carry your luggage up to the house. He'd ha' sent some saddle-horses,

but he thought you'd rather walk, being a cold day.'

Yes, yes,' said Mr Pickwick hastily, for he remembered how they had

travelled over nearly the same ground on a previous occasion. 'Yes, we

would rather walk. Here, Sam!'

'Sir,' said Mr Weller.

Help Mr Wardle's servant to put the packages into the cart, and then

ride on with him. We will walk forward at once.'

Having given this direction, and settled with the coachman, Mr

Pickwick and his three friends struck into the footpath across the

fields, and walked briskly away, leaving Mr Weller and the fat boy

confronted together for the first time. Sam looked at the fat boy with

great astonishment, but without saying a word; and began to stow the

luggage rapidly away in the cart, while the fat boy stood quietly by,

and seemed to think it a very interesting sort of thing to see Mr Weller

working by himself.

'There,' said Sam, throwing in the last carpet-bag, 'there they are!'

'Yes,' said the fat boy, in a very satisfied tone, 'there they are.'

'Vell, young twenty stun,' said Sam, 'you're a nice specimen of a prize

boy, you are!' 'Thank'ee,' said the fat boy.

'You ain't got nothin' on your mind as makes you fret yourself, have

you?' inquired Sam.

'Not as I knows on,' replied the fat boy.

I should rayther ha' thought, to look at you, that you was a-labourin'

under an unrequited attachment to some young 'ooman,' said Sam.

The fat boy shook his head.

Vell,' said Sam, 'I am glad to hear it. Do you ever drink anythin'?'

I likes eating better,' replied the boy.

Ah,' said Sam, 'I should ha' s'posed that; but what I mean is, should

you like a drop of anythin' as'd warm you? but I s'pose you never was

cold, with all them elastic fixtures, was you?'

Sometimes,' replied the boy; 'and I likes a drop of something, when

it's good.'

The Pickwick Papers