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Then, after delivering his message, he was regaled "with a complete
realisation of that fairy vision meat, beer, vegetables, and
pudding. In consequence of which his buttons became more importunate
of public notice than before, with the exception of two or three
about the region of the waistband, which modestly withdrew into a
creasy retirement."
Later in the story, Sloppy was taken into Mr Boffin's service and
presented before Mr and Mrs Boffin Bella Wilfer and John Rokesmith
-- referred to collectively as 'the four members of the Council'.
"Shall he be brought here, ma'am?" asks Rokesmith.
"Yes," says MrsBoffin, whereupon the footman disappears, re-appears
presenting Sloppy, and retires much disgusted.
The consideration of Mrs Boffin has clothed Sloppy in a suit of black,
on which the tailor has received personal directions from Rokesmith
to expend the utmost cunning of his art, with a view to the concealment
of the cohering and sustaining buttons. But so much more powerful are
the frailties of Sloppy's form than the strongest resources of
tailoring science, that he now stands before the Council, a perfect
Argus in the way of buttons, shining and winking and gleaming and
twinkling out of a hundred of those eyes of bright metal, at the
dazzled spectators.
Another character who had difficulties with buttons was Pegotty.
Early in DAVID COPPERFIELD is the wonderful scene when David puts some
highly embarassing questions to Peggotty who already suspects that
the lightheaded Mrs Copperfield is planning to marry again. Having
asked his nurse whether se had ever been married, David refused to
drop the subject but pursued it with great tenacity.
"But if you marry a person, and the person dies, why then you may
marry another person, mayn't you, Peggotty?"
"You MAY," says Peggotty "if you choose my dear. That's a matter of
opinion.
"But what is your opinion, Peggotty said •i.
I asked her and looked curiously at her, because she looked so
curiously at me.
"My opinion is," said Peggotty, taking her eyes from me, after a little
indecision and going on with her work, "that I never was married my
self, Master Davy, and that I don't expect to be.
