particularly restless, and evidently undecided how to act, as was

evinced by sundry nervous rubbings of his spectacle- glasses, nose,

tights, head, and gaiters.

Taking advantage of these symptoms of indecision, Mr Perker (to

whom, it appeared, the young couple had driven straight that

morning) urged with legal point and shrewdness that Mr Winkle,

senior, was still unacquainted with the important rise in life's flight of

steps which his son had taken; that the future expectations of the

said son depended entirely upon the said Winkle, senior, continuing

to regard him with undiminished feelings of affection and attachment,

which it was very unlikely he would, if this great event were long kept

a secret from him; that Mr Pickwick, repairing to Bristol to seek Mr

Allen, might, with equal reason, repair to Birmingham to seek Mr

Winkle, senior; lastly, that Mr Winkle, senior, had good right and title

to consider Mr Pickwick as in some degree the guardian and adviser of

his son, and that it consequently behoved that gentleman, and was

indeed due to his personal character, to acquaint the aforesaid

Winkle, senior, personally, and by word of mouth, with the whole

circumstances of the case, and with the share he had taken in the

transaction.

Mr Tupman and Mr Snodgrass arrived, most opportunely, in this

stage of the pleadings, and as it was necessary to explain to them all

that had occurred, together with the various reasons pro and con, the

whole of the arguments were gone over again, after which everybody

urged every argument in his own way, and at his own length. And, at

last, Mr Pickwick, fairly argued and remonstrated out of all his

resolutions, and being in imminent danger of being argued and

remonstrated out of his wits, caught Arabella in his arms, and

declaring that she was a very amiable creature, and that he didn't

know how it was, but he had always been very fond of her from the

first, said he could never find it in his heart to stand in the way of

young people's happiness, and they might do with him as they

pleased.

Mr Weller's first act, on hearing this concession, was to despatch Job

Trotter to the illustrious Mr Pell, with an authority to deliver to the

bearer the formal discharge which his prudent parent had had the

foresight to leave in the hands of that learned gentleman, in case it

should be, at any time, required on an emergency; his next proceeding

was, to invest his whole stock of ready-money in the purchase of five-

and-twenty gallons of mild porter, which he himself dispensed on the

racket-ground to everybody who would partake of it; this done, he

hurra'd in divers parts of the building until he lost his voice, and then

quietly relapsed into his usual collected and philosophical condition.

The Pickwick Papers