Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/468

384 384 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS Of

Sunphanuph, Mrs. Colonel Wugsby, and all the great people, and all the morning water-drinkers, met in grand assemblage. After this, they walked out, or drove out, or were pushed out in bath chairs, and met one another again. After this, the gentlemen went to the reading- rooms and met divisions of the mass. After this, they went home. If it were theatre night, perhaps they met at the theatre ; if it were assembly night, they met at the rooms ; and if it were neither, they met the next day — a very pleasant routine, with perhaps a slight tinge of sameness.

lyir. Pickwick was sitting up by himself, after a day spent in this manner, making entries in his journal, his friends having retired to bed, when he was roused by a gentle tap at the room door.

'* Beg your pardon. Sir," said Mrs. Craddock, the landlady, peeping in ; " but did you want anything more, Sir ?"

" Nothing more, Ma'am," replied Mr. Pickwick.

'* My young girl is gone to bed. Sir ;" said Mrs. Craddock, " and Mr. Dowler is good enough to say that he'll sit up for Mrs. Dowler, as the party isn't expected to be over till late ; so I was thinking that if you wanted nothing more, Mr. Pickwick, I would go to bed."

" By all means, Ma'am," replied Mr. Pickwick.

" Wish you good night, Sir," said Mrs. Craddock.

" Good night. Ma'am," rejoined Mr. Pickwick.

Mrs. Craddock closed the door, and Mr. Pickwick resumed his writing.

In half an hour's time, the entries were concluded. Mr. Pickwick carefully rubbed the last page on the blotting paper, shut up the book, wiped his pen on the bottom of the inside of his coat tail, and opened the drawer of the inkstand to put it carefully away. There were a couple of sheets of writing paper, pretty closely written over, in thel inkstand drawer, and they were folded so, that the title, which was in a good round hand, was fully disclosed to him. Seeing from this, that it was no private document ; and as it seemed to relate to Bath, and was very short, Mr. Pickwick unfolded it, lighted his bed-room candle that it might burn up well by the time he finished ; and drawing his chair nearer the fire, read as follows : —

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