length some supper, which had been warming up, was placed on the

table, and then old Lobbs fell to, in regular style; and having made

clear work of it in no time, kissed his daughter, and demanded his

pipe.

'Nature had placed Nathaniel Pipkin's knees in very close

juxtaposition, but when he heard old Lobbs demand his pipe, they

knocked together, as if they were going to reduce each other to

powder; for, depending from a couple of hooks, in the very closet in

which he stood, was a large, brown-stemmed, silver- bowled pipe,

which pipe he himself had seen in the mouth of old Lobbs, regularly

every afternoon and evening, for the last five years. The two girls went

downstairs for the pipe, and upstairs for the pipe, and everywhere but

where they knew the pipe was, and old Lobbs stormed away

meanwhile, in the most wonderful manner. At last he thought of the

closet, and walked up to it. It was of no use a little man like Nathaniel

Pipkin pulling the door inwards, when a great strong fellow like old

Lobbs was pulling it outwards. Old Lobbs gave it one tug, and open it

flew, disclosing Nathaniel Pipkin standing bolt upright inside, and

shaking with apprehension from head to foot. Bless us! what an

appalling look old Lobbs gave him, as he dragged him out by the

collar, and held him at arm's length.

‘Why, what the devil do you want here?’ said old Lobbs, in a fearful

voice.

Nathaniel Pipkin could make no reply, so old Lobbs shook him

backwards and forwards, for two or three minutes, by way of

arranging his ideas for him.

'‘What do you want here?’ roared Lobbs; ‘I suppose you have come

after my daughter, now!’

Old Lobbs merely said this as a sneer: for he did not believe that

mortal presumption could have carried Nathaniel Pipkin so far. What

was his indignation, when that poor man replied - '‘Yes, I did, Mr

Lobbs, I did come after your daughter. I love her, Mr Lobbs.’

‘Why, you snivelling, wry-faced, puny villain,’ gasped old Lobbs,

paralysed by the atrocious confession; ‘what do you mean by that?

Say this to my face! Damme, I'll throttle you!’

It is by no means improbable that old Lobbs would have carried his

threat into execution, in the excess of his rage, if his arm had not

been stayed by a very unexpected apparition: to wit, the male cousin,

who, stepping out of his closet, and walking up to old Lobbs, said -

The Pickwick Papers