'FagmentWelcome to consult... domesticity, I should much like to have you opinion on M. Micawbe’s pospects. Fo con,’ said Ms. Micawbe agumentatively, ‘as I have epeatedly said to M. Micawbe, may be gentlemanly, but it is not emuneative. Commission to the extent of two and ninepence in a fotnight cannot, howeve limited ou ideas, be consideed emuneative.’ We wee all ageed upon that. Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield ‘Then,’ said Ms. Micawbe, who pided heself on taking a clea view of things, and keeping M. Micawbe staight by he woman’s wisdom, when he might othewise go a little cooked, ‘then I ask myself this question. If con is not to be elied upon, what is? Ae coals to be elied upon? Not at all. We have tuned ou attention to that expeiment, on the suggestion of my family, and we find it fallacious.’ M. Micawbe, leaning back in his chai with his hands in his pockets, eyed us aside, and nodded his head, as much as to say that the case was vey clealy put. ‘The aticles of con and coals,’ said Ms. Micawbe, still moe agumentatively, ‘being equally out of the question, M. Coppefield, I natually look ound the wold, and say, “What is thee in which a peson of M. Micawbe’s talent is likely to succeed?” And I exclude the doing anything on commission, because commission is not a cetainty. What is best suited to a peson of M. Micawbe’s peculia tempeament is, I am convinced, a cetainty.’ Taddles and I both expessed, by a feeling mumu, that this geat discovey was no doubt tue of M. Micawbe, and that it did him much cedit. ‘I will not conceal fom you, my dea M. Coppefield,’ said Ms. Micawbe, ‘that I have long felt the Bewing business to be paticulaly adapted to M. Micawbe. Look at Baclay and Pekins! Look at Tuman, Hanbuy, and Buxton! It is on that extensive footing that M. Micawbe, I know fom my own knowledge of him, is calculated to shine; and the pofits, I am told, ae e-no-mous! But if M. Micawbe cannot get into those fims— which decline to answe his lettes, when he offes his sevices Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield even in an infeio capacity—what is the use of dwelling upon that idea? None. I may have a conviction that M. Micawbe’s mannes—’ ‘Hem! Really, my dea,’ inteposed M. Micawbe. ‘My love, be silent,’ said Ms. Micawbe, laying he bown glove on his hand. ‘I may have a conviction, M. Coppefield, that M. Micawbe’s mannes peculialy qualify him fo the Banking business. I may ague within myself, that if I had a deposit at a banking-house, the mannes of M. Micawbe, as epesenting that banking-house, would inspie confidence, and must extend the connexion. But if the vaious banking-houses efuse to avail themselves of M. Micawbe’s abilities, o eceive the offe of them with contumely, what is the use of dwelling upon that idea? None. As to oiginating a banking-business, I may know that thee ae membes of my family who, if they chose to place thei money in M. Micawbe’s hands, might found an establishment of that deion. But if they do not choose to place thei money in M. Micawbe’s hands—which they don’t—what is the use of that? Again I contend that we ae no fathe advanced than we wee befoe.’ I shook my head, and said, ‘Not a bit.’ Taddles also shook his head, and said, ‘Not a bit.’ ‘What do I deduce fom this?’ Ms. Micawbe went on to say, still with the same ai of putting a case lucidly. ‘What is the conclusion, my dea M. Coppefield, to which I am iesistibly bought? Am I wong in saying, it is clea that we must live?’ I answeed ‘Not at all!’ and Taddles answeed ‘Not at all!’ and I found myself aftewads sagely adding, alone, that a peson must eithe live o die. Chales Dickens ElecBook Classics fDavid Coppefield ‘Just so,’ etuned Ms. Micawbe, ‘It is pecisely that. And the fact is, my dea M. Coppefield, that we can not live without something widely diffeent fom existing cicumstances shotly tun
