WHICH CONTAINS A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THEPROGRESS OF THE ACTION OFBARDELL AGAINST PICKWICKaving accomplished1 the main end and object of hisjourney, by the exposure of Jingle2, Mr. Pickwick resolvedon immediately returning to London, with the view ofbecoming acquainted with the proceedings3 which had been takenagainst him, in the meantime, by Messrs. Dodson and Fogg. Actingupon this resolution with all the energy and decision of hischaracter, he mounted to the back seat of the first coach which leftIpswich on the morning after the memorable4 occurrences detailedat length in the two preceding chapters; and accompanied by histhree friends, and Mr. Samuel Weller, arrived in the metropolis5, inperfect health and safety, the same evening.
Here the friends, for a short time, separated. Messrs. Tupman,Winkle, and Snodgrass repaired to their several homes to makesuch preparations as might be requisite6 for their forthcoming visitto Dingley Dell; and Mr. Pickwick and Sam took up their presentabode in very good, old-fashioned, and comfortable quarters, towit, the George and Vulture Tavern8 and Hotel, George Yard,Lombard Street.
Mr. Pickwick had dined, finished his second pint9 of particularport, pulled his silk handkerchief over his head, put his feet on thefender, and thrown himself back in an easy-chair, when theentrance of Mr. Weller with his carpet-bag, aroused him from histranquil meditation10.
‘Sam,’ said Mr. Pickwick. ‘sir,’ said Mr. Weller.
‘I have just been thinking, Sam,’ said Mr. Pickwick, ‘that havingleft a good many things at Mrs. Bardell’s, in Goswell Street, Iought to arrange for taking them away, before I leave town again.’
‘Wery good, sir,’ replied Mr. Weller.
‘I could send them to Mr. Tupman’s, for the present, Sam,’
continued Mr. Pickwick, ‘but before we take them away, it isnecessary that they should be looked up, and put together. I wishyou would step up to Goswell Street, Sam, and arrange about it.’
‘At once, sir?’ inquired Mr. Weller.
‘At once,’ replied Mr. Pickwick. ‘And stay, Sam,’ added Mr.
Pickwick, pulling out his purse, ‘there is some rent to pay. Thequarter is not due till Christmas, but you may pay it, and havedone with it. A month’s notice terminates my tenancy. Here it is,written out. Give it, and tell Mrs. Bardell she may put a bill up, assoon as she likes.’
‘Wery good, sir,’ replied Mr. Weller; ‘anythin’ more, sir?’
‘Nothing more, Sam.’
Mr. Weller stepped slowly to the door, as if he expectedsomething more; slowly opened it, slowly stepped out, and hadslowly closed it within a couple of inches, when Mr. Pickwickcalled out―‘Sam.’
‘Yes, sir,’ said Mr. Weller, stepping quickly back, and closingthe door behind him. ‘I have no objection, Sam, to yourendeavouring to ascertain11 how Mrs. Bardell herself seemsdisposed towards me, and whether it is really probable that thisvile and groundless action is to be carried to extremity12. I say I donot object to you doing this, if you wish it, Sam,’ said Mr. Pickwick.
Sam gave a short nod of intelligence, and left the room. Mr.
Pickwick drew the silk handkerchief once more over his head, Andcomposed himself for a nap. Mr. Weller promptly13 walked forth7, toexecute his commission.
It was nearly nine o’clock when he reached Goswell Street. Acouple of candles were burning in the little front parlour, and acouple of caps were reflected on the window-blind. Mrs. Bardellhad got company.
Mr. Weller knocked at the door, and after a pretty longinterval―occupied by the party without, in whistling a tune14, andby the party within, in persuading a refractory15 flat candle to allowitself to be lighted―a pair of small boots pattered over the floor-cloth, and Master Bardell presented himself.
‘Well, young townskip,’ said Sam, ‘how’s mother?’
‘She’s pretty well,’ replied Master Bardell, ‘so am I.’
‘Well, that’s a mercy,’ said Sam; ‘tell her I want to speak to her,will you, my hinfant fernomenon?’
Master Bardell, thus adjured16, placed the refractory flat candleon the bottom stair, and vanished into the front parlour with hismessage.
The two caps, reflected on the window-blind, were therespective head-dresses of a couple of Mrs. Bardell’s mostparticular acquaintance, who had just stepped in, to have a quietcup of tea, and a little warm supper of a couple of sets of pettitoesand some toasted cheese. The cheese was simmering andbrowning away, most delightfully17, in a little Dutch oven before thefire; the pettitoes were getting on deliciously in a little tinsaucepan on the hob; and Mrs. Bardell and her two friends weregetting on very well, also, in a little quiet conversation about andconcerning all their particular friends and acquaintance; whenMaster Bardell came back from answering the door, and deliveredthe message intrusted to him by Mr. Samuel Weller.
‘Mr. Pickwick’s servant!’ said Mrs. Bardell, turning pale.
‘Bless my soul!’ said Mrs. Cluppins.
‘Well, I raly would not ha’ believed it, unless I had ha’ happenedto ha’ been here!’ said Mrs. Sanders.
Mrs. Cluppins was a little, brisk, busy-looking woman; Mrs.
Sanders was a big, fat, heavy-faced personage; and the two werethe company.
Mrs. Bardell felt it proper to be agitated18; and as none of thethree exactly knew whether under existing circumstances, anycommunication, otherwise than through Dodson & Fogg, ought tobe held with Mr. Pickwick’s servant, they were all rather taken bysurprise. In this state of indecision, obviously the first thing to bedone, was to thump19 the boy for finding Mr. Weller at the door. Sohis mother thumped20 him, and he cried melodiously21.
‘Hold your noise―do―you naughty creetur!’ said Mrs. Bardell.
‘Yes; don’t worrit your poor mother,’ said Mrs. Sanders.
‘She’s quite enough to worrit her, as it is, without you, Tommy,’
said Mrs. Cluppins, with sympathising resignation.
‘Ah! worse luck, poor lamb!’ said Mrs. Sanders. At all whichmoral reflections, Master Bardell howled the louder.
‘Now, what shall I do?’ said Mrs. Bardell to Mrs. Cluppins.
‘I think you ought to see him,’ replied Mrs. Cluppins. ‘But on noaccount without a witness.’
‘I think two witnesses would be more lawful,’ said Mrs.
Sanders, who, like the other friend, was bursting with curiosity.
‘Perhaps he’d better come in here,’ said Mrs. Bardell.
‘To be sure,’ replied Mrs. Cluppins, eagerly catching22 at the idea;‘walk in, young man; and shut the street door first, please.’
Mr. Weller immediately took the hint; and presenting himself inthe parlour, explained his business to Mrs. Bardell thus―‘Wery sorry to ’casion any personal inconwenience, ma’am, asthe housebreaker said to the old lady when he put her on the fire;but as me and my governor ‘s only jest come to town, and is jestgoing away agin, it can’t be helped, you see.’
‘Of course, the young man can’t help the faults of his master,’
said Mrs. Cluppins, much struck by Mr. Weller’s appearance andconversation.
‘Certainly not,’ chimed in Mrs. Sanders, who, from certainwistful glances at the little tin saucepan, seemed to be engaged ina mental calculation of the probable extent of the pettitoes, in theevent of Sam’s being asked to stop to supper.
‘So all I’ve come about, is jest this here,’ said Sam, disregardingthe interruption; ‘first, to give my governor’s notice―there it is.
Secondly, to pay the rent―here it is. Thirdly, to say as all histhings is to be put together, and give to anybody as we sends for’em. Fourthly, that you may let the place as soon as you like―andthat’s all.’
‘Whatever has happened,’ said Mrs. Bardell, ‘I always have said,and always will say, that in every respect but one, Mr. Pickwickhas always behaved himself like a perfect gentleman. His moneyalways as good as the bank―always.’
As Mrs. Bardell said this, she applied23 her handkerchief to hereyes, and went out of the room to get the receipt.
Sam well knew that he had only to remain quiet, and thewomen were sure to talk; so he looked alternately at the tinsaucepan, the toasted cheese, the wall, and the ceiling, in profoundsilence.
‘Poor dear!’ said Mrs. Cluppins.
‘Ah, poor thing!’ replied Mrs. Sanders. Sam said nothing. Hesaw they were coming to the subject.
‘I raly cannot contain myself,’ said Mrs. Cluppins, ‘when I thinkof such perjury24. I don’t wish to say anything to make youuncomfortable, young man, but your master’s an old brute25, and Iwish I had him here to tell him so.’
‘I wish you had,’ said Sam.
‘To see how dreadful she takes on, going moping about, andtaking no pleasure in nothing, except when her friends comes in,out of charity, to sit with her, and make her comfortable,’ resumedMrs. Cluppins, glancing at the tin saucepan and the Dutch oven,‘it’s shocking!’
‘Barbareous,’ said Mrs. Sanders.
‘And your master, young man! A gentleman with money, ascould never feel the expense of a wife, no more than nothing,’
continued Mrs. Cluppins, with great volubility; ‘why there ain’t thefaintest shade of an excuse for his behaviour! Why don’t he marryher?’
‘Ah,’ said Sam, ‘to be sure; that’s the question.’
‘Question, indeed,’ retorted Mrs. Cluppins, ‘she’d question him,if she’d my spirit. Hows’ever, there is law for us women, mis’rablecreeturs as they’d make us, if they could; and that your master willfind out, young man, to his cost, afore he’s six months older.’
At this consolatory26 reflection, Mrs. Cluppins bridled27 up, andsmiled at Mrs. Sanders, who smiled back again.
‘The action’s going on, and no mistake,’ thought Sam, as Mrs.
Bardell re-entered with the receipt.
‘Here’s the receipt, Mr. Weller,’ said Mrs. Bardell, ‘and here’sthe change, and I hope you’ll take a little drop of something tokeep the cold out, if it’s only for old acquaintance’ sake, Mr.
Weller.’
Sam saw the advantage he should gain, and at once acquiesced;whereupon Mrs. Bardell produced, from a small closet, a blackbottle and a wine-glass; and so great was her abstraction, in herdeep mental affliction, that, after filling Mr. Weller’s glass, shebrought out three more wine-glasses, and filled them too.
‘Lauk, Mrs. Bardell,’ said Mrs. Cluppins, ‘see what you’ve beenand done!’
‘Well, that is a good one!’ ejaculated Mrs. Sanders.
‘Ah, my poor head!’ said Mrs. Bardell, with a faint smile.
Sam understood all this, of course, so he said at once, that henever could drink before supper, unless a lady drank with him. Agreat deal of laughter ensued, and Mrs. Sanders volunteered tohumour him, so she took a slight sip28 out of her glass. Then Samsaid it must go all round, so they all took a slight sip. Then littleMrs. Cluppins proposed as a toast, ‘Success to Bardell aginPickwick’; and then the ladies emptied their glasses in honour ofthe sentiment, and got very talkative directly.
‘I suppose you’ve heard what’s going forward, Mr. Weller?’ saidMrs. Bardell.
‘I’ve heerd somethin’ on it,’ replied Sam.
‘It’s a terrible thing to be dragged before the public, in that way,Mr. Weller,’ said Mrs. Bardell; ‘but I see now, that it’s the onlything I ought to do, and my lawyers, Mr. Dodson and Fogg, tell methat, with the evidence as we shall call, we must succeed. I don’tknow what I should do, Mr. Weller, if I didn’t.’
The mere29 idea of Mrs. Bardell’s failing in her action, affectedMrs. Sanders so deeply, that she was under the necessity ofrefilling and re-emptying her glass immediately; feeling, as shesaid afterwards, that if she hadn’t had the presence of mind to doso, she must have dropped.
‘Ven is it expected to come on?’ inquired Sam.
‘Either in February or March,’ replied Mrs. Bardell.
‘What a number of witnesses there’ll be, won’t there,?’ said Mrs.
Cluppins.
‘Ah! won’t there!’ replied Mrs. Sanders.
‘And won’t Mr. Dodson and Fogg be wild if the plaintiffshouldn’t get it?’ added Mrs. Cluppins, ‘when they do it all on speculation30!’
‘Ah! won’t they!’ said Mrs. Sanders.
‘But the plaintiff must get it,’ resumed Mrs. Cluppins.
‘I hope so,’ said Mrs. Bardell.
‘Oh, there can’t be any doubt about it,’ rejoined Mrs. Sanders.
‘Vell,’ said Sam, rising and setting down his glass, ‘all I can sayis, that I vish you may get it.’
‘Thank’ee, Mr. Weller,’ said Mrs. Bardell fervently31.
‘And of them Dodson and Foggs, as does these sort o’ things onspec,’ continued Mr. Weller, ‘as vell as for the other kind andgen’rous people o’ the same purfession, as sets people by the ears,free gratis32 for nothin’, and sets their clerks to work to find out littledisputes among their neighbours and acquaintances as vantssettlin’ by means of lawsuits―all I can say o’ them is, that I vishthey had the reward I’d give ’em.’
‘Ah, I wish they had the reward that every kind and generousheart would be inclined to bestow33 upon them!’ said the gratifiedMrs. Bardell.
‘Amen to that,’ replied Sam, ‘and a fat and happy liven’ they’dget out of it! Wish you good-night, ladies.’
To the great relief of Mrs. Sanders, Sam was allowed to departwithout any reference, on the part of the hostess, to the pettitoesand toasted cheese; to which the ladies, with such juvenileassistance as Master Bardell could afford, soon afterwardsrendered the amplest justice―indeed they wholly vanished beforetheir strenuous34 exertions35.
Mr. Weller wended his way back to the George and Vulture,and faithfully recounted to his master, such indications of thesharp practice of Dodson & Fogg, as he had contrived36 to pick up inhis visit to Mrs. Bardell’s. An interview with Mr. Perker, next day,more than confirmed Mr. Weller’s statement; and Mr. Pickwickwas fain to prepare for his Christmas visit to Dingley Dell, with thepleasant anticipation37 that some two or three months afterwards,an action brought against him for damages sustained by reason ofa breach38 of promise of marriage, would be publicly tried in theCourt of Common Pleas; the plaintiff having all the advantagesderivable, not only from the force of circumstances, but from thesharp practice of Dodson & Fogg to boot.
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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jingle
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proceedings
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memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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pint
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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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refractory
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| adj.倔强的，难驾驭的 | |
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adjured
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| v.（以起誓或诅咒等形式）命令要求( adjure的过去式和过去分词 )；祈求；恳求 | |
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delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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thump
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| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
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thumped
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| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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melodiously
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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perjury
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brute
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consolatory
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bridled
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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sip
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mere
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speculation
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fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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gratis
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| adj.免费的 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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contrived
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anticipation
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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