Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/663

557 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 557

" No, Sammy," replied Mr. Weller, again looking thoughtfully at the fire. '' 1 wos in a referee, Sammy."

" Wot about?" enquired Sam, drawing his chair up to the lire.

"In a referee, Sammy," replied the elder Mr. Weller, "regardin' her, Samivel." Here Mr. Weller jerked his head in the direction of Dorking churchyard, in mute explanation that his words referred to the late Mrs. Weller.

great earnestness, over his pipe, as if to assure him that however ex- traordinary and incredible the declaration might appear, it was never- theless calmly and deliberately uttered, " I wos a thinkin', Sammy, that upon the whole I wos wery sorry she wos gone."
 * ' I wos a thinkin', Sammy," said iMr. Weller, eyeing his son with

" Veil, and so you ought to be," replied Sam.

Mr. Weller nodded his acquiescence in the sentiment, and again fastening his eyes on the fire, shrouded himself in a cloud, and mused deeply.

" Those wos wery sensible observations as she made, Sammy .'*" said JMr. Weller, driving the smoke away with his hand, after a long silence.

'* Wot observations } " enquired Sam.

" Them as she made arter she was took ill," replied the old gen- tleman.

« Wot was they ? "

" Somethin' to this here eflfect. ' Veller,' she says, ' I'm afeard I've not done by you quite wot I ought to have done ; you're a wery kind- hearted man, and I might ha' made your home more comfortabler. I begin to see now,' she says, ' ven it's too late, that if a married 'ooman vishes to be religious she should begin vith dischargin' her dooties at home, and makin' them as is about her cheerful and happy, and that vile she goes to church, or chapel, or wot not, at all proper times, she should be wery careful not to con-wert this sort o' thing into an excuse for idleness or self-indulgence, or vurse. I have done this,' she says, ' and I've vasted time and substance on them as has done it more than me ; but I hope ven I'm gone, Veller, that you'll think on me as I wos afore I know'd them people, and as I raly wos by natur.' ' Susan,' says I, — I wos took up very short by this, Samivel ; I von't deny it, my boy — ' Susan,' I says, ' you've been a wery good vife to me, altogether, don't say nothin' at all about it, keep a good heart my dear, and you'll live to see me punch that 'ere Stiggins's head yet.' She smiled at this, Samivel," said the old gentleman, stifling a sigh with his pipe, '' but she died arter all ! "

''Veil," said Sam, venturing to offer a little homely consolation after the lapse of three or four minutes, consumed by the old gentle- man in slowly shaking his head from side to side, and solemnly smoking ; *' veil, gov'ner, ve must all come to it, one day or another."

" So we must, Sammy," said Mr. Weller the elder.

'^ There's a Providence in it all," said Sam.

" Wot 'ud become of the undertakers vithout it, Sammy ? "
 * O' course there is," replied his father with a nod of grave approval.

Lost in the immense field of conjecture opened by this reflection.