THE PICKWICK CLUB. 579
p With these words the fat hoy led the way down stairs, his pretty companion captivating all the waiters and angering all the chamher- maids as she followed him to the eating room.
There was the meat pie of which the youth had spoken so feelingly: and there were, moreover, a steak and a dish of potatoes, and a pot of porter.
" Sit down," said the fat boy. " Oh, my eye, how prime ! I am so hungry.
Having apostrophized his eye in a species of rapture five or six times, the youth took the head of the little table, and Mary set herself at the bottom .
" Will you have some of this?" said the fat bov, plunging into the pie up to the very ferules of the knife and fork.
" A little, if you please," replied IMary.
The fat boy assisted Mary to a little, and himself to a great deal, and was just going to begin eating when he suddenly laid down his knife and fork, leant forward in his chair, and letting his hands, with the knife and fork in them, fall on his knees, said, very slowly,
" I say, how nice you do look ! "
This was said in an admiring manner, and was, so far, gratifying ; but still there was enough of the cannibal in the young gentleman's eyes to render the compliment a doubtful one.
" Dear me, Joseph," said Mary, affecting to blush, " what do you mean ? "
The fat boy, gradually recovering his former position, replied with a heavy sigh, and remaining thoughtful for a few moments, drank a long draught of the porter. Having achieved this feat he sighed again, and applied himself assiduously to the pie.
" What a nice young lady Miss Emily is ! " said Mary, after a long silence.
The fat boy had by this time finished the pie. He fixed his eyes on Mary, and replied —
- ' I knows a nicerer."
- ' Indeed ! " said Mary.
- Yes, indeed ! " replied the fat boy, with unwonted vivacity.
- ' What's her name. " enquired Mary.
"What's yours?"
" Mary."
- ' So's hers," said the fat boy. " You're her." The boy grinned to
add point to the compliment, and put his eyes into something between a squint and a cast, which there is reason to believe he intended for an ogle.
" You musn't talk to me in that way," said Mary ; " you don't mean it."
- « Don't I though? " replied the fat boy ; "I say—"
"Well."
" Are you going to come here regular? "
" No," rejoined Marv, shaking her head, " I'm going awav again to- night. Why?" * & & J &
s s
