David Copperfield Page #7

Why do you call him "Daisy"?

Merely a nickname from school

You don't mind, do you, Daisy?

Not in the least.

I'm staying at my mother's.

You must call on me.

I want to know what you've been doing.

I feel as though you're my property.

Of all people! What luck.

Sometimes it is wiser

to leave the past alone.

Perhaps you shouldn't go to see him.

Why not? He's the best friend

I ever had in the world.

Going home, Master Copperfield?

Indeed, Uriah. Perhaps you would care

to join me for some coffee?

Oh, really, Master...

I mean MisterCopperfield.

I'm sure you wouldn't want

a 'umble person like me in your house.

I wouldn't ask you if I didn't.

Do you remember saying to me once

that perhaps I should become a partner

in Mr Wickfield's business one day?

What a prophet you have

shown yourself, Mr Copperfield.

I don't suppose

I really thought it likely.

Oh, who would have?

But the 'umblest persons

may be the instruments of good.

Mr Wickfield is the worthiest of men,

but, oh, how imprudent he has been.

- Has he been imprudent?

- If anyone else had been in my place,

Mr Wickfield would have been

under his thumb by now.

Without me, there would have been

loss and disgrace,

and Mr Wickfield knows it.

Did you think Miss Agnes

looked very beautiful tonight?

I thought her looking

as she always does,

superior to everyone around her.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for that.

Why should you thank me?

You will not think the worse

of my 'umbleness

if I make you a little confidence,

Mr Copperfield?

Of course not.

The image of Miss Agnes

has been in my breast for years.

Oh, with what pure affection

do I love the ground she walks on!

Does she know of these feelings?

Oh, no! Oh, dear, no!

You see, I'm just emerging

from my lowly station,

but I rest my hope

on my usefulness to her father.

She's so much attached to him,

she may come, on his account,

to be kind to me.

If you'll keep my secret

and not go against me with my Agnes,

I will take it as a particular favour.

You wouldn't wish

to make unpleasantness.

Who knows what

the consequences might be?

(CLOCK STRIKES)

Dear me. One o'clock.

My boarding house

will be locked by now.

Dear Agnes.

Too loving and good

for anyone I could think of.

Was it possible she was reserved

to be the wife of such a wretch as this.?

You walk at a somewhat

lively pace, Mr Copperfield.

I wouldn't want you

to miss your coach.

I'll be back with the law

next time, Micawber!

Mr Micawber!

Open up, it's Copperfield!

Mr Micawber! It's David Copperfield!

(MICAWBER) Is it possible?

Have I again the pleasure of beholding

the infant scourge

of the pawnbroking profession?

Come in, come in.

Mr Heep.

Any friend of Copperfield's

is a friend of Wilkins Micawber.

(MICAWBER) My dear!

There is a gentleman here

who wishes to be presented to you!

Copperfield, come to renew

his acquaintance with you, my love.

Lord, can it really be?

Oh, what happy memories

of my youth!

Oh, here!

Oh, I...

You may perhaps have surmised

that Mrs Micawber is in a state of health

which renders it not improbable

that there will be soon be

an addition to the infantine group.

In short, she is expecting.

It is a happy event,

though one that strains Mr Micawber's

already depleted resources.

But I know that he will,

as always, rise to the challenge.

We must celebrate.

Will you come to dinner next week?

Oh! A noble and generous proposition.

If I had listened to Agnes's advice,

if I had never taken up

Steerforth's invitation,

many honest lives would have

continued untouched by tragedy.

But I was blind to her wisdom then,

as I was blind to so many things,

and it was with

nothing but joy in my heart

that I went to visit my old friend

at the house he shared with his mother

and her companion, Rosa Dartle.

James has told you he is

an Oxford man now, Mr Copperfield?

I am sure he will make you proud

and take a high degree.

My dear Daisy, I doubt whether

I shall bother to take a degree at all

Don't torment me, James.

You know you will

There is no better mind

in the whole college.

You must forgive Mother.

She is quite horribly vain about me.

But you give her

every reason to be, do you not?

We hardly see you, and surely that

can only be because you work so hard?

Ah, good, the claret.

Daisy, this is Littimer, my manservant.

I'm delighted to make

your acquaintance, sir.

I trust I find you well tonight.

Very well, thank you.

How will you spend

your holiday, Mr Copperfield?

I intend to visit my old nurse.

I haven't seen her in years.

Her brother lives in a boat

on Yarmouth Sands.

You remember him. He and his

nephew visited me at Creakle's once.

I think I have some recollection.

Rustic types, weren't they?

Their home is a magical place.

You really ought to see it.

Ought I? Well, why not?

I have nothing else very pressing.

I'll come with you.

- Do you mean it?

- Certainly!

It might be amusing

to mix with that sort of people.

But do tell me. "That sort of people".

Are they really animals and clods

and beings of another order?

- I would so like to know.

- They're not as sensitive as we are.

I dare say

they are wonderfully virtuous,

but their natures are very coarse.

Their delicacy is not to be

shocked or hurt very easily.

Really? It's so consoling to find

that when they suffer, they don't feel!

Sometimes I have been quite uneasy

for "that sort of people".

But now I shalljust dismiss

the idea of them altogether.

(HARP BEING PLAYED)

I was fascinated by Miss Dartle,

and the strange hold

she had over Steerforth.

Don't stop, Rosa.

You haven't played for me in years.

Come, Rosa. From now on

we shall love each other very much.

- What happened?

- You have to be careful with Rosa.

She is always dangerous.

Have you noticed

that remarkable scar on her lip?

Of course.

I did that.

I was a young boy

and she exasperated me,

so I threw a hammer at her.

What a promising young angel

I must have been!

This is delightful, Daisy.

Just the tonic for a weary soul

(DAVID) I don't believe you are

half as jaded as you say.

I don't believe you can possibly be

as honest and good as you pretend.

Not compared to you, at any rate.

I'll see you back at the inn when

you've grown tired of being cried over.

Does Mr Barkis still

go over to Blunderstone, ma'am?

He do, but he's bad abed

with the rheumatics.

I want to see an old house.

The Rookery, I think it's called.

My darling boy!

Peggotty!

It's better than a pint of liniment

to see you again, Master Davy.

What was the name

I wrote up in the cart, sir?

We had some grave talks

on that matter, didn't we?

I was willing a long time.

A long time, Mr Barkis.

I don't regret it.

C.P. Barkis is the usefullest

and the best of women.

All the praise that anyone

could give C.P. Barkis

she deserves, and more.

I'm a poor man, sir.

And I am sorry to hear it.

Very poor indeed.

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