In this I was much assisted by Mr. Mell, Women Toms Glitter who had a liking for me
that I am grateful to remember. It always gave me pain to observe
that Steerforth treated him with systematic disparagement, and
seldom lost an occasion of wounding his feelings, or inducing
others to do so. This troubled me the more for a long time, because
I had soon told Steerforth, from whom I could no more keep such
a secret, than I could keep a cake or any other tangible possession,
about the two old women Mr. Mell had taken me to see; and I was
always afraid that Steerforth would let it out, and twit him with it.
We little thought, any one of us, I dare say, when I ate my
breakfast that first morning, and went to sleep under the shadow
of the peacock’s feathers to the sound of the flute, what
consequences would come of the introduction into those almshouses of my insignificant person. But the visit had its unforeseen
consequences; and of a serious sort, too, in their way.