I fretted and fumed all next day, and raised a great disturbance,'

rejoined the old gentleman. 'At last I got tired of rendering myself

unpleasant and making everybody miserable; so I hired a carriage at

Muggleton, and, putting my own horses in it, came up to town, under

pretence of bringing Emily to see Arabella.'

Miss Wardle is with you, then?' said Mr Pickwick.

To be sure she is,' replied Wardle. 'She is at Osborne's Hotel in the

Adelphi at this moment, unless your enterprising friend has run away

with her since I came out this morning.'

You are reconciled then?' said Perker.

Not a bit of it,' answered Wardle; 'she has been crying and moping

ever since, except last night, between tea and supper, when she made

a great parade of writing a letter that I pretended to take no notice of.'

You want my advice in this matter, I suppose?' said Perker, looking

from the musing face of Mr Pickwick to the eager countenance of

Wardle, and taking several consecutive pinches of his favourite

stimulant.

I suppose so,' said Wardle, looking at Mr Pickwick.

Certainly,' replied that gentleman.

Well then,' said Perker, rising and pushing his chair back, 'my advice

is, that you both walk away together, or ride away, or get away by

some means or other, for I'm tired of you, and just talk this matter

over between you. If you have not settled it by the next time I see you,

I'll tell you what to do.'

This is satisfactory,' said Wardle, hardly knowing whether to smile or

be offended.

Pooh, pooh, my dear Sir,' returned Perker. 'I know you both a great

deal better than you know yourselves. You have settled it already, to

all intents and purposes.'

Thus expressing himself, the little gentleman poked his snuff- box

first into the chest of Mr Pickwick, and then into the waistcoat of Mr

Wardle, upon which they all three laughed, especially the two last-

named gentlemen, who at once shook hands again, without any

obvious or particular reason.

You dine with me to-day,' said Wardle to Perker, as he showed them

out.

The Pickwick Papers