Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/181

129 THE PICKWICK CLUB 129

With these words Mr. Pickwick descendetl to the parlour, where he found breakfast laid, and the family already assembled. The meal was hastily desj)atched ; each of the gentlemen's hats was decorated with an enormous blue favour, made up by the fair hands of Mrs. Pott herself, and as Mr. Winkle had undertaken to escort that lady to a house top, in the immediate vicinity of the hustings, Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Pott repaired alone to the Town Arms, from the back window of which, one of Mr. Slumkey's committee was addressing six small boys, and one girl, whom he dignified, at every second sentence, with the imposing title of " men of Eatanswill," whereat the six small boys aforesaid cheered prodigiously.

The stable-yard exhibited unequivocal symptoms of the glory and strength of the Eatanswill Blues. There was a regular army of blue flags, some with one handle, and some with two, exhibiting appropriate devices, in golden characters four feet high, and stout in proportion. There was a grand band of trumpets, bassoons and drums, marshalled four abreast, and earning their money, if ever men did, especially the drum beaters, who were very muscular. There were bodies of constables with blue staves, twenty committee-men with blue scarfs, and a mob of voters with blue cockades. There were electors on horseback, and electors a-foot. There was an open carriage and four, for the honour- able Samuel Slumkey; and there were four carriages and pair, for his friends and supporters : and the flags were rustling, and the band was playing, and the constables were swearing, and the twenty committee- men were squabbling, and the mob were shouting, and the horses were backing, and the post-boys perspiring; and everybody, and everything, then and there assembled, was for the special use, behoof, honour, and renown, of the honourable Samuel Slumkey of Slumkey Hall, one of the candidates for the representation of the Borough of Eatanswill, in the Commons House of Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Loud and long were the cheers, and mighty was the rustling of one of the blue flags, with " Liberty of the Press " inscribed thereon, when the sandy head of Mr. Pott was discerned in one of the windows, by the mob beneath ; and tremendous was the enthusiasm when tne honourable Samuel Slumkey himself, in top boots, and a blue necker- chief, advanced and seized the hand of the said Pott, and melo-dramati- cally testified by gestures to the crowd, his ineffaceable obligations to the Eatanswill Gazette.

" Is everything ready ? " said the honourable Samuel Slumkey to Mr. Perker.

" Everything, my dear Sir," was the little man's reply.

Slumkey.
 * Nothing has been omitted, I hope ? " said the honourable Samuel

" Nothing has been left undone, my dear Sir — nothing" whatever. There are twenty washed men at the street door for you to shake hands with; and six children in arms that you're to pat on the head, and inquire the age of; be particular about the children, my dear Sir, — it has always a great effect, that sort of thing."


 * I'll take care," said the honourable Samuel Slumkey.