Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/311

245 THE PICKWiCK CLUB. 245

stead the joyous face of Mr. Tiipman, the serene coiintenant e of Mr. Winkle, and the intellectual lineaments of Mr. Snodgrass.

As Mr. Pickwick g^reeted them, Mr. Peter Mag-nus tripped into the room.

" My friends, the gentleman I was speaking of, Mr. Magnus," said Mr. Pickwick.

" Your servant, gentlemen," said Mr. Magnus, evidently in a high state of excitement ; " Mr. Pickwick, allow me to speak to you, one moment. Sir."

As he said this, Mr. Magnus harnessed his fore-finger to Mr. Pick- wick's button-hole, and, drawing him into a window recess, said —

"Congratulate me, Mr. Pickwick; I followed your advice to the very letter."

" And it was all correct, was it ?" inquired Mr. Pickwick.

" It was. Sir — could not possibly have been better," replied Mr. Magnus ; " Mr. Pickwick, she is mine."

" I congratulate you, with all my heart," replied Mr. Pickwick, warmly shaking his new friend by the hand.

" You must see her, Sir," said Mr. Magnus ; *' this way, if you please. Excuse i8 for one instant, gentlemen." And hurrying on in this way, Mr. Peter Magnus drew Mr. Pickwick from th6 room. He paused at the next door in the passage, and tapped gently thereat.

" Come in," said a female voice. And in they went.

" Miss Witherfield," said Mr. Magnus, " Allow me to introduce my very particular friend, Mr. Pickwick. Mr. Pickwick, I beg to make you known to Miss Witherfield."

The lady was at the upper end of the room, and as Mr. Pickwick bowed, he took his spectacles from his waistcoat pocket, and put thera on, a process which he had no sooner gone through, than, uttering an exclamation of surprise, Mr. Pickwick retreated several paces, and the lady, with a half-suppressed scream, hid her face in her hands, and dropped into a chair, whereupon Mr. Peter Magnus was struck motion- less on the spot, and gazed from one to the other, with a countenance expressive of the extremities of horror and surprise.

This certainly was, to all appearance, very unaccountable behaviour, but the fact was, that Mr. Pickwick no sooner put on his spectacles, than he at once recognised in the future Mrs. Magnus the lady into whose room he had so unwarrantably intruded on the previous night ; and the spectacles had no sooner crossed Mr. Pickwick's nose, than the lady at once identified the countenance which she had seen surrounded by all the horrors of a night-cap. So the lady screamed, and Mr. Pick- wick started.

" Mr. Pickwick ! " exclaimed Mr. Magnus, lost in astonishment,

" What is the meaning of this. Sir? What is the meaning of it, Sir?"

added Mr. Magnus, in a threatening, and a louder tone.

Ih " Sir," said Mr. Pickwick, somewhat indignant at the very sudden

■^Banner in which Mr. Peter Magnus had conjugated himself into the

imperative mood, " I decline answering that question."

" You decline it. Sir ? " said Mr. Magnus.

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