Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/507

419 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 419

there in as small a compass as he could reduce himself to, " only me, JVIiss, only me."

" Mr. Pickwick's servant ! " said Arabella, earnestly.

« The wery same, Miss," replied Sam. " Here's Mr. Vinkle reg'larly sewed up vith desperation, Miss."


 * ' Ah I " said Arabella, drawing nearer the wall.

to straight-veskit him last night ; he's been a ravin' all day, and he says if he can't see you afore to-morrow night's over, he vishes he may be somethin'-unpleasanted if he don't drownd hisself."
 * < Ah indeed," said Sam. " Ve thought ve should ha' been obliged

" Oh no, no, Mr. Weller," said Arabella, claspin;^ her hands.

his word, and it's my opinion he'll do it, Miss. He's heerd all about you from the Sawbones in barnacles."
 * ' That's wot he says, Miss," replied Sam coolly. " He's a man of

" From my brother I " said Arabella, having some faint recognition of Sam's description.


 * I don't rightly know which is your brother, Miss," replied Sara.
 * ' Is it the dirtiest vun o' the two? "

" Yes, yes, Mr. Weller," returned Arabella, " go on. Make haste, pray."

thegov'nor's opinion that if you don't see him wery quick, the Sawbones as we've been a speakin' on, 'uU get as much extra lead in his head as'U rayther damage the dewelopement o' the orgins if they ever put it in spirits artervards."
 * Veil Miss," said Sam, '' he's heerd all about it from him ; and it's

" Oh, what can I do to prevent these dreadful quarrels," exclaimed Arabella.

plied Sam. *' You'd better see him. Miss."
 * ' It's the suspicion of a priory 'tachment as is the cause of it all," re-

" But how ? — where ? " cried Arabella. " I dare not leave the house alone. My brother is so unkind, so unreasonable. I know how strange my talking thus to you must appear, Mr. Weller, but I am very, very un- happy — " and here poor Arabella wept so bitterly, that Sam grew chivalrous.

Miss," said Sam with great vehemence ; " but all I can say is, that I'm not only ready but villin' to do anythin' as'll make matters agreeable ; and if chuckin' either o' them Sawbones out o' winder 'uU do it, I'm the man." As Sam Weller said this, he tucked up his wristbands, at the imminent hazard of falling off the wall in so doing, to intimate his rea- diness to set to work immediately.
 * It may seem wery strange talkin' to me about these here affairs.

Flattering as these professions of good feeling were, Arabella reso- lutely declined (most unaccountably, as Sam thought,) to avail herself of them. For some time she strenuously refused to grant Mr. Winkle the interview Sam had so pathetically requested ; but at length, when the conversation threatened to be interrupted by the unwelcome arrival of a third party, she hurriedly gave him to understand, with many pro- fessions of gratitude, that it was barely possible she might be in the

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