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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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better training for such an encounter than she was that evening. But it passed with the action of rising from her chair; and she sat down again very meekly, and fainted. When she came to herself, or when Miss Betsey had restored her, whichever it was, she found the latter standing at the window. The twilight was by this time shading down into darkness; and dimly as they saw each other, they could not have done that without the aid of the fire. 'Well?' said Miss Betsey, coming back to her chair, as if she had only been taking a casual look at the prospect; 'and when do you expect -' 'I am all in a tremble,' faltered my mother. 'I don't know what's the matter. I shall die, I am sure!' 'No, no, no,' said Miss Betsey. 'Have some tea.' 'Oh dear me, dear me, do you think it will do me any good?' cried my mother in a helpless manner. 'Of course it will,' said Miss Betsey. 'It's nothing but fancy. What do you call your girl?' 'I don't know that it will be a girl, yet, ma'am,' said my mother innocently. 'Bless the Baby!' exclaimed Miss Betsey, unconsciously quoting the second sentiment of the pincushion in the drawer upstairs, but applying it to my mother instead of me, 'I don't mean that. I mean your servant-girl.' 'Peggotty,' said my mother. 'Peggotty!' repeated Miss Betsey, with some indignation. 'Do you mean to say, child, that any human being has gone into a Christian church, and got herself named Peggotty?' 'It's her surname,' said my mother, faintly. 'Mr. Copperfield called her by it, because her Christian name was the same as mine.' 'Here! Peggotty!' cried Miss Betsey, opening the parlour door. 'Tea. Your mistress is a little unwell. Don't dawdle.' Having issued this mandate with as much potentiality as if she had |
