Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/377

303 THL PICKWICK CLUB. 303

the highest among them, one after the other, with the most marvellous dexterity. The first goblin was a most astonishing leaper, and none of the others could come near him ; even in the extremity of his terror the sexton could not help observing, that while his friends were content to leap over the common-sized gravestones, the first one took the family yauits, iron railings and all, with as much ease as if they had been so many street posts.

played quicker and quicker, and the goblins leaped faster and faster, coiling themselves up, rolling head over heels upon the ground, and bounding over the tombstones like foot-balls. The sexton's brain whirled round with the rapidity of the motion he beheld, and his legs reeled beneath him, as the spirits flew before his eyes, when the goblin king suddenly darting towards him, laid his hand upon his collar, and sank with him through the earth.
 * At last the game reached to a most exciting pitch ; the organ

" When Gabriel Grub had had time to fetch his breath, which the rapidity of his descent had for the moment taken away, he found himself in what appeared to be a large cavern, surrounded on all sides by crowds of goblins, ugly and grim ; in the centre of the room, on an elevated seat, was stationed his friend of the churchyard ; and close beside him stood Gabriel Grub himself, without the power of motion.

" ' Cold to-ni^ht,' said the king of the goblins, ' very cold. A glass of something warm, here.'

" At this command, half a dozen officious goblins, with a perpetual smile upon their faces, whom Gabriel Grub imagined to be courtiers, on that account, hastily disappeared, and presently returned with a goblet of liquid fire, which they presented to the king.

" * Ah!' said the goblin, whose cheeks and throat were quite trans- parent, as he tossed down the flame, ' This warms one, indeed : bring a bumper of the same, for Mr. Grub.'

" It was in vain for the unfortunate sexton to protest that he was not in tha habit of taking anything warm at night ; for one of the gob- lins held him while another poured the blazing liquid down his throat, and the whole assembly screeched with laughter as he coughed and choked, and wiped away the tears which gushed plentifully from his eyes, after swallowing the burning draught.

" < Ai>d now,' said the king, fantastically poking the taper corner of his sugar-loaf hat into the sexton's eye, and thereby occasioning him the most exquisite pain — 'And now, show the man of misery and gloom 4 few of the pictures from our own great storehouse.'

" As the goblin said this, a thick cloud which obscured the further end of the cavern, rolled gradually away, and disclosed, apparently at a great distance, a small and scantily furnished, but neat and clean apart- ment. A crowd of little children were gathered round a bright fire, clinging to their mother's gown, and gambolling round her chair. The mother occasionally rose, and drew aside the window-curtain as if to look for some expected object ; a frugal meal was ready spread upon the table, and an elbow chair was placed near the fire. A knock was heard at the door : the mother opened it, and the children crowded round her,