514 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF
I'll make of him, Sir — a mean-spirited scoundrel ! " This, as it stood, was a very pretty denunciation, and magnanimous withal ; but Mr. Bob Sawyer rather weakened its effect, by winding up with some general observations concerning the punching of heads and knocking out of eyes, which were commonplace by comparison.
- ' Stay, Sir," said Mr. Pickwick; "before you apply those epithets
to the gentleman in question, consider dispassionately the extent of his fault, and above all remember that he is a friend of mine."
" What !" said Mr. Bob Sawyer.
'* His name," cried Ben Allen. *' His name."
"Mr. Nathaniel Winkle," said Mr. Pickwick, firmly.
Mr. Benjamin Allen deliberately crushed his spectacles beneath the heel of his boot, and having picked up the pieces and put them into three separate pockets, folded his arms, bit his lips, and looked in a threatening manner at the bland features of Mr. Pickwick.
" Then it 's you, is it. Sir, who have encouraged and brought about this match ?" inquired Mr. Benjamin Allen, at length.
" And it 's this gentleman's servant, I suppose," interrupted the old lady, "who has been skulking about my house, and endeavouring to entrap my servants to conspire against their mistress. Martin !"
" Well?" said the surly man, coming forward.
" Is that the young man you saw in the lane, whom you told me about this morning ? "
Mr. Martin, who, as it has already appeared, was a man of few words, looked at Sam Weller, nodded his head, and growled forth,
- ' That 's the man. Mr. Weller, who was never proud, gave a smile
of friendly recognition as his eyes encountered those of the surly groom, and admitted, in courteous terms, that he had *• knowed him afore."
" And this is the faithful creature," exclaimed Mr. Ben Allen, " that I had nearly suffocated ! Mr. Pickwick, how dare you allow your fellow to be employed in the abduction of my sister ? 1 demand that you explain this matter, Sir."
" Explain it. Sir !" cried Bob Sawyer, fiercely.
" It 's a conspiracy," said Ben Allen.
" A regular plant," added Mr. Bob Sawyer.
" A disgraceful imposition," observed the old lady.
" Nothing but a do," remarked Martin.
- ' Pray hear me," urged Mr. Pickwick, as Mr. Ben Allen fell into
a chair that patients were bled in, and gave way to his pocket-hand- kerchief. " I have rendered no assistance in this matter, beyond that of being present at one interview between the young people, which I could not prevent, and from which 1 conceived my presence would re- move any slight colouring of impropriety that it might otherwise have had : this is the whole share 1 have taken in the transaction, and I had no suspicion that an immediate marriage was even contemplated. Though, mind," added Mr. Pickwick, hastily checking himself, " mind, I do not say I should have prevented it, if I had known that it was in- tended."
" You hear that, all of you; you hear that.^" said Mr. Benjamin Allen.
