Steerforth was considerate, too; and showed his consideration, in one particular instance, in an unflinching manner that was a little tantalizing, I suspect, to poor Traddles and the rest. Peggotty’s promised letter⁠—what a comfortable letter it was!⁠—arrived before “the half” was many weeks old; and with it a cake in a perfect nest of oranges, and two bottles of cowslip wine. This treasure, as in duty bound, I laid at the feet of Steerforth, and begged him to dispense.

“Now, I’ll tell you what, young Copperfield,” said he: “the wine shall be kept to wet your whistle when you are storytelling.”