Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/537

445 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 445

CHAPTER XLI.

ILLUSTRATIVE, LIKE THE PRECEDING ONE, OF THE OLD PROVERB, THAT ADVERSITY BRINGS A MAN ACQUAINTED WITH STRANGE BED-FELLOWS. LIKEWISE CONTAINING MR. PICKWICK's EXTRA- ORDINARY AND STARTLING ANNOUNCEMENT TO MR. SAMUEL WELLER.

When Mr. Pickwick opened his eyes next morning-, the first object upon which they rested was Samuel Weller, seated upon a small black portmanteau, intently reg-arding-, apparently in a condition of profound abstraction, the stately fig-ure of the dashing Mr. Smangle, while Mr. Smangle himself, who was already partially dressed, was seated on his bedstead, occupied in the desperately hopeless attempt of staring Mr. Weller out of countenance. We say desperately hopeless, because Sam, with a comprehensive gaze, which took in Mr. Smangle's cap, feet, head, face, legs, and whiskers, all at the same time, continued to look steadily on with every demonstration of lively satisfaction, but with no more regard to Mr. Smangle's personal sentiments on the subject, than he would have displayed had he been inspecting a wooden statue, or a straw-embowelled Guy Faux.


 * ' Well ; will you know me again ?" said Mr. Smangle, with a frown.


 * ' rd svear to you any veres. Sir," replied Sam, cheerfully.

"Don't be impertinent to a gentleman, Sir," said Mr. Smangle.

wakes, I'll be upon the wery best extra-super behaviour ! " This observation, having a remote tendency to imply that Mr. Smangle was no gentleman, rather kindled his ire.
 * Not on no account," replied Sam. "If you'll tell me ven he


 * ' Mivins !'^ said Mr. Smangle, with a passionate air.

" What's the office ? " replied that gentleman from his couch.

" Who the devil is this fellow ? "

" 'Gad," said Mr. Mivins, looking lazily out from under the bed- clothes, " I ought to ask you that. Hasn't he any business here ?'*

" No," replied Mr. Smangle.

" Then knock him down stairs, and tell him not to presume to get up till I come and kick him," rejoined Mr. Mivins ; and with this prompt advice, that excellent gentleman again betook himself to slumber.

The conversation exhibiting these unequivocal symptoms of rather verging on the personal, Mr. Pickwick deemed it a fit point at which to interpose.

" Sam," said Mr. Pickwick.


 * ' Sir," rejoined that gentleman.


 * ' Has anything new occurred since last night ? "

" Nothin' partickler. Sir," replied Sam, glancing at Mr. Smangle's whiskers ; " the late prewailance of a close and confined atmosphere has