Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/617

517 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 517

that there was only a gentleman with one eye, and the landlord, who were drinkinj; a bowl of bishop together.


 * ' I will join them," said Mr. Pickwick.

" He 's a queer customer, the vun-eyed vun, Sir," observed Mr. Weller, as he led the way. " He 's a gammonin' that 'ere landlord, he is. Sir, till he don't rightly know vether he 's a standing on the soles of his boots or the crown of his hat."

The individual to whom this observation referred, was sitting at the upper end of the room when Mr. Pickwick entered, and was smoking a large Dutch pipe, with his eye intently fixed upon the round face of the landlord, a jolly looking old personage, to whom he had re- cently been relating some tale of wonder, as was testified by sundry disjointed exclamations of, " Well, I wouldn't have believed it ! The strangest thing I ever heard! Couldn't have supposed it possible!" and other expressions of astonishment which burst spontaneously from his lips as he returned the fixed gaze of the one-eyed man.

'• Servant, Sir," said the one-eyed man to Mr. Pickwick. *' Fine night, Sir."

" Very much so indeed," replied Mr. Pickwick, as the waiter placed a small decanter of brandy, and some hot water before him.

While Mr. Pickwick was mixing his brandy and water, the one- eyed man looked round at him earnestly, from time to time, and at length said —


 * I think I've seen you before."

'^ I don't recollect you," rejoined Mr. Pickwick.

" I dare say not," said the one-eyed man. " You didn't know me, but I knew two friends of yours that were stopping at the Peacock at Eatanswill, at the time of the Election."

"Oh, indeed !" exclaimed Mr. Pickwick.

stance to them about a friend of mine of the name of Tom Smart. Perhaps you've heard them speak of it."
 * ' Yes," rejoined the one eyed man. *' I mentioned a little circum-

" Often," rejoined Mr. Pickwick, smiling. " He was your uncle, I think?"

" No, no — only a friend of my uncle's," replied the one-eyed man.

" He was a wonderful man, that uncle of yours, though,'* remarked the landlord, shaking his head.

" Well, I think he was ; I think I may say he was," answered the one-eyed man. '' I could tell you a story about that same uncle, gen- tlemen, that would rather surprise you."

"Could you .?" said Mr. Pickwick. *'Let us hear it by all means."

The one-eyed Bagman ladled out a glass of negus from the bowl, and drank it, smoked a long whifF out of the Dutch pipe, and then calling to Sam Weller who was lingering near the door, that he needn't go away unless he wanted to, because the story was no secret,, fixed his eye upon the landlord's, and proceeded in the words of the next chapter.

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