We thought this intention  very noble in Steerforth,  whose mother was a  widow, and rich, and would do almost anything, it was said, that he asked her.  We were all extremely glad to  see Traddles so put  down, and exalted Steerforth  to the skies: especially when he  told us, as he  condescended to do, that  what he had done  had been  done expressly  for us,   and for  our cause;  and that  he  had conferred a great boon upon us by unselfishly doing it. But I must say that when I was going on with a story in the dark that night, Mr. Mell's old flute  seemed more than once to sound mournfully in my ears; and that when at last  Steerforth was  tired, and  I lay  down in  my bed,  I fancied  it playing  so  sorrowfully somewhere, that I was quite wretched.

　　I soon forgot him  in the contemplation of  Steerforth, who, in an  easy amateur way, and without any  book (he seemed to  me to know everything  by heart), took some of his classes until  a new master was found.   The new master came from  a grammar school; and before  he entered on his  duties, dined in the  parlour one day, to  be introduced  to Steerforth.   Steerforth approved  of him highly, and told us he was a Brick.  Without exactly understanding what learned  distinction was meant by this, I respected him greatly for it, and had no doubt whatever  of his superior knowledge: though he never took the pains with me - not that I  was anybody - that Mr. Mell had taken.

　　There was only one other event in this half-year, out of the daily  school-life, that made  an impression  upon me  which still  survives. It  survives for  many reasons.

　　One afternoon, when we were all harassed into a state of dire confusion, and Mr. Creakle was laying about him dreadfully,  Tungay came in, and called out  in his usual strong way: 'Visitors for Copperfield!'

　　A few words were interchanged between him and Mr. Creakle, as, who the  visitors were, and what room they were to  be shown into; and then I, who  had, according to custom, stood up  on the announcement being  made, and felt quite  faint with astonishment, was told to go by the back stairs and get a clean frill on, before I repaired to  the dining-room.  These  orders I obeyed,  in such a  flutter and hurry of my young  spirits as I had  never known before; and  when I got to  the parlour door, and the thought came into my  head that it might be my mother -  I had only thought of Mr. or Miss Murdstone until then - I drew back my hand  from the lock, and stopped to have a sob before I went in.

　　At first I saw nobody; but feeling  a pressure against the door, I looked  round it, and there, to  my amazement, were Mr.  Peggotty and Ham, ducking  at me with their  hats, and  squeezing one  another against  the wall.   I could  not  help laughing; but  it was  much more  in the  pleasure of  seeing them,  than at the appearance they made. We  shook hands in a  very cordial way; and  I laughed and laughed, until I pulled out my pocket-handkerchief and wiped my eyes.