Pickwick, hastily checking himself - 'mind, I do not say I should have

prevented it, if I had known that it was intended.'

'You hear that, all of you; you hear that?' said Mr Benjamin Allen.

I hope they do,' mildly observed Mr Pickwick, looking round, 'and,'

added that gentleman, his colour mounting as he spoke, 'I hope they

hear this, Sir, also. That from what has been stated to me, sir, I assert

that you were by no means justified in attempting to force your

sister's inclinations as you did, and that you should rather have

endeavoured by your kindness and forbearance to have supplied the

place of other nearer relations whom she had never known, from a

child. As regards my young friend, I must beg to add, that in every

point of worldly advantage he is, at least, on an equal footing with

yourself, if not on a much better one, and that unless I hear this

question discussed with becoming temper and moderation, I decline

hearing any more said upon the subject.'

I wish to make a wery few remarks in addition to wot has been put

for'ard by the honourable gen'l'm'n as has jist give over,' said Mr

Weller, stepping forth, 'wich is this here: a indiwidual in company has

called me a feller.'

That has nothing whatever to do with the matter, Sam,' interposed Mr

Pickwick. 'Pray hold your tongue.'

I ain't a-goin' to say nothin' on that 'ere pint, sir,' replied Sam, 'but

merely this here. P'raps that gen'l'm'n may think as there wos a priory

tachment; but there worn't nothin' o' the sort, for the young lady said

in the wery beginnin' o' the keepin' company, that she couldn't abide

him. Nobody's cut him out, and it 'ud ha' been jist the wery same for

him if the young lady had never seen Mr Vinkle. That's what I wished

to say, sir, and I hope I've now made that 'ere gen'l'm'n's mind easy.

A short pause followed these consolatory remarks of Mr Weller. Then

Mr Ben Allen rising from his chair, protested that he would never see

Arabella's face again; while Mr Bob Sawyer, despite Sam's flattering

assurance, vowed dreadful vengeance on the happy bridegroom.

But, just when matters were at their height, and threatening to

remain so, Mr Pickwick found a powerful assistant in the old lady,

who, evidently much struck by the mode in which he had advocated

her niece's cause, ventured to approach Mr Benjamin Allen with a few

comforting reflections, of which the chief were, that after all, perhaps,

it was well it was no worse; the least said the soonest mended, and

upon her word she did not know that it was so very bad after all; what

was over couldn't be begun, and what couldn't be cured must be

endured; with various other assurances of the like novel and

The Pickwick Papers