Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/339

269 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 269

as Sam's hat was mislaid, he had to look for it, and the pretty housemaid lig-hted him. They had to look all over the place for the hat ; and the pretty housemaid, in her anxiety to find it, went down on her knees, and turned over all the things that were heaped together in a little corner by the door. It was an awkward corner. You couldn't get at it without shutting the door first.


 * • Here it is," said the pretty housemaid. " This is it, ain't it ? "

" Let me look," said Sam.

The pretty housemaid had stood the candle on the floor; and as it gave a very dim light, Sam was obliged to go down on his knees before he could see whether it really was his own hat or not. It was a remark- ably small corner, and so — it was nobody's fault but the man's who built the house — Sam and the pretty housemaid were necessarily very close together.

" Yes, this is it," said Sara. " Good bye '^

" Good bye," said the pretty housemaid.

" Good bye," said Sam ; and as he said it, he dropped the hat that had cost so much trouble looking for.

" How awkward you are," said the pretty housemaid. " You'll lose it again, if you don't take care."

So just to prevent his losing it again, she put it on for him.

Whether it was that the pretty housemaid's face looked prettier still, when it was raised towards Sam's, or whether it was the accidental consequence of their being so near each other, is matter of uncertainty to this day, but Sam kissed her.

" You don't mean to say you did that on purpose," said the pretty housemaid, blushing.

" No, I didn't then," said Sam ; '^ but I will now."

So he kissed her again.

" Sam," said Mr. Pickwick, calling over the bannisters.

'* Coming, Sir," replied Sam, running up stairs.

" How long you have been," said Mr. Pickwick.

" There was something behind the door. Sir, which perwented our getting it open, for ever so long," replied Sam.

And this was the first passage of Mr. Weller's first love.

CHAPTER XXVI.

WHICH CONTAINS A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE PROGRESS OF THE ACTION OF BARBELL AGAINST PICKWICK.

Having accomplished the main end and object of his journey by the exposure of Jingle, Mr. Pickwick resolved on immediately returning to London, with the view of becoming acquainted with the proceedings which had been taken against him, in the mean time, by Messrs. Dodson and Fogg. Acting upon this resolution with all the energy