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No, Sir. My brother-in-law, Tom, was her father. I couldnt help it. Dead, Mr. Peggotty? I hinted, after another respectful silence. Drowndead, said Mr. Peggotty. I felt the difficulty of resuming the subject, but had not got to the bottom of it yet, and must get to the bottom somehow. So I said Havent you any children, Mr. Peggotty? No, Master, he answered, with a short laugh. Im a bacheldore. A bachelor! I said, astonished. Why, whos that, Mr. Peggotty? pointing to the person in the apron, who was knitting. Thats Missis Gummidge, said Mr. Peggotty. Gummidge, Mr. Peggotty? But at this point PeggottyI mean my own peculiar Peggottymade such impressive motions to me not to ask any more questions, that I could only sit and look at all the silent company, until it was time to go to bed. Then, in the privacy of my own little cabin, she informed me that Ham and Emly were an orphan nephew and niece, whom my host had at different times adopted in their childhood, when they were left destitute; and that Mrs. Gummidge was the widow of his partner in a boat, who had died very poor. He was but a poor man himself, said Peggotty, but as good as gold and as true as steelthose were her similes. The only subject, she informed me, on which he ever showed a violent temper or swore an oath, was this generosity of his; and if it were ever referred to, by any one of them, he struck the table a heavy blow with his right hand (had split it on one such occasion), and swore a dreadful oath that he would be Gormed if he didnt cut and run for good, if it was ever mentioned again. It appeared, in answer to my inquiries, that nobody had the least idea of the etymology of this terrible verb passive to be gormed; but that they all regarded it as constituting a most solemn imprecation. I was very sensible of my entertainers goodness, and listened to the womens going to bed in another little crib like mine at the opposite end of the boat, and to him and Ham hanging up two hammocks for themselves on the hooks I had noticed in the roof, in a very luxurious state of mind, enhanced by my being sleepy. As slumber gradually stole upon me, I heard the wind howling out at sea and coming on across the flat so fiercely, that I had a lazy apprehension of the great deep rising in the night. But I bethought myself that I was in a boat, after all, and that a man like Mr. Peggotty was not a bad person to have on board if anything did happen. Nothing happened, however, worse than morning. Almost as soon as it shone upon the oyster-shell frame of my mirror, I was out of bed, and out with little Emly, picking up stones upon the beach. Youre quite a sailor, I suppose? I said to Emly. I dont know that I supposed anything of the kind, but I felt it an act of gallantry to say something; and a shining sail close to us made such a pretty little image of itself, at the moment, in her bright eye, that it came into my head to say this. No, replied Emly, shaking her head, Im afraid of the sea. Afraid! I said, with a becoming air of boldness, and looking very big at the mighty ocean. I ant! Ah! but its cruel, said Emly. I have seen it very cruel to some of our men. I have seen it tear a boat as big as our house all to pieces. I hope it wasnt the boat that |
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