“To be sure,” said Mr. Peggotty. “That’s her, and so she is. Thankee, sir.”

Ham nodded to me several times, as if he would have said so too.

“This here little Em’ly of ours,” said Mr. Peggotty, “has been, in our house, what I suppose (I’m a ignorant man, but that’s my belief) no one but a little bright-eyed creetur can be in a house. She ain’t my child; I never had one; but I couldn’t love her more. You understand! I couldn’t do it!”

“I quite understand,” said Steerforth.