Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/557

463 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 463

— a limb o* the law, Sammy, as has got brains like the frogs, dispersed all over his body, and reachin' to the wery tips of his fingers ; a friend of the Lord Chancellorship's, Sammy, who'd only have to tell him what he wanted, and he'd lock you up for life^ if that wos all."


 * I say," said Sam, " none o' that."


 * None o' wot ? " inquired Mr. Weller.

" Vy, none o' them unconstitootional ways o' doin' it," retorted Sam. " The have-his-carcase, next to the perpetual motion, is vun o' the blessedest things as wos ever made. I've read that 'ere in the news- papers wery of'en."

" Well, wot's that got to do vith it ? " inquired Mr. Weller.

"Just this here," said Sam, ** that I'll patronise the inwention, and go in, that vay. No visperin's to the Chancellorship — I don't like the notion. It mayn't be altogether safe, vith reference to the gettin' out agin."

Deferring to his son's feeling upon this point, Mr. Weller at once sought the erudite Solomon Pell, and acquainted him with his desire to issue a writ instantly for the sum of twenty-five pounds, and costs of process, to be executed without delay upon the body of one Samuel Weller ; the charges thereby incurred to be paid in advance to Solomon Pell.

The attorney was in high glee, for the embarrassed coach-horser was ordered to be discharged forthwith. He highly approved of Sam's attachment to his master ; declared that it strongly reminded him of his own feelings of devotion to his friend, the Chancellor ; and at once led the elder Mr. Weller down to the Temple, to swear the affidavit of debt, which the boy, with the assistance of the blue bag, had drawn up on the spot.

Meanwhile Sam, having been formally introduced to the white- washed gentleman and his friends, as the offspring of Mr. Weller, of the Belle Sauvage, was treated with marked distinction, and invited to regale himself with them in honour of the occasion — an invitation which he was by no means backward in accepting.

The mirth of gentlemen of this class is of a grave and quiet character usually ; but the present instance was one of peculiar festivity, and they relaxed in proportion. After some rather tumultuous toasting of the Chief Commissioner and Mr. Solomon Pell, who had that day displayed such transcendant abilities, a mottled-faced gentleman in a blue shawl proposed that somebody should sing a song. The obvious suggestion was, that the mottled-faced gentleman, being anxious for a song, should sing it himself; but this the mottled-faced gentleman sturdily, and somewhat offensively, declined to do ; upon which, as is not unusual in such cases, a rather angry colloquy ensued.

" Gentlemen," said the coach-horser, " rather than disturb the har- mony of this delightful occasion, perhaps Mr. Samuel Weller will oblige the company."

" Raly, gentlemen," said Sam, " I'm not wery much in the habit o' singin' vithout the instrument ; but any thin' for a quiet life, as the man said ven he took the sitivation at the light-house."