“Maidstone Jail is a safer place of detention,” observed Traddles; “and though the law may be longer in righting us, and may not be able to right us so completely as you can, there is no doubt of its punishing you . Dear me, you know that quite as well as I! Copperfield, will you go round to the Guildhall, and bring a couple of officers?”
Here, Mrs. Heep broke out again, crying on her knees to Agnes to interfere in their behalf, exclaiming that he was very humble, and it was all true, and if he didn’t do what we wanted, she would, and much more to the same purpose; being half frantic with fears for her darling. To inquire what he might have done, if he had had any boldness, would be like inquiring what a mongrel cur might do, if it had the spirit of a tiger. He was a coward, from head to foot; and showed his dastardly nature through his sullenness and mortification, as much as at any time of his mean life.
“Stop!” he growled to me; and wiped his hot face with his hand. “Mother, hold your noise. Well! Let ’em have that deed. Go and fetch it!”
“Do you help her, Mr. Dick,” said Traddles, “if you please.”
Proud of his commission, and understanding it, Mr. Dick accompanied her as a shepherd’s dog might accompany a sheep. But, Mrs. Heep gave him little trouble; for she not only returned with the deed, but with the box in which it was, where we found a banker’s book and some other papers that were afterwards serviceable.
“Good!” said Traddles, when this was brought. “Now, Mr. Heep, you can retire to think: particularly observing, if you please, that I declare to you, on the part of all present, that there is only one thing to be done; that it is what I have explained; and that it must be done without delay.”
Uriah, without lifting his eyes from the ground, shuffled across the room with his hand to his chin, and pausing at the door, said: