Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/474

390 390 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

if it were going to tear the paving stones up, its furj^ was tremendous. They were very glad to set the chair down, and give a good round loud double-knock at the street door.

They waited some time, but nobody came.

man, warming his hands at the attendant linkboy's torch.
 * ' Servants is in the arms o' Porpus, I think," said the short chair-

one.
 * I wish he'd give 'em a squeeze and wake 'em," observed the long

"Knock again, will you, if you please?" cried Mrs. Dowler from the chair. " Knock two or three times, if you please."

The short man was quite willing to get the job over, as soon as possible ; so he stood on the step, and gave four or five most startling double knocks, of eight or ten knocks a piece, while the long man went into the road, and looked up at the windows for a light.

Nobody came. It was all as silent and as dark as ever.

" Dear me I " said Mrs. Dowler. " You must knock again, if you please."

" Their ain't a bell, is there. Ma'am? " said the short chairman.

" Yes, there is," interposed the link-boy, " I've been a ringing at it €ver so long."

" It's only a handle," said Mrs. Dowler, «' the wire's broken."

" I wish the servant's heads wos," growled the long man.

" I must trouble you to knock again, if you please," said Mrs. Dow- ler with the utmost politeness.

The short man did knock again several times, without producing the smallest effect. The tall man, growing very impatient, then relieved him, and kept on perpetually knocking double-knocks of two loud knocks each, like an insane postman.

At length Mr. Winkle began to dream that he was at a club, and that the members being very refractory, the chairman was obliged to hammer the table a good deal to preserve order ; then he had a con- fused notion of an auction room where there were no bidders, and the auctioneer was buying everything in ; and ultimately he began to think it just within the bound-s of possibility that somebody might be knocking at the street door. To make quite certain, however, he re- mained quiet in bed for ten minutes or so, and listened ; and when he had counted two or three and thirty knocks, he felt quite satisfied, and gave himself a great deal of credit for being so wakeful.

" Rap rap — rap rap — rap rap — ra, ra, ra, ra, ra, rap," went the knocker.

Mr. Winkle jumped out of bed, wondering very much what could possibly be the matter, and hastily putting on his stockings and slippers, folded his dressing gown round him, lighted a flat candle from the rush- light that was burning in the fire-place, and hurried down stairs.

^' Here's somebody comin' at last, Ma'am," said the short chairman.

" I wish I wos behind him vith a bradawl," muttered the long one.

" Who's there ?" cried Mr. Winkle, undoing the chain.

with great disgust ; taking it for granted that the inquirer was a foot- man • " open the door.**
 * ' Don't stop to ask questions, cast-iron head," replied the long man,