Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/671

565 THE PICKWICK CLUB. 565

The individual appealed to, surveyed Mr. Lowten's eyes from a distance, and expressed his opinion that no unusual queerness was perceptible in those features.

" I'm glad of it," said Lowten. " We were keeping it up pretty tolerably at the Stump last night, and I'm rather out of sorts this morning. — Perker's been about that business of yours, by the bye."

"What business?" enquired Mr. Pickwick — ''Mrs. Bardell's costs ? "

" No, I don't mean that," replied Lowten. *' About getting that customer that we paid the ten shillings in the pound to the bill dis- counter for, on your account — to get him out of the Fleet, you know — about getting him to Demerara.''

" Oh, Mr. Jingle," said Mr. Pickwick, hastily. " Yes. Well }"

" Well, it's all arranged," said Lowten, mending his pen. " The agent at Liverpool said he had been obliged to you many times when you were in business, and he would be glad to take him on your recommendation."

" That's well,'' said Mr. Pickwick. " I am delighted to hear it."

" But I say," resumed Lowten, scraping the back of the pen pre- paratory to making a fresh split, " what a soft chap that other is ! "

" Which other ? "

Trotter."
 * 'Why, that servant, or friend, or whatever he is — you know;

" Ah ? " said JMr. Pickwick, with a smile. ' ' I always thought him the very reverse."

" Well, and so did I, from what little I saw of him," replied Lowten, *'it only shows how one maybe deceived. What do you think of his going to Demerara, too ? "

Mr. Pickwick.
 * ' What ! — and giving up what was offered him here!" exclaimed

" Treating Perker's offer of eighteen bob a-week, and a rise if he behaved himself, like dirt,'' replied Lowten. " He said he must go along with the other one, and so they persuaded Perker to write again, and they've got him something on the same estate ; not near so good, Perker says, as a convict would get in New South Wales, if he appeared at his trial in a new suit of clothes."

" Foolish fellow," said IMr. Pickwick, with glistening eyes. " Foolish fellow."

" Oh, it's worse than foolish ; it's downright sneaking, you know," replied Lowten, nibbing the pen with a contemptuous face. " He says that he's the only friend he ever had, and he's attached to him, and all that. Friendship's a very good thing in its way; we are all very friendly and comfortable at the Stump, for instance, over our grog, where every man pays for himself, but damn hurting yourself for any- body else, you know ! No man should have more than two attachments — the first, to number one, and the second to the ladies ; that's what I say— ha! ha!" Mr. Lowten concluded with a loud laugh, half in jocularity, and half in derision, which was prematurely cut short by the sound of Perker's footsteps on the stairs, at the very first approach of

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