Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/678

572 572 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS O^

When Mr. Pickwick drew in his head again, his tountenance was smiling and placid ; and, walking quietly back into the office, he declared that he had now removed a great weight from his mind, and that he felt perfectly comfortable and happy.

Perker said nothing at all until he had emptied his snuff-box and sent Lowten out to fill it, when he was seized with a fit of laughing, which lasted for five minutes, at the expiration of which time he said that he supposed he ought to be very angry, but he couldn't think of the business seriously yet — when he could, he Avould be.

" Well, now/' said Mr. Pickwick, " let me have a settlement with you."

" Of the same kind as the last .^'' enquired Perker, with another laugh.

" Not exactly," rejoined Mr. Pickwick, drawing out his pocket- book, and shaking the little man heartily by the hand, " I only mean a pecuniary settlement. You have done me many acts of kindness that I can never repay, and have no wish to, for I prefer continuing the obligation."

With this preface the two friends dived into some very complicated accounts and vouchers, which having been duly displayed and gone through by Perker, were at once discharged by Mr. Pickwick, with many professions of esteem and friendship.

They had no sooner arrived at this point, than a most violent and startling knocking was heard at the door ; it was not an ordinary double knock, but a constant and uninterrupted succession of the loud- est single raps, as if the knocker were endowed with the perpetual motion, or the person outside had forgotten to leave off.

''Dear me, what's that !" exclaimed Perker, starting.

''I think it is a knock at the door," said Mr. Pickwick, as if there could be the smallest doubt of the fact !

The knocker made a more energetic reply than words could have yielded, for it continued to hammer with surprising force and noise, without a moment's cessation

—Mr. Lowten, don't you hear a knock?"
 * 'Dear me ! " said Perker, ringing his bell, " we shall alarm the Inn.

'' I'll answer the door in one moment, Sir," replied the clerk.

The knocker appeared to hear the response, and to assert that it was quite impossible he could wait so long. It made a stupendous uproar.

" It's quite dreadful," said Mr. Pickwick, stopping his ears.

 Make haste, Mr. Lowten, Perker called out, " we shall have the pannels beaten in."

Mr. Lowten, who was washing his hands in a dark closet, hurried to the door, and turning the handle, beheld the appearance which i§ described in the next chapter.