Vouldn't be gen-teel to answer, till you'd done talking,' replied Sam

gruffly.

Here, clean these shoes for number seventeen directly, and take 'em

to private sitting-room, number five, first floor.'

The landlady flung a pair of lady's shoes into the yard, and bustled

away.

'Number five,' said Sam, as he picked up the shoes, and taking a piece

of chalk from his pocket, made a memorandum of their destination on

the soles - 'Lady's shoes and private sittin'- room! I suppose she didn't

come in the vagin.'

She came in early this morning,' cried the girl, who was still leaning

over the railing of the gallery, 'with a gentleman in a hackney-coach,

and it's him as wants his boots, and you'd better do 'em, that's all

about it.'

Vy didn't you say so before,' said Sam, with great indignation, singling

out the boots in question from the heap before him. 'For all I know'd

he was one o' the regular threepennies. Private room! and a lady too! If

he's anything of a gen'l'm'n, he's vurth a shillin' a day, let alone the

arrands.' Stimulated by this inspiring reflection, Mr Samuel brushed

away with such hearty good-will, that in a few minutes the boots and

shoes, with a polish which would have struck envy to the soul of the

amiable Mr Warren (for they used Day & Martin at the White Hart),

had arrived at the door of number five.

Come in,' said a man's voice, in reply to Sam's rap at the door. Sam

made his best bow, and stepped into the presence of a lady and

gentleman seated at breakfast. Having officiously deposited the

gentleman's boots right and left at his feet, and the lady's shoes right

and left at hers, he backed towards the door.

'Boots,' said the gentleman.

Sir,' said Sam, closing the door, and keeping his hand on the knob of

the lock. 'Do you know - what's a-name - Doctors' Commons?'

Yes, Sir.'

Where is it?'

Paul's Churchyard, Sir; low archway on the carriage side, bookseller's

at one corner, hot-el on the other, and two porters in the middle as

touts for licences.'

The Pickwick Papers