第224章

"Now, it's in the stable, and they'll think the place is a-fire," said Sam."Shut it up, sir, can't you?""It's the most extraordinary lantern I ever met with, in all my life!"exclaimed Mr.Pickwick, greatly bewildered by the effects he had so unintentionally produced."I never saw such a powerful reflector.""It'll be vun too powerful for us, if you keep blazin' avay in that manner, sir," replied Sam, as Mr.Pickwick, after various unsuccessful efforts, managed to close the slide."There's the young lady's footsteps.

Now, Mr.Vinkle, sir, up vith you."

"Stop, stop!" said Mr.Pickwick, "I must speak to her first.Help me up, Sam.""Gently, sir," said Sam, planting his head against the wall and making a platform of his back."Step a top o' that 'ere flower-pot, sir.Now then, up vith you.""I'm afraid I shall hurt you, Sam," said Mr.Pickwick.

"Never mind me, sir," replied Sam."Lend him a hand, Mr.Vinkle, sir.

Steady, sir, steady! That's the time o' day!"As Sam spoke, Mr.Pickwick, by exertions almost supernatural in a gentleman of his years and weight, contrived to get upon Sam's back; and Sam gently raising himself up, and Mr.Pickwick holding on fast by the top of the wall, while Mr.Winkle clasped him tight by the legs, they contrived by these means to bring his spectacles just above the level of the coping.

"My dear," said Mr.Pickwick, looking over the wall, and catching sight of Arabella on the other side, "Don't be frightened, my dear, it's only me.""Oh pray go away, Mr.Pickwick," said Arabella."Tell them all to go away.I am so dreadfully frightened.Dear, dear Mr.Pickwick, don't stop there.You'll fall down and kill yourself, I know you will.""Now, pray don't alarm yourself, my dear," said Mr.Pickwick, soothingly.

"There is not the least cause for fear, I assure you.Stand firm, Sam,"said Mr.Pickwick, looking down.

"All right, sir," replied Mr.Weller."Don't be longer than you can conweniently help, sir.You're rayther heavy.""Only another moment, Sam," replied Mr.Pickwick."I merely wished you to know, my dear, that I should not have allowed my young friend to see you in this clandestine way, if the situation in which you are placed, had left him any alternative; and lest the impropriety of this step should cause you any uneasiness, my love, it may be a satisfaction to you, to know that I am present.That's all, my dear.""Indeed, Mr.Pickwick, I am very much obliged to you for your kindness and consideration," replied Arabella, drying her tears with her handkerchief.

She would probably have said much more, had not Mr.Pickwick's head disappeared with great swiftness, in consequence of a false step on Sam's shoulder, which brought him suddenly to the ground.He was up again in an instant, however, and bidding Mr.Winkle make haste and get the interview over, ran out into the lane to keep watch, with all the courage and ardour of youth.Mr.Winkle himself, inspired by the occasion, was on the wall in a moment, merely pausing to request Sam to be careful of his master.

"I'll take care on him, sir," replied Sam."Leave him to me.""Where is he? What's he doing, Sam?" inquired Mr.Winkle.

"Bless his old gaiters," rejoined Sam, looking out at the garden-door.

"He's a keepin' guard in the lane vith that 'ere dark lantern, like a amiable Guy Fawkes! I never see such a fine creetur in my days.Blessed if I don't think his heart must ha' been born five-and-twenty year arter his body, at least!"Mr.Winkle stayed not to hear the encomium upon his friend.He had dropped from the wall; thrown himself at Arabella's feet; and by this time was pleading the sincerity of his passion with an eloquence worthy even of Mr.Pickwick himself.

While these things were going on in the open air, an elderly gentleman of scientific attainments was seated in his library, two or three houses off, writing a philosophical treatise, and ever and anon moistening his clay and his labours with a glass of claret from a venerable-looking bottle which stood by his side.In the agonies of composition, the elderly gentleman looked sometimes at the carpet, sometimes at the ceiling, and sometimes at the wall; and when neither carpet, ceiling, nor wall, afforded the requisite degree of inspiration, he looked out of the window.

In one of these pauses of invention, the scientific gentleman was gazing abstractedly on the thick darkness outside, when he was very much surprised by observing a most brilliant light glide through the air, at a short distance above the ground, and almost instantaneously vanish.After a short time the phenomenon was repeated, not once or twice, but several times: at last the scientific gentleman, laying down his pen, began to consider to what natural causes these appearances were to be assigned.