 I know that I lounged about the streets, insufficiently and
unsatisfactorily fed. I know that, but for the mercy of God, I might easily have
been, for any care that was taken of me, a little robber or a little vagabond.
    Yet I held some station at Murdstone and Grinby's too. Besides that Mr.
Quinion did what a careless man so occupied, and dealing with a thing so
anomalous, could, to treat me as one upon a different footing from the rest, I
never said, to man or boy, how it was that I came to be there, or gave the least
indication of being sorry that I was there. That I suffered in secret, and that
I suffered exquisitely, no one ever knew but I. How much I suffered, it is, as I
have said already, utterly beyond my power to tell. But I kept my own counsel,
and I did my work. I knew from the first, that, if I could not do my work as
well as any of the rest, I could not hold myself above slight and contempt. I
soon became at least as expeditious and as skilful as either of the other boys.
Though perfectly familiar with them, my conduct and manner were different enough
from theirs to place a space between us. They and the men generally spoke of me
as the little gent, or the young Suffolker. A certain man named Gregory, who was
foreman of the packers, and another named Tipp, who was the carman, and wore a
red jacket, used to address me sometimes as David: but I think it was mostly
when we were very confidential, and when I had made some efforts to entertain
them, over our work, with some results of the old readings; which were fast
perishing out of my remembrance. Mealy Potatoes uprose once, and rebelled
against my being so distinguished; but Mick Walker settled him in no time.
    My rescue from this kind of existence I considered quite hopeless, and
abandoned, as such, altogether. I am solemnly convinced that I never for one
hour was reconciled to it, or was otherwise than miserably unhappy; but I bore
it; and even to Peggotty, partly for the love of her and partly for shame, never
in any letter (though many passed between us) revealed the truth.
    Mr. Micawber's difficulties were an addition to the distressed state of my
mind. In my forlorn state I became quite attached to the family, and used to
walk about, busy with Mrs. Micawber's calculations of ways and means
