We have only one to adopt, my dear Sir,' replied Perker; 'cross-

examine the witnesses; trust to Snubbin's eloquence; throw dust in

the eyes of the judge; throw ourselves on the jury.'

And suppose the verdict is against me?' said Mr Pickwick.

Mr Perker smiled, took a very long pinch of snuff, stirred the fire,

shrugged his shoulders, and remained expressively silent.

'You mean that in that case I must pay the damages?' said Mr

Pickwick, who had watched this telegraphic answer with considerable

sternness.

Perker gave the fire another very unnecessary poke, and said, 'I am

afraid so.'

Then I beg to announce to you my unalterable determination to pay

no damages whatever,' said Mr Pickwick, most emphatically. 'None,

Perker. Not a pound, not a penny of my money, shall find its way into

the pockets of Dodson and Fogg. That is my deliberate and irrevocable

determination.' Mr Pickwick gave a heavy blow on the table before

him, in confirmation of the irrevocability of his intention.

Very well, my dear Sir, very well,' said Perker. 'You know best, of

course.'

'Of course,' replied Mr Pickwick hastily. 'Where does Serjeant Snubbin

live?' 'In Lincoln's Inn Old Square,' replied Perker.

'I should like to see him,' said Mr Pickwick.

'See Serjeant Snubbin, my dear Sir!' rejoined Perker, in utter

amazement. 'Pooh, pooh, my dear Sir, impossible. See Serjeant

Snubbin! Bless you, my dear Sir, such a thing was never heard of,

without a consultation fee being previously paid, and a consultation

fixed. It couldn't be done, my dear Sir; it couldn't be done.'

Mr Pickwick, however, had made up his mind not only that it could be

done, but that it should be done; and the consequence was, that

within ten minutes after he had received the assurance that the thing

was impossible, he was conducted by his solicitor into the outer office

of the great Serjeant Snubbin himself.

It was an uncarpeted room of tolerable dimensions, with a large

writing-table drawn up near the fire, the baize top of which had long

since lost all claim to its original hue of green, and had gradually

grown gray with dust and age, except where all traces of its natural

colour were obliterated by ink-stains. Upon the table were numerous

The Pickwick Papers