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| 1 | 198 | 396 | 594 | 792 |
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ferocity is the most harmless thing in nature; but as she had lived for
the most part in the country, and never read the parliamentary
debates, she was little versed in these particular refinements of
civilised life. Accordingly, when she had gained her bedchamber,
bolted herself in, and began to meditate on the scene she had just
witnessed, the most terrific pictures of slaughter and destruction
presented themselves to her imagination; among which, a full-length
portrait of Mr Peter Magnus borne home by four men, with the
embellishment of a whole barrelful of bullets in his left side, was
among the very least. The more the middle-aged lady meditated, the
more terrified she became; and at length she determined to repair to
the house of the principal magistrate of the town, and request him to
secure the persons of Mr Pickwick and Mr Tupman without delay.
To this decision the middle-aged lady was impelled by a variety of
considerations, the chief of which was the incontestable proof it would
afford of her devotion to Mr Peter Magnus, and her anxiety for his
safety. She was too well acquainted with his jealous temperament to
venture the slightest allusion to the real cause of her agitation on
beholding Mr Pickwick; and she trusted to her own influence and
power of persuasion with the little man, to quell his boisterous
jealousy, supposing that Mr Pickwick were removed, and no fresh
quarrel could arise. Filled with these reflections, the middle-aged lady
arrayed herself in her bonnet and shawl, and repaired to the mayor's
dwelling straightway.
Now George Nupkins, Esquire, the principal magistrate aforesaid, was
as grand a personage as the fastest walker would find out, between
sunrise and sunset, on the twenty-first of June, which being,
according to the almanacs, the longest day in the whole year, would
naturally afford him the longest period for his search. On this
particular morning, Mr Nupkins was in a state of the utmost
excitement and irritation, for there had been a rebellion in the town;
all the day-scholars at the largest day- school had conspired to break
the windows of an obnoxious apple-seller, and had hooted the beadle
and pelted the constabulary - an elderly gentleman in top-boots, who
had been called out to repress the tumult, and who had been a peace-
officer, man and boy, for half a century at least. And Mr Nupkins was
sitting in his easy-chair, frowning with majesty, and boiling with rage,
when a lady was announced on pressing, private, and particular
business. Mr Nupkins looked calmly terrible, and commanded that
the lady should be shown in; which command, like all the mandates of
emperors, and magistrates, and other great potentates of the earth,
was forthwith obeyed; and Miss Witherfield, interestingly agitated, was
ushered in accordingly.
'
Muzzle!' said the magistrate.
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