Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/553

459 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 459

" Gentlemen," said Mr. Pell, looking round upon the company, " Success to your friend. I don't like to boast, gentlemen ; it's not my way ; but I can't help saying, that, if your friend hadn't been fortunate

enough to fall into hands that but I won't say what I was going to

say. Gentlemen, ray service to you." Having emptied the glass in a twinkling, Mr. Pell smacked his lips, and looked complacently round on the assembled coachmen, who evidently regarded him as a species of divinity.

" Let me see," said the legal authority — " What was I a-saying, gentlemen?"

" I think you was remarkin' as you wouldn't have no objection to another o' the same, Sir," said Mr. Weller, with grave facetiousness.

" Ha, ha I" laughed Mr. Pell. " Not bad, not bad. A professional man, tool At this time of the morning it would be rather too good

a. Well, I don't know, my dear — you may do that again, if you

please. Hem I "

This last sound was a solemn and dignified cough, in which Mr. Pell, observing an indecent tendency to mirth in some of his auditors, con- sidered it due to himself to indulge.

" The late Lord Chancellor, gentlemen, was very fond of me," said Mr. Pell.

" And wery creditable in him, too," interposed Mr. Weller.

" Hear, hear," assented Mr. Pell's client. " Why shouldn't he be?"

" Ah — why, indeed ! " said a very red-faced man, who had said no- thing vet, and who looked extremely unlikely to say anything more. "Why shouldn't he?'*

A murmur of assent ran through the company.

" I remember, gentlemen," said Mr. Pell, ''dining with him on one occasion ; — there was only us two, but every thing as splendid as if twenty people had been expected ; the great seal on a dumb-waiter at his right hand, and a man in a bag-wig and suit of armour guarding the mace with a drawn sword and silk stockings, which is perpetually done, gentlemen, night and day; when he said, 'Pell,' he said; 'no false delicacy, Pell. You're a man of talent ; you can get any body through the Insolvent Court, Pell ; and your country should be proud of you.' Those were his very words. — 'My Lord,' I said, 'you flatter me.' — ' Pell,' he said, ' if I do, I'm damned.' "

" Did he say that?" inquired Mr. Weller.

" He did," replied Pell.

" Veil, then," said Mr. Weller, " I say Parliament ought to ha' taken it up ; and if he'd been a poor man, they would ha' done it."

" But, my dear friend," argued Mr. Pell, " it was in confidence."

" In what?" said Mr. Weller.

" In confidence."

" Oh ! wery good," replied Mr. Weller, after a little reflection. " If he damned his-self in confidence, o' course that was another thing."

" Of course it was," said Mr. Pell. " The distinction's obvious, you will perceive."

" Alters the case entirely," said Mr. Weller. " Go on, Sir."