w to these here
trials, and timid, like my little bird,--it's nat'ral.'

She clung the closer to him, but neither lifted up her face, nor spoke a
word.

'It's getting late, my dear,' said Mr. Peggotty, 'and here's Ham come
fur to take you home. Theer! Go along with t'other loving art! What'
Em'ly? Eh, my pretty?'

The sound of her voice had not reached me, but he bent his head as if he
listened to her, and then said:

'Let you stay with your uncle? Why, you doen't mean to ask me that! Stay
with your uncle, Moppet? When your husband that'll be so soon, is here
fur to take you home? Now a person wouldn't think it, fur to see this
little thing alongside a rough-weather chap like me,' said Mr. Peggotty,
looking round at both of us, with infinite pride; 'but the sea ain't
more salt in it than she has fondness in her for her uncle--a foolish
little Em'ly!'

'Em'ly's in the right in that, Mas'r Davy!' said Ham. 'Lookee here! As
Em'ly wishes of it, and as she's hurried and frightened, like, besides,
I'll leave her till morning. Let me stay too!'

'No, no,' said Mr. Peggotty. 'You doen't ought--a married man like
you--or what's as good--to take and hull away a day's work. And you
doen't ought to watch and work both. That won't do. You go home and turn
in. You ain't afeerd of Em'ly not being took good care on, I know.'

Ham yielded to this persuasion, and took his hat to go. Even when he
kissed her--and I never saw him approach her, but I felt that nature
had given him the soul of a gentleman--she seemed to cling closer to
her uncle, even to the avoidance of her chosen husband. I shut the
door after him, that it might cause no disturbance of the quiet that
prevailed; and when I turned back, I found Mr. Peggotty still talking to
her.

'Now, I'm a going upstairs to tell your aunt as Mas'r Davy's here, and
that'll cheer her up a bit,' he said. 'Sit ye down by the fire, the
while, my dear, and warm those mortal cold hands. You doen't need to be
so fearsome, and take on so much. What? You'll go along with me?--Well!
come along with me--come! If her uncle was turned out of house and home,
and forced to lay down in a dyke, Mas'r Davy,' said Mr. Peggotty, with
no less pride than before, 'it's my belief she'd go along with him, now!
But there'll be someone else, soon,--someone else, soon, Em'ly!'

Afterwards, when I went upstairs, as I passed the door of my little
chamber, which was dark, I had an indistinct impression of her b