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myself; and to feel; when I shut my outer door; like Robinson
Crusoe; when he had got into his fortification; and pulled his
ladder up after him。 It was a wonderfully fine thing to walk about
town with the key of my house in my pocket; and to know that I
could ask any fellow to come home; and make quite sure of its
being inconvenient to nobody; if it were not so to me。 It was a
wonderfully fine thing to let myself in and out; and to come and go
without a word to anyone; and to ring Mrs。 Crupp up; gasping;
from the depths of the earth; when I wanted her—and when she
was disposed to come。 All this; I say; was wonderfully fine; but I
must say; too; that there were times when it was very dreary。
It was fine in the morning; particularly in the fine mornings。 It
looked a very fresh; free life; by daylight: still fresher; and more
free; by sunlight。 But as the day declined; the life seemed to go
down too。 I don’t know how it was; it seldom looked well by
candle…light。 I wanted somebody to talk to; then。 I missed Agnes。 I
found a tremendous blank; in the place of that smiling repository
of my confidence。 Mrs。 Crupp appeared to be a long way off。 I
thought about my predecessor; who had died of drink and smoke;
and I could have wished he had been so good as to live; and not
bother me with his decease。
After two days and nights; I felt as if I had lived there for a year;
and yet I was not an hour older; but was quite as much tormented
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by my own youthfulness as ever。
Steerforth not yet appearing; which induced me to apprehend
that he must be ill; I left the Commons early on the third day; and
walked out to Highgate。 Mrs。 Steerforth was very glad to see me;
and said that he had gone away with one of his Oxford friends to
see another who lived near St。 Albans; but that she expected him
to return tomorrow。 I was so fond of him; that I felt quite jealous of
his Oxford friends。
As she pressed me to stay to dinner; I remained; and I believe
we talked about nothing but him all day。 I told her how much the
people liked him at Yarmouth; and what a delightful companion
he had been。 Miss Dartle was full of hints and mysterious
questions; but took a great interest in all our proceedings there;
and said; ‘Was it really though?’ and so forth; so often; that she got
everything out of me she wanted to know。 Her appearance was
exactly what I have described it; when I first saw her; but the
society of the two ladies was so agreeable; and came so natural to
me; that I felt myself falling a little in love with her。 I could not
help thinking; several times in the course of the evening; and
particularly when I walked home at night; what delightful
company she would be in Buckingham Street。
I was taking my coffee and roll in the morning; before going to
the Commons—and I may observe in this place that it is surprising
how much coffee Mrs。 Crupp used; and how weak it was;
considering—when Steerforth himself walked in; to my
unbounded joy。
‘My dear Steerforth;’ cried I; ‘I began to think I should never
see you again!’
‘I was carried off; by force of arms;’ said Steerforth; ‘the very
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next morning after I got home。 Why; Daisy; what a rare old
bachelor you are here!’
I showed him over the establishment; not omitting the pantry;
with no little pride; and he commended it highly。 ‘I tell you what;
old boy;’ he added; ‘I shall make quite a town…house of this place;
unless you give me notice to quit。’
This was a delightful hearing。 I told him if he waited for that; he
would have to wait till doomsday。
‘But you shall have some breakfast!’ said I; with my hand on the
bell…rope; ‘and Mrs。 Crupp shall make you some fresh coffee; and
I’ll toast you some bacon in a bachelor’s Dutch…oven; that I have
got here。’
‘No; no!’ said Steerforth。 ‘Don’t ring! I can’t! I am going to
breakfast with one of these fellows who is at the Piazza Hotel; in
Covent Garden。’
‘But you’ll come back to dinner?’ said I。
‘I can’t; upon my life。 There’s nothing I should like better; but I
must remain with these two fellows。 We are all three off together
tomorrow morning。’
‘Then bring them here to dinner;’ I returned。 ‘Do you think they
would come?’
‘Oh! they would come fast enough;’ said Steerforth; ‘but we
should inconvenience you。 You had better come and dine with us
somewhere。’
I would not by any means consent to this; for it occurred to me
that I really ought to have a little house…warming; and that there
never could be a better opportunity。 I had a new pride in my
rooms after his approval of them; and burned with a desire to
develop their utmost resources。 I therefore made him promise
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positively in the names of his two friends; and we appointed six
o’clock as the dinner…hour。
When he was gone; I rang for Mrs。 Crupp; and acquainted her
with my desperate design。 Mrs。 Crupp said; in the first place; of
course it was well known she couldn’t be expected to wait; but she
knew a handy young man; who she thought could be prevailed
upon to do it; and whose terms would be five shillings; and what I
pleased。 I said; certainly we would have him。 Next Mrs。 Crupp said
it was clear she couldn’t be in two places at once (which I felt to be
reasonable); and that ‘a young gal’ stationed in the pantry with a
bedroom candle; there never to desist from washing plates; would
be indispensable。 I said; what would be the expense of this young
female? and Mrs。 Crupp said she supposed eighteenpence would
neither make me nor break me。 I said I supposed not; and that was
settled。 Then Mrs。 Crupp said; Now about the dinner。
It was a remarkable instance of want of forethought on the part
of the ironmonger who had made Mrs。 Crupp’s kitchen fireplace;
that it was capable of cooking nothing but chops and mashed
potatoes。 As to a fish…kittle; Mrs。 Crupp said; well! would I only
come and look at the range? She couldn’t say fairer than that。
Would I come and look at it? As I should not have been much the
wiser if I had looked at it; I declined; and said; ‘Never mind fish。’
But Mrs。 Crupp said; Don’t say that; oysters was in; why not them?
So that was settled。 Mrs。 Crupp then said what she would
recommend would be this。 A pair of hot roast fowls—from the
pastry…cook’s; a dish of stewed beef; with vegetables—from the
pastry…cook’s; two little corner things; as a raised pie and a dish of
kidneys—from the pastrycook’s; a tart; and (if I liked) a shape of
jelly—from the pastrycook’s。 This; Mrs。 Crupp said; would leave
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her at full liberty to concentrate her mind on the potatoes; and to
serve up the cheese and celery as she could wish to see it done。
I acted on Mrs。 Crupp’s opinion; and gave the order at the
pastry…cook’s myself。 Walking along the Strand; afterwards; a