Thank'ee.' Mr Winkle emptied his glass, and placed the bottle on the

coach-box, by his side.

Will you permit me to have the pleasure, Sir?' said Mr Trundle to Mr

Winkle.

With great pleasure,' replied Mr Winkle to Mr Trundle, and then the

two gentlemen took wine, after which they took a glass of wine round,

ladies and all.

How dear Emily is flirting with the strange gentleman,' whispered the

spinster aunt, with true spinster-aunt-like envy, to her brother, Mr

Wardle.

'Oh! I don't know,' said the jolly old gentleman; 'all very natural, I dare

say - nothing unusual. Mr Pickwick, some wine, Sir?' Mr Pickwick,

who had been deeply investigating the interior of the pigeon-pie,

readily assented.

'Emily, my dear,' said the spinster aunt, with a patronising air, 'don't

talk so loud, love.'

Lor, aunt!'

Aunt and the little old gentleman want to have it all to themselves, I

think,' whispered Miss Isabella Wardle to her sister Emily. The young

ladies laughed very heartily, and the old one tried to look amiable, but

couldn't manage it.

Young girls have such spirits,' said Miss Wardle to Mr Tupman, with

an air of gentle commiseration, as if animal spirits were contraband,

and their possession without a permit a high crime and

misdemeanour.

'Oh, they have,' replied Mr Tupman, not exactly making the sort of

reply that was expected from him. 'It's quite delightful.'

Hem!' said Miss Wardle, rather dubiously.

Will you permit me?' said Mr Tupman, in his blandest manner,

touching the enchanting Rachael's wrist with one hand, and gently

elevating the bottle with the other. 'Will you permit me?'

'Oh, sir!' Mr Tupman looked most impressive; and Rachael expressed

her fear that more guns were going off, in which case, of course, she

should have required support again.

The Pickwick Papers