INTRODUCES Mr. PICKWICK TO A NEW ANDNOT UNINTERESTING SCENE INTHE GREAT DRAMA OF LIFEhe remainder of the period which Mr. Pickwick hadassigned as the duration of the stay at Bath passed overwithout the occurrence of anything material. Trinity termcommenced. On the expiration1 of its first week, Mr. Pickwick andhis friends returned to London; and the former gentleman,attended of course by Sam, straightway repaired to his oldquarters at the George and Vulture.
On the third morning after their arrival, just as all the clocks inthe city were striking nine individually, and somewhere aboutnine hundred and ninety-nine collectively, Sam was taking the airin George Yard, when a queer sort of fresh-painted vehicle droveup, out of which there jumped with great agility2, throwing thereins to a stout3 man who sat beside him, a queer sort ofgentleman, who seemed made for the vehicle, and the vehicle forhim.
The vehicle was not exactly a gig, neither was it a stanhope. Itwas not what is currently denominated a dog-cart, neither was it ataxed cart, nor a chaise-cart, nor a guillotined cabriolet; and yet ithad something of the character of each and every of thesemachines. It was painted a bright yellow, with the shafts4 andwheels picked out in black; and the driver sat in the orthodoxsporting style, on cushions piled about two feet above the rail. Thehorse was a bay, a well-looking animal enough; but withsomething of a flash and dog-fighting air about him, nevertheless,which accorded both with the vehicle and his master.
The master himself was a man of about forty, with black hair,and carefully combed whiskers. He was dressed in a particularlygorgeous manner, with plenty of articles of jewellery about him―all about three sizes larger than those which are usually worn bygentlemen―and a rough greatcoat to crown the whole. Into onepocket of this greatcoat, he thrust his left hand the moment hedismounted, while from the other he drew forth6, with his right, avery bright and glaring silk handkerchief, with which he whiskeda speck7 or two of dust from his boots, and then, crumpling8 it in hishand, swaggered up the court.
It had not escaped Sam’s attention that, when this persondismounted, a shabby-looking man in a brown greatcoat shorn ofdivers buttons, who had been previously9 slinking about, on theopposite side of the way, crossed over, and remained stationaryclose by. Having something more than a suspicion of the object ofthe gentleman’s visit, Sam preceded him to the George andVulture, and, turning sharp round, planted himself in the Centreof the doorway10.
‘Now, my fine fellow!’ said the man in the rough coat, in animperious tone, attempting at the same time to push his way past.
‘Now, sir, wot’s the matter?’ replied Sam, returning the pushwith compound interest.
‘Come, none of this, my man; this won’t do with me,’ said theowner of the rough coat, raising his voice, and turning white.
‘Here, Smouch!’
‘Well, wot’s amiss here?’ growled11 the man in the brown coat,who had been gradually sneaking12 up the court during this shortdialogue.
‘Only some insolence13 of this young man’s,’ said the principal,giving Sam another push.
‘Come, none o’ this gammon,’ growled Smouch, giving himanother, and a harder one.
This last push had the effect which it was intended by theexperienced Mr. Smouch to produce; for while Sam, anxious toreturn the compliment, was grinding that gentleman’s bodyagainst the door-post, the principal crept past, and made his wayto the bar, whither Sam, after bandying a few epithetical14 remarkswith Mr. Smouch, followed at once.
‘Good-morning, my dear,’ said the principal, addressing theyoung lady at the bar, with Botany Bay ease, and New SouthWales gentility; ‘which is Mr. Pickwick’s room, my dear?’
‘Show him up,’ said the barmaid to a waiter, without deigninganother look at the exquisite17, in reply to his inquiry18.
The waiter led the way upstairs as he was desired, and the manin the rough coat followed, with Sam behind him, who, in hisprogress up the staircase, indulged in sundry19 gestures indicativeof supreme20 contempt and defiance21, to the unspeakablegratification of the servants and other lookers-on. Mr. Smouch,who was troubled with a hoarse22 cough, remained below, andexpectorated in the passage.
Mr. Pickwick was fast asleep in bed, when his early visitor,followed by Sam, entered the room. The noise they made, in sodoing, awoke him.
‘Shaving-water, Sam,’ said Mr. Pickwick, from within thecurtains.
‘Shave you directly, Mr. Pickwick,’ said the visitor, drawing oneof them back from the bed’s head. ‘I’ve got an execution againstyou, at the suit of Bardell.―Here’s the warrant.―CommonPleas.―Here’s my card. I suppose you’ll come over to my house.’
Giving Mr. Pickwick a friendly tap on the shoulder, the sheriff’sofficer (for such he was) threw his card on the counterpane, andpulled a gold toothpick from his waistcoat pocket.
‘Namby’s the name,’ said the sheriff’s deputy, as Mr. Pickwicktook his spectacles from under the pillow, and put them on, toread the card. ‘Namby, Bell Alley23, Coleman Street.’
At this point, Sam Weller, who had had his eyes fixed24 hithertoon Mr. Namby’s shining beaver25, interfered26.
‘Are you a Quaker?’ said Sam.
‘I’ll let you know I am, before I’ve done with you,’ replied theindignant officer. ‘I’ll teach you manners, my fine fellow, one ofthese fine mornings.’
‘Thank’ee,’ said Sam. ‘I’ll do the same to you. Take your hat off.’
With this, Mr. Weller, in the most dexterous27 manner, knocked Mr.
Namby’s hat to the other side of the room, with such violence, thathe had very nearly caused him to swallow the gold toothpick intothe bargain.
‘Observe this, Mr. Pickwick,’ said the disconcerted officer,gasping for breath. ‘I’ve been assaulted in the execution of mydooty by your servant in your chamber28. I’m in bodily fear. I callyou to witness this.’
‘Don’t witness nothin’, sir,’ interposed Sam. ‘Shut your eyes uptight29, sir. I’d pitch him out o’ winder, only he couldn’t fall farenough, ‘cause o’ the leads outside.’
‘Sam,’ said Mr. Pickwick, in an angry voice, as his attendantmade various demonstrations30 of hostilities31, ‘if you say anotherword, or offer the slightest interference with this person, Idischarge you that instant.’
‘But, sir!’ said Sam.
‘Hold your tongue,’ interposed Mr. Pickwick. ‘Take that hat upagain.’
But this Sam flatly and positively32 refused to do; and, after hehad been severely33 reprimanded by his master, the officer, being ina hurry, condescended34 to pick it up himself, venting36 a greatvariety of threats against Sam meanwhile, which that gentlemanreceived with perfect composure, merely observing that if Mr.
Namby would have the goodness to put his hat on again, he wouldknock it into the latter end of next week. Mr. Namby, perhapsthinking that such a process might be productive of inconvenienceto himself, declined to offer the temptation, and, soon after, calledup Smouch. Having informed him that the capture was made, andthat he was to wait for the prisoner until he should have finisheddressing, Namby then swaggered out, and drove away. Smouch,requesting Mr. Pickwick in a surly manner ‘to be as alive as hecould, for it was a busy time,’ drew up a chair by the door and satthere, until he had finished dressing15. Sam was then despatched fora hackney-coach, and in it the triumvirate proceeded to ColemanStreet. It was fortunate the distance was short; for Mr. Smouch,besides possessing no very enchanting38 conversational39 powers, wasrendered a decidedly unpleasant companion in a limited space, bythe physical weakness to which we have elsewhere adverted40.
The coach having turned into a very narrow and dark street,stopped before a house with iron bars to all the windows; the door-posts of which were graced by the name and title of ‘Namby,Officer to the Sheriffs of London’; the inner gate having beenopened by a gentleman who might have passed for a neglectedtwin-brother of Mr. Smouch, and who was endowed with a largekey for the purpose, Mr. Pickwick was shown into the ‘coffee-room.’
This coffee-room was a front parlour, the principal features ofwhich were fresh sand and stale tobacco smoke. Mr. Pickwickbowed to the three persons who were seated in it when heentered; and having despatched Sam for Perker, withdrew into anobscure corner, and looked thence with some curiosity upon hisnew companions.
One of these was a mere37 boy of nineteen or twenty, who, thoughit was yet barely ten o’clock, was drinking gin-and-water, andsmoking a cigar―amusements to which, judging from his inflamedcountenance, he had devoted43 himself pretty constantly for the lastyear or two of his life. Opposite him, engaged in stirring the firewith the toe of his right boot, was a coarse, vulgar young man ofabout thirty, with a sallow face and harsh voice; evidentlypossessed of that knowledge of the world, and captivating freedomof manner, which is to be acquired in public-house parlours, andat low billiard tables. The third tenant44 of the apartment was amiddle-aged man in a very old suit of black, who looked pale andhaggard, and paced up and down the room incessantly45; stopping,now and then, to look with great anxiety out of the window as if heexpected somebody, and then resuming his walk.
‘You’d better have the loan of my razor this morning, Mr.
Ayresleigh,’ said the man who was stirring the fire, tipping thewink to his friend the boy.
‘Thank you, no, I shan’t want it; I expect I shall be out, in thecourse of an hour or so,’ replied the other in a hurried manner.
Then, walking again up to the window, and once more returningdisappointed, he sighed deeply, and left the room; upon which theother two burst into a loud laugh.
‘Well, I never saw such a game as that,’ said the gentleman whohad offered the razor, whose name appeared to be Price. ‘Never!’
Mr. Price confirmed the assertion with an oath, and then laughedagain, when of course the boy (who thought his companion one ofthe most dashing fellows alive) laughed also.
‘You’d hardly think, would you now,’ said Price, turningtowards Mr. Pickwick, ‘that that chap’s been here a weekyesterday, and never once shaved himself yet, because he feels socertain he’s going out in half an hour’s time, thinks he may as wellput it off till he gets home?’
‘Poor man!’ said Mr. Pickwick. ‘Are his chances of getting out ofhis difficulties really so great?’
‘Chances be d―d,’ replied Price; ‘he hasn’t half the ghost ofone. I wouldn’t give that for his chance of walking about the streetsthis time ten years.’ With this, Mr. Price snapped his fingerscontemptuously, and rang the bell.
‘Give me a sheet of paper, Crookey,’ said Mr. Price to theattendant, who in dress and general appearance looked somethingbetween a bankrupt glazier, and a drover in a state of insolvency;‘and a glass of brandy-and-water, Crookey, d’ye hear? I’m going towrite to my father, and I must have a stimulant47, or I shan’t be ableto pitch it strong enough into the old boy.’ At this facetious48 speech,the young boy, it is almost needless to say, was fairly convulsed.
‘That’s right,’ said Mr. Price. ‘Never say die. All fun, ain’t it?’
‘Prime!’ said the young gentleman.
‘You’ve got some spirit about you, you have,’ said Price. ‘You’veseen something of life.’
‘I rather think I have!’ replied the boy. He had looked at itthrough the dirty panes49 of glass in a bar door.
Mr. Pickwick, feeling not a little disgusted with this dialogue, aswell as with the air and manner of the two beings by whom it hadbeen carried on, was about to inquire whether he could not beaccommodated with a private sitting-room50, when two or threestrangers of genteel appearance entered, at sight of whom the boythrew his cigar into the fire, and whispering to Mr. Price that theyhad come to ‘make it all right’ for him, joined them at a table in thefarther end of the room.
It would appear, however, that matters were not going to bemade all right quite so speedily as the young gentlemananticipated; for a very long conversation ensued, of which Mr.
Pickwick could not avoid hearing certain angry fragmentsregarding dissolute conduct, and repeated forgiveness. At last,there were very distinct allusions51 made by the oldest gentleman ofthe party to one Whitecross Street, at which the young gentleman,notwithstanding his primeness and his spirit, and his knowledgeof life into the bargain, reclined his head upon the table, andhowled dismally53.
Very much satisfied with this sudden bringing down of theyouth’s valour, and this effectual lowering of his tone, Mr.
Pickwick rang the bell, and was shown, at his own request, into aprivate room furnished with a carpet, table, chairs, sideboard andsofa, and ornamented54 with a looking-glass, and various old prints.
Here he had the advantage of hearing Mrs. Namby’s performanceon a square piano overhead, while the breakfast was getting ready;when it came, Mr. Perker came too.
‘Aha, my dear sir,’ said the little man, ‘nailed at last, eh? Come,come, I’m not sorry for it either, because now you’ll see theabsurdity of this conduct. I’ve noted55 down the amount of the taxedcosts and damages for which the ca-sa was issued, and we hadbetter settle at once and lose no time. Namby is come home by thistime, I dare say. What say you, my dear sir? Shall I draw a cheque,or will you?’ The little man rubbed his hands with affectedcheerfulness as he said this, but glancing at Mr. Pickwick’scountenance, could not forbear at the same time casting adesponding look towards Sam Weller.
‘Perker,’ said Mr. Pickwick, ‘let me hear no more of this, I beg. Isee no advantage in staying here, so I Shall go to prison to-night.’
‘You can’t go to Whitecross Street, my dear sir,’ said Perker.
‘Impossible! There are sixty beds in a ward46; and the bolt’s on,sixteen hours out of the four-and-twenty.’
‘I would rather go to some other place of confinement56 if I can,’
said Mr. Pickwick. ‘If not, I must make the best I can of that.’
‘You can go to the Fleet, my dear sir, if you’re determined57 to gosomewhere,’ said Perker.
‘That’ll do,’ said Mr. Pickwick. ‘I’ll go there directly I havefinished my breakfast.’
‘Stop, stop, my dear sir; not the least occasion for being in sucha violent hurry to get into a place that most other men are as eagerto get out of,’ said the good-natured little attorney. ‘We must havea habeas-corpus. There’ll be no judge at chambers58 till four o’clockthis afternoon. You must wait till then.’
‘Very good,’ said Mr. Pickwick, with unmoved patience. ‘Thenwe will have a chop here, at two. See about it, Sam, and tell themto be punctual.’
Mr. Pickwick remaining firm, despite all the remonstrances59 andarguments of Perker, the chops appeared and disappeared in duecourse; he was then put into another hackney coach, and carriedoff to Chancery Lane, after waiting half an hour or so for Mr.
Namby, who had a select dinner-party and could on no account bedisturbed before.
There were two judges in attendance at Serjeant’s Inn―oneKing’s Bench, and one Common Pleas―and a great deal ofbusiness appeared to be transacting60 before them, if the number oflawyer’s clerks who were hurrying in and out with bundles ofpapers, afforded any test. When they reached the low archwaywhich forms the entrance to the inn, Perker was detained a fewmoments parlaying with the coachman about the fare and thechange; and Mr. Pickwick, stepping to one side to be out of theway of the stream of people that were pouring in and out, lookedabout him with some curiosity.
The people that attracted his attention most, were three or fourmen of shabby-genteel appearance, who touched their hats tomany of the attorneys who passed, and seemed to have somebusiness there, the nature of which Mr. Pickwick could not divine.
They were curious-looking fellows. One was a slim and ratherlame man in rusty61 black, and a white neckerchief; another was astout, burly person, dressed in the same apparel, with a greatreddish-black cloth round his neck; a third was a little weazen,drunken-looking body, with a pimply62 face. They were loiteringabout, with their hands behind them, and now and then with ananxious countenance42 whispered something in the ear of some ofthe gentlemen with papers, as they hurried by. Mr. Pickwickremembered to have very often observed them lounging under thearchway when he had been walking past; and his curiosity wasquite excited to know to what branch of the profession thesedingy-looking loungers could possibly belong.
He was about to propound63 the question to Namby, who keptclose beside him, sucking a large gold ring on his little finger,when Perker bustled65 up, and observing that there was no time tolose, led the way into the inn. As Mr. Pickwick followed, the lameman stepped up to him, and civilly touching66 his hat, held out awritten card, which Mr. Pickwick, not wishing to hurt the man’sfeelings by refusing, courteously67 accepted and deposited in hiswaistcoat pocket.
‘Now,’ said Perker, turning round before he entered one of theoffices, to see that his companions were close behind him. ‘In here,my dear sir. Hallo, what do you want?’
This last question was addressed to the lame41 man, who,unobserved by Mr. Pickwick, made one of the party. In reply to it,the lame man touched his hat again, with all imaginablepoliteness, and motioned towards Mr. Pickwick.
‘No, no,’ said Perker, with a smile. ‘We don’t want you, my dearfriend, we don’t want you.’
‘I beg your pardon, sir,’ said the lame man. ‘The gentleman tookmy card. I hope you will employ me, sir. The gentleman nodded tome. I’ll be judged by the gentleman himself. You nodded to me,sir?’
‘Pooh, pooh, nonsense. You didn’t nod to anybody, Pickwick? Amistake, a mistake,’ said Perker.
‘The gentleman handed me his card,’ replied Mr. Pickwick,producing it from his waistcoat pocket. ‘I accepted it, as thegentleman seemed to wish it―in fact I had some curiosity to lookat it when I should be at leisure. I―’
The little attorney burst into a loud laugh, and returning thecard to the lame man, informing him it was all a mistake,whispered to Mr. Pickwick as the man turned away in dudgeon,that he was only a bail68.
‘A what!’ exclaimed Mr. Pickwick.
‘A bail,’ replied Perker.
‘A bail!’
‘Yes, my dear sir―half a dozen of ’em here. Bail you to anyamount, and only charge half a crown. Curious trade, isn’t it?’ saidPerker, regaling himself with a pinch of snuff.
‘What! Am I to understand that these men earn a livelihood69 bywaiting about here, to perjure70 themselves before the judges of theland, at the rate of half a crown a crime?’ exclaimed Mr. Pickwick,quite aghast at the disclosure.
‘Why, I don’t exactly know about perjury71, my dear sir,’ repliedthe little gentleman. ‘Harsh word, my dear sir, very harsh wordindeed. It’s a legal fiction, my dear sir, nothing more.’ Sayingwhich, the attorney shrugged72 his shoulders, smiled, took a secondpinch of snuff, and led the way into the office of the judge’s clerk.
This was a room of specially73 dirty appearance, with a very lowceiling and old panelled walls; and so badly lighted, that althoughit was broad day outside, great tallow candles were burning on thedesks. At one end, was a door leading to the judge’s privateapartment, round which were congregated74 a crowd of attorneysand managing clerks, who were called in, in the order in whichtheir respective appointments stood upon the file. Every time thisdoor was opened to let a party out, the next party made a violent rush to get in; and, as in addition to the numerous dialogues whichpassed between the gentlemen who were waiting to see the judge,a variety of personal squabbles ensued between the greater part ofthose who had seen him, there was as much noise as could well beraised in an apartment of such confined dimensions.
Nor were the conversations of these gentlemen the only soundsthat broke upon the ear. Standing52 on a box behind a wooden barat another end of the room was a clerk in spectacles who was‘taking the affidavits75’; large batches77 of which were, from time totime, carried into the private room by another clerk for the judge’ssignature. There were a large number of attorneys’ clerks to besworn, and it being a moral impossibility to swear them all at once,the struggles of these gentlemen to reach the clerk in spectacles,were like those of a crowd to get in at the pit door of a theatrewhen Gracious Majesty78 honours it with its presence. Anotherfunctionary, from time to time, exercised his lungs in calling overthe names of those who had been sworn, for the purpose ofrestoring to them their affidavits after they had been signed by thejudge, which gave rise to a few more scuffles; and all these thingsgoing on at the same time, occasioned as much bustle64 as the mostactive and excitable person could desire to behold79. There were yetanother class of persons―those who were waiting to attendsummonses their employers had taken out, which it was optionalto the attorney on the opposite side to attend or not―and whosebusiness it was, from time to time, to cry out the oppositeattorney’s name; to make certain that he was not in attendancewithout their knowledge.
For example. Leaning against the wall, close beside the seat Mr.
Pickwick had taken, was an office-lad of fourteen, with a tenorvoice; near him a common-law clerk with a bass81 one.
A clerk hurried in with a bundle of papers, and stared abouthim.
‘Sniggle and Blink,’ cried the tenor80.
‘Porkin and Snob,’ growled the bass.
‘Stumpy and Deacon,’ said the new-comer.
Nobody answered; the next man who came in, was bailed82 bythe whole three; and he in his turn shouted for another firm; andthen somebody else roared in a loud voice for another; and soforth.
All this time, the man in the spectacles was hard at work,swearing the clerks; the oath being invariably administered,without any effort at punctuation83, and usually in the followingterms:―‘Take the book in your right hand this is your name and hand-writing you swear that the contents of this your affidavit76 are trueso help you God a shilling you must get change I haven’t got it.’
‘Well, Sam,’ said Mr. Pickwick, ‘I suppose they are getting thehabeas-corpus ready?’
‘Yes,’ said Sam, ‘and I vish they’d bring out the have-his-carcase. It’s wery unpleasant keepin’ us vaitin’ here. I’d ha’ gothalf a dozen have-his-carcases ready, pack’d up and all, by thistime.’
What sort of cumbrous and unmanageable machine, SamWeller imagined a habeas-corpus to be, does not appear; forPerker, at that moment, walked up and took Mr. Pickwick away.
The usual forms having been gone through, the body of SamuelPickwick was soon afterwards confided84 to the custody85 of thetipstaff, to be by him taken to the warden86 of the Fleet Prison, andthere detained until the amount of the damages and costs in theaction of Bardell against Pickwick was fully5 paid and satisfied.
‘And that,’ said Mr. Pickwick, laughing, ‘will be a very longtime. Sam, call another hackney-coach. Perker, my dear friend,good-bye.’
‘I shall go with you, and see you safe there,’ said Perker.
‘Indeed,’ replied Mr. Pickwick, ‘I would rather go without anyother attendant than Sam. As soon as I get settled, I will write andlet you know, and I shall expect you immediately. Until then, good-bye.’
As Mr. Pickwick said this, he got into the coach which had bythis time arrived, followed by the tipstaff. Sam having stationedhimself on the box, it rolled away.
‘A most extraordinary man that!’ said Perker, as he stopped topull on his gloves.
‘What a bankrupt he’d make, sir,’ observed Mr. Lowten, whowas standing near. ‘How he would bother the commissioners87!
He’d set ’em at defiance if they talked of committing him, sir.’
The attorney did not appear very much delighted with hisclerk’s professional estimate of Mr. Pickwick’s character, for hewalked away without deigning16 any reply.
The hackney-coach jolted88 along Fleet Street, as hackney-coaches usually do. The horses ‘went better’, the driver said, whenthey had anything before them (they must have gone at a mostextraordinary pace when there was nothing), and so the vehiclekept behind a cart; when the cart stopped, it stopped; and whenthe cart went on again, it did the same. Mr. Pickwick sat oppositethe tipstaff; and the tipstaff sat with his hat between his knees,whistling a tune89, and looking out of the coach window.
Time performs wonders. By the powerful old gentleman’s aid,even a hackney-coach gets over half a mile of ground. Theystopped at length, and Mr. Pickwick alighted at the gate of theFleet.
The tipstaff, just looking over his shoulder to see that his chargewas following close at his heels, preceded Mr. Pickwick into theprison; turning to the left, after they had entered, they passedthrough an open door into a lobby, from which a heavy gate,opposite to that by which they had entered, and which wasguarded by a stout turnkey with the key in his hand, led at onceinto the interior of the prison.
Here they stopped, while the tipstaff delivered his papers; andhere Mr. Pickwick was apprised90 that he would remain, until hehad undergone the ceremony, known to the initiated91 as ‘sitting foryour portrait.’
‘Sitting for my portrait?’ said Mr. Pickwick.
‘Having your likeness92 taken, sir,’ replied the stout turnkey.
‘We’re capital hands at likenesses here. Take ’em in no time, andalways exact. Walk in, sir, and make yourself at home.’
Mr. Pickwick complied with the invitation, and sat himselfdown; when Mr. Weller, who stationed himself at the back of thechair, whispered that the sitting was merely another term forundergoing an inspection93 by the different turnkeys, in order thatthey might know prisoners from visitors.
‘Well, Sam,’ said Mr. Pickwick, ‘then I wish the artists wouldcome. This is rather a public place.’
‘They von’t be long, sir, I des-say,’ replied Sam. ‘There’s aDutch clock, sir.’
‘So I see,’ observed Mr. Pickwick.
‘And a bird-cage, sir,’ says Sam. ‘Veels vithin veels, a prison in aprison. Ain’t it, sir?’
As Mr. Weller made this philosophical94 remark, Mr. Pickwickwas aware that his sitting had commenced. The stout turnkeyhaving been relieved from the lock, sat down, and looked at himcarelessly, from time to time, while a long thin man who hadrelieved him, thrust his hands beneath his coat tails, and plantinghimself opposite, took a good long view of him. A third rathersurly-looking gentleman, who had apparently95 been disturbed athis tea, for he was disposing of the last remnant of a crust andbutter when he came in, stationed himself close to Mr. Pickwick;and, resting his hands on his hips96, inspected him narrowly; whiletwo others mixed with the group, and studied his features withmost intent and thoughtful faces. Mr. Pickwick winced97 a good dealunder the operation, and appeared to sit very uneasily in his chair;but he made no remark to anybody while it was being performed,not even to Sam, who reclined upon the back of the chair,reflecting, partly on the situation of his master, and partly on thegreat satisfaction it would have afforded him to make a fierceassault upon all the turnkeys there assembled, one after the other,if it were lawful98 and peaceable so to do.
At length the likeness was completed, and Mr. Pickwick wasinformed that he might now proceed into the prison.
‘Where am I to sleep to-night?’ inquired Mr. Pickwick.
‘Why, I don’t rightly know about to-night,’ replied the stoutturnkey. ‘You’ll be chummed on somebody to-morrow, and thenyou’ll be all snug99 and comfortable. The first night’s generallyrather unsettled, but you’ll be set all squares to-morrow.’
After some discussion, it was discovered that one of theturnkeys had a bed to let, which Mr. Pickwick could have for thatnight. He gladly agreed to hire it.
‘If you’ll come with me, I’ll show it you at once,’ said the man. ‘Itain’t a large ’un; but it’s an out-and-outer to sleep in. This way, sir.’
They passed through the inner gate, and descended35 a shortflight of steps. The key was turned after them; and Mr. Pickwickfound himself, for the first time in his life, within the walls of adebtors’ prison.
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expiration
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| n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物 | |
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agility
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shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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forth
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speck
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| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
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crumpling
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| 压皱，弄皱( crumple的现在分词 )； 变皱 | |
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previously
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doorway
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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epithetical
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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16
deigning
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的现在分词 ) | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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19
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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21
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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22
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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23
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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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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beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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dexterous
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| adj.灵敏的；灵巧的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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29
uptight
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| adj.焦虑不安的，紧张的 | |
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30
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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31
hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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32
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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34
condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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35
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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36
venting
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| 消除； 泄去； 排去； 通风 | |
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37
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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38
enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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39
conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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adverted
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| 引起注意（advert的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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41
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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42
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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45
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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46
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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47
stimulant
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| n.刺激物，兴奋剂 | |
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48
facetious
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| adj.轻浮的，好开玩笑的 | |
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49
panes
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| 窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 ) | |
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50
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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51
allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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52
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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dismally
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| adv.阴暗地，沉闷地 | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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56
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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58
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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remonstrances
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| n.抱怨，抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 ) | |
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transacting
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| v.办理（业务等）( transact的现在分词 )；交易，谈判 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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pimply
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| adj.肿泡的；有疙瘩的；多粉刺的；有丘疹的 | |
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propound
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| v.提出 | |
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64
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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66
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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67
courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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68
bail
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| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
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69
livelihood
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| n.生计，谋生之道 | |
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perjure
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| v.作伪证；使发假誓 | |
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71
perjury
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| n.伪证；伪证罪 | |
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72
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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73
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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74
congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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75
affidavits
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| n.宣誓书，（经陈述者宣誓在法律上可采作证据的）书面陈述( affidavit的名词复数 ) | |
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76
affidavit
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| n.宣誓书 | |
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77
batches
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| 一批( batch的名词复数 )； 一炉； （食物、药物等的）一批生产的量； 成批作业 | |
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78
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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79
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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80
tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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81
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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82
bailed
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| 保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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83
punctuation
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| n.标点符号，标点法 | |
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84
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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85
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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86
warden
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| n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人 | |
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87
commissioners
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| n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官 | |
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88
jolted
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| （使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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89
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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90
apprised
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价 | |
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91
initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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92
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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93
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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94
philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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95
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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96
hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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97
winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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98
lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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99
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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