It would be particularly comfortable, I think,' replied Mr Pickwick. 'Mr

Pott, what do you say?'

Mr Pott yielded a ready assent; and all four travellers, each with his

glass in his hand, at once betook themselves to the kitchen, with Sam

Weller heading the procession to show them the way.

The stranger was still reading; he looked up and started. Mr Pott

started.

What's the matter?' whispered Mr Pickwick.

That reptile!' replied Pott.

What reptile?' said Mr Pickwick, looking about him for fear he should

tread on some overgrown black beetle, or dropsical spider.

That reptile,' whispered Pott, catching Mr Pickwick by the arm, and

pointing towards the stranger. 'That reptile Slurk, of the

INDEPENDENT!'

Perhaps we had better retire,' whispered Mr Pickwick.

Never, Sir,' rejoined Pott, pot-valiant in a double sense - 'never.' With

these words, Mr Pott took up his position on an opposite settle, and

selecting one from a little bundle of newspapers, began to read against

his enemy.

Mr Pott, of course read the INDEPENDENT, and Mr Slurk, of course,

read the GAZETTE; and each gentleman audibly expressed his

contempt at the other's compositions by bitter laughs and sarcastic

sniffs; whence they proceeded to more open expressions of opinion,

such as 'absurd,' 'wretched,' 'atrocity,' 'humbug,' 'knavery', 'dirt,'

filth,' 'slime,' 'ditch-water,' and other critical remarks of the like

nature.

Both Mr Bob Sawyer and Mr Ben Allen had beheld these symptoms of

rivalry and hatred, with a degree of delight which imparted great

additional relish to the cigars at which they were puffing most

vigorously. The moment they began to flag, the mischievous Mr Bob

Sawyer, addressing Slurk with great politeness, said -

Will you allow me to look at your paper, Sir, when you have quite

done with it?'

You will find very little to repay you for your trouble in this

contemptible THING, sir,' replied Slurk, bestowing a Satanic frown on

Pott.

The Pickwick Papers