food at last. Creeping on where time has been, A rare old plant is the

Ivy green.

While the old gentleman repeated these lines a second time, to enable

Mr Snodgrass to note them down, Mr Pickwick perused the

lineaments of his face with an expression of great interest. The old

gentleman having concluded his dictation, and Mr Snodgrass having

returned his note-book to his pocket, Mr Pickwick said -

'Excuse me, sir, for making the remark on so short an acquaintance;

but a gentleman like yourself cannot fail, I should think, to have

observed many scenes and incidents worth recording, in the course of

your experience as a minister of the Gospel.'

'I have witnessed some certainly,' replied the old gentleman, 'but the

incidents and characters have been of a homely and ordinary nature,

my sphere of action being so very limited.'

'You did make some notes, I think, about John Edmunds, did you

not?' inquired Mr Wardle, who appeared very desirous to draw his

friend out, for the edification of his new visitors.

The old gentleman slightly nodded his head in token of assent, and

was proceeding to change the subject, when Mr Pickwick said -

I beg your pardon, sir, but pray, if I may venture to inquire, who was

John Edmunds?'

'The very thing I was about to ask,' said Mr Snodgrass eagerly.

You are fairly in for it,' said the jolly host. 'You must satisfy the

curiosity of these gentlemen, sooner or later; so you had better take

advantage of this favourable opportunity, and do so at once.'

The old gentleman smiled good-humouredly as he drew his chair

forward - the remainder of the party drew their chairs closer together,

especially Mr Tupman and the spinster aunt, who were possibly

rather hard of hearing; and the old lady's ear-trumpet having been

duly adjusted, and Mr Miller (who had fallen asleep during the recital

of the verses) roused from his slumbers by an admonitory pinch,

administered beneath the table by his ex-partner the solemn fat man,

the old gentleman, without further preface, commenced the following

tale, to which we have taken the liberty of prefixing the title of

THE CONVICT'S RETURN

When I first settled in this village,' said the old gentleman, 'which is

now just five-and-twenty years ago, the most notorious person among

The Pickwick Papers