Chapter 10

I had always taken Agnes’s advice, and I did so this time.  I do not remember how I got home, but I do remember Steerforth helping me to undress and get into bed.  What a terrible, sleepless night I spent!  How ill I felt!  How dry my mouth was!  But the next morning I felt even worse.  I was so miserable and ashamed that I had been so stupid, and that Agnes had seen me drunk.  I could not even apologize to her, because I did not know where she was staying in London.  I spent the whole day with my head in my hands, in my dirty, smoky room, surrounded by empty wine bottles.

But the next day a note was delivered to my flat.  It was from Agnes, asking me to visit her at the house where she was staying.  I went straight there after my day’s work at the office.

Agnes smiled miserably.  'My poor father has no choice.  You know how unhappy he has often has been?  And of course you’ve seen him drinking.  You see, he loved my mother very much, and when she died, he didn’t care so much about his work.  That’s when he started drinking.  Uriah’s very clever – he knows all this, and he’s been very useful to Father, doing all the work that Father had forgotten or didn’t want to do.  Father really needs Uriah now, to keep his business going.  And Uriah himself pretends to be humble and grateful, but in fact he’s in a strong position, and is insisting on becoming a partner.  Father is ashamed of himself, but he has to agree.  Poor Father!  I ‘d do anything to help him, anything!’  And Agnes sobbed bitterly.