Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/513

425 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 425

expressive of lively satisfaction. As to the scientific p^entleman, he demonstrated in a masterly treatise that these wonderful lights were the effect of electricity, and clearly proved the same by detailings how a Hash of fire danced before his eyes when he put his head out of the gate, and how he received a shock which stunned him for a full quarter of an hour afterwards; which demonstration delighted all the Scientific Asso- ciations beyond measure, and caused him to be considered a light of science ever afterwards.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

INTRODUCES MR. PICKWICK TO A NEW, AND IT IS HOPED NOT UNINTERESTING SCENE, IN THE GREAT DRAMA OF LIFE.

The remainder of the period which Mr. Pickwick had assigned as the duration of the stay at Bath, passed over without the occurrence of anything material. Trinity Term commenced. On the expiration of its first week, Mr. Pickwick and his friends returned to London, and the former gentleman, attended of course by Sam, straightway repaired to his old quarters at the George and Vulture.

On the third morning after their arrival, just as all the clocks in the city were striking nine individually, and somewhere about nine hundred collectively, Sam was taking the air in George Yard, when a queer sort of fresh painted vehicle drove up, out of which there jumped with great agility, throwing the reins to a stout man who sat beside him, a queer sort of gentleman, who seemed made for the vehicle, and the vehicle for him.

The vehicle was not exactly a gig, neither was it a stanhope. It was .not what is currently denominated a dog-cart, neither was it a taxed cart, nor a chaise-cart, nor a guillotined cabriolet; and yet it had some- thing of the character of each and every of these machines. It was painted a bright yellow, with the shafts and wheels picked out in black ; and the driver sat in the orthodox sporting style, on cushions piled about two feet above the rail. The horse was a bay, a well-looking animal enough; but with something of a flash and dog-fighting air about him, neverthe less, which accorded admirably, both with the vehicle and his master.

The master himself was a man of about forty, with black hair, and carefully combed whiskers ; dressed in a particularly gorgeous manner, with plenty of articles of jewellery about him — all about three sizes larger than those which are usually worn by gentlemen— and a rough great-coat to crown the whole. Into one pocket of this great-coat, he thrust his left hand the moment he dismounted, while from the other he drew forth, with his right, a very bright and glaring silk handkerchief, with which he whisked a speck or two of dust from his boots, and thea crumpling it in his hand, swaggered up the court.

It had not escaped Sam's attention that, when this person dismounted,