Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/502

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i " Serious, from my heart — from my soul !" returned Mr. Winkle, with great energy.

" Remember," said Mr. Pickwick, with beaming eyes, " we met her at our excellent and hospitable friend's, Winkle. It would be an ill return to tamper lightly, and without due consideration, with this young lady's affections. I '11 not allow that, Sir — I '11 not allow it."

" I have no such intention, indeed/' exclaimed Mr. Winkle warmly. " I have considered the matter well, for a long time, and I feel that my happiness is bound up in her."

" That 's wot we call tying it up in a small parcel, Sir," interposed Mr. Weller, with an agreeable smile.

Mr. Winkle looked somewhat stern at this interruption, and Mr. Pickwick angrily requested his attendant not to jest with one of the best feehngs of our nature ; to which Sam replied, " That he wouldn't, if he was aware on it; but there were so many on *em, that he hardly know'd which was the best ones ven he heerd 'em mentioned."

Mr. Winkle then recounted what had passed between himself and Mr. Ben Allen, relative to Arabella, stated that his object was to gain an interview with the young lady, and make a formal disclosure of his passion ; and declared his conviction, founded on certain dark hints and mutterings of the aforesaid Ben, that, wherever she was at present immured, it was somewhere near the Downs : and this was his whole stock of knowledge or suspicion upon the subject.

With this very slight clue to guide him, it was determined that Mr. Weller should start next morning on an expedition of discovery ; it was also arranged that Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Winkle, who were less confident of their powers, should parade the town meanwhile, and acci- dentally drop in upon Mr. Bob Sawyer in the course of the day, in the hope of seeing or hearing something of the young lady's whereabout.

Accordingly, next morning, Sam Weller issued forth upon his quest, in no way daunted by the very discouraging prospect before him ; and away he walked, up one street and down another — we were going to say, up one hill and down another, only it 's all uphill at Clifton — without meeting with any thing or any body that tended to throw the faintest light upon the matter in hand. Many were the colloquies into which Sam entered with grooms who were airing horses on roads, and nursemaids who were airing children in lanes ; but nothing could Sam elicit from either the first-mentioned or the last, which bore the slightest reference to the object of his artfully-prosecuted inquiries. There were a great many young ladies in a great many houses, the greater part whereof were shrewdly suspected by the male and female^ domestics to be deeply attached to somebody, or perfectly ready to] become so, if opportunity offered. But as none among these young ladies was Miss Arabella Allen, the information left Sam at exactly] the old point of wisdom at which he had stood before.

Sam struggled across the Downs against a good high wind, wonder-? ing whether it was always necessary to hold your hat on with both hands in that part of the country, and came to a shady by-place, about which were sprinkled several little villas of quiet and secluded appear-