Oh, indeed!' said Mrs. Rogers graciously; for she was the lodger, and

her servant was in waiting, so she was more gracious than intimate,

in right of her position. 'Oh, indeed!'

Mrs. Raddle smiled sweetly, Mr Raddle bowed, and Mrs. Cluppins

said, 'she was sure she was very happy to have an opportunity of

being known to a lady which she had heerd so much in favour of, as

Mrs. Rogers.' A compliment which the last-named lady acknowledged

with graceful condescension.

Well, Mr Raddle,' said Mrs. Bardell; 'I'm sure you ought to feel very

much honoured at you and Tommy being the only gentlemen to escort

so many ladies all the way to the Spaniards, at Hampstead. Don't you

think he ought, Mrs. Rogers, ma'am?' 'Oh, certainly, ma'am,' replied

Mrs. Rogers; after whom all the other ladies responded, 'Oh, certainly.'

Of course I feel it, ma'am,' said Mr Raddle, rubbing his hands, and

evincing a slight tendency to brighten up a little. 'Indeed, to tell you

the truth, I said, as we was a-coming along in the cabrioily - '

At the recapitulation of the word which awakened so many painful

recollections, Mrs. Raddle applied her handkerchief to her eyes again,

and uttered a half-suppressed scream; so that Mrs. Bardell frowned

upon Mr Raddle, to intimate that he had better not say anything

more, and desired Mrs. Rogers's servant, with an air, to 'put the wine

on.'

This was the signal for displaying the hidden treasures of the closet,

which comprised sundry plates of oranges and biscuits, and a bottle

of old crusted port - that at one-and-nine - with another of the

celebrated East India sherry at fourteen-pence, which were all

produced in honour of the lodger, and afforded unlimited satisfaction

to everybody. After great consternation had been excited in the mind

of Mrs. Cluppins, by an attempt on the part of Tommy to recount how

he had been cross-examined regarding the cupboard then in action

(

which was fortunately nipped in the bud by his imbibing half a glass

of the old crusted 'the wrong way,' and thereby endangering his life for

some seconds), the party walked forth in quest of a Hampstead stage.

This was soon found, and in a couple of hours they all arrived safely

in the Spaniards Tea-gardens, where the luckless Mr Raddle's very

first act nearly occasioned his good lady a relapse; it being neither

more nor less than to order tea for seven, whereas (as the ladies one

and all remarked), what could have been easier than for Tommy to

have drank out of anybody's cup - or everybody's, if that was all -

when the waiter wasn't looking, which would have saved one head of

tea, and the tea just as good!

The Pickwick Papers