exhausted - Quanko mustered up last remaining strength - bowled

me out - had a bath, and went out to dinner.'

'And what became of what's-his-name, Sir?' inquired an old

gentleman.

Blazo?'

No - the other gentleman.' 'Quanko Samba?'

Yes, sir.'

Poor Quanko - never recovered it - bowled on, on my account -

bowled off, on his own - died, sir.' Here the stranger buried his

countenance in a brown jug, but whether to hide his emotion or

imbibe its contents, we cannot distinctly affirm. We only know that he

paused suddenly, drew a long and deep breath, and looked anxiously

on, as two of the principal members of the Dingley Dell club

approached Mr Pickwick, and said -

We are about to partake of a plain dinner at the Blue Lion, Sir; we

hope you and your friends will join us.' 'Of course,' said Mr Wardle,

among our friends we include Mr - ;' and he looked towards the

stranger.

Jingle,' said that versatile gentleman, taking the hint at once. 'Jingle -

Alfred Jingle, Esq., of No Hall, Nowhere.'

I shall be very happy, I am sure,' said Mr Pickwick. 'So shall I,' said

Mr Alfred Jingle, drawing one arm through Mr Pickwick's, and another

through Mr Wardle's, as he whispered confidentially in the ear of the

former gentleman: -

Devilish good dinner - cold, but capital - peeped into the room this

morning - fowls and pies, and all that sort of thing - pleasant fellows

these - well behaved, too - very.'

There being no further preliminaries to arrange, the company

straggled into the town in little knots of twos and threes; and within a

quarter of an hour were all seated in the great room of the Blue Lion

Inn, Muggleton - Mr Dumkins acting as chairman, and Mr Luffey

officiating as vice.

There was a vast deal of talking and rattling of knives and forks, and

plates; a great running about of three ponderous- headed waiters, and

a rapid disappearance of the substantial viands on the table; to each

and every of which item of confusion, the facetious Mr Jingle lent the

aid of half-a-dozen ordinary men at least. When everybody had eaten

The Pickwick Papers