Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/229

171 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 171

♦' He must be respectable — he keeps a man-servant," said Mis3 Toiu- kins to the writing and ciphering- governess.

" It's my opinion, Miss Tomkins," said the writing and ciphering governess, " that his man-servant keeps him. /think he's a madman, Miss Tomkins, and the other's his keeper."

♦' Let two of the servants repair to the Angel, and let the others remain here, to protect us."
 * ' I think you are very right, Miss Gwynn," responded Miss Tomkins.

So two of the servants were despatched to the Angel in search of Mr. Samuel Weller: and the remaining three stopped behind to protect Miss Tomkins, and the three teachers, and the thirty boarders. And Mr. Pickwick sat down in the closet, beneath a grove of sandwich bags, and awaited the return of the messengers, with all the philosophy and fortitude he could summon to his aid.

An hour and a half elapsed before they came back, and when they did come, Mr. Pickwick recognised, in addition to the voice of Mr. Samuel Weller, two other voices, the tones of which struck familiarly on his ear ; but whose they were, he could not for the life of him call to mind.

A very brief conversation ensued. The door was unlocked. Mr. Pickwick stepped out of the closet, and found himself in the presence of the whole establishment of Westgate House, Mr. Samuel Weller, and — old Wardle, and his destined son-in-law, Mr. Trundle !

" My dear friend," said Mr. Pickwick, running forward and grasping Wardle's hand, " my dear friend, pray, for Heaven's sake, explain to this lady the unfortunate and dreadful situation in which I am placed. You must have heard it from my servant ; say, at all events, my dear fellow, that I am neither a robber nor a madman."

" I have said so, my dear friend. I have said so already," replied Mr. Wardle, shaking the right hand of his friend, while Mr. Trundle shook the left.

stepping forward, " says that which is not the truth, but so far from it, on the contrairy, quite the rewerse. And if there's any number o' men on these here premises as has said so, I shall be wery happy to give 'em all a wery convincing proof o* their being mistaken, in this here wery room, if these wery respectable ladies '11 have the goodness to retire, and order 'em up, one at a time." Having delivered this defiance with great volubility, Mr. Weller struck his open palm emphatically with his clenched fist, and winked pleasantly on Miss Tomkins, the intensity of whose horror at his supposing it within the bounds of possi- bility that there could be any men on the premises of Westgate House Establishment for Young Ladies, it is impossible to describe.
 * ' And whoever says, or has said, he is," interposed Mr. Weller,

Mr. Pickwick's explanation having been already partially made, was soon concluded. But neither in the course of his walk home with his friends, nor afterwards when seated before a blazing fire at the supper he so much needed, could a single observation be drawn from him. He seemed bewildered and amazed. Once, and only once, he turned round to Mr. Wardle, and said

" How did you come here? "