I wrote him a note, I said it was a painful thing. And so it was.'

Certainly,' interposed Mr Winkle.

I said I had pledged my word as a gentleman to skin him. My

character was at stake. I had no alternative. As an officer in His

Majesty's service, I was bound to skin him. I regretted the necessity,

but it must be done. He was open to conviction. He saw that the rules

of the service were imperative. He fled. I married her. Here's the coach.

That's her head.'

As Mr Dowler concluded, he pointed to a stage which had just driven

up, from the open window of which a rather pretty face in a bright

blue bonnet was looking among the crowd on the pavement, most

probably for the rash man himself. Mr Dowler paid his bill, and

hurried out with his travelling cap, coat, and cloak; and Mr Pickwick

and his friends followed to secure their places. Mr Tupman and Mr

Snodgrass had seated themselves at the back part of the coach; Mr

Winkle had got inside; and Mr Pickwick was preparing to follow him,

when Sam Weller came up to his master, and whispering in his ear,

begged to speak to him, with an air of the deepest mystery.

Well, Sam,' said Mr Pickwick, 'what's the matter now?'

Here's rayther a rum go, sir,' replied Sam.

What?' inquired Mr Pickwick.

This here, Sir,' rejoined Sam. 'I'm wery much afeerd, sir, that the

properiator o' this here coach is a playin' some imperence vith us.'

How is that, Sam?' said Mr Pickwick; 'aren't the names down on the

way-bill?'

'The names is not only down on the vay-bill, Sir,' replied Sam, 'but

they've painted vun on 'em up, on the door o' the coach.' As Sam

spoke, he pointed to that part of the coach door on which the

proprietor's name usually appears; and there, sure enough, in gilt

letters of a goodly size, was the magic name of PICKWICK!

Dear me,' exclaimed Mr Pickwick, quite staggered by the coincidence;

what a very extraordinary thing!'

'Yes, but that ain't all,' said Sam, again directing his master's

attention to the coach door; 'not content vith writin' up ‘Pick- wick,’

they puts ‘Moses’ afore it, vich I call addin' insult to injury, as the

parrot said ven they not only took him from his native land, but made

him talk the English langwidge arterwards.'

The Pickwick Papers