out from hearing appeals in the House of Lords. Poor fellow; he was

very susceptible to fatigue; he used to feel those appeals uncommonly.

I actually thought more than once that he'd have sunk under 'em; I

did, indeed.'

Here Mr Pell shook his head and paused; on which, the elder Mr

Weller, nudging his neighbour, as begging him to mark the attorney's

high connections, asked whether the duties in question produced any

permanent ill effects on the constitution of his noble friend.

'I don't think he ever quite recovered them,' replied Pell; 'in fact I'm

sure he never did. ‘Pell,’ he used to say to me many a time, ‘how the

blazes you can stand the head-work you do, is a mystery to me.’ -

’

Well,’ I used to answer, ‘I hardly know how I do it, upon my life.’ -

Pell,’ he'd add, sighing, and looking at me with a little envy - friendly

envy, you know, gentlemen, mere friendly envy; I never minded it -

’Pell, you're a wonder; a wonder.’ Ah! you'd have liked him very much

if you had known him, gentlemen. Bring me three-penn'orth of rum,

my dear.'

Addressing this latter remark to the waitress, in a tone of subdued

grief, Mr Pell sighed, looked at his shoes and the ceiling; and, the rum

having by that time arrived, drank it up.

However,' said Pell, drawing a chair to the table, 'a professional man

has no right to think of his private friendships when his legal

assistance is wanted. By the bye, gentlemen, since I saw you here

before, we have had to weep over a very melancholy occurrence.'

Mr Pell drew out a pocket-handkerchief, when he came to the word

weep, but he made no further use of it than to wipe away a slight

tinge of rum which hung upon his upper lip.

I saw it in the ADVERTISER, Mr Weller,' continued Pell. 'Bless my

soul, not more than fifty-two! Dear me - only think.'

These indications of a musing spirit were addressed to the mottled-

faced man, whose eyes Mr Pell had accidentally caught; on which, the

mottled-faced man, whose apprehension of matters in general was of a

foggy nature, moved uneasily in his seat, and opined that, indeed, so

far as that went, there was no saying how things was brought about;

which observation, involving one of those subtle propositions which it

is difficult to encounter in argument, was controverted by nobody.

'I have heard it remarked that she was a very fine woman, Mr Weller,'

said Pell, in a sympathising manner.

The Pickwick Papers