Hush,' said Sam, swinging himself on to the wall, and crouching there

in as small a compass as he could reduce himself to, 'only me, miss,

only me.'

Mr Pickwick's servant!' said Arabella earnestly.

The wery same, miss,' replied Sam. 'Here's Mr Vinkle reg'larly sewed

up vith desperation, miss.'

'Ah!' said Arabella, drawing nearer the wall.

'Ah, indeed,' said Sam. 'Ve thought ve should ha' been obliged to

strait-veskit him last night; he's been a-ravin' all day; and he says if

he can't see you afore to-morrow night's over, he vishes he may be

somethin' unpleasanted if he don't drownd hisself.'

'Oh, no, no, Mr Weller!' said Arabella, clasping her hands.

'That's wot he says, miss,' replied Sam coolly. 'He's a man of his word,

and it's my opinion he'll do it, miss. He's heerd all about you from the

sawbones in barnacles.'

From my brother!' said Arabella, having some faint recognition of

Sam's description.

'I don't rightly know which is your brother, miss,' replied Sam. 'Is it

the dirtiest vun o' the two?'

Yes, yes, Mr Weller,' returned Arabella, 'go on. Make haste, pray.'

Well, miss,' said Sam, 'he's heerd all about it from him; and it's the

gov'nor's opinion that if you don't see him wery quick, the sawbones

as we've been a-speakin' on, 'ull get as much extra lead in his head

as'll rayther damage the dewelopment o' the orgins if they ever put it

in spirits artervards.'

Oh, what can I do to prevent these dreadful quarrels!' exclaimed

Arabella.

It's the suspicion of a priory 'tachment as is the cause of it all,' replied

Sam. 'You'd better see him, miss.'

But how? - where?'cried Arabella. 'I dare not leave the house alone.

My brother is so unkind, so unreasonable! I know how strange my

talking thus to you may appear, Mr Weller, but I am very, very

unhappy - ' and here poor Arabella wept so bitterly that Sam grew

chivalrous.

The Pickwick Papers