第218章

I saw it all.You felt yourself insulted.You had gone, for a friend perhaps.

Possibly for pistols.`High spirit,' said I.`I admire him.'"Mr.Winkle coughed, and beginning to see how the land lay, assumed a look of importance.

"I left a note for you," resumed Dowler."I said I was sorry.So I was.

Pressing business called me here.You were not satisfied.You followed.

You required a verbal explanation.You were right.It's all over now.My business is finished.I go back to-morrow.Join me."As Dowler progressed in his explanation, Mr.Winkle's countenance grew more and more dignified.The mysterious nature of the commencement of their conversation was explained; Mr.Dowler had as great an objection to duelling as himself; in short, this blustering and awful personage was one of the most egregious cowards in existence, and interpreting Mr.Winkle's absence through the medium of his own fears, had taken the same step as himself, and prudently retired until all excitement of feeling should have subsided.

As the real state of the case dawned upon Mr.Winkle's mind, he looked very terrible, and said he was perfectly satisfied; but at the same time, said so, with an air that left Mr.Dowler no alternative but to infer that if he had not been, something most horrible and destructive must inevitably have occurred.Mr.Dowler appeared to be impressed with a becoming sense of Mr.Winkle's magnanimity and condescension; and the two belligerents parted for the night, with many protestations of eternal friendship.

About half-past twelve o'clock, when Mr.Winkle had been revelling some twenty minutes in the full luxury of his first sleep, he was suddenly awakened by a loud knocking at his chamber-door, which, being repeated with increased vehemence, caused him to start up in bed, and inquire who was there, and what the matter was.

"Please, sir, here's a young man which says he must see you directly,"responded the voice of the chambermaid.

"A young man!" exclaimed Mr.Winkle.

"No mistake about that 'ere, sir," replied another voice through the keyhole; "and if that wery same interestin' young creetur ain't let in vithout delay, it's wery possible as his legs vill enter afore his countenance."The young man gave a gentle kick at one of the lower panels of the door, after he had given utterance to this hint, as if to add force and point to the remark.

"Is that you, Sam?" inquired Mr.Winkle, springing out of bed.

"Quite unpossible to identify any gen'l'm'n vith any degree o' mental satisfaction, vithout lookin' at him, sir," replied the voice, dogmatically.

Mr.Winkle, not much doubting who the young man was, unlocked the door;which he had no sooner done, than Mr.Samuel Weller entered with great precipitation, and carefully re-locking it on the inside, deliberately put the key in his waistcoat pocket: and, after surveying Mr.Winkle from head to foot, said:

"You're a wery humorous young gen'l'm'n, you air, sir!""What do you mean by this conduct, Sam?" inquired Mr.Winkle, indignantly.

"Get out, sir, this instant.What do you mean, sir?""What do I mean," retorted Sam; "come, sir, this is rayther too rich, as the young lady said, wen she remonstrated with the pastry-cook, arter he'd sold her a pork-pie as had got nothin' but fat inside.What do I mean! Well, that ain't a bad 'un, that ain't.""Unlock that door, and leave this room immediately, sir," said Mr.Winkle.