Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/540

448 448 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

" What Simpson ? " said Neddy.

" Why him in twenty-seven in the third, that this gentleman 's going- to be chummed on."

" Oh, him ! " replied Neddy : " he's nothing exactly. He was a horse chaunter : he's a leg now."

" Ah, so I thought," rejoined Mr. Roker, closing the book, and placing the small piece of paper in Mr. Pickwick's hands — ** That's the ticket. Sir."

Very much perplexed by this summary disposition of his person, Mr. Pickwick walked back into the prison, revolving in his mind what he had better do. Convinced, however, that before he took any other steps it would be advisable to see, and hold personal converse with, the three gentlemen with whom it was proposed to quarter him, he made the best of his way to the third flight.

After groping about in the gallery for some time, attempting in the dim light to decipher the numbers on the different doors, he at length appealed to a potboy, who happened to be pursuing his morning occu- pation of gleaning for pewter.

" Which is twenty-seven, my good fellow?" said Mr. Pickwick.

of a man being hung, and smoking a pipe the while, chalked outside the door."
 * ' Five doors further on," replied the potboy. " There's the likeness

Guided by this direction, Mr. Pickwick proceeded slowly along the gallery until he encountered the " portrait of a gentleman," above described, upon whose countenance he tapped, with the knuckle of his fore-finger — gently at first, and then more audibly. After repeating this process several times without eff"ect, he ventured to open the door and peep in.

There was only one man in the room, and he was leaning out of window as far as he could without over-balancing himself, endeavouring with great perseverance to spit upon the crown of the hat of a personal friend on the parade below. As neither speaking, coughing, sneezing, knocking, nor any other ordinary mode of attracting attention, made this person aware of the presence of a visiter, Mr. Pickwick, after some delay, stepped up to the window, and pulled him gently by the coat- tail. The individual brought in his head and shoulders with great swiftness, and surveying Mr. Pickwick from head to foot, demanded in a surly tone what the — something beginning with a capital H — he wanted.

" I believe," said Mr. Pickwick, consulting his ticket, " I believe this is twenty -seven in the third."

" Well ? " replied the gentleman.

rejoined Mr. Pickwick.
 * ' I have come here in consequence of receiving this bit of paper,"

"Hand it over," said the gentleman.

Mr. Pickwick complied.

" I think Roker might have chummed you somewhere else," said Mr. Simpson (for it was the leg), after a very discontented sort of a pause.