Chapter 27 Chapter Twenty-Three I Confirmed Mr. Dick's Statement and Decided a Vocation

When I awoke in the morning I thought very much of little Emily, and what she would think after Martha went away last night.It seemed to me that it would be very wrong for me to tell Steerforth about those domestic regrets and difficulties which I was trusted to learn by virtue of sacred friendship.Whether in the past or in the future, until I die, I believe that I have truly loved the beauty who was my former game partner.I have a deeper affection for her than for anyone else.The uncontrollable feelings she poured out on me must not be told to anyone - not even Steerforth, or it would be a cruel thing, sorry for myself, sorry for our innocent childhood friendship, That friendship always seemed to me to hang around us.So I made up my mind to keep it to myself, and it added a new radiance to her image in my heart.

While we were having breakfast, a letter came from my aunt.As Steerforth was in a position to advise on the subject covered in the letter, and knowing that I would be satisfied with a consultation with him, I decided to put it on the way home for discussion.We are too busy at present to bid farewell to our friends.Mr. Barkis was no less regretful than anyone else in parting; and I am sure he would have been willing to open the chest again, and give another guinea, if it would have kept us at Yarmouth another forty-eight hours.Peggotty, and all her natal family, were heartily sorry for our departure.All Omer-Yoram's came out to bid us good-bye; Steerforth was assisted by many a crewman when we loaded our luggage, and even with a company's luggage we scarcely needed porters. Here to help.In a word, our departure made all the people concerned both regretful and envious, and what we left behind was sadness for many people.

"Are you going to be here long, Li Timer?" I asked him as he stood there delivering the car. "No, sir," he answered, "probably not very long, sir." "It's not yet decided," said Steerforth casually. "He knows what he has to do, and he will." "Of course he is," I said. Li Timo thanked me for my compliment by touching the hat with his hands, and I suddenly felt that I was only eight years old.He touched his cap again to wish us a safe journey, and we left him, who stood on the pavement as dignified and mysterious as an Egyptian pyramid.

For a while, we didn't speak a word.Steerforth was also very silent; I was thinking about when I would visit the old place again, and what would happen to me and them.Steerforth, who is good at regulating emotions, finally became happier and talked more.He tugged at my arm and said: "Tell me, David. What about that letter you talked about at breakfast?" "Oh!" I said, taking the letter out of my pocket, "it's from my aunt." "What did she say? Need to think about it?" "Well, she reminded me, Steerforth," I said, "that I should be careful and think carefully about this trip."

"Of course you did?" "Actually, I can't say I've done it on purpose. To tell you the truth, I'm afraid I've forgotten it." "Yes! Take care now, and make up for your neglect," said Steerforth. "Look to the right and you can see a flat field covered with bogs, and to the left you can see the same Stuff. Looking forward, you can't see the difference; looking backward, it's still the same." I smiled and replied that I don't see any suitable occupations in this area, maybe because the place is so dead. "What does our aunt have to say on the subject?" said Steerforth, looking at the letter in my hand. "Has she any opinion?"

"Oh, yes," I said, "she asked me if I would be an advocate. what do you think? " "Oh, I don't know," replied Steerforth indifferently, "I suppose there's not the slightest difference between what you do and what else you do." I couldn't help laughing again, I laughed at him for disregarding all occupations; I told him my thoughts. "What's an attorney, Steerforth?" I asked. "Well, it's a kind of Abbey Advocate," replied Steerforth, "as a lawyer is to some of the old courts of the Doctor's College, which is at St. Paul's. In a deserted, ancient, and remote corner near the church. The advocate is a public official who should have disappeared naturally more than two hundred years ago. I will tell you what the doctor's college is, and you will know what it is. Then A little corner out of the way, where they administer so-called canon law, and play tricks with old, queer Acts of Parliament, about which three-quarters of the world know nothing, and the other quarter think This is still an Edwardian excavation in the thirteenth century. In common probate suits and common matrimonial suits, in disputes between ships and ships, the House of Doctors has been privileged since ancient times."

"Nonsense, Steerforth!" I exclaimed. "You don't mean that there is any connection between the navigational question and the ecclesiastical question?" "Of course I wouldn't say that, my dear boy," he replied, "but I mean that these questions are dealt with by the same people in the same doctoral school. Go there today and you'll find For the Nancy's sinking of the Sarah Jane, or for Mr. Peggotty and the Yarmouth boatmen going out to sea with anchor and rope to rescue the shipwrecked Nelson in the hurricane, they read the voyages in "Young's Dictionary" in a daze. half of the term; you go there tomorrow, and you'll find them busily gathering evidence, favorable or unfavorable, for an unruly priest; Like an actor, a person is sometimes a judge and sometimes not; sometimes he is one kind of role, sometimes another kind of role; he changes back and forth; however, this is a private performance in front of a specific audience, very happy , is also beneficial.

"But advocates and attorneys aren't the same thing?" I asked, because I was a little confused, "Isn't it?" "No," replied Steerforth. "Advocates are civil jurists—people who have a Ph.D. at the University—and that's the first reason I know about such things. Advocates are hired by attorneys. Both parties are well paid, and together they form a tight and powerful little company. On the whole, I advise you to go to the Doctor's College with joy, David. They are all proud of their nobility there. Well, if that pleases you, I can tell you so."

I forgive Steerforth's frivolity on the subject.In my associations, that "cold, old, remote corner near St. Paul's Church has an atmosphere of solemnity, antiquity, and solemnity surrounding it. Thinking of that atmosphere when considering this question, I have no displeasure at my aunt's opinion. She put the question I left it to my discretion, and told me very simply that she had recently gone to see her agent at the doctoral college about making my will as heir, so she thought of this question. "At any rate, it's admirably done on our aunt's side," said Steerforth, when I mentioned this, "and admirably. My opinion, Daisy, is that you You should be happy to enter the doctoral school."

I was determined to do so.I then told Steerforth that my aunt was expecting me in the city--I learned from her letter--and she had been staying for a week at her usual hotel in Lincoln Court Square.The hotel she had chosen had a stone staircase and a wicket on the roof, because her aunt firmly believed that every house in London was likely to be burned every night. We had a good time traveling, talking of the Doctor's College, and the prospect of me acting as attorney there, and Steerforth made us both happy with all the witty imitations of the scene.When we reached the end of our trip, he went home and made an appointment to see me the day after tomorrow.I drove to Lincoln Court Square, but my aunt and grandma were not in bed yet, and were still waiting for supper.

Even if I have traveled all over the world since we parted, I could not be happier when we meet again.When my aunt hugged me, she burst into tears, and then she forced a smile on her face and said that if my poor mother was still alive, no doubt, that silly little person would also cry. "You left Mr. Dick behind, Auntie?" said I. "I'm so sorry." Oh, Jenny, how are you? " When Jenny saluted me and said hello, I noticed that my aunt's face was long. "I'm very upset, too," said my aunt, wiping her nose. "I haven't been at ease since I've been here, Trol." Before I could ask her why, she told me. "I think," said my aunt, putting her hand on the table with a melancholy look, "that Dick wasn't of the character to drive a donkey. I don't believe he willed enough. I should have left Jenny to look after the house, and I might as well." Take it easy. If a donkey tramples my lawn," said my aunt emphatically, "it must be four o'clock this afternoon. I feel a chill from head to toe, and I know it's the donkey." I tried to comfort her on this point, but she wouldn't listen. "That's the ass," said my aunt, "and the same one on which the woman of Murderer came to my house on." My aunt has since used that as Miss Murdstone's only name. "If there is a donkey in Dover, its presumptuousness is more tolerable to me than other donkeys," said my aunt, slapping the table. "It's the beast!" Jenny ventured to suggest to my aunt that perhaps she was needlessly distressed herself.Jenny also hinted that she thought the donkey my aunt mentioned was doing the hard work of transporting sand and gravel at this time, and could not come to trample the grass.But my aunt and grandma didn't want to listen. Dinner was served as requested, although my aunt's room was upstairs,—whether she needed a few more stone steps for the safety of her money, or to be closer to the wicket on the roof, I don't know—but the dinner It was still hot, and there was a grilled chicken, a fried meat, and some vegetables.Everything was good in these dishes, and I had a good time eating them.My aunt ate very little, for she had always had her own opinion of London food. "I think the unlucky chicken grew up in a cellar," said my aunt, "and never saw the light of day except in a shabby old cart. I wish the fry was beef, but I can't believe it's true. The way I see it, nothing is real here except rubbish." "You don't think the chicken could be from the country, Auntie?" I hinted. "Of course not," said my aunt at once. "It would only displease the merchants of London to deal with the real thing." I don't venture to argue against that, but I eat a lot.My aunt was also very satisfied to see me like this.When the table was cleared, Jenny tied her hair and put on her nightcap--a very well-designed nightcap, my aunt said "in case of fire"--and folded her gown over her knees, which was her A consistent prelude to warming up before bedtime.So, according to a rule that never changes in the slightest, I made her a hot glass of wine and water, and served her with a slice of toast cut into thin strips.When everything was ready, it was just the two of us to while away the night.My aunt and grandma sat opposite me drinking and drinking water; before each bite of toast, she dipped the toast she picked up in the wine.Her face was surrounded by the frills of her nightcap, and she looked at me benevolently. "Hey, Trollo," she began, "what do you think of the attorney plan? Have you thought about it?" "I have thought a great deal, my dear aunt, and I have had a good talk with Steerforth. I do like the plan. It suits me very well." "Good!" said my aunt, "this is very pleasant!" "I have only one difficulty, auntie." "Just talk, Trol," she said hastily. "Well, I want to ask, auntie, as far as I know, this is a profession with limited places. Do I need to spend a lot of money to devote myself to it?" "For your contract to study," replied my aunt, "for exactly a thousand pounds." "Well, my dear aunt," said I, moving my chair a little towards her, "that's what troubles me. It's a lot of money. You've spent a great deal on my education, and in every way Take good care of me as much as you can. You have become a model of generosity. There must be some way to make money and not cost anything. As long as you have determination and suffer hardship, you can also have the hope of prosperity. Don't you think you should try it? Are those better? Are you sure you can afford to pay that much, and that it is the right way to spend it? I wish you, my second mother, would think about it. Are you sure?" My aunt ate the bread she was eating, looked me over, put the glass on the hob, crossed her hands on the hem of her rolled-up gown, and answered: "Trow, my boy, if I have any purpose in life, it is to try to make you a good, sensible, happy man. That's what I'm about--and Dick is. I wish I knew Listen to what Dick has to say on the subject. He's surprisingly shrewd. But no one but me knows how clever the man is!" She paused, put my hand in hers, and went on: "Trow, it's no use remembering the past unless it does something for the present. Perhaps your poor father and I should have become better friends. Perhaps, after your sister Bessie Trowood failed me, I should still be better friends with your poor baby mother. Maybe I thought so when you appeared in front of me covered in dust and looking like a runaway child. Since then Till now, Tello, you have always been a honour, a pride, a joy to me. I don't think otherwise of my property, at least"—I'm surprised that she said this with hesitation, Bewildered, "at least, no, I have no other claim to my property--you are my adopted child. At my age, as long as you are a kind and loving child, you can tolerate my eccentric ideas; yes You can do more for an old woman who hasn't had the joy and comfort she deserved in her prime than the old woman can do for you." This is the first time I have heard my aunt talk about her past.Her calm attitude of thinking about the past but letting go of it makes people feel her generosity, and it is this kind of generosity that makes me respect and admire her even more. "Now that we agree and understand each other, Trol," said my aunt, "we don't have to talk about that any more. Give me a kiss, and we'll go to the doctor's house after breakfast to-morrow." Before bedtime we had a long talk in front of the fire.My bedroom is on the same floor as my aunt's bedroom.That night she knocked on my door as soon as she heard a wagon or vegetable cart in the distance, and asked, "Did you hear the fire engine?" She slept more peacefully and let me sleep peacefully. About noon we set off for Spinlow & Jorkins & Associates in the Doctor's College.Another general opinion my aunt held about London was that everyone she met was a pickpocket.So she handed me the purse, which contained a dozen niles and some silver coins, to hold it for her. We stopped in front of a toy shop in Ship Street to see the wooden giants of St. Denstein's Church ringing the bells - we timed our trip to see them ringing at twelve o'clock - and then we Go to Laggate Hill and St Paul's Church.Passing Laggate Hill, I noticed that my aunt had picked up her pace considerably, and looked flustered.At the same time, I saw a sullen, disheveled man (who had stopped a little in front of us to look at us) coming up behind us, close enough to touch her. "Trow! My dear Tello!" cried my aunt in a low, terrified voice, taking my arm. "I don't know what to do." "Don't panic," I said, "it's nothing to be afraid of. Go into a store and I'll get the guy out of here right away." "No, no, child!" she said quickly, "don't say anything to him. I beg you, I command you." "Oh, my aunt!" I said, "he's just a beggar who wants to beg for nothing." "You don't know what he does!" answered my aunt. "You don't know who he is! You don't know what you're talking about!" As we said this, we stopped at a doorway where there was no one in front of us, and he stopped too. "Don't look at him!" said my aunt when I looked back at the man angrily. "Go get me a car, my dear, and meet me at St. Paul's Church." "Waiting for you?" I repeated. "Yes," answered my aunt, "I must go alone. I must go with him." "With him, aunt? Just with this person?" "I'm sane," she replied, "I tell you, I must. Go and get me a cab!" Astonished though I was, I knew I could not disobey this stern order.I ran a few steps and hailed an empty car that passed by.I hardly had time to put the pedal down when my aunt somehow jumped into the car, and the man followed.She waved me away so anxiously that I turned around and walked away, although I was surprised.As I turned, I heard her say to the coachman, "Wherever you want! Just go on and on!" Immediately the carriage passed me and drove up the hill. What Mr. Dick told me in the past, which I had taken for his hallucinations, came back to me now.I could not help believing that this was the man whom Mr. Dick mysteriously mentioned; but what kind of information he had on my aunt I could not at all imagine.In the church yard I waited for half an hour, trying to collect myself, before I saw the carriage return.The coachman stopped beside me, and only my aunt and grandma were sitting in the car. She was too excited to make the visits we had to make.She asked me to get in the car, and let the driver drive the car back and forth slowly for a while.All she said was, "My dear boy, never ask me what's going on, and never mention it." She didn't tell me until she had recovered her composure completely, and we could get out of the car up.When she handed me the purse to pay for the car, I found that all the guineas were gone except the loose coins. A low arcade leads to the doctor's house.We did not walk a few steps from the street market in front of the courtyard, and the hustle and bustle of the city seemed to be thrown into a quiet distance, like a kind of magic.Through several sunken courtyards and several narrow passages, we came to Spinlow-Yorkins' office with a skylight.In the front porch of the temple, which can be entered and worshiped without such rituals as knocking on the door, there are three or four clerks busy copying and writing.One of them, who sat alone, was dry and thin, with a brown wig as stiff as if made of gingerbread; he rose to meet my aunt, and led us into Mr. Spenlow's room. "Mr. Spenlow is still in court, ma'am," said the thin man, "to-day is the vault day; but the court is near here, and I will send for him at once." Before Mr. Spenlow arrived, I took the opportunity to look around.The furniture and furnishings in the room were old-fashioned and covered with dust, and the velvet cloth on the desk was completely faded and gray like an old beggar.On the table were many scrolls, some marked "Certificates," some "Complaints," (which surprised me), some "Supervisory Courts," and some "Navy Courts." , and some are marked as "handling on behalf of the court".I wonder how many courts there are and how long it takes to figure them out.In addition, there are various transcribed oath files, which are firmly bound and bundled into volumes, each case is a volume, and each case is like a history of ten and thirty volumes.It all seemed to me to be invaluable and to give me great satisfaction in the profession of attorney.I was examining these and similar things with growing affection, when I heard hurried steps outside the house, and Mr. Spenlow, in his black robe trimmed with white leather, entered hastily.He took off his hat as he walked. He was a small, fair-haired man in good boots, and his white collar and shirt collar were as starched as they could be.He is neatly dressed.He had no doubt put a lot of thought into that delicately curled beard, too.His gold watch-chain was so thick that I fancied that he should pull it out with a great gold arm like the sign of a gold-leaf shop.His attire was so thoughtful and rigid, it looked like he could barely bend over.When he sat in the chair and read the papers on the desk, he had to turn his hips like a clown when he turned around. After being introduced by my aunt, I was received very politely and thoughtfully.He said at the time: "So, Mr. Copperfield, you want to join us? I had the honor of meeting Miss Trotwood the other day"—leaning once, and making a clown again—"I accidentally remarked that there is still a Vacancy. Miss Trotwood spoke of a grandnephew she was particularly concerned about, and hoped he would find a decent career in. This grandnephew, I believe, is what I'm meant for at this moment"—clown again. I bowed in acknowledgment, and said that my aunt had told me of such an opportunity, and thought I would be willing to try it.I felt I would, so I accepted the offer right away.Until I have a better understanding of this profession, I can't say for sure that I will like it.I think before I decide to take up this profession formally, I should try to see if I can really like it, even if it is only a formality. "Oh, of course! Of course!" said Mr. Spenlow. "At our place our rule has always been a month--a trial period. My own hope is two months--three months--indefinitely. Any time—but I have a partner, Mr. Jorkins." "The deposit, sir," said I, "is it a thousand pounds?" "The deposit is a thousand pounds including stamps," said Mr. Spenlow. "I have mentioned to Miss Trotwood that I do not value money very much, and I think the world seldom does." More than I; but Mr. Jorkins has his views on such matters, and I cannot disrespect Mr. Jorkins. In short, Mr. Jorkins thinks that a thousand pounds is not far off." "I suppose, sir," said I, as I still wished to save my aunt some expense, "is there any such practice here, if a trainee's mate is exceptionally good and knowledgeable," and I blushed, it was too boastful. Disgusted—"I suppose, in the later years of the appointment, there was no custom for him to—" Mr. Spenlow, with an effort to get his head out of the cravat as far as he could shake it, then answered before I could say the word "salary". "No. Mr. Copperfield, I won't say how I would have thought of this if I were not restrained. Mr. Jorkins would not be persuaded." Thinking of this dreadful Jorkins makes me cringe.However, I later found him to be a melancholy and mild-tempered man.In his business here he is the one who does not appear himself, but whose stubbornness has been blamed on others all the time.If a clerk asked for a raise, Mr. Jorkins would not accept the request; if a customer's legal costs were not paid on time, Mr. Jorkins insisted on paying them; even if Mr. Spenlow would—would— —felt sad, and Mr. Jorkins would not relax.If it weren't for the fierce god Joggins who grasped everything, the heart and hands of the good god Spinlow would always be open.As I got older, I think I've seen a lot of institutions that operate on the Spenlow-Jorkins principle! It was decided at the time that I could start my probationary period for that month on any day, and my aunt and grandma didn’t have to stay in the city, and they didn’t have to come back after the probationary period expired, because the contract centered on me could be sent home for her to sign without any trouble.When we got to this point, Mr. Spenlow suggested that I should be taken to the court at that moment, so that I might know what kind of place it was.Since I was eager to know, we went with this purpose in mind, and left my aunt behind.My aunt said that she didn't have much trust in that kind of place, and I think she regarded all courts as powder factories that could explode at any time. Mr. Spenlow led me across a stone-paved courtyard surrounded by modest brick houses.From the names of doctors on the doors, these houses were official houses, inhabited by the learned advocates whom Steerforth had told me about.We went to the left into a very large, dreary room that reminded me of an auditorium.The front part of this room is separated by a railing.On both sides of a horseshoe-shaped high platform, various gentlemen in red robes and gray wigs sat. Their seats were all old-fashioned living room chairs, which were very comfortable.I know these people are the doctors.At the end of the horseshoe arch, there is a small table like a lectern table, and an old gentleman is sitting there with his eyes slightly closed.If I had seen him in a birdhouse, I would have taken him for an owl.But I heard he is still the presiding judge.At the horseshoe-shaped opening, slightly lower than the above-mentioned table and chair, that is to say, almost at the level of the table, are various other gentlemen of Mr. Spenlow's class, all dressed like Mr. Spenlow. A black robe trimmed with white leather, sitting at a long green table.I think their collars are always stiff, and their air is always proud.But later I thought that I had wronged them in the latter point, because when two or three of them got up to answer the judge's question, they were so gentle that I have never seen anyone who could do better than them.A young man in a scarf and a shabby slob who secretly ate bread crumbs out of his pockets played the part of the audience, warming themselves by the fire in the middle of the courtroom.The only thing breaking the silence here was the buzzing of the furnace and the voice of some doctor.The doctor was slowly citing evidence that would fill a library, and from time to time repeatedly entangled in some side points.All in all, I've never seen anywhere in my life so cozy, sleepy, quaint, untouched by time, more like a dizzy little family party; and I feel, too, Playing any role in it—except perhaps as a litigator—is a good sedative. Satisfied with the dreamy atmosphere of the solitary place, I told Mr. Spenlow that this one visit was enough, and we joined my aunt;When I came out of Spenrow & Jorkins, the clerks were pointing at each other and making me feel very young. We returned to Lincoln Court Square without any danger, except for a donkey on the back of a vegetable cart; the donkey was enough to remind my aunt of pain.After we got safely into the room, we talked at length about my plans.Knowing that she was in danger of returning home, and that, with fire hazards, bad food, and pickpockets, she would not have a moment's peace in London, I advised her not to worry about me, but to let me look after myself. "I've been here less than a week, and I've thought the same thing, my dear," she said. "There's a little furnished lawyer's apartment for rent in Adelphi, Tello, and it'll suit you very well." ①After these opening remarks, she took from her pocket an advertisement carefully cut out from a newspaper.For rent, in Buckingham Street, Adelphi, is advertised a furnished, river-facing, comfortable and well-appointed lawyer's apartment, ideal for a young gentleman (law student or illegitimate student), ready to move into immediately.The rent is low, and the lease term is one month. -------- ①A lawyer’s apartment refers specifically to a set of rented rooms in the London Law School. "Ah, that's very fitting, auntie!" I said, flushing at the decency of the possibility of such an apartment. "Then hurry up," my aunt said, putting on the scarf that she had just taken off a minute ago, "let's go and have a look." off we go.The ad directed us to see Mrs. Crupp of that house, and we rang the doorbell three or four times that we thought we could tell Mrs. Crupp, and we still hadn't seen her come out.At last, however, she appeared, a large, fat woman in a purple calico gown with velvet ruffles. "Please show us your lawyer's apartment, ma'am," said the aunt. "Is this gentleman going to live?" said Mrs. Crupp, fumbling for the key in her pocket. "Yes, my nephew and grandson are going to live," said the aunt and grandma. "That's a very fine room!" said Mrs. Crupp. So we went upstairs. This suite was on the top floor of the house, which was the most pleasing thing to my aunt, because it was very close to the emergency staircase.It consisted of a dark passage with little visibility, a small pantry where nothing could be seen, a living room, and a bedroom.The furniture is old, but it's ok for me; and, true, the window overlooks the river. Since I was happy with the place, my aunt and Mrs. Crupp retired to the pantry to negotiate the rent.I sat on the couch in the living room and couldn't believe it was possible to live in such an exclusive residence.After some time fighting one-on-one, they returned.I knew from the faces of Mrs. Crupp and my aunt that the contract was done, and I liked it. "Is this the previous tenant's furniture?" asked the aunt. "Yes, from the previous lodger, ma'am," said Mrs. Crupp. "How is he?" asked my aunt. Mrs. Crupp coughed obnoxiously, and struggled to convey her meaning: "He's sick here, ma'am, just—oh! oh! oh! well! —and she died! " "Ho! What did he die on?" asked the aunt. "Hey, ma'am, he died of the drink," said Mrs. Crupp, without hesitation, "and of the smoke." "Smoke? You don't mean chimneys, do you?" said my aunt. "No, ma'am," said Mrs. Crupp, "cigars and pipes." "It's not contagious anyway, Trol," said my aunt, turning to me. "Of course not," I said. In short, seeing that I liked the place very much, my aunt and grandma rented it out for a month, which can be extended for another twelve months.Mrs. Crupp provided bedding and food, and everything else was provided.Mrs. Crupp also made it clear that she would always love me as her son.I'm going to move in the day after tomorrow, Mrs. Crupp said, thank God she's got someone she can take care of now. On the way back, my aunt told me how she was sure that the life I was going to lead now would make me firm and self-confident—two qualities I was currently lacking.She went on and on the next day when we were discussing getting my clothes and books from Mr. Wickfield's.I wrote a long letter to Agnes about my luggage and about my new vacation.The letter was brought by my aunt, for she was leaving the next day.I will not dwell on these trifles, but I will only add the following: She left a good deal of money to cover all possible expenses during the month of my trial; Steerforth was a great disappointment to me and to her, There will be no future without him.I sent her safely into the carriage to Dover, and she looked happy at the thought of the wretched donkeys that were about to be won.Jenny sat next to her.After the carriage had left, I turned towards the Place Adelphi, recalling my wanderings around its arches, and the fortunate turn of events that had brought me back to the upper floors.