Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/451

369 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 369

" You are quite right," said Sergeant Buzfuz aloud, with affected composure. '^ It's perfectly useless, my Lord, attempting to get at any evidence through the impenetrable stupidity of this witness. I will not trouble the court by asking him any more questions. Stand down, Sir."

'* Would any other genTman like to ask me anythin' ? " inquired Sam, taking up his hat, and looking round most deliberately.

" Not I, Mr. Weller, thank you," said Sergeant Snubbin, laughing.

" You may go down. Sir," said Sergeant Buzfuz, waving his hand im- patiently. Sam went down accordingly, after doing Messrs. Dodson and Fogg's case as much harm as he conveniently could, and saying just as little respecting Mr. Pickwick as might be, which was precisely the object he had had in view all along.

" I have no objection to admit, my Lord," said Sergeant Snubbin, " if it will save the examination of another witness, that Mr. Pickwick has retired from business, and is a gentleman of considerable_independent property."

" Very well," said Sergeant Buzfuz, putting in the two letters for the clerk to read, " Then that's my case, my Lord."

Sergeant Snubbin then addressed the jury on behalf of the defendant; and a very long and a very emphatic address he delivered, in which he bestowed the highest possible eulogiums on the conduct and character of Mr. Pickwick, but inasmuch as our readers are far better able to form a correct estimate of that gentleman's merits and deserts, than Sergeant Snubbin could possibly be, we do not feel called upon to enter at any length into the learned gentleman's observations. He at- tempted to shew that the letters which had been exhibited, merely related to Mr. Pickwick's dinner, or to the preparations for receiving him in his apartments on his return from some country excursion. It is sufficient to add in general terms, that he did the best he could for Mr. Pickwick; and the best, as every body knows, on the infallible authority of the old adage, could do no more.

Mr. Justice Stareleigh summed up, in the old-established and most ap- proved form. He read as much of his notes to the jury as he could decipher on so short a notice, and made running comments on the evi- dence as he went along. If Mrs. Bardell was right, it was perfectly clear Mr. Pickwick was wrong, and if they thought the evidence of Mrs. Cluppins worthy of credence they would believe it, and, if they didn't, why they wouldn't. If they were satisfied that a breach of promise of marriage had been committed, they would find for the plaintiff with such damages as they thought proper; and if, on the other hand, it appears to them, that no promise of marriage had ever been given, they would find for the defendant with no damages at all. The jury then retired to their private room to talk the matter over, and the Judge retired to his private room, to refresh himself with a mutton chop and a glass of sherry.

An anxious quarter of an hour elapsed ; the jury came back, and the judge v'as fetched in. Mr. Pickwick put on his spectacles, and gazed