Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/217

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THE PICKWICK CLDB. 159

^hich he might be pursuing his fraudulent designs, he sat at first taci- turn and contemplative, brooding over the means by which his purpose could be best attained. By degrees his attention grew more and more attracted by the objects around him ; and at last he derived as much enjoyment from the ride, as if it had been undertaken for the pleasantest reason in the world.

" Delightful prospect, Sam," said Mr. Pickwick.

" Beats the chimbley pots, Sir," replied Mr. Weller, touching his hat.

" I suppose you have hardly seen anything but chimney-pots and bricks and mortar, all your life, Sam," said Mr. Pickwick, smiling.

" I worn't always a boots. Sir," said Mr. Weller, with a shake of the head. *'I was a vagginer's boy, once."

" When was that ? " inquired Mr. Pickwick.

leap-frog with its troubles," replied Sam. " I vas a carrier's boy at J5tartin' : then a vagginer's, then a helper, then a boots. Now I'm a gen'lm'n's servant. I shall be a gen'lm'n myself one of these days, per- haps, with a pipe in my mouth, and a summer-house in the back garden. Who knows ? / shouldn't be surprised, for once."
 * When I vas first pitched neck and crop into the world, to play at

" You are quite a philosopher, Sam," said Mr. Pickwick.

" It runs in the family, I b'lieve Sir," replied Mr. Weller. " My father's wery much in that line, now. If my mother-in-law blows him up, he whistles. She flies in a passion, and breaks his pipe ; he steps out, and gets another. Then she screams wery loud, and fahs into 'sterics ; and he smokes wery comfortably 'till she comes to agin. That's philosophy Sir, an't it ? "

" A very good substitute for it, at all events," replied Mr. Pickwick, laughing. " It must have been of great service to you, in the course of your rambling life, Sam."

" Service Sir," exclaimed Sam. " You may say that. Arter I run away from the carrier, and afore I took up with the vagginer, I had unfurnished lodgin's for a fortnight."

" Unfurnished lodgings?" said Mr. Pickwick.

<« Yes — the dry arches of Waterloo Bridge. Fine sleeping-place — vithin ten minutes' walk of all the public offices — only if there is any objection to it, it is that the sitivation's rayther too airy. I see some queer sights there."

" Ah, I suppose you did," said Mr. Pickwick, with an air of consider- able interest.

lent heart, and come out on the other side. You don't see the reg'lar wagrants there ; trust 'em, they knows better than that. Young beggars, male and female, as hasn't made a rise in their profession, takes up their quarters there sometimes ; but it's generally the worn-out, starving, houseless creeturs as rolls themselves up in the dark corners o' them lonesome places — poor creeturs as an*t up to the twopenny rope^"
 * ' Sights, Sir," resumed Mr. Weller, " as 'ud penetrate your benevo-

" And pray Sam, what is the twopenny rope ? " inquired Mr, Pick wick.