? ? ? ? After this, Mrs. Crupp confined herself to making pitfalls on the stairs, principally with pitchers, and endeavouring to delude Peggotty into breaking her legs. I found it rather harassing to live in this state of siege, but was too much afraid of Mrs. Crupp to see any way out of it.
? ? ? ? 'My dear Copperfield,' cried Traddles, punctually appearing at my door, in spite of all these obstacles, 'how do you do?'
? ? ? ? 'My dear Traddles,' said I, 'I am delighted to see you at last, and very sorry I have not been at home before. But I have been so much engaged -'
? ? ? ? 'Yes, yes, I know,' said Traddles, 'of course. Yours lives in London, I think.'
? ? ? ? 'What did you say?'
? ? ? ? 'She - excuse me - Miss D., you know,' said Traddles, colouring in his great delicacy, 'lives in London, I believe?'
? ? ? ? 'Oh yes. Near London.'
? ? ? ? 'Mine, perhaps you recollect,' said Traddles, with a serious look, 'lives down in Devonshire - one of ten. Consequently, I am not so much engaged as you - in that sense.'
? ? ? ? 'I wonder you can bear,' I returned, 'to see her so seldom.'
? ? ? ? 'Hah!' said Traddles, thoughtfully. 'It does seem a wonder. I suppose it is, Copperfield, because there is no help for it?'
? ? ? ? 'I suppose so,' I replied with a smile, and not without a blush.
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