David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Chapter 37 Page 15

‘But, Dora, my beloved!’ said I, at last resuming it; ‘I was going to mention something.’

The judge of the Prerogative Court might have fallen in love with her, to see her fold her little hands and hold them up, begging and praying me not to be dreadful any more.

‘Indeed I am not going to be, my darling!’ I assured her. ‘But, Dora, my love, if you will sometimes think, — not despondingly, you know; far from that!

— but if you will sometimes think — just to encourage yourself — that you are engaged to a poor man — ’

‘Don’t, don’t! Pray don’t!’ cried Dora. ‘It’s so very dreadful!’