Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/688

580 580 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

" Oh ! " said the fat boy, in a tone of strong feeling ; '* how we should have enjoyed ourselves at meals, if you had been ! "

" I might come here sometimes perhaps, to see you," said Mary, plaiting the table cloth in assumed coyness, '• if you would do me a favour."

The fat boy looked from the pie dish to the steak, as if he thought a favour must be in a manner connected with something to eat ; and then took out one of the half-crowns and glanced at it nervously.

" Don't you understand me ? " said Mary, looking slyly in his fat]face.

Again he looked at the half-crown, and said faintly, " No."

'' The ladies want you not to say anything to the old gentleman about the young gentleman having been up stairs ; and I want you too."

" Is that all! " said the fat boy, evidently very much relieved as he pocketed the half-crown again. " Of course I ain't a going to."

and Miss Emily's very fond of him, and if you were to tell about it, the old gentleman would carry you all away miles into the country, where you'd see nobody."
 * ' You see," said Mary, " Mr. Snodgrass is very fond of Miss Emily,

'* No, no, I won't tell," said the fat boy, stoutly.

" That's a dear," said Mary. " Now it's time I went up stairs^ and got my lady ready for dinner."

^* Don't go yet," urged the fat boy.

" I must," replied Mary. " Good bye, for the present.''

The fat boy, with elephantine playfulness, stretched out his arms to ravish a kiss ; but as it required no great agility to elude him, his fair enslaver had vanished before he closed them again ; upon which the apathetic youth ate a pound or so of steak with a sentimental counte- nance, and fell fast asleep.

There was so much to say up stairs, and there were so many plans to concert for elopement and matrimony in the event of old Wardle continuing to be cruel, that it wanted only half an hour to dinner when Mr. Snodgrass took his final adieu. The ladies ran to Emily's bedroom to dress, and the lover, taking up his hat, walked out of the Toom. He had scarcely got outside the door, when he heard Wardle's voice talking loudly ; and looking over the bannisters, beheld him, followed by some other gentlemen, coming straight up stairs. Knowing nothing of the house, Mr. Snodgrass in his confusion stepped hastily back into the room he had just quitted, and passing from thence into an inner apartment (Mr. Wardle's bedchamber), closed the door softly, just as the persons he had caught a' glimpse of, entered the sitting room. These were Mr. Wardle, and Mr. Pickwick ; Mr. Nathaniel Winkle and Mr. Benjamin Allen, whom he had no difiSculty in recog- nising by their voices.

" Very lucky I had the presence of mind to avoid them," thought Mr. Snodgrass with a smile, and walking on tiptoe to another door near the bedside, " this opens into the same passage, and I can walk quietly and comfortably away."

There was only one obstacle to his walking quietly and comfortably away, which was, that the door was locked and the key gone.

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