Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/598

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Life Office Secretary, Mr. Prosee the eminent counsel, three soli- citors, one commissioner of bankrupts, a special pleader from the Temple, a small-eyed peremptory young gentleman, his pupil, who had written a lively book about the law of demises, with a vast quantity of marginal notes and references ; and several other eminent and distin- guished personages. From this society little Mr. Perker detached him- self on his clerk being announced in a whisper ; and repairing to the dining-room, there found Mr. Lowten and Job Trotter looking very- dim and shadowy by the light of a kitchen candle, which the gentleman who condescended to appear in plush shorts and cottons for a quarterly stipend, had, with a becoming contempt for the clerk and all things appertaining to " the office," placed upon the table.

" No, Sir," replied Lowten. "This is a messenger from Mr. Pick- wick, Sir."
 * ' Now, Lowten," said little Mr, Perker, shutting the door,
 * what's the matter? No important letter come in a parcel, is there.''"

" From Pickwick, eh ?" said the little man, turning quickly to Job. " Well ; what is it .?"

" Dodson and Fogg have taken Mrs. Bardell in execution for her costs. Sir," said Job.

reclining against the sideboard.
 * ' No!" exclaimed Perker, putting his hands in his pockets, and

" Yes," said Job. " It seems they got a cognovit out of her for the amount of 'em, directly after the trial."

" By Jove!" said Perker, taking both hands out of his pockets and striking the knuckles of his right against the palm of his left, empha- tically* " those are the cleverest scamps I ever had any thing to do with ! "

'^ The sharpest practitioners / ever knew. Sir," observed Lowten. . " Sharp!" echoed Perker. " There's no knowing where to have them."

'* Very true. Sir, there is not,'' replied Lowten ; and then both master and man pondered for a few seconds with animated counte- nances, as if they were reflecting upon one of the most beautiful and ingenious discoveries that the intellect of man had ever made. When they had in some measure recovered from their trance of admiration. Job Trotter discharged himself of the rest of his commission. Perker nodded his head thoughtfully, and pulled out his watch.

" At ten precisely I will be there," said the little man. " Sam is quite right. Tell him so. Will you take a glass of wine, Lowten?" " No, thank you. Sir."

" You mean yes, I think,*' said the little man, turning to the side- board for a decanter and glasses.

As Lowten did mean yes, he said no more upon the subject, but en- quired of Job, in an audible whisper, whether the portrait of Perker, which hung opposite the fire-place, wasii t a wonderful likeness, to which Job of course replied that it was. The wine being by this time poured out, Lowten drank to Mrs. Perker and the children, and Job to Perker. The gentleman in the plush shorts and cottons considering it no part of his duty to show the people from the office out, con-