The Adelphi - FOUR: Traddles and Micawbers.

At the dinner hosted by Mr and Mrs Waterbrook, both Trotwood Copperfield and Tommy Traddles promised each other to meet in future.  But the meeting did not take place, and Trotwood was fully immersed in heated love, that to him the world outside did not exist.  The warning by Mrs Crupp who happened to notice that there was a lady behind his unhappiness advised him divert his mind to the game of skittles.  Skittles brought the memory of Traddles, because of the same ending, and he decided to go and look after Traddles.

Tommy Traddles lived in a little street near the Veterinary College at Camden Town.  The atmosphere reminded of the place where the Micawbers lived when Trotwood was in Murdstone and Grinbys.  The houses were old and looked alike.  At the door of a house stood afternoon milkman, who said, 'Now,' to a servant girl in her youth, 'there the little bill of mine been heard on?'

'Oh, master says he'll attend to it immediate,' was the reply.

The inhabitants by the street used to throw any little trifles they were not in want of, into the road causing unpleasant smell and dirty look.  The refuse may be anything: vegetable, shoes, a doubled up saucepan, a black bonnet, an umbrella all in various stages of decomposition.

The afternoon milkman stood in front of a house, and said to the servant girl in her blooming youth, 'Now, there my little bill been heered on?'

'Oh, master says he'll attend to it immediate.' said the girl.

Glaring down the passage and aiming at someone inside the house, he said aloud, 'because there that little bill has been running so long, I begin to think it's run away altogether, and never won't be heered of.  Now, I'm not going to stand it, you know.'

He was a milkman.  In his stead the deportment of a butcher or brandy-merchant would have been more fierce, thought Trotwood.

The girl murmured something.

'I tell you what,' said the milkman, looking hard at her, and taking her by the chin, 'are you fond of milk?'

'Yes, I like it.' 

'Good.  Then, you won't have none tomorrow.'

The milkman released her chin, opened his can, and poured the milk into her family jug.  He went away, muttering something, and uttered the cry of his trade next door.

'Does Mr Traddles live here?' inquired Trotwood.

'A voice from the end of the passage replied 'Yes.'  Upon which another voice repeated it.

'Could I meet him?'

A voice from inside replied in the affirmative.

Trotwood walked in, and then walked upstairs, as directed by the servant.

It was a two-storey building.  Traddles was on the landing to meet Trotwood, and was much delighted, and welcomed him to his room.  The front of the house was very neat but sparsely furnished.  It was his only room; there was a sofa-bedstead in it, and his blacking brushes were among his books, on the top shelf, behind a dictionary.  His table was covered with papers, and he was hard at work in an old coat.

'Traddles,' said Trotwood, shaking hands with him again, after he had sat down, 'I am delighted to see you.'

'I am delighted to see you, Copperfield,' returned Traddles.  'I gave this address to you when we met at Ely place, because I was sure you were very happy to see me. Otherwise I would have given my address at chambers.

'Oh! You have chambers?'

'Why, I have a fourth of a room and a passage, and the fourth of a clerk.'  He smiled at Trotwood as he said this.

'You are reading for the bar, Mr Waterbrook told me.'

'Why, yes,' said Traddles rubbing his hands.  'I am reading for the bar.  The fact is, it's a great pull!' said Traddles, with a wince, as if he had had a tooth out.

'Do you know what I can't help thinking of, Traddles, as I sit here looking at you?' said Trotwood.

'No.'

'That sky-blue suit you used to wear.

'Lord, to be sure,' said Traddles, laughing.  'Tight in the arms and legs, you know? Dear me! Well!  Those were happy times.  Weren't they?'

'I think our school master might have made them happier, without doing any harm to any of us.' 

'Perhaps he might,' said Traddles.  But there was a good deal of fun going on.  Do you remember the nights in the bedroom?  When we used to have suppers? And when you used to tell stories?  Ha, ha ha! And do you remember when I got caned for crying about Mell?  Old Creakle!  I should like to see him again!'

'He was a brute to you, Traddles,' said Trotwood, indignantly.

'Perhaps. But it's all over.  Old Creakle!' said Traddles.

'You were brought up by an uncle, then?' said Trotwood.

'Of course I was!' said Traddles.  'The one I was always going to write, but never did.'  Yes, I had an uncle then.  He died soon after I left school.'

'Indeed.'

He was a draper, and had made me his heir.  But he didn't like me when I grew up.'  It was unfortunate, but he didn't like me at all.  He said I wasn't at all what he expected, and so he married his housekeeper.'

'And what did you do?'

'Nothing in particular,' said Traddles.  'I lived with them

'Do you really mean that?' asked Trotwood as he fancied some other reasons.

'Oh, yes Copperfield!  I mean it,' replied Traddles.  'I lived with them, waiting to be put out in the world, until his gout unfortunately flew into his stomach - and so he died, and she married a young man, and so I wasn't provided for.

'Did you get nothing, Traddles, after all?' asked Trotwood.

'Oh dear, yes!' said Traddles.  'I got fifty pounds.  I had never been brought up to any profession, and at first I was at a loss what to do for myself.  However, I began, with the assistance of Yawler, who had been to Salem House.  He was the son of a professional man.  Do you recollect him, with his nose on one side?'

'No. He had not been with me; all the noses were straight in my day.'

'It don't matter,' said Traddles, 'I began by means of his assistance, to copy law writings.  That didn't answer very well; then I began to state cases for them, and make abstracts, and that sort of works.  For I am a plodding kind of fellow, Copperfield, and had learnt the way of doing such things pithily.  Well! That put it in my head to enter myself as a law student; and that ran away with all that was left of the fifty pounds.  Yawler recommend me to one or two other offices, however - Mr Water Books for one - and I got a good many jobs.  I was fortunate enough, too, to become acquainted with a person in the publishing way, who was getting up an encyclopaedia, and he set me to work, and at this moment I am at work for him.  I am not a bad compiler, Copperfield,' said Traddles.

'So, by little and little, and not living high, I managed to scrape up the hundred pounds at last,' continued Traddles, wincing again as if he had another tooth out, 'a pull.  I hope one of these days, to get connected with some newspaper; which would almost be the making of my fortune.  Now, Copperfield, you are so exactly what you used to be, with that agreeable face, and it's so pleasant to see you, that I shan't conceal anything.  Therefore you must know I am engaged.'

The thought of Dora flashed in the

mind of Trotwood.

'She is a curate's daughter,' said Traddles, one of ten, down in Devonshire.  Yes!' He saw Trotwood glance involuntarily at an inkstand.  'There stands the house, facing towards the church,'  he said tracing his finger along the inkstand, 'and exactly where I hold this pen, you understand.'

The delight with which he explained these particulars did not enter Trotwood because he was dreaming of Mr Spenlow's house and its garden at the same moment.

'She is such a dear girl!' said Traddles, a little older than me, but the dearest girl!'

Traddles said that they had to wait.  But they had jointly began housekeeping.  But he did not say the reason for this long wait, Trotwood did not ask him either.  Then he said, he did not earn much. He did not spend much. 

'In general, I board with the people downstairs, who are very agreeable people.  Both Mr and Mrs Micawber have seen a good deal of life, and are excellent company.'

'My dear Traddles,' Trotwood exclaimed quickly 'what are you talking about?'

Traddles looked at Trotwood as if wondered.

A double knock at the door, which was very familiar to Trotwood in Windsor Terrace, where he stayed in his days with Murdstone and Grinbys, confirmed that it was his childhood friend.

Traddles opened the door, and stood Micawber, not a bit changed- his tights, huge shirt collar, eye-glass and a stick in his hand,  all the same. 

'I beg your pardon, Mr Traddles,' said Mr Micawber, with the old roll in his voice, as he checked himself in  humming a soft tune. 'I was not aware that there was any individual, alien to this tenement, in your sanctum.'

Mr Micawber slightly bowed to Trotwood, and pulled up his shirt collar.

'How do you do Mr Micawber?' said Trotwood.

'Sir,' said Mr Micawber, 'you are exceedingly obliging.  I am in status quo.'

'And Mrs Micawber?' said Trotwood.

'Sir, She is also, in status quo.'

'And the children, Mr Micawber?'

'Sir,' said Mr Micawber, 'I rejoice to reply that they are likewise, in the enjoyment of salubrity.'

'And Mrs Micawber?' pursued Trotwood.

'Sir,' said Micawber, 'she is also, thank God, in status quo.'

Mr Micawber had not recognised Trotwood in the least, though both of them stood face to face.  But seeing Trotwood smile, he examined the features of the youth opposite him, with more attention, fell back, and cried, 'Is it possible!  Have I the pleasure of again beholding Copperfield!' and shook him by both hands with utmost fervour.  Mr Micawber expressed his surprise at Traddles's acquaintance of Trotwood.  Traddles, too, was equally surprised.

'My dear,' said Mr Micawber calling over the banister, 'here is a gentleman in Mr Traddles's apartment, whom he wishes to have the pleasure of presenting to you.' 

After that he reappeared, shook hands with Trotwood again, and asked him about Doctor Strong, and all the circle in Canterbury.

Mrs Micawber came in, straight from her daily chores and Mr Micawber ran down to water-butt and drew a basinful to wash her brow with.  Mrs Micawber was very happy to see Trotwood.  The friends exchanged pleasantries, and Mr Micawber was very anxious that Trotwood should stay to dinner.  But Trotwood declined, since he saw trouble in Mrs Micawber's eye.  Trotwood invited them all to his apartment to a dinner on a day to be fixed by Traddles in consultation with others.  After this Trotwood took leave of them.

Mr Micawber accompanied him to the corner of the street, and said, 'My dear Copperfield, your friend Mr Traddles is a consolation to myself and Mrs Micawber.  The corn business I am doing is not at all prospective, but something is turning up which may be beneficial for your friend too.

Mr Micawber then shook hands with Trotwood and left.

___________________________________