'And why not, sir - why not?' said Mr Pickwick, turning warmly upon

him. 'Oh, of course there is no reason why you shouldn't wear them,'

responded Mr Tupman.

'I imagine not, sir - I imagine not,' said Mr Pickwick, in a very

peremptory tone.

Mr Tupman had contemplated a laugh, but he found it was a serious

matter; so he looked grave, and said they were a pretty pattern.

I hope they are,' said Mr Pickwick, fixing his eyes upon his friend.

You see nothing extraordinary in the stockings, AS stockings, I trust,

Sir?'

Certainly not. Oh, certainly not,' replied Mr Tupman. He walked away;

and Mr Pickwick's countenance resumed its customary benign

expression.

We are all ready, I believe,' said Mr Pickwick, who was stationed with

the old lady at the top of the dance, and had already made four false

starts, in his excessive anxiety to commence.

Then begin at once,' said Wardle. 'Now!'

Up struck the two fiddles and the one harp, and off went Mr Pickwick

into hands across, when there was a general clapping of hands, and a

cry of 'Stop, stop!'

'What's the matter?' said Mr Pickwick, who was only brought to, by

the fiddles and harp desisting, and could have been stopped by no

other earthly power, if the house had been on fire. 'Where's Arabella

Allen?' cried a dozen voices.

'And Winkle?'added Mr Tupman.

Here we are!' exclaimed that gentleman, emerging with his pretty

companion from the corner; as he did so, it would have been hard to

tell which was the redder in the face, he or the young lady with the

black eyes.

What an extraordinary thing it is, Winkle,' said Mr Pickwick, rather

pettishly, 'that you couldn't have taken your place before.'

'Not at all extraordinary,' said Mr Winkle.

Well,' said Mr Pickwick, with a very expressive smile, as his eyes

rested on Arabella, 'well, I don't know that it WAS extraordinary,

either, after all.'

The Pickwick Papers