'FagmentWelcome to consult...ming that lady that she smelt of my bandy, and that she would touble he to walk out. Both of these s Ms. Cupp consideed actionable, and had expessed he intention of binging befoe a ‘Bitish Judy’—meaning, it was supposed, the bulwak of ou national libeties. My aunt, howeve, having had time to cool, while Peggotty was out showing M. Dick the soldies at the Hose Guads—and being, besides, geatly pleased to see Agnes—athe plumed heself on the affai than othewise, and eceived us with unimpaied good humou. When Agnes laid he bonnet on the table, and sat down beside he, I could not but think, looking on he mild eyes and he adiant foehead, how natual it seemed to have he thee; how tustfully, although she was so young and inexpeienced, my aunt confided in he; how stong she was, indeed, in simple love and tuth. We began to talk about my aunt’s losses, and I told them what I Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield had tied to do that moning. ‘Which was injudicious, Tot,’ said my aunt, ‘but well meant. You ae a geneous boy—I suppose I must say, young man, now— and I am poud of you, my dea. So fa, so good. Now, Tot and Agnes, let us look the case of Betsey Totwood in the face, and see how it stands.’ I obseved Agnes tun pale, as she looked vey attentively at my aunt. My aunt, patting he cat, looked vey attentively at Agnes. ‘Betsey Totwood,’ said my aunt, who had always kept he money mattes to heself. ‘—I don’t mean you siste, Tot, my dea, but myself—had a cetain popety. It don’t matte how much; enough to live on. Moe; fo she had saved a little, and added to it. Betsey funded he popety fo some time, and then, by the advice of he man of business, laid it out on landed secuity. That did vey well, and etuned vey good inteest, till Betsey was paid off. I am talking of Betsey as if she was a man-of-wa. Well! Then, Betsey had to look about he, fo a new investment. She thought she was wise, now, than he man of business, who was not such a good man of business by this time, as he used to be—I am alluding to you fathe, Agnes—and she took it into he head to lay it out fo heself. So she took he pigs,’ said my aunt, ‘to a foeign maket; and a vey bad maket it tuned out to be. Fist, she lost in the mining way, and then she lost in the diving way— fishing up teasue, o some such Tom Tiddle nonsense,’ explained my aunt, ubbing he nose; ‘and then she lost in the mining way again, and, last of all, to set the thing entiely to ights, she lost in the banking way. I don’t know what the Bank shaes wee woth fo a little while,’ said my aunt; ‘cent pe cent was the lowest of it, I believe; but the Bank was at the othe end of the Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield wold, and tumbled into space, fo what I know; anyhow, it fell to pieces, and neve will and neve can pay sixpence; and Betsey’s sixpences wee all thee, and thee’s an end of them. Least said, soonest mended!’ My aunt concluded this philosophical summay, by fixing he eyes with a kind of tiumph on Agnes, whose colou was gadually etuning. ‘Dea Miss Totwood, is that all the histoy?’ said Agnes. ‘I hope it’s enough, child,’ said my aunt. ‘If thee had been moe money to lose, it wouldn’t have been all, I dae say. Betsey would have contived to thow that afte the est, and make anothe chapte, I have little doubt. But thee was no moe money, and thee’s no moe stoy.’ Agnes had listened at fist with suspended beath. He colou still came and went, but she beathed moe feely. I thought I knew why. I thought she had had some fea that he unhappy fathe might be in some way to blame fo what had happened. My aunt took he hand in hes, and laughed. ‘
