Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/409

331 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 331

" I beg your parding, young man," said Mrs. Raddle, in a cold per- spiration of anger. " But will you have the goodness just to call me that, again. Sir?"

replied Mr. Benjamin Allen, growing somewhat uneasy on his own tccount.
 * ' I didn't make use of the word in any invidious manner, ma'am,"

" I beg your parding, young man," demanded Mrs. Raddle in a louder and more imperative tone. *' But who do you call a woman ? Did you make that remark to me. Sir ? "

" Why, bless my heart I" said Mr. Benjamin Allen.

" Did you apply that name to me, I ask of you, Sir ?" interrupted Mrs. Raddle with intense fierceness, throwing the door wide open.

'' Why, of course I did," replied Mr. Benjamin Allen.

the door, and raising her voice to its loudest pitch, for the special behoof of Mr. Raddle in the kitchen. " Yes, of course you did, and everybody knows that they may safely insult me in my own ouse while my hus- band sits sleeping down stairs, and taking no more notice than if I was a dog in the streets. He ought to be ashamed of himself (here Mrs. Raddle sobbed) to allow his wife to be treated in this way by a parcel of young cutters and carvers of live people'^ bodies, that disgraces the lodgings (another sob), and leaving her exposed to all manner of abuse ; a base faint-hearted, timorous wretch, that's afraid to come up stairs, and face the ruffinly creatures — that's afra»d — that's afraid to come," Mrs. Raddle paused to listen whether the repetition of the taunt had roused her better half ; and, finding that it had not been successful, proceeded to descend the stairs with sobs innumerable, when there came a loud dou- ble knock at the street door : whereupon she burst into an hysterical fit of weeping, accompanied with dismal moans, which was prolonged until the knock had been repeated six times, when, in an uncontrollable burst of mental agony, she threw down all the umbrellas, and disap- peared into the back parlour, closing the door after her with an awful crash.
 * ' Yes, of course you did," said Mrs. Raddle, backing gradually to

" Does Mr. Sawyer live here ? " said Mr. Pickwick, when the door was opened.

'• Yes," said the girl, " first floor. It's the door straight afore you, when you gets to the top of the stairs." — Having given this instruc- tion, the handmaid, who had been brought up among the aboriginal in- habitants of Southwark, disappeared with the candle in her hand down the kitchen stairs, perfectly satisfied that she had done every thing that could possibly be required of her under the circumstances.

Mr. Snodgrass, who entered last, secured the street door, after several ineffectual efforts, by putting up the chain ; and the friends stumbled up stairs, where they were received by Mr. Bob Sawyer, who had been afraid to go down lest he should be waylaid by Mrs. Raddle.

" How are you ?" said the discomfited student — " Glad to see you, —take care of the glasses." This caution was addressed to Mr. Pick- wick, who had put his hat in the tray.

•' Dear me," said Mr. Pickwick, '* I beg your pardon."

" Don't mention it, don't mention it," said Bob Sawyer. "I'm rather