Delightful prospect, Sam,' said Mr Pickwick.

Beats the chimbley-pots, Sir,' replied Mr Weller, touching his hat.

I suppose you have hardly seen anything but chimney-pots and

bricks and mortar all your life, Sam,' said Mr Pickwick, smiling.

I worn't always a boots, sir,' said Mr Weller, with a shake of the head.

I wos a vaginer's boy, once.'

When was that?' inquired Mr Pickwick.

When I wos first pitched neck and crop into the world, to play at leap-

frog with its troubles,' replied Sam. 'I wos a carrier's boy at startin';

then a vaginer's, then a helper, then a boots. Now I'm a gen'l'm'n's

servant. I shall be a gen'l'm'n myself one of these days, perhaps, with

a pipe in my mouth, and a summer-house in the back-garden. Who

knows? I shouldn't be surprised for one.'

'You are quite a philosopher, Sam,' said Mr Pickwick.

'It runs in the family, I b'lieve, sir,' replied Mr Weller. 'My father's wery

much in that line now. If my mother-in-law blows him up, he whistles.

She flies in a passion, and breaks his pipe; he steps out, and gets

another. Then she screams wery loud, and falls into 'sterics; and he

smokes wery comfortably till she comes to agin. That's philosophy,

Sir, ain't it?'

A very good substitute for it, at all events,' replied Mr Pickwick,

laughing. 'It must have been of great service to you, in the course of

your rambling life, Sam.'

Service, sir,' exclaimed Sam. 'You may say that. Arter I run away from

the carrier, and afore I took up with the vaginer, I had unfurnished

lodgin's for a fortnight.'

'Unfurnished lodgings?' said Mr Pickwick.

'Yes - the dry arches of Waterloo Bridge. Fine sleeping-place - vithin

ten minutes' walk of all the public offices - only if there is any

objection to it, it is that the sitivation's rayther too airy. I see some

queer sights there.' 'Ah, I suppose you did,' said Mr Pickwick, with an

air of considerable interest.

'Sights, sir,' resumed Mr Weller, 'as 'ud penetrate your benevolent

heart, and come out on the other side. You don't see the reg'lar

wagrants there; trust 'em, they knows better than that. Young

beggars, male and female, as hasn't made a rise in their profession,

The Pickwick Papers