Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/463

381 THE PICKWICK CLUB. S8l

speak to me. The other gentleman with him, in the red under waist- coat and dark moustache, is the Honourable Mr. Crushton, his bosom friend. How do you do, my Lord ?'*

" Veway hot. Bantam," said his Lordship.

" It is very warm, my Lord," replied the M. C.


 * Confounded," assented the Honourable Mr. Crushton.

" Have you seen his Lordship's mail cart, Bantam ?" inquired the Honourable Mr. Crushton, after a short pause, during which young Lord Mutanhed had been endeavouring to stare Mr. Pickwick out of couutenance, and Mr. Crushton had been reflecting what subject his Lord- ship could talk about best.

" Dear me, no," replied the M. C. *' A mail cart I What an ex- cellent idea. Re — markable I"

" Gwacious Heavens I" said his Lordship, " I thought evewebody had seen the new mail cart ; it's the neatest, pwettiest, gwacefullest thing that ever wan upon wheels — painted wed, with acweam piebald."

" With a real box for the letters, and all complete," said the Honour- able Mr Crushton.

" And a little seat in fwont, with an iwon wail, for the dwiver," added his Lordship. " I dwove it over to Bwistol the other morning in a cwimson coat, with two servants widing a quarter of a mile be- hind ; and cwucify me if the people didn't wush out of their cottages, and awest my pwogwess, to know if I wasn't the post. Glorwious, Glorwious !"

At this anecdote his Lordship laughed very heartily, as did the list- eners, of course. Then drawing his arm through that of the obsequi- ous Mr. Crushton, Lord Mutanhed walked away.

" Delightful young man, his Lordship," said the Master of the Cere- monies.

" So I should think," rejoined Mr. Pickwick, drily.

The dancing having commenced, the necessary introductions having been made, and all preliminaries arranged, Angelo Bantam rejoined Mr. Pickwick, and led him into the card-room.

Just at the very moment of their entrance, the Dowager Lady Snuphanuph and two other ladies of an ancient and whist-like appear- ance, were hovering over an unoccupied card-table ; and they no sooner set eyes upon Mr. Pickwick under the convoy of Angelo Bantam, than they exchanged glances with each other, seeing that he was precisely the very person they wanted to make up the rubber.

" My dear Bantam," said tiie Dowger Lady Snuphanuph, coaxingly, soul." Mr. Pickwick happened to be looking another way at the mo- ment, so her Ladyship nodded her head towards him, and frowned ex- pressively.
 * ' find us some nice creature to make up this table ; there's a good

« My friend Mr. Pickwick, my Lady, will be most happy, I am sure-, re — markably so," said the M.'C, taking the hint. " Mr. Pickwick, Lady Snuphanuph — Mrs. Colonel W^igsby — Miss Bolo."

Mr. Pickwick bowed to each of the ladies, and finding escape impos- sible, cut. Mr. Pickwick and Miss Bolo against Lady Snuphanuph and Mrs. Colonel Wugsby.