more than two or three days - when he gave me the first intimation of what I tell you. It was sad to see him struggling between his desire to represent it to me as a matter of choice on his part, and his inability to conceal that it was forced upon him.
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