Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/438

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few attractions ; and I, gentlemen, am not the man, nor are you, g-entle- men, the men, to delight in the contemplation of revolting heartless- ness, and of systematic villany."

Here Mr. Pickwick, who had been writhing in silence for some time, gave a violent start, as if some vague idea of assaulting Sergeant Buzfuz, in the august presence of justice and law, suggested itself to his mind. An admonitory gesture from Perker restrained him, and he listened to the learned gentleman's continuation with a look of indignation, which contrasted forcibly with the admiring faces of Mrs. Cluppins and Mrs. Sanders.

" I say systematic villany, gentlemen," said Sergeant Buzfuz, looking through Mr. Pickwick, and talking at him ; " and when I say systematic villany, let me tell the defendant, Pickwick, if he be in court, as I am informed he is, that it would have been more decent in him, more be- coming, in better judgment and in better taste, if he had stopped away. Let me tell him, gentlemen, that any gestures of dissent or disapproba- tion in which he may indulge in this court will not go down with you ; that you will know how to value and how to appreciate them ; and let me tell him further, as my lord W'ill tell you, gentlemen, that a counsel, in the discharge of his duty to his client, is neither to be intimidated nor bullied, nor put down ; and that any attempt to do either the one or the other, or the first, or the last, will recoil on the head of the attempter, be he plaintiff or be he defendant, be his name Pickwick, or Noakes, or Stoakes, or Stiles, or Brown, or Thompson."

This little divergence from the subject in hand, had of course the in- tended effect of turning all eyes to Mr. Pickwick. Sergeant Buzfuz, haying partially recovered from the state of moral elevation into which he had lashed himself, resumed —

" I shall show you, gentlemen, that for two years Pickwick conti- nued to reside constantly, and without interruption or intermission, at Mrs. Bardell's house. I shall show you that Mrs. Bardell, during the whole of that time, waited on him, attended to his comforts, cooked his nieals, looked out his linen for the washerwoman when it went abroad, darned, aired, and prepared it for wear, when it came home, and, in short, enjoyed his fullest trust and confidence. I shall show you that, on many occasions, he gave halfpence, and on some occasions even six- pences, to her little boy ; and I shall prove to you, by a witness whose testimony it will be impossible for my learned friend to weaken or controvert, that on one occasion he patted the boy on the head, and, after enquiring whether he had won any alley tors or commoneys lately (both of which I understand to be a particular species of marbles much prized by the youth of this town), made use of this remarkable expression — 'How should you like to have another father ? ' I shall prove to you farther, gentlemen, that about a year ago, Pickwick sud- denly began to absent himself from home, during long intervals, as if with the intention of gradually breaking ofl' from ray client ; but I shall show you also, that his resolution was not at that time sufficiently strong, or that his better feelings conquered, if better feelings he (^ has — or that the charms and accomplishments of my client prevailed .V