Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/692

584 584 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

and deceit ; this is unjustifiable and indelicate in the highest degree. 1 don't deserve this, at your hands Emily, indeed.''

" Dear papa," said Emily, *' Arabella knows — everybody here knows ; Joe knows — that I was no party to this concealment. Augustus, for Heaven's sake, explain it."

Mr. Snodgrass, who had only waited for a hearing, at once recounted how he had been placed in his then distressing predicament ; how the fear of giving rise to domestic dissensions had alone prompted him to avoid Mr. Wardle on his entrance ; and how he merely meant to de- part by another door, but, finding it locked, had been compelled to stay against his will. It was a painful situation to be placed in ; but he now regretted it the less, inasmifch as it afforded him an oppor- tunity of acknowledging before their mutual friends that he loved Mr* Wardle's daughter deeply and sincerely, that he was proud to avow that the feeling was mutual, and that if thousands of miles were placed between them, or oceans rolled their waters, he could never for an in- stant forget those happy days when first — et cetera, et cetera.

Having delivered himself to this effect, ISlr. Snodgrass bowed again, looked into the crown of his hat, and stepped towards the door.

" Stop !" shouted Wardle. ^' Why, in the name of all that's "

" Inflammable," mildly suggested Mr. Pickwick, who thought some- thing worse was coming.

" Well — that's inflammable," said Wardle, adopting the substitute 5 '^'^ couldn't you say all this to me in the first instance.^"


 * ' Or confide in me ? " added Mr. Pickwick.

" Dear, dear," said Arabella, taking up the defence, " what is the use of asking all that now, especially when you know you had set your covetous old heart on a richer son-in-law, and are so wild and fierce besides, that everybody is afraid of you, except me. Shake hands with him, and order him some dinner, for goodness gracious sake, for he looks half starved ; and pray have your wine up at once, for you'll not be tolerable until you have taken two bottles at least."

The worthy old gentleman pulled Arabella's ear, kissed her without the smallest scruple, kissed his daughter also vith great aflfection, and shook Mr. Snodgrass warmly by the hand.

" She is right upon one point at all events," said the old gentleman, cheerfully. " Ring for the wine."

The wine came, and Perker came up stairs at the same moment, Mr. Snodgrass had dinner at a side table, and when he had dispatched it drew his chair next Emily, without the smallest opposition on the old gentleman's part.

The evening was excellent. Little Mr. Perker came out wonder- fully, told various comic stories, and sang a serious song, which was almost as funny as the anecdotes. Arabella was very charming, Mr. Wardle very jovial, Mr. Pickwick very harmonious, Mr. Ben Allen very uproarious, the lovers very silent, Mr. Winkle very talkative, and all of them very happy.