Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/464

382 382 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

Just as the trump card was turned up, at the commencement of the second deal, two young ladies hurried into the room, and took their stations on either side of Mrs. Colonel Wugsby's chair, where they waited patiently until the hand was over.

" Now, Jane," said Mrs. Colonel Wugsby, turning to one of the girls,
 * ' what is it ?"

" I came to ask. Ma, whether I might dance with the youngest Mr, Crawley," whispered the prettier and younger of the two.

" Good God, Jane, how can you think of such things !" replied the mamma, indignantly. " Haven't you repeatedly heard that his father has only eight hundred a-year, which dies with him ? I am ashamed of you. Not on any account."

" Ma," whispered the other, who was much older than her sister, and very insipid and artificial, " Lord Mutanhed has been introduced to me. I said I thought I wasn't engaged, Ma."

" You're a sweet pet, my love," replied Mrs. Colonel Wugsby, tap- ping her daughter's cheek with her fan, " and are always to be trusted. He's immensely rich, my dear. Bless you." With these words, Mrs. Colonel Wugsby kissed her eldest daughter most affectionately, and frowning in a warning manner upon the other, sorted her cards.

Poor Mr. Pickwick ! he had never played with three thorough-paced female card-players before. They were so desperately sharp that they quite frightened him. If he played a wrong card. Miss Bolo looked a small armoury of daggers ; if he stopped to consider which was the right one. Lady Snuphanuph would throw herself back in her chair, and smile with a mingled glance of impatience and pity to Mrs. Colonel Wugsby, at which Mrs. Colonel Wugsby would shrug up her shoulders, and cough, as much as to say she wondered whether he ever would begin. Then, at the end of every hand, Miss Bolo would inquire with a dismal coun- tenance and reproachful sigh, why Mr. Pickwick had not returned that diamond, or led the club, or roughed the spade, or finessed the heart, or led through the honour, or brought out the ace, or played up to the king, or some such thing ; and in reply to all these grave charges, Mr. Pickwick would be wholly unable to plead any justification whatever; having by this time forgotten all about the game. People came and looked on, too, which made Mr. Pickwick nervous. Besides all this, there was a great deal of distracting conversation near the table, be- tween Angelo Bantam and the two Miss Malinters, who, being single and singular, paid great court to the Master of the Ceremonies, in the hope of getting a stray partner now and then. All these things, com- bined with the noises and interruptions of constant comings in and goings out, made Mr. Pickwick play rather badly ; the cards were against him, also, and when they left off at ten minutes past eleven. Miss Bolo rose from the table considerably agitated, and went straight home in a flood of tears, and a sedan chair.

Being joined by his friends, who one and all protested that they had scarcely ever spent a more pleasant evening, Mr. Pickwick accompanied them to theWhite Hart, and having soothed his feelings with some- j thing hot, went to bed, and to sleep, almost simultaneously.

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