Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/649

545 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 545

the establishment, and to back his entreaties with a variety of dismal conjectures regarding the state of the roads, the doubt of fresh horses being to be had at the next stage, the dead certainty of its raining all night, the equally mortal certainty of its clearing up in the morning, and other topics of inducement familiar to innkeepers.

"Well," said IIr. Pickwick, '^but I must send a letter to London by some conveyance, so that it may be delivered the very first thing in the morning, or I must go forward at all hazards."

The landlord smiled his delight. Nothing could be easier than for the gentleman to inclose a letter in a sheet of brown paper and send it on either by the mail or the night coach from Birmingham. If the gentleman was particularly anxious to have it left as soon as possible, he might write outside, ** To be delivered immediately," which was sure to be attended to ; or '' pay the bearer half-a-crown extra for in- stant delivery," which was surer still.

" V^ery well," said Mr, Pickwick, *^then we will stop here."

" Lights in the Sun, John ; make up the fire — the gentlemen are wet," cried the landlord. "This way, gentlemen; don't trouble yourself about the postboy now, Sir; Pll send him to you when you ring for him, Sir. Now John, the candles.''

The candles were brought, the fire was stirred up, and a fresh log of wood thrown on. In ten minutes' time a waiter was laying the cloth for dinner, the curtains were drawn, the fire was blazing brightly, and every thing looked (as every thing always does in all decent English inns) as if the travellers had been expected and their comforts prepared, for days beforehand.

Mr. Pickwick sat down at a side table and hastily indited a note to Mr. Winkle, merely informing him that he was detained by stress of weather, but would certainly be in London next day ; until when he deferred any further account of his proceedings. This note was hastily made up into a parcel and despatched to the bar per Mr. Samuel Weller.

Sam left it with the landlady, and was returning to pull his master's boots otF, after drying himself by the kitchen fire, when, glancing casually through a half-opened door, he was arrested by the sight of a gentleman with a sandy head who had a large bundle of newspapers lying on the table before him, and was perusing the leading article of one with a settled sneer which curled up his nose and all his other fea- tures into a majestic expression of haughty contempt.

^' Hallo !'' said Sam, '* I ought to know that 'ere head and them fea- turs ; .the eye-glass, too, and the broad-brimmed tile ! Eatansvill to vit, or I'm a Roman."

Sam was taken with a troublesome cough at once, for the purpose of attracting the gentleman's attention : and the gentleman starting at the sound, raised his head and his eye-glass, and disclosed to view the profound and thoughtful features of Mr. Pott, of the Eatanswill Gazette.

" Beggin' your pardon, Sir," said Sam, advancing with a bow, ^^ my master's here, Mr. Pott."