Britannia must take her chance. I am bound to
say that she has never done much for me, and that I have no particular wish upon
the subject.«
    »Micawber,« returned Mrs. Micawber, »there you are wrong. You are going out,
Micawber, to this distant clime, to strengthen, not to weaken, the connexion
between yourself and Albion.«
    »The connexion in question, my love,« rejoined Mr. Micawber, »has not laid
me, I repeat, under that load of personal obligation, that I am at all sensitive
as to the formation of another connexion.«
    »Micawber,« returned Mrs. Micawber, »there, I again say, you are wrong. You
do not know your power, Micawber. It is that which will strengthen, even in this
step you are about to take, the connexion between yourself and Albion.«
    Mr. Micawber sat in his elbow-chair, with his eyebrows raised; half
receiving and half repudiating Mrs. Micawber's views as they were stated, but
very sensible of their foresight.
    »My dear Mr. Copperfield,« said Mrs. Micawber, »I wish Mr. Micawber to feel
his position. It appears to me highly important that Mr. Micawber should, from
the hour of his embarkation, feel his position. Your old knowledge of me, my
dear Mr. Copperfield, will have told you that I have not the sanguine
disposition of Mr. Micawber. My disposition is, if I may say so, eminently
practical. I know that this is a long voyage. I know that it will involve many
privations and inconveniences. I cannot shut my eyes to those facts. But, I also
know what Mr. Micawber is. I know the latent power of Mr. Micawber. And
therefore I consider it vitally important that Mr. Micawber should feel his
position.«
    »My love,« he observed, »perhaps you will allow me to remark that it is
barely possible that I do feel my position at the present moment.«
    »I think not, Micawber,« she rejoined. »Not fully. My dear Mr. Copperfield,
Mr. Micawber's is not a common case. Mr. Micawber is going to a distant country
expressly in order that he may be fully understood and appreciated for the first
time. I wish Mr. Micawber to take his stand upon that vessel's prow, and firmly
say, This country I am come to conquer! Have you honours? Have you riches? Have
you posts of profitable pecuniary emolument
