'You think so now,' said Mr Weller, with the gravity of age, 'but you'll

find that as you get vider, you'll get viser. Vidth and visdom, Sammy,

alvays grows together.'

As Mr Weller delivered this infallible maxim - the result of many years'

personal experience and observation - he contrived, by a dexterous

twist of his body, to get the bottom button of his coat to perform its

office. Having paused a few seconds to recover breath, he brushed his

hat with his elbow, and declared himself ready.

As four heads is better than two, Sammy,' said Mr Weller, as they

drove along the London Road in the chaise-cart, 'and as all this here

property is a wery great temptation to a legal gen'l'm'n, ve'll take a

couple o' friends o' mine vith us, as'll be wery soon down upon him if

he comes anythin' irreg'lar; two o' them as saw you to the Fleet that

day. They're the wery best judges,' added Mr Weller, in a half-whisper

'the wery best judges of a horse, you ever know'd.'

'And of a lawyer too?' inquired Sam.

'The man as can form a ackerate judgment of a animal, can form a

ackerate judgment of anythin',' replied his father, so dogmatically,

that Sam did not attempt to controvert the position.

In pursuance of this notable resolution, the services of the mottled-

faced gentleman and of two other very fat coachmen - selected by Mr

Weller, probably, with a view to their width and consequent wisdom -

were put into requisition; and this assistance having been secured,

the party proceeded to the public-house in Portugal Street, whence a

messenger was despatched to the Insolvent Court over the way,

requiring Mr Solomon Pell's immediate attendance.

The messenger fortunately found Mr Solomon Pell in court, regaling

himself, business being rather slack, with a cold collation of an

Abernethy biscuit and a saveloy. The message was no sooner

whispered in his ear than he thrust them in his pocket among various

professional documents, and hurried over the way with such alacrity

that he reached the parlour before the messenger had even

emancipated himself from the court.

Gentlemen,' said Mr Pell, touching his hat, 'my service to you all. I

don't say it to flatter you, gentlemen, but there are not five other men

in the world, that I'd have come out of that court for, to-day.'

'So busy, eh?' said Sam.

Busy!' replied Pell; 'I'm completely sewn up, as my friend the late Lord

Chancellor many a time used to say to me, gentlemen, when he came

The Pickwick Papers