Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/477

391 THE PICKWICK CLUB 391

" Come, look sharp, timber eye-lids," added the other, enconrag^inpiy.

Mr. Winkle, being half asleep, obeyed the command mechanically, opened the door a little, and peeped out. The first thine: he saw was the red glare of the link-boy's torch. Startled by the sudden fear that the house might be on fire, he hastily threw the door wide open, and holding the candle above his head, stared eagerly before him, not quite certain whether what he saw was a sedan chair or a fire engine. At this instant there came a violent gust of wind : the light was blown out; Mr. Winkle felt himself irre-sistibly impelled on to the steps, and the door blew to, with a loud crash.

" Well, young man, now you have done it," said the short chairman.

Mr. Winkle, catching sight of a lady's face at the window of the sedan, turned hastily round, plied the knocker with all his might and main, and called frantically upon the chairman to take the chair away again.

" Take it away, take it away," cried Mr. Winkle. " Here's some- body coming out of another house ; put me into the chair. Hide me — do something with me."

All this time he was shivering with cold, and every time he raised his hand to the knocker the wind took the dressing gown in a most unpleasant manner.

" The people are coming down the Crescent now. There are ladies with *em ; cover me up with something. Stand before me," roared Mr. W'inkle. But the chairmen were too much exhausted with laugh- ing to afford him the slightest assistance, and the ladies were every moment approaching nearer and nearer.

Mr. Winkle gave a last hopeless knock ; the ladies were only a {ew doors off. He threw away the extinguished candle which all this time he had held above his head, and fairly bolted into the sedan chair where Mrs. Dowler was.

Now, Mrs. Craddock had heard the knocking and the voices at last ; and, just waiting to put something smarter on her head than her night- cap, ran down into the front drawing-room to make sure that it was the right party, and threw up the wi-ndow-sash just as Mr. Winkle was rushing into the chair ; she no sooner caught sight of what was going forward below, than she raised a vehement and dismal shriek, and im- plored Mr. Dowler to get up directly, for his wife was running away with another gentleman.

Upon this, Mr. Dowler bounced off the bed as abruptly as an India- rubber ball, and rushing into the front room, arrived at one window just as IMr. Pickwick threw up the other, when the first object that met the gaze of both, was Mr. Winkle bolting into the sedan-chair.

"Watchman," shouted Dowler furiously; "stop him— hold him — keep him tight — shut him in, till I come down. I'll cut his throat — give me a knife — from ear to ear, Mrs. Craddock. I will!" And, breaking from the shrieking landlady, and from Mr. Pickwick; the in- dignant husband seized a small supper-knife, and tore into the street.

But Mr. Winkle didn't wait for him. He no sooner heard the hor-