over the W. family—as I, Wilkins Micawber, the undersigned, assume—unless the filial affection of his daughter could be secretly influenced from allowing any investigation of the partnership affairs to be ever made, the said— Heep —deemed it expedient to have a bond ready by him, as from Mr. W. , for the before-mentioned sum of twelve six fourteen, two and nine, with interest, stated therein to have been advanced by— Heep —to Mr. W. to save Mr. W. from dishonour; though really the sum was never advanced by him, and has long been replaced. The signatures to this instrument purporting to be executed by Mr. W. and attested by Wilkins Micawber, are forgeries by— Heep . I have, in my possession, in his hand and pocketbook, several similar imitations of Mr. W. ’s signature, here and there defaced by fire, but legible to anyone. I never attested any such document. And I have the document itself, in my possession.’ ” Uriah Heep, with a start, took out of his pocket a bunch of keys, and opened a certain drawer; then, suddenly bethought himself of what he was about, and turned again towards us, without looking in it.
“ ‘And I have the document,’ ” Mr. Micawber read again, looking about as if it were the text of a sermon, “ ‘in my possession—that is to say, I had, early this morning, when this was written, but have since relinquished it to Mr. Traddles.’ ”
“It is quite true,” assented Traddles.
“Ury, Ury!” cried the mother, “be ’umble and make terms. I know my son will be ’umble, gentlemen, if you’ll give him time to think. Mr. Copperfield, I’m sure you know that he was always very ’umble, sir!”
It was singular to see how the mother still held to the old trick, when the son had abandoned it as useless.
“Mother,” he said, with an impatient bite at the handkerchief in which his hand was wrapped, “you had better take and fire a loaded gun at me.”