and it's a chance whether he will be next; for when Perker once gets

out of town, he's never in a hurry to come back again.'

Out of town!' said Mr Pickwick; 'dear me, how unfortunate!'

Don't go away, Mr Pickwick,' said Lowten, 'I've got a letter for you.'

The stranger, seeming to hesitate, once more looked towards the

ground, and the clerk winked slyly at Mr PickwiCK, as if to intimate

that some exquisite piece of humour was going forward, though what

it was Mr Pickwick could not for the life of him divine. 'Step in, Mr

Pickwick,' said Lowten. 'Well, will you leave a message, Mr Watty, or

will you call again?'

Ask him to be so kind as to leave out word what has been done in my

business,' said the man; 'for God's sake don't neglect it, Mr Lowten.'

No, no; I won't forget it,' replied the clerk. 'Walk in, Mr Pickwick.

Good-morning, Mr Watty; it's a fine day for walking, isn't it?' Seeing

that the stranger still lingered, he beckoned Sam Weller to follow his

master in, and shut the door in his face.

There never was such a pestering bankrupt as that since the world

began, I do believe!' said Lowten, throwing down his pen with the air

of an injured man. 'His affairs haven't been in Chancery quite four

years yet, and I'm d - d if he don't come worrying here twice a week.

Step this way, Mr Pickwick. Perker IS in, and he'll see you, I know.

Devilish cold,' he added pettishly, 'standing at that door, wasting one's

time with such seedy vagabonds!' Having very vehemently stirred a

particularly large fire with a particularly small poker, the clerk led the

way to his principal's private room, and announced Mr Pickwick.

Ah, my dear Sir,' said little Mr Perker, bustling up from his chair.

Well, my dear sir, and what's the news about your matter, eh?

Anything more about our friends in Freeman's Court? They've not

been sleeping, I know that. Ah, they're very smart fellows; very smart,

indeed.'

As the little man concluded, he took an emphatic pinch of snuff, as a

tribute to the smartness of Messrs. Dodson and Fogg.

They are great scoundrels,' said Mr Pickwick.

Aye, aye,' said the little man; 'that's a matter of opinion, you know,

and we won't dispute about terms; because of course you can't be

expected to view these subjects with a professional eye. Well, we've

done everything that's necessary. I have retained Serjeant Snubbin.'

'Is he a good man?' inquired Mr Pickwick.

The Pickwick Papers