Leave the room!' said Mr Snodgrass, glaring upon the bewildered

youth.

'No, no, no,' added Emily hastily. 'Bella, dear, advise me.'

Upon this, Emily and Mr Snodgrass, and Arabella and Mary, crowded

into a corner, and conversed earnestly in whispers for some minutes,

during which the fat boy dozed.

Joe,' said Arabella, at length, looking round with a most bewitching

smile, 'how do you do, Joe?'

Joe,' said Emily, 'you're a very good boy; I won't forget you, Joe.'

Joe,' said Mr Snodgrass, advancing to the astonished youth, and

seizing his hand, 'I didn't know you before. There's five shillings for

you, Joe!’

'I'll owe you five, Joe,' said Arabella, 'for old acquaintance sake, you

know;' and another most captivating smile was bestowed upon the

corpulent intruder.

The fat boy's perception being slow, he looked rather puzzled at first to

account for this sudden prepossession in his favour, and stared about

him in a very alarming manner. At length his broad face began to

show symptoms of a grin of proportionately broad dimensions; and

then, thrusting half-a-crown into each of his pockets, and a hand and

wrist after it, he burst into a horse laugh: being for the first and only

time in his existence.

He understands us, I see,' said Arabella. 'He had better have

something to eat, immediately,' remarked Emily.

The fat boy almost laughed again when he heard this suggestion.

Mary, after a little more whispering, tripped forth from the group and

said -

I am going to dine with you to-day, sir, if you have no objection.'

This way,' said the fat boy eagerly. 'There is such a jolly meat-pie!'

With these words, the fat boy led the way downstairs; his pretty

companion captivating all the waiters and angering all the

chambermaids as she followed him to the eating-room.

There was the meat-pie of which the youth had spoken so feelingly,

and there were, moreover, a steak, and a dish of potatoes, and a pot of

porter.

The Pickwick Papers