第302章

The clerk repeated the question thrice, and receiving no answer, prepared to shut the door, when the boy suddenly opened his eyes, winked several times, sneezed once, and raised his hand as if to repeat the knocking.

Finding the door open, he stared about him with astonishment, and at length fixed his eyes on Mr.Lowten's face.

"What the devil do you knock in that way for?" inquired the clerk, angrily.

"Which way?" said the boy, in a slow and sleepy voice.

"Why, like forty hackney-coachmen," replied the clerk.

"Because master said, I wasn't to leave off knocking till they opened the door, for fear I should go to sleep," said the boy.

"Well," said the clerk, "what message have you brought?""He's down-stairs," rejoined the boy.

"Who?"

"Master.He wants to know whether you're at home."Mr.Lowten bethought himself, at this juncture, of looking out of the window.Seeing an open carriage with a hearty old gentleman in it, looking up very anxiously, he ventured to beckon him; on which, the old gentleman jumped out directly.

"That's your master in the carriage, I suppose?" said Lowten.

The boy nodded.

All further inquiries were superseded by the appearance of old Wardle, who, running up-stairs, and just recognising Lowten, passed at once into Mr.Perker's room.

"Pickwick!" said the old gentleman."Your hand, my boy! Why have I never heard until the day before yesterday of your suffering yourself to be cooped up in jail? And why did you let him do it, Perker?""I couldn't help it, my dear sir," replied Perker, with a smile and a pinch of snuff: "you know how obstinate he is.""Of course I do, of course I do," replied the old gentleman."I am heartily glad to see him, notwithstanding.I will not lose sight of him again, in a hurry."With these words, Wardle shook Mr.Pickwick's hand once more, and, having done the same by Perker, threw himself into an arm-chair; his jolly red face shining again with smiles and health.

"Well!" said Wardle."Here are pretty goings on -- a pinch of your snuff, Perker, my boy -- never were such times, eh?""What do you mean?" inquired Mr.Pickwick.

"Mean!" replied Wardle."Why, I think the girls are all running mad;that's no news, you'll say? Perhaps it's not; but it's true, for all that.""You have not come up to London, of all places in the world, to tell us that , my dear sir, have you?" inquired Perker.

"No, not altogether," replied Wardle; "though it was the main cause of my coming.How's Arabella?""Very well," replied Mr.Pickwick, "and will be delighted to see you, I am sure.""Black-eyed little jilt!" replied Wardle, "I had a great idea of marrying her myself, one of these odd days.But I am glad of it too, very glad.""How did the intelligence reach you?" asked Mr.Pickwick.

"Oh, it came to my girls, of course," replied Wardle."Arabella wrote, the day before yesterday, to say she had made a stolen match without her husband's father's consent, and so you had gone down to get it when his refusing it couldn't prevent the match, and all the rest of it.I thought it a very good time to say something serious to my girls; so I said what a dreadful thing it was that children should marry without their parent's consent, and so forth; but, bless your hearts, I couldn't make the least impression upon them.They thought it such a much more dreadful thing that there should have been a wedding without bridesmaids, that I might as well have preached to Joe himself."Here the old gentleman stopped to laugh; and having done so to his heart's content, presently resumed.

"But this is not the best of it, it seems.This is only half the love-making and plotting that have been going forward.We have been walking on mines for the last six months, and they're sprung at last.""What do you mean!" exclaimed Mr.Pickwick, turning pale; "no other secret marriage, I hope?""No, no," replied old Wardle; "not so bad as that; no.""What then?" inquired Mr.Pickwick; "am I interested in it?""Shall I answer that question, Perker?" said Wardle.

"If you don't commit yourself by doing so, my dear sir.""Well then, you are," said Wardle.

"How?" asked Mr.Pickwick anxiously."In what way?""Really," replied Wardle, "you're such a fiery sort of young fellow that I am almost afraid to tell you; but, however, if Perker will sit between us to prevent mischief, I'll venture."Having closed the room door, and fortified himself with another application to Perker's snuff-box, the old gentleman proceeded with his great disclosure in these words.

"The fact is, that my daughter Bella -- Bella, who married young Trundle, you know.""Yes, yes, we know," said Mr.Pickwick impatiently.

"Don't alarm me at the very beginning.My daughter Bella, Emily having gone to bed with a headache after she had read Arabella's letter to me, sat herself down by my side the other evening, and began to talk over this marriage affair.`Well, pa,' she says, `what do you think of it?' `Why, my dear,' I said, `I suppose it's all very well; I hope it's for the best.'

I answered in this way because I was sitting before the fire at the time, drinking my grog rather thoughtfully, and I knew my throwing in an undecided word now and then, would induce her to continue talking.Both my girls are pictures of their dear mother, and as I grow old I like to sit with only them by me; for their voices and looks carry me back to the happiest period of my life, and make me, for the moment, as young as I used to be then, though not quite so light-hearted.`It's quite a marriage of affection, pa,' said Bella, after a short silence.`Yes, my dear, said I, `but such marriages do not always turn out the happiest.'""I question that, mind!" interposed Mr.Pickwick, warmly.

"Very good," responded Wardle, "question anything you like when it's your turn to speak, but don't interrupt me.""I beg your pardon," said Mr.Pickwick.