Mr. SAMUEL WELLER, BEING INTRUSTEDWITH A MISSION OF LOVE, PROCEEDS TOEXECUTE IT; WITH WHAT SUCCESS WILLHEREINAFTER APPEARuring the whole of next day, Sam kept Mr. Winklesteadily in sight, fully1 determined2 not to take his eyes offhim for one instant, until he should receive expressinstructions from the fountain-head. However disagreeable Sam’svery close watch and great vigilance were to Mr. Winkle, hethought it better to bear with them, than, by any act of violentopposition, to hazard being carried away by force, which Mr.
Weller more than once strongly hinted was the line of conduct thata strict sense of duty prompted him to pursue. There is littlereason to doubt that Sam would very speedily have quieted hisscruples, by bearing Mr. Winkle back to Bath, bound hand andfoot, had not Mr. Pickwick’s prompt attention to the note, whichDowler had undertaken to deliver, forestalled3 any suchproceeding. In short, at eight o’clock in the evening, Mr. Pickwickhimself walked into the coffee-room of the Bush Tavern4, and toldSam with a smile, to his very great relief, that he had done quiteright, and it was unnecessary for him to mount guard any longer.
‘I thought it better to come myself,’ said Mr. Pickwick,addressing Mr. Winkle, as Sam disencumbered him of his great-coat and travelling-shawl, ‘to ascertain5, before I gave my consentto Sam’s employment in this matter, that you are quite in earnestand serious, with respect to this young lady.’
‘Serious, from my heart―from my soul!’ returned Mr. Winkle,with great energy.
‘Remember,’ said Mr. Pickwick, with beaming eyes, ‘we met herat our excellent and hospitable6 friend’s, Winkle. It would be an illreturn to tamper7 lightly, and without due consideration, with thisyoung lady’s affections. I’ll not allow that, sir. I’ll not allow it.’
‘I have no such intention, indeed,’ exclaimed Mr. Winklewarmly. ‘I have considered the matter well, for a long time, and Ifeel that my happiness is bound up in her.’
‘That’s wot we call tying it up in a small parcel, sir,’ interposedMr. Weller, with an agreeable smile.
Mr. Winkle looked somewhat stern at this interruption, and Mr.
Pickwick angrily requested his attendant not to jest with one ofthe best feelings of our nature; to which Sam replied, ‘That hewouldn’t, if he was aware on it; but there were so many on ’em,that he hardly know’d which was the best ones wen he heerd ’emmentioned.’
Mr. Winkle then recounted what had passed between himselfand Mr. Ben Allen, relative to Arabella; stated that his object wasto gain an interview with the young lady, and make a formaldisclosure of his passion; and declared his conviction, founded oncertain dark hints and mutterings of the aforesaid Ben, that,wherever she was at present immured8, it was somewhere near theDowns. And this was his whole stock of knowledge or suspicion onthe subject.
With this very slight clue to guide him, it was determined thatMr. Weller should start next morning on an expedition ofdiscovery; it was also arranged that Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Winkle,who were less confident of their powers, should parade the townmeanwhile, and accidentally drop in upon Mr. Bob Sawyer in thecourse of the day, in the hope of seeing or hearing something ofthe young lady’s whereabouts.
Accordingly, next morning, Sam Weller issued forth9 upon hisquest, in no way daunted10 by the very discouraging prospect11 beforehim; and away he walked, up one street and down another―wewere going to say, up one hill and down another, only it’s all uphillat Clifton―without meeting with anything or anybody that tendedto throw the faintest light on the matter in hand. Many were thecolloquies into which Sam entered with grooms12 who were airinghorses on roads, and nursemaids who were airing children inlanes; but nothing could Sam elicit14 from either the first-mentionedor the last, which bore the slightest reference to the object of hisartfully-prosecuted inquiries15. There were a great many youngladies in a great many houses, the greater part whereof wereshrewdly suspected by the male and female domestics to be deeplyattached to somebody, or perfectly16 ready to become so, ifopportunity afforded. But as none among these young ladies wasMiss Arabella Allen, the information left Sam at exactly the oldpoint of wisdom at which he had stood before.
Sam struggled across the Downs against a good high wind,wondering whether it was always necessary to hold your hat onwith both hands in that part of the country, and came to a shadyby-place, about which were sprinkled several little villas17 of quietand secluded18 appearance. Outside a stable door at the bottom of along back lane without a thoroughfare, a groom13 in undress wasidling about, apparently19 persuading himself that he was doingsomething with a spade and a wheel-barrow. We may remark, inthis place, that we have scarcely ever seen a groom near a stable,in his lazy moments, who has not been, to a greater or less extent,the victim of this singular delusion20.
Sam thought he might as well talk to this groom as to any oneelse, especially as he was very tired with walking, and there was agood large stone just opposite the wheel-barrow; so he strolleddown the lane, and, seating himself on the stone, opened aconversation with the ease and freedom for which he wasremarkable.
‘Mornin’, old friend,’ said Sam.
‘Arternoon, you mean,’ replied the groom, casting a surly lookat Sam.
‘You’re wery right, old friend,’ said Sam; ‘I do mean arternoon.
How are you?’
‘Why, I don’t find myself much the better for seeing of you,’
replied the ill-tempered groom.
‘That’s wery odd―that is,’ said Sam, ‘for you look souncommon cheerful, and seem altogether so lively, that it doesvun’s heart good to see you.’
The surly groom looked surlier still at this, but not sufficientlyso to produce any effect upon Sam, who immediately inquired,with a countenance23 of great anxiety, whether his master’s namewas not Walker.
‘No, it ain’t,’ said the groom.
‘Nor Brown, I s’pose?’ said Sam.
‘No, it ain’t.’
‘Nor Vilson?’
‘No; nor that either,’ said the groom.
‘Vell,’ replied Sam, ‘then I’m mistaken, and he hasn’t got thehonour o’ my acquaintance, which I thought he had. Don’t waithere out o’ compliment to me,’ said Sam, as the groom wheeled inthe barrow, and prepared to shut the gate. ‘Ease afore ceremony,old boy; I’ll excuse you.’
‘I’d knock your head off for half-a-crown,’ said the surly groom,bolting one half of the gate.
‘Couldn’t afford to have it done on those terms,’ rejoined Sam.
‘It ’ud be worth a life’s board wages at least, to you, and ’ud becheap at that. Make my compliments indoors. Tell ’em not to vaitdinner for me, and say they needn’t mind puttin’ any by, for it’ll becold afore I come in.’
In reply to this, the groom waxing very wroth, muttered adesire to damage somebody’s person; but disappeared withoutcarrying it into execution, slamming the door angrily after him,and wholly unheeding Sam’s affectionate request, that he wouldleave him a lock of his hair before he went.
Sam continued to sit on the large stone, meditating24 upon whatwas best to be done, and revolving25 in his mind a plan for knockingat all the doors within five miles of Bristol, taking them at ahundred and fifty or two hundred a day, and endeavouring to findMiss Arabella by that expedient27, when accident all of a suddenthrew in his way what he might have sat there for a twelvemonthand yet not found without it.
Into the lane where he sat, there opened three or four gardengates, belonging to as many houses, which though detached fromeach other, were only separated by their gardens. As these werelarge and long, and well planted with trees, the houses were notonly at some distance off, but the greater part of them were nearlyconcealed from view. Sam was sitting with his eyes fixed28 upon thedust-heap outside the next gate to that by which the groom haddisappeared, profoundly turning over in his mind the difficulties ofhis present undertaking29, when the gate opened, and a femaleservant came out into the lane to shake some bedside carpets.
Sam was so very busy with his own thoughts, that it is probablehe would have taken no more notice of the young woman than justraising his head and remarking that she had a very neat and prettyfigure, if his feelings of gallantry had not been most stronglyroused by observing that she had no one to help her, and that thecarpets seemed too heavy for her single strength. Mr. Weller was agentleman of great gallantry in his own way, and he no soonerremarked this circumstance than he hastily rose from the largestone, and advanced towards her.
‘My dear,’ said Sam, sliding up with an air of great respect,‘you’ll spile that wery pretty figure out o’ all perportion if youshake them carpets by yourself. Let me help you.’
The young lady, who had been coyly affecting not to know thata gentleman was so near, turned round as Sam spoke30―no doubt(indeed she said so, afterwards) to decline this offer from a perfectstranger―when instead of speaking, she started back, and uttereda half-suppressed scream. Sam was scarcely less staggered, for inthe countenance of the well-shaped female servant, he beheld31 thevery features of his valentine, the pretty housemaid from Mr.
Nupkins’s.
‘Wy, Mary, my dear!’ said Sam.
‘Lauk, Mr. Weller,’ said Mary, ‘how you do frighten one!’
Sam made no verbal answer to this complaint, nor can weprecisely say what reply he did make. We merely know that after ashort pause Mary said, ‘Lor, do adun, Mr. Weller!’ and that his hathad fallen off a few moments before―from both of which tokenswe should be disposed to infer that one kiss, or more, had passedbetween the parties.
‘Why, how did you come here?’ said Mary, when theconversation to which this interruption had been offered, wasresumed.
‘O’ course I came to look arter you, my darlin’,’ replied Mr.
Weller; for once permitting his passion to get the better of hisveracity.
‘And how did you know I was here?’ inquired Mary. ‘Who couldhave told you that I took another service at Ipswich, and that theyafterwards moved all the way here? Who could have told you that,Mr. Weller?’
‘Ah, to be sure,’ said Sam, with a cunning look, ‘that’s the pint33.
Who could ha’ told me?’
‘It wasn’t Mr. Muzzle34, was it?’ inquired Mary.
‘Oh, no.’ replied Sam, with a solemn shake of the head, ‘itwarn’t him.’
‘It must have been the cook,’ said Mary.
‘O’ course it must,’ said Sam.
‘Well, I never heard the like of that!’ exclaimed Mary.
‘No more did I,’ said Sam. ‘But Mary, my dear’―here Sam’smanner grew extremely affectionate―‘Mary, my dear, I’ve gotanother affair in hand as is wery pressin’. There’s one o’ mygovernor’s friends―Mr. Winkle, you remember him?’
‘Him in the green coat?’ said Mary. ‘Oh, yes, I remember him.’
‘Well,’ said Sam, ‘he’s in a horrid35 state o’ love; reg’larlycomfoozled, and done over vith it.’
‘Lor!’ interposed Mary. ‘Yes,’ said Sam; ‘but that’s nothin’ if we could find out theyoung ‘ooman;’ and here Sam, with many digressions upon thepersonal beauty of Mary, and the unspeakable tortures he hadexperienced since he last saw her, gave a faithful account of Mr.
Winkle’s present predicament.
‘Well,’ said Mary, ‘I never did!’
‘O’ course not,’ said Sam, ‘and nobody never did, nor never villneither; and here am I a-walkin’ about like the wandering Jew―asportin’ character you have perhaps heerd on Mary, my dear, asvos alvays doin’ a match agin’ time, and never vent36 to sleep―looking arter this here Miss Arabella Allen.’
‘Miss who?’ said Mary, in great astonishment37.
‘Miss Arabella Allen,’ said Sam.
‘Goodness gracious!’ said Mary, pointing to the garden doorwhich the sulky groom had locked after him. ‘Why, it’s that veryhouse; she’s been living there these six weeks. Their upper house-maid, which is lady’s-maid too, told me all about it over the wash-house palin’s before the family was out of bed, one mornin’.’
‘Wot, the wery next door to you?’ said Sam.
‘The very next,’ replied Mary.
Mr. Weller was so deeply overcome on receiving thisintelligence that he found it absolutely necessary to cling to his fairinformant for support; and divers38 little love passages had passedbetween them, before he was sufficiently22 collected to return to thesubject.
‘Vell,’ said Sam at length, ‘if this don’t beat cock-fightin’ nothin’
never vill, as the lord mayor said, ven the chief secretary o’ stateproposed his missis’s health arter dinner. That wery next house!
Wy, I’ve got a message to her as I’ve been a-trying all day todeliver.’
‘Ah,’ said Mary, ‘but you can’t deliver it now, because she onlywalks in the garden in the evening, and then only for a very littletime; she never goes out, without the old lady.’
Sam ruminated39 for a few moments, and finally hit upon thefollowing plan of operations; that he should return just at dusk―the time at which Arabella invariably took her walk―and, beingadmitted by Mary into the garden of the house to which shebelonged, would contrive40 to scramble41 up the wall, beneath theoverhanging boughs42 of a large pear-tree, which would effectuallyscreen him from observation; would there deliver his message,and arrange, if possible, an interview on behalf of Mr. Winkle forthe ensuing evening at the same hour. Having made thisarrangement with great despatch43, he assisted Mary in the long-deferred occupation of shaking the carpets.
It is not half as innocent a thing as it looks, that shaking littlepieces of carpet―at least, there may be no great harm in theshaking, but the folding is a very insidious44 process. So long as theshaking lasts, and the two parties are kept the carpet’s lengthapart, it is as innocent an amusement as can well be devised; butwhen the folding begins, and the distance between them getsgradually lessened45 from one half its former length to a quarter,and then to an eighth, and then to a sixteenth, and then to a thirty-second, if the carpet be long enough, it becomes dangerous. We donot know, to a nicety, how many pieces of carpet were folded inthis instance, but we can venture to state that as many pieces asthere were, so many times did Sam kiss the pretty housemaid.
Mr. Weller regaled himself with moderation at the nearesttavern until it was nearly dusk, and then returned to the lanewithout the thoroughfare. Having been admitted into the gardenby Mary, and having received from that lady sundry46 admonitionsconcerning the safety of his limbs and neck, Sam mounted into thepear-tree, to wait until Arabella should come into sight.
He waited so long without this anxiously-expected eventoccurring, that he began to think it was not going to take place atall, when he heard light footsteps upon the gravel47, andimmediately afterwards beheld Arabella walking pensively48 downthe garden. As soon as she came nearly below the tree, Sambegan, by way of gently indicating his presence, to make sundrydiabolical noises similar to those which would probably be naturalto a person of middle age who had been afflicted49 with acombination of inflammatory sore throat, croup, and whooping-cough, from his earliest infancy50.
Upon this, the young lady cast a hurried glance towards thespot whence the dreadful sounds proceeded; and her previousalarm being not at all diminished when she saw a man among thebranches, she would most certainly have decamped, and alarmedthe house, had not fear fortunately deprived her of the power ofmoving, and caused her to sink down on a garden seat, whichhappened by good luck to be near at hand.
‘She’s a-goin’ off,’ soliloquised Sam in great perplexity. ‘Wot athing it is, as these here young creeturs will go a-faintin’ avay justven they oughtn’t to. Here, young ’ooman, Miss Sawbones, Mrs.
Vinkle, don’t!’
Whether it was the magic of Mr. Winkle’s name, or the coolnessof the open air, or some recollection of Mr. Weller’s voice, thatrevived Arabella, matters not. She raised her head and languidlyinquired, ‘Who’s that, and what do you want?’
‘Hush,’ said Sam, swinging himself on to the wall, andcrouching there in as small a compass as he could reduce himselfto, ‘only me, miss, only me.’
‘Mr. Pickwick’s servant!’ said Arabella earnestly.
‘The wery same, miss,’ replied Sam. ‘Here’s Mr. Vinkle reg’larlysewed up vith desperation, miss.’
‘Ah!’ said Arabella, drawing nearer the wall.
‘Ah, indeed,’ said Sam. ‘Ve thought ve should ha’ been obligedto strait-veskit him last night; he’s been a-ravin’ all day; and hesays if he can’t see you afore to-morrow night’s over, he vishes hemay be somethin’ unpleasanted if he don’t drownd hisself.’
‘Oh, no, no, Mr. Weller!’ said Arabella, clasping her hands.
‘That’s wot he says, miss,’ replied Sam coolly. ‘He’s a man of hisword, and it’s my opinion he’ll do it, miss. He’s heerd all about youfrom the sawbones in barnacles.’
‘From my brother!’ said Arabella, having some faint recognitionof Sam’s description.
‘I don’t rightly know which is your brother, miss,’ replied Sam.
‘Is it the dirtiest vun o’ the two?’
‘Yes, yes, Mr. Weller,’ returned Arabella, ‘go on. Make haste,pray.’
‘Well, miss,’ said Sam, ‘he’s heerd all about it from him; and it’sthe gov’nor’s o pinion51 that if you don’t see him wery quick, thesawbones as we’ve been a-speakin’ on, ’ull get as much extra leadin his head as’ll rayther damage the dewelopment o’ the orgins ifthey ever put it in spirits artervards.’
‘Oh, what can I do to prevent these dreadful quarrels!’
exclaimed Arabella.
‘It’s the suspicion of a priory ’tachment as is the cause of it all,’
replied Sam. ‘You’d better see him, miss.’
‘But how?―where?’ cried Arabella. ‘I dare not leave the housealone. My brother is so unkind, so unreasonable52! I know howstrange my talking thus to you may appear, Mr. Weller, but I amvery, very unhappy―‘ and here poor Arabella wept so bitterly thatSam grew chivalrous53.
‘It may seem wery strange talkin’ to me about these here affairs,miss,’ said Sam, with great vehemence54; ‘but all I can say is, thatI’m not only ready but villin’ to do anythin’ as’ll make mattersagreeable; and if chuckin’ either o’ them sawboneses out o’ winder’ull do it, I’m the man.’ As Sam Weller said this, he tucked up hiswristbands, at the imminent55 hazard of falling off the wall in sodoing, to intimate his readiness to set to work immediately.
Flattering as these professions of good feeling were, Arabellaresolutely declined (most unaccountably, as Sam thought) to availherself of them. For some time she strenuously56 refused to grantMr. Winkle the interview Sam had so pathetically requested; butat length, when the conversation threatened to be interrupted bythe unwelcome arrival of a third party, she hurriedly gave him tounderstand, with many professions of gratitude57, that it was barelypossible she might be in the garden an hour later, next evening.
Sam understood this perfectly well; and Arabella, bestowing58 uponhim one of her sweetest smiles, tripped gracefully59 away, leavingMr. Weller in a state of very great admiration60 of her charms, bothpersonal and mental.
Having descended61 in safety from the wall, and not forgotten todevote a few moments to his own particular business in the samedepartment, Mr. Weller then made the best of his way back to theBush, where his prolonged absence had occasioned muchspeculation and some alarm.
‘We must be careful,’ said Mr. Pickwick, after listeningattentively to Sam’s tale, ‘not for our sakes, but for that of theyoung lady. We must be very cautious.’
‘We!’ said Mr. Winkle, with marked emphasis.
Mr. Pickwick’s momentary63 look of indignation at the tone ofthis remark, subsided64 into his characteristic expression ofbenevolence, as he replied―‘We, sir! I shall accompany you.’
‘You!’ said Mr. Winkle.
‘I,’ replied Mr. Pickwick mildly. ‘In affording you this interview,the young lady has taken a natural, perhaps, but still a veryimprudent step. If I am present at the meeting―a mutual65 friend,who is old enough to be the father of both parties―the voice ofcalumny can never be raised against her hereafter.’
Mr. Pickwick’s eyes lightened with honest exultation66 at his ownforesight, as he spoke thus. Mr. Winkle was touched by this littletrait of his delicate respect for the young protégée of his friend, andtook his hand with a feeling of regard, akin26 to veneration67.
‘You shall go,’ said Mr. Winkle.
‘I will,’ said Mr. Pickwick. ‘Sam, have my greatcoat and shawlready, and order a conveyance68 to be at the door to-morrowevening, rather earlier than is absolutely necessary, in order thatwe may be in good time.’
Mr. Weller touched his hat, as an earnest of his obedience69, andwithdrew to make all needful preparations for the expedition.
The coach was punctual to the time appointed; and Mr. Weller,after duly installing Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Winkle inside, took hisseat on the box by the driver. They alighted, as had been agreedon, about a quarter of a mile from the place of rendezvous70, anddesiring the coachman to await their return, proceeded theremaining distance on foot.
It was at this stage of the undertaking that Mr. Pickwick, withmany smiles and various other indications of great self-satisfaction, produced from one of his coat pockets a dark lantern,with which he had specially21 provided himself for the occasion, andthe great mechanical beauty of which he proceeded to explain toMr. Winkle, as they walked along, to the no small surprise of thefew stragglers they met.
‘I should have been the better for something of this kind, in mylast garden expedition, at night; eh, Sam?’ said Mr. Pickwick,looking good-humouredly round at his follower71, who was trudgingbehind.
‘Wery nice things, if they’re managed properly, sir,’ replied Mr.
Weller; ‘but wen you don’t want to be seen, I think they’re moreuseful arter the candle’s gone out, than wen it’s alight.’
Mr. Pickwick appeared struck by Sam’s remarks, for he put thelantern into his pocket again, and they walked on in silence.
‘Down here, sir,’ said Sam. ‘Let me lead the way. This is thelane, sir.’
Down the lane they went, and dark enough it was. Mr. Pickwickbrought out the lantern, once or twice, as they groped their wayalong, and threw a very brilliant little tunnel of light before them,about a foot in diameter. It was very pretty to look at, but seemedto have the effect of rendering72 surrounding objects rather darkerthan before.
At length they arrived at the large stone. Here Samrecommended his master and Mr. Winkle to seat themselves,while he reconnoitred, and ascertained73 whether Mary was yet inwaiting.
After an absence of five or ten minutes, Sam returned to saythat the gate was opened, and all quiet. Following him withstealthy tread, Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Winkle soon foundthemselves in the garden. Here everybody said, ‘Hush!’ a goodmany times; and that being done, no one seemed to have any verydistinct apprehension74 of what was to be done next.
‘Is Miss Allen in the garden yet, Mary?’ inquired Mr. Winkle,much agitated75.
‘I don’t know, sir,’ replied the pretty housemaid. ‘The best thingto be done, sir, will be for Mr. Weller to give you a hoist76 up into thetree, and perhaps Mr. Pickwick will have the goodness to see thatnobody comes up the lane, while I watch at the other end of thegarden. Goodness gracious, what’s that?’
‘That ’ere blessed lantern ’ull be the death on us all,’ exclaimedSam peevishly77. ‘Take care wot you’re a-doin’ on, sir; you’re a-sendin’ a blaze o’ light, right into the back parlour winder.’
‘Dear me!’ said Mr. Pickwick, turning hastily aside, ‘I didn’tmean to do that.’
‘Now, it’s in the next house, sir,’ remonstrated78 Sam.
‘Bless my heart!’ exclaimed Mr. Pickwick, turning round again.
‘Now, it’s in the stable, and they’ll think the place is afire,’ saidSam. ‘Shut it up, sir, can’t you?’
‘It’s the most extraordinary lantern I ever met with, in all mylife!’ exclaimed Mr. Pickwick, greatly bewildered by the effects hehad so unintentionally produced. ‘I never saw such a powerfulreflector.’
‘It’ll be vun too powerful for us, if you keep blazin’ avay in thatmanner, sir,’ replied Sam, as Mr. Pickwick, after variousunsuccessful efforts, managed to close the slide. ‘There’s theyoung lady’s footsteps. Now, Mr. Winkle, sir, up vith you.’
‘Stop, stop!’ said Mr. Pickwick, ‘I must speak to her first. Helpme up, Sam.’
‘Gently, sir,’ said Sam, planting his head against the wall, andmaking a platform of his back. ‘Step atop o’ that ’ere flower-pot,sir. Now then, up vith you.’
‘I’m afraid I shall hurt you, Sam,’ said Mr. Pickwick.
‘Never mind me, sir,’ replied Sam. ‘Lend him a hand, Mr.
Winkle. sir. Steady, sir, steady! That’s the time o’ day!’
As Sam spoke, Mr. Pickwick, by exertions79 almost supernaturalin a gentleman of his years and weight, contrived80 to get uponSam’s back; and Sam gently raising himself up, and Mr. Pickwickholding on fast by the top of the wall, while Mr. Winkle claspedhim tight by the legs, they contrived by these means to bring hisspectacles just above the level of the coping.
‘My dear,’ said Mr. Pickwick, looking over the wall, andcatching sight of Arabella, on the other side, ‘don’t be frightened,my dear, it’s only me.’
‘Oh, pray go away, Mr. Pickwick,’ said Arabella. ‘Tell them all togo away. I am so dreadfully frightened. Dear, dear Mr. Pickwick,don’t stop there. You’ll fall down and kill yourself, I know you will.’
‘Now, pray don’t alarm yourself, my dear,’ said Mr. Pickwicksoothingly. ‘There is not the least cause for fear, I assure you.
Stand firm, Sam,’ said Mr. Pickwick, looking down.
‘All right, sir,’ replied Mr. Weller. ‘Don’t be longer than you canconweniently help, sir. You’re rayther heavy.’
‘Only another moment, Sam,’ replied Mr. Pickwick.
‘I merely wished you to know, my dear, that I should not haveallowed my young friend to see you in this clandestine81 way, if thesituation in which you are placed had left him any alternative;and, lest the impropriety of this step should cause you anyuneasiness, my love, it may be a satisfaction to you, to know that Iam present. That’s all, my dear.’
‘Indeed, Mr. Pickwick, I am very much obliged to you for yourkindness and consideration,’ replied Arabella, drying her tearswith her handkerchief. She would probably have said much more,had not Mr. Pickwick’s head disappeared with great swiftness, inconsequence of a false step on Sam’s shoulder which brought himsuddenly to the ground. He was up again in an instant however;and bidding Mr. Winkle make haste and get the interview over,ran out into the lane to keep watch, with all the courage andardour of youth. Mr. Winkle himself, inspired by the occasion, wason the wall in a moment, merely pausing to request Sam to becareful of his master.
‘I’ll take care on him, sir,’ replied Sam. ‘Leave him to me.’
‘Where is he? What’s he doing, Sam?’ inquired Mr. Winkle.
‘Bless his old gaiters,’ rejoined Sam, looking out at the gardendoor. ‘He’s a-keepin’ guard in the lane vith that ’ere dark lantern,like a amiable82 Guy Fawkes! I never see such a fine creetur in mydays. Blessed if I don’t think his heart must ha’ been born five-and-twenty year arter his body, at least!’
Mr. Winkle stayed not to hear the encomium83 upon his friend.
He had dropped from the wall; thrown himself at Arabella’s feet;and by this time was pleading the sincerity84 of his passion with aneloquence worthy85 even of Mr. Pickwick himself.
While these things were going on in the open air, an elderlygentleman of scientific attainments86 was seated in his library, twoor three houses off, writing a philosophical87 treatise88, and ever andanon moistening his clay and his labours with a glass of claretfrom a venerable-looking bottle which stood by his side. In theagonies of composition, the elderly gentleman looked sometimesat the carpet, sometimes at the ceiling, and sometimes at the wall;and when neither carpet, ceiling, nor wall afforded the requisitedegree of inspiration, he looked out of the window.
In one of these pauses of invention, the scientific gentlemanwas gazing abstractedly on the thick darkness outside, when hewas very much surprised by observing a most brilliant light glidethrough the air, at a short distance above the ground, and almostinstantaneously vanish. After a short time the phenomenon wasrepeated, not once or twice, but several times; at last the scientificgentleman, laying down his pen, began to consider to what naturalcauses these appearances were to be assigned.
They were not meteors; they were too low. They were not glow-worms; they were too high. They were not will-o’-the-wisps; theywere not fireflies; they were not fireworks. What could they be?
Some extraordinary and wonderful phenomenon of nature, whichno philosopher had ever seen before; something which it had beenreserved for him alone to discover, and which he shouldimmortalise his name by chronicling for the benefit of posterity89.
Full of this idea, the scientific gentleman seized his pen again, andcommitted to paper sundry notes of these unparalleledappearances, with the date, day, hour, minute, and precise secondat which they were visible: all of which were to form the data of avoluminous treatise of great research and deep learning, whichshould astonish all the atmospherical90 wiseacres that ever drewbreath in any part of the civilised globe.
He threw himself back in his easy-chair, wrapped incontemplations of his future greatness. The mysterious lightappeared more brilliantly than before, dancing, to all appearance,up and down the lane, crossing from side to side, and moving in anorbit as eccentric as comets themselves.
The scientific gentleman was a bachelor. He had no wife to callin and astonish, so he rang the bell for his servant.
‘Pruffle,’ said the scientific gentleman, ‘there is something veryextraordinary in the air to-night? Did you see that?’ said thescientific gentleman, pointing out of the window, as the light againbecame visible.
‘Yes, I did, sir.’
‘What do you think of it, Pruffle?’
‘Think of it, sir?’
‘Yes. You have been bred up in this country. What should yousay was the cause for those lights, now?’
The scientific gentleman smilingly anticipated Pruffle’s replythat he could assign no cause for them at all. Pruffle meditated91.
‘I should say it was thieves, sir,’ said Pruffle at length.
‘You’re a fool, and may go downstairs,’ said the scientificgentleman.
‘Thank you, sir,’ said Pruffle. And down he went.
But the scientific gentleman could not rest under the idea of theingenious treatise he had projected being lost to the world, whichmust inevitably92 be the case if the speculation62 of the ingenious Mr.
Pruffle were not stifled93 in its birth. He put on his hat and walkedquickly down the garden, determined to investigate the matter toNow, shortly before the scientific gentleman walked out intothe garden, Mr. Pickwick had run down the lane as fast as hecould, to convey a false alarm that somebody was coming that way;occasionally drawing back the slide of the dark lantern to keephimself from the ditch. The alarm was no sooner given, than Mr.
Winkle scrambled94 back over the wall, and Arabella ran into thehouse; the garden gate was shut, and the three adventurers weremaking the best of their way down the lane, when they werestartled by the scientific gentleman unlocking his garden gate.
‘Hold hard,’ whispered Sam, who was, of course, the first of theparty. ‘Show a light for just vun second, sir.’
Mr. Pickwick did as he was desired, and Sam, seeing a man’shead peeping out very cautiously within half a yard of his own,gave it a gentle tap with his clenched95 fist, which knocked it, with ahollow sound, against the gate. Having performed this feat32 withgreat suddenness and dexterity96, Mr. Weller caught Mr. Pickwickup on his back, and followed Mr. Winkle down the lane at a pacewhich, considering the burden he carried, was perfectlyastonishing.
‘Have you got your vind back agin, sir,’ inquired Sam, whenthey had reached the end.
‘Quite. Quite, now,’ replied Mr. Pickwick.
‘Then come along, sir,’ said Sam, setting his master on his feetagain. ‘Come betveen us, sir. Not half a mile to run. Think you’revinnin’ a cup, sir. Now for it.’
Thus encouraged, Mr. Pickwick made the very best use of hislegs. It may be confidently stated that a pair of black gaiters nevergot over the ground in better style than did those of Mr. Pickwickon this memorable97 occasion.
The coach was waiting, the horses were fresh, the roads weregood, and the driver was willing. The whole party arrived in safetyat the Bush before Mr. Pickwick had recovered his breath.
‘In with you at once, sir,’ said Sam, as he helped his master out.
‘Don’t stop a second in the street, arter that ’ere exercise. Beg yourpardon, sir,’ continued Sam, touching98 his hat as Mr. Winkledescended, ‘hope there warn’t a priory ’tachment, sir?’
Mr. Winkle grasped his humble99 friend by the hand, andwhispered in his ear, ‘It’s all right, Sam; quite right.’ Upon whichMr. Weller struck three distinct blows upon his nose in token ofintelligence, smiled, winked100, and proceeded to put the steps up,with a countenance expressive101 of lively satisfaction.
As to the scientific gentleman, he demonstrated, in a masterlytreatise, that these wonderful lights were the effect of electricity;and clearly proved the same by detailing how a flash of fire dancedbefore his eyes when he put his head out of the gate, and how hereceived a shock which stunned102 him for a quarter of an hourafterwards; which demonstration103 delighted all the scientificassociations beyond measure, and caused him to be considered alight of science ever afterwards.
收听单词发音 |
1
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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forestalled
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| v.先发制人，预先阻止( forestall的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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tamper
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| v.干预，玩弄，贿赂，窜改，削弱，损害 | |
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immured
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| v.禁闭，监禁( immure的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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grooms
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| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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elicit
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| v.引出,抽出,引起 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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villas
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| 别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅 | |
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secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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31
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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ruminated
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| v.沉思( ruminate的过去式和过去分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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insidious
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| adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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pensively
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| adv.沉思地，焦虑地 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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pinion
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| v.束缚；n.小齿轮 | |
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52
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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vehemence
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| n.热切；激烈；愤怒 | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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strenuously
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| adv.奋发地，费力地 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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58
bestowing
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| 砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
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gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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61
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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68
conveyance
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| n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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70
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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73
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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hoist
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| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
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peevishly
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| adv．暴躁地 | |
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remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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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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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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81
clandestine
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| adj.秘密的，暗中从事的 | |
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82
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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encomium
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| n.赞颂；颂词 | |
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84
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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86
attainments
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| 成就，造诣； 获得( attainment的名词复数 )； 达到； 造诣； 成就 | |
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philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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treatise
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| n.专著；(专题)论文 | |
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posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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atmospherical
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| adj.空气的，气压的 | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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92
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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93
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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94
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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95
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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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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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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100
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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101
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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102
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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103
demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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