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224 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

deliberation ; and, without saying" another word, walked slowly away. As the gentleman with the Mosaic studs had fallen asleep, and the major part of the company were deeply occupied in the humorous process of dropping* melted tallow-grease into his brandy and water, Mr. Pickwick departed unnoticed, and having settled his own score, and that of Mr. Weller, he issued forth, in company with that gentleman, from beneath the portal of the Magpie and Stump.

CHAPTER XXII.

MR. PICKWICK JOURNEYS TO IPSWICH, AND MEETS WITH A ROMAN- TIC ADVENTURE WITH A MIDDLE-AGED LADY IN YELLOW CURL PAPERS.

•'That 'ere your governor's luggage, Sammy?'' inquired Mr. Weller senior, of his affectionate son, as he entered the yard of the Bull inn, Whitechapel, with a travelling bag and a small portmanteau.

" You might ha' made a worser guess than that, old feller," repHed Mr. Weller the younger, setting down his burden in the yard, and sitting himself down upon it afterwards. *' The Governor hisself '11 be down here presently."


 * ' He's a cabbin' it, I suppose ?" said the father.

" Yes, he's a havin' two mile o' danger at eight-pence," responded the son. " How's mother-in-law this mornin' ? "

" Queer, Sammy, queer," replied the elder Mr. Weller, with im- pressive gravity. " She's been gettin' rayther in the Methodistical order lately, Sammy ; and she is uncommon pious, to be sure. She's too good a creetur for me, Sammy — I feel I don't deserve her."

'' Ah," said Mr. Samuel, " that's wery self-denyin' o' you."

'< Wery," replied his parent, with a sigh. ** She's got hold o' some inwention for grown-up people being born again, Sammy— the new birth, I thinks they calls it. I should wery much like to see that system in haction, Sammy. I should wery much like to see your mother-in-law born again. Wouldn't I put her out to nurse I"

" What do you think them women does t'other day," continued Mr. Weller, after a short pause, during which he had significantly struck the side of his nose with his fore-finger, some half-dozen times. " What do you think they does, t'other day, Sammy ? "

" Don't know," replied Sam, " what?"

" Goes and gets up a grand tea drinkin* for a feller they calls their II shepherd," said Mr. Weller. " I was a standing starin* in, at the

pictur shop down at our place, when I sees a little bill about it ; _, Secretary, Mrs. Weller;' and when I got home, there was the com- mittee a sittin' in our back parlour— fourteen women ; I wish you could ha' heard 'em Sammy. There they was, a passin' resolutions, ^ anQ wotin' supplies, and all sorts o' games. Well, what with your' mother-in-law a worrying me to go, and what with my looking for'ard!
 * tickets half-a-crown. All applications to be made to the committee, fj^