Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/447

365 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 365

" Mas his behaviour, when females have been in the case, always been that of a man, who, havings attained a pretty advanced period of life, content with his own occupations and amusements, treats them only as II father might his daughters?"

" Not the least doubt of it," repHed Mr. Winkle, in the fulness of his heart. " That is — yes — oh yes — certainly."

'♦ You have never known any thing in his behaviour towards Mrs. Bardell, or any other female, in the least degree suspicious ? " said Mr. Phunky, preparing to sit down, for Sergeant Snubbin was winking at him,

" N— n— no," replied Mr. Winkle, «' except on one trifling occasion, which, I have no doubt, might be easily explained."

Now, if the unfortunate Mr. Phunky had sat down when Sergeant Snubbin winked at him, or if Sergeant Buzfuz had stopped this irre- gular cross-examination at the outset (which he knew better than to do ; observing Mr. Winkle's anxiety, and well knowing it would, in all probability, lead to something serviceable to him), this unfortunate admission would not have been elicited. The mo- ment the words fell from Mr. Winkle's lips, Mr. Phunky sat down, and Sergeant Snubbin rather hastily told him he might leave the box, which Mr. Winkle prepared to do with great readiness, when Sergeant Buzfuz stopped him.

" Stay, Mr. Wrinkle — stay," said Sergeant Buzfuz, " will your lordship have the goodness to ask him, what this one instance of suspicious behaviour towards females on the part of this gentleman, who is old enough to be his father, was ?"

" You hear what the learned counsel says. Sir," observed the judge, turning to the miserable and agonized Mr. Winkle. " Describe the occasion to which you refer."

« My lord," said Mr. Winkle, trembling with anxiety, " I— I'd rather not."

" Perhaps so," said the little judge ; " but you must."

Amid the profound silence of the whole court, Mr. Winkle faltered out, that the trifling circumstance of suspicion was Mr. Pickwick's being found in a lady's sleeping apartment at midnight, which had ter- minated, he believed, in the breaking off of the projected marriage of the lady in question, and led, he knew, to the whole party being forcibly carried before George Nupkins, Esq., magistrate and justice of the peace, for the borough of Ipswich ?"

" Y'ou may leave the box. Sir," said Sergeant Snubbin. Mr. Winkle did leave the box, and rushed with delirious haste to the George and Vulture, where he was discovered some hours after, by the waiter, groaning in a hollow and dismal manner, with his head buried beneath the sofa cushions.

Tracy Tupman, and Augustus Snodgrass, were severally called into the box ; both corroborated the testimony of their unhappy friend ; and each was driven to the verge of desperation by excessive badgering.