that the song had that instant terminated; and Mr Pickwick, after

desiring Sam to solace himself in the tap, suffered himself to be

conducted into the presence of Mr Lowten.

At the announcement of 'A gentleman to speak to you, Sir,' a puffy-

faced young man, who filled the chair at the head of the table, looked

with some surprise in the direction from whence the voice proceeded;

and the surprise seemed to be by no means diminished, when his eyes

rested on an individual whom he had never seen before.

'I beg your pardon, Sir,' said Mr Pickwick, 'and I am very sorry to

disturb the other gentlemen, too, but I come on very particular

business; and if you will suffer me to detain you at this end of the

room for five minutes, I shall be very much obliged to you.'

The puffy-faced young man rose, and drawing a chair close to Mr

Pickwick in an obscure corner of the room, listened attentively to his

tale of woe.

Ah,'he said, when Mr Pickwick had concluded, 'Dodson and Fogg -

sharp practice theirs - capital men of business, Dodson and Fogg, sir.'

Mr Pickwick admitted the sharp practice of Dodson and Fogg, and

Lowten resumed. 'Perker ain't in town, and he won't be, neither,

before the end of next week; but if you want the action defended, and

will leave the copy with me, I can do all that's needful till he comes

back.'

That's exactly what I came here for,' said Mr Pickwick, handing over

the document. 'If anything particular occurs, you can write to me at

the post-office, Ipswich.'

That's all right,' replied Mr Perker's clerk; and then seeing Mr

Pickwick's eye wandering curiously towards the table, he added, 'will

you join us, for half an hour or so? We are capital company here to-

night. There's Samkin and Green's managing- clerk, and Smithers and

Price's chancery, and Pimkin and Thomas's out o' doors - sings a

capital song, he does - and Jack Bamber, and ever so many more.

You're come out of the country, I suppose. Would you like to join us?'

Mr Pickwick could not resist so tempting an opportunity of studying

human nature. He suffered himself to be led to the table, where, after

having been introduced to the company in due form, he was

accommodated with a seat near the chairman and called for a glass of

his favourite beverage.

A profound silence, quite contrary to Mr Pickwick's expectation,

succeeded. 'You don't find this sort of thing disagreeable, I hope, sir?'

The Pickwick Papers