Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/574

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Mr. Weller^ wiping his eyes. "Don't let out nothin' about the unnat'ral creditor, Sammy."

"Wot, don't they know who it is?" inquired Sam.


 * ' Not a bit on it," replied his father.

" Vere are they ? " said Sam, reciprocating all the old gentleman's grins.

"In the snuggery," rejoined Mr. Weller. "Catch the red-nosed man a goin' any vere but vere the liquors is ; not he, Samivel — not he. Ve'd a wery pleasant ride along the road from the Markis this mornin', Sammy," said Mr. Weller, when he felt himself equal to the task of speaking in an articulate manner. " I drove the old piebald in that 'ere little shay-cart as belonged to your mother-in-law's first wen- ter, into vich a harm-cheer vos lifted for the Shepherd ; and I'm blest," said Mr. Weller, with a look of deep scorn — " I'm blest if they didn't bring a portable flight o' steps out into the road a front o' our door, for him to get up by."

" You don't mean that ? " said Sam.

" I do mean that, Sammy," replied his father, ''and I vish you could ha' seen how tight he held on by the sides ven he did get up, as if he wos afeerd o' being precipitayted down full six foot, and dashed into a million hatoms. He tumbled in at last, however, and avay ve vent ; and I rayther think — I say I rayther think, Samivel — that he found his-self a little jolted ven ve turned the corners."

" Wot, I s'pose you happened to drive up agin a post or two ? " said Sam.

" I'm afeerd," replied Mr. Weller, in a rapture of winks — '^ I'm afeerd I took vun or two on 'em, Sammy ; he wos a flyin' out o' the harm-cheer all the vay."

Here the old gentleman shook his head from side to side, and was seized with a hoarse internal rumbling, accompanied with a violent swelling of the countenance, and a sudden increase in the breadth of all his features — symptoms which alarmed his son not a little.

"Don't be frightened, Sammy — don't be frightened," said the old gentleman, when, by dint of much struggling, and various convulsive stamps upon the ground he had recovered his voice. " It's only a kind o' quiet laugh as I'm a tryin' to come, Sammy."

" Veil, if that's wot it is," said Sam, "you'd better not try to come it agin. You'll find it rayther a dangerous invention."

"Don't vou like it, Sammy.'*" enquired the old gentleman.

"Not at 'all," replied Sam.

" Veil," said Mr. Weller, with the tears still running down his cheeks, " it 'ud ha' been a wery great accommodation to me if I could ha' done it, and 'ud ha' saved a good many vords atween your mother-in- law and me, sometimes ; but I'm afeerd you're right, Sammy : it's too much in the appleplexy line — a deal too much, Samivel." i

This conversation brought them to the door of the snuggery, into which Sam — pausing for an instant to look over his shoulder, and cast a sly leer at his respected progenitor, who was still giggling behind — at once led the way.

" Mother-in-law," said Sam, politely saluting the lady, " wery much obliged to you for this here wisit. Shepherd, how air you } "