Chapter XLVII

Is Chiefly Devoted To Matters Of Business, And The Temporal

Advantage Of Dodson And Fogg - Mr Winkle Reappears Under

Extraordinary Circumstances - Mr Pickwick's Benevolence Proves

Stronger Than His Obstinacy

Job Trotter, abating nothing of his speed, ran up Holborn, sometimes

in the middle of the road, sometimes on the pavement, sometimes in

the gutter, as the chances of getting along varied with the press of

men, women, children, and coaches, in each division of the

thoroughfare, and, regardless of all obstacles stopped not for an

instant until he reached the gate of Gray's Inn. Notwithstanding all

the expedition he had used, however, the gate had been closed a good

half-hour when he reached it, and by the time he had discovered Mr

Perker's laundress, who lived with a married daughter, who had

bestowed her hand upon a non-resident waiter, who occupied the one-

pair of some number in some street closely adjoining to some brewery

somewhere behind Gray's Inn Lane, it was within fifteen minutes of

closing the prison for the night. Mr Lowten had still to be ferreted out

from the back parlour of the Magpie and Stump; and Job had scarcely

accomplished this object, and communicated Sam Weller's message,

when the clock struck ten.

There,' said Lowten, 'it's too late now. You can't get in to-night; you've

got the key of the street, my friend.'

'Never mind me,' replied Job. 'I can sleep anywhere. But won't it be

better to see Mr Perker to-night, so that we may be there, the first

thing in the morning?'

'Why,' responded Lowten, after a little consideration, 'if it was in

anybody else's case, Perker wouldn't be best pleased at my going up to

his house; but as it's Mr Pickwick's, I think I may venture to take a

cab and charge it to the office.' Deciding on this line of conduct, Mr

Lowten took up his hat, and begging the assembled company to

appoint a deputy-chairman during his temporary absence, led the way

to the nearest coach-stand. Summoning the cab of most promising

appearance, he directed the driver to repair to Montague Place,

Russell Square.

Mr Perker had had a dinner-party that day, as was testified by the

appearance of lights in the drawing-room windows, the sound of an

improved grand piano, and an improvable cabinet voice issuing

therefrom, and a rather overpowering smell of meat which pervaded

the steps and entry. In fact, a couple of very good country agencies

happening to come up to town, at the same time, an agreeable little

party had been got together to meet them, comprising Mr Snicks, the

The Pickwick Papers