Classics Retold

The news of what happened soon spread through the town.  Many were hard upon Emily, but some were hard upon Steerforth.  But towards Peggotty her second father and Ham her lover, there was but one sentiment.  They were kind and sympathetic to them. Trotwood was on a stroll and found Peggotty and Ham on the beach.  Peggotty's head was bowed.  They were both grave as the sea lying beneath the dark sky. 'We had a great deal of talk, sir,' said Mr Peggotty, while walking, 'of what we ought to do, and we see our course now.' 'I am going to seek my niece,' he said.  Then he asked Trotwood whether he was going to London.  Trotwood would have left, but he stayed, thinking he may be of any service to them.  He was ready to go when Mr Peggotty would. 'I will go along with you, sir,' he rejoined, 'if you are agreeable, tomorrow.' 'Ham,' he resumed, 'will hold on to his present work, and go and live with my sister.' 'Will you desert t...

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 inha...

The business in the Commons had been sliding since the death of Mr Spenlow.  Mr Jorkins was not popular among the clients.  The firm was compelled to spend more on hangers-on and outsiders to bring business. Marriage licenses and small probates the firm looked for, and the competition for these ran high. Miss Betsey wanted her nephew to go to Dover, to see that all was well with the cottage and to conclude a new agreement with the same tenant for a further period. She had in her mind to get him occupied with something to divert his attention on Dora. Janet, her maid was now in the service of Mrs Strong.  Thus she had escaped the compulsion of her lover to enter into an early marriage. Trotwood found everything satisfactory at the cottage in Dover.  The tenant, like Miss Betsey had been waging incessant war against donkeys. Trotwood got her sign the new agreement and returned to Canterbury. It was now winter; the fresh cold windy day, sweeping downland brightened his ...

Miss Betsey Trotwood had brought some little improvement in the domestic arrangements.  First of all she asserted herself against Mrs Crupp.  Mrs Crupp had stopped placing pitchers on the stairs because Miss Betsey would throw the pitchers out of the window and would prowl on the stairs up and down intermittently.  In this war of pitchers Mrs Crupp's arsenal of pitchers became empty and she withdrew herself from the presence of Miss Betsey. Miss Betsey converted the pantry into a dressing-room for her nephew; purchased and embellished a bedstead for him.  Peggotty had the privilege of associating in these labours, although she retained her old awe towards Miss Betsey.  In spite of this she received many marks of encouragement and confidence of Miss Betsey, and soon they became best friends. On Saturdays Peggotty would go home to take care of the affairs of Ham.  On these occasions Trotwood would accompany her and she would promise him money.   Tro...

Trotwood proposed to Mr Dick to come to Chandler's shop and take possession of the bed which Mr Peggotty had lately vacated.  The Chandler's shop in the Hungerford Market very much pleased Mr Dick. Mrs Crupp had bitterly warned him that there wasn't room to swing a cat there, but, as Mr Dick observed, sitting down on the foot of the bed, 'You know, Trotwood, 'I don't want to swing a cat, I never do swing a cat. Therefore what does that signify to me!' Trotwood tried to find out whether Dick had any idea as to the sudden change in the situation of his aunt. He had no idea, except what she said, 'Dick,I am ruined.'  And Dick answered, 'indeed!' To that his aunt praised him highly, which he was glad of. And then they had come and had had bottled porter and sandwiches on the road. Trotwood realised that Mr Dick was not fully aware of the station of his aunt.  So he explained to him that ruin meant distress, want and starvation.  His face turned p...