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honour；’ said Mr。 Creakle； ‘does you honour； certainly—I am
surprised； Steerforth； I must say； that you should attach such an
epithet to any person employed and paid in Salem House； sir。’
Steerforth gave a short laugh。
‘That’s not an answer； sir；’ said Mr。 Creakle； ‘to my remark。 I
expect more than that from you； Steerforth。’
If Mr。 Mell looked homely； in my eyes； before the handsome
boy； it would be quite impossible to say how homely Mr。 Creakle
looked。 ‘Let him deny it；’ said Steerforth。
‘Deny that he is a beggar； Steerforth？’ cried Mr。 Creakle。 ‘Why；
where does he go a…begging？’
‘If he is not a beggar himself； his near relation’s one；’ said
Steerforth。 ‘It’s all the same。’
He glanced at me； and Mr。 Mell’s hand gently patted me upon
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
the shoulder。 I looked up with a flush upon my face and remorse
in my heart； but Mr。 Mell’s eyes were fixed on Steerforth。 He
continued to pat me kindly on the shoulder； but he looked at him。
‘Since you expect me； Mr。 Creakle； to justify myself；’ said
Steerforth； ‘and to say what I mean；—what I have to say is； that his
mother lives on charity in an alms…house。’
Mr。 Mell still looked at him； and still patted me kindly on the
shoulder； and said to himself； in a whisper； if I heard right： ‘Yes； I
thought so。’
Mr。 Creakle turned to his assistant； with a severe frown and
laboured politeness：
‘Now； you hear what this gentleman says； Mr。 Mell。 Have the
goodness； if you please； to set him right before the assembled
school。’
‘He is right； sir； without correction；’ returned Mr。 Mell； in the
midst of a dead silence； ‘what he has said is true。’
‘Be so good then as declare publicly； will you；’ said Mr。 Creakle；
putting his head on one side； and rolling his eyes round the school；
‘whether it ever came to my knowledge until this moment？’
‘I believe not directly；’ he returned。
‘Why； you know not；’ said Mr。 Creakle。 ‘Don’t you； man？’
‘I apprehend you never supposed my worldly circumstances to
be very good；’ replied the assistant。 ‘You know what my position
is； and always has been； here。’
‘I apprehend； if you come to that；’ said Mr。 Creakle； with his
veins swelling again bigger than ever； ‘that you’ve been in a wrong
position altogether； and mistook this for a charity school。 Mr。 Mell；
we’ll part； if you please。 The sooner the better。’
‘There is no time；’ answered Mr。 Mell； rising； ‘like the present。’
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
‘Sir； to you！’ said Mr。 Creakle。
‘I take my leave of you； Mr。 Creakle； and all of you；’ said Mr。
Mell； glancing round the room； and again patting me gently on the
shoulders。 ‘James Steerforth； the best wish I can leave you is that
you may come to be ashamed of what you have done today。 At
present I would prefer to see you anything rather than a friend； to
me； or to anyone in whom I feel an interest。’
Once more he laid his hand upon my shoulder； and then taking
his flute and a few books from his desk； and leaving the key in it
for his successor； he went out of the school； with his property
under his arm。 Mr。 Creakle then made a speech； through Tungay；
in which he thanked Steerforth for asserting （though perhaps too
warmly） the independence and respectability of Salem House； and
which he wound up by shaking hands with Steerforth； while we
gave three cheers—I did not quite know what for； but I supposed
for Steerforth； and so joined in them ardently； though I felt
miserable。 Mr。 Creakle then caned Tommy Traddles for being
discovered in tears； instead of cheers； on account of Mr。 Mell’s
departure； and went back to his sofa； or his bed； or wherever he
had come from。
We were left to ourselves now； and looked very blank； I
recollect； on one another。 For myself； I felt so much self…reproach
and contrition for my part in what had happened； that nothing
would have enabled me to keep back my tears but the fear that
Steerforth； who often looked at me； I saw； might think it
unfriendly—or； I should rather say； considering our relative ages；
and the feeling with which I regarded him； undutiful—if I showed
the emotion which distressed me。 He was very angry with
Traddles； and said he was glad he had caught it。
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
Poor Traddles； who had passed the stage of lying with his head
upon the desk； and was relieving himself as usual with a burst of
skeletons； said he didn’t care。 Mr。 Mell was ill…used。
‘Who has ill…used him； you girl？’ said Steerforth。
‘Why； you have；’ returned Traddles。
‘What have I done？’ said Steerforth。
‘What have you done？’ retorted Traddles。 ‘Hurt his feelings；
and lost him his situation。’
‘His feelings？’ repeated Steerforth disdainfully。 ‘His feelings
will soon get the better of it； I’ll be bound。 His feelings are not like
yours； Miss Traddles。 As to his situation—which was a precious
one； wasn’t it？—do you suppose I am not going to write home； and
take care that he gets some money？ Polly？’
We thought this intention very noble in Steerforth； whose
mother was a widow； and rich； and would do almost anything； it
was said； that he asked her。 We were all extremely glad to see
Traddles so put down； and exalted Steerforth to the skies：
especially when he told us； as he condescended to do； that what he
had done had been done expressly for us； and for our cause； and
that he had conferred a great boon upon us by unselfishly doing it。
But I must say that when I was going on with a story in the dark
that night； Mr。 Mell’s old flute seemed more than once to sound
mournfully in my ears； and that when at last Steerforth was tired；
and I lay down in my bed； I fancied it playing so sorrowfully
somewhere； that I was quite wretched。
I soon forgot him in the contemplation of Steerforth； who； in an
easy amateur way； and without any book （he seemed to me to
know everything by heart）； took some of his classes until a new
master was found。 The new master came from a grammar school；
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
David Copperfield
and before he entered on his duties； dined in the parlour one day；
to be introduced to Steerforth。 Steerforth approved of him highly；
and told us he was a Brick。 Without exactly understanding what
learned distinction was meant by this； I respected him greatly for
it； and had no doubt whatever of his superior knowledge： though
he never took the pains with me—not that I was anybody—that
Mr。 Mell had taken。
There was only one other event in this half…year； out of the daily
school…life； that made an impression upon me which still survives。
It survives for many reasons。
One afternoon； when we were all harassed into a state of dire
confusion； and Mr。 Creakle was laying about him dreadfully；
Tungay came in； and called out in his usual strong way： ‘Visitors
for Copperfield！’
A few words were interchanged between him and Mr。 Creakle；
as； who the v