574 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF
" Pickwick ! " said the old gentleman, " your hand, my boy ; why have I never heard till the day before yesterday of your suffering your- self to be cooped up in jail ? and why did you let him do it, Perker ?
- ' I couldn't help it, my dear Sir," replied Perker, with a smile and
a pinch of snuff, you know how obstinate he is."
" Of course I do, of course I do," replied the old gentleman, I am heartily glad to see him, notwithstanding. I will not lose sight of him again in a hurry."
With these words, Wardle shook Mr. Pickwick's hand once more, and, having done the same to Perker, threw himself into an arm-chair, his jolly red face shining again with smiles and health.
" Well, said Wardle, here are pretty goings on — a pinch of your snuff, Perker, my boy — never were such times, eh . "
" What do you mean ? " enquired Mr. Pickwick.
" Mean ! " replied Wardle, " why, I think the girls are all running mad; that's no news, you'll say.'* perhaps it's not, but it's true for all that."
" You have not come up to London, of all places in the world, to tell us that, my dear Sir, have you ? " enquired Perker.
"No, not altogether, replied Wardle ; "though it was the main cause of my coming. How's Arabella } "
" Very well," replied Mr. Pickwick, " and will be delighted to see you, 1 am sure."
- ' Black-eyed little jilt!" replied Wardle. "I had a great idea of
marrying her myself, one of these odd days. But I am glad of it too, very glad."
" How did the intelligence reach you } " asked Mr. Pickwick.
" Oh, it came to my girls, of course," replied Wardle. " Arabella wrote the day before yesterday to say she had made a stolen match without her husband's father's consent, and so you had gone down to get it when his refusing it couldn't prevent the match, and all the rest of it. I thought it a very good time to say something serious to my girls, so I said what a dreadful thing it was that children should marry without their parents' consent, and so forth ; but, bless your hearts, I couldn't make the least impression upon them. They thought it such a much more dreadful thing that there should have been a wedding without bridesmaids, that I might as well have preached to Joe himself."
Here the old gentleman stopped to laugh ; and having done so, to his heart's content, presently resumed.
- ' But this is not the best' of it, it seems. This is only half the love-
making and plotting that have been going forward. We have been walking on mines for the last six months, and they're sprung at last."
" What do you mean !" exclaimed Mr. Pickwick, turning pale ; "no other secret marriage, I hope } "
"No, no," replied old Wardle; " not so bad as that— no."
What then } " enquired Mr. Pickwick ; " am I interested in it ?"
" Shall I answer that question, Perker . " said Wardle.
" If you don't commit yourself by doing so, my dear Sir."
" Well then, you are," said Wardle.
