Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/460

378 D78 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

swered by a powdered-headed footman in gorgeous livery, and symme* trical stature.

thing abashed by the blaze of splendour which burst upon his sight, in the person of the powdered-headed footman with the gorgeous livery.
 * Is this here Mr. Bantam's, old feller ?" inquired Sam Weller, no-

" Why, young man ?** was the haughty inquiry of the powdered- headed footman.

♦' 'Cos if it is, jist you step into him with that 'ere card, and say Mr. Veller's a waitin', will you, six-foot ?" said Sam. And saying it, he very coolly walked into the hall, and sat down.

The powdered-headed footman slammed the door very hard, and scowled very grandly, but both the slam and the scowl were lost upon Sam, who was regarding a mahogany umbrella stand with every out- ward token of critical approval.

Apparently his master's reception of the card had impressed the powdered-headed footman in Sam's favour, for when he came back from delivering it, he smiled in a friendly manner, and said that the answer would be ready directly.

in a pesperation. No hurry, six-foot. I've had my dinner."
 * ' Wery good," said Sam. " Tell the old gen'lm'n not to put himself

" You dine early. Sir," said the powdered-headed footman.

" I find I gets on better at supper when I does," replied Sam.

" Have you been long in Bath, Sir ?" inquired the powdered-headed footman. " I have not had the pleasure of hearing of you before."

'* I haven't created any wery surprisin' sensation here yet," rejoined Sam, " for me and the other lash'nables only come, last night."

" Nice place. Sir," said the powdered-headed footman.

" Seems so," observed Sam.

" Pleasant society, Sir," remarked the powdered-headed footman. " Very agreeable servants. Sir."

<' I should think they wos," replied Sam. " Aflfable, unaffected^ say-nothin'-to-nobody sort o' fellers."

" Oh, very much so, indeed, Sir," said the powdered-headed footman, evidently taking Sam's remark as a high compliment. " Very much so indeed. Do you do any thing in this way, sir?" inquired the tall footman, producing a small snuff-box with a fox's head on the top of it..


 * ' Not without sneezing," replied Sam.

" Why, it is difBcult, Sir, I confess," said the tall footman. " It may be done by degrees, Sir. Coffee is the best practice. I carried coffee, Sir, for a long time. It looks very like rappee, Sir."

Here a sharp peal at the bell reduced the powdered-headed foot- man to the ignominious necessity of putting the fox's head in hisL pocket, and hastening with a humble countenance to Mr. Bantam's " study." By the by, we scarcely ever knew a man who never read, or wrote either, who hadn't got some small back parlour which he would^l call a study.

" There is the answer, Sir," said the powdered-headed footman. " I am afraid you'll find it inconveniently large."

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