'But how?--where?'cried Arabella. 'I dare not leave the housealone. My brother is so unkind, so unreasonable! I know howstrange my talking thus to you may appear, Mr. Weller, but I amvery, very unhappy--' and here poor Arabella wept so bitterlythat Sam grew chivalrous.

'It may seem wery strange talkin' to me about these hereaffairs, miss,' said Sam, with great vehemence; 'but all I can sayis, that I'm not only ready but villin' to do anythin' as'll makematters agreeable; and if chuckin' either o' them sawboneses outo' winder 'ull do it, I'm the man.' As Sam Weller said this, hetucked up his wristbands, at the imminent hazard of falling off thewall in so doing, to intimate his readiness to set to work immediately.

Flattering as these professions of good feeling were, Arabellaresolutely declined (most unaccountably, as Sam thought) toavail herself of them. For some time she strenuously refused togrant Mr. Winkle the interview Sam had so pathetically requested;but at length, when the conversation threatened to beinterrupted by the unwelcome arrival of a third party, shehurriedly gave him to understand, with many professions ofgratitude, that it was barely possible she might be in the gardenan hour later, next evening. Sam understood this perfectly well;and Arabella, bestowing upon him one of her sweetest smiles,tripped gracefully away, leaving Mr. Weller in a state of verygreat admiration of her charms, both personal and mental.

Having descended in safety from the wall, and not forgottento devote a few moments to his own particular business in thesame department, Mr. Weller then made the best of his way backto the Bush, 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 momentary look of indignation at the tone ofthis remark, subsided 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 avery imprudent step. If I am present at the meeting--a mutualfriend, who is old enough to be the father of both parties--thevoice of calumny can never be raised against her hereafter.'

Mr. Pickwick's eyes lightened with honest exultation at hisown foresight, as he spoke thus. Mr. Winkle was touched by thislittle trait of his delicate respect for the young PROTEGEE of hisfriend, and took his hand with a feeling of regard, akin to veneration.

'You SHALL go,' said Mr. Winkle.

'I will,' said Mr. Pickwick. 'Sam, have my greatcoat and shawlready, and order a conveyance 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 obedience,and withdrew 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, tookhis seat on the box by the driver. They alighted, as had beenagreed on, about a quarter of a mile from the place of rendezvous,and desiring 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, withwhich he had specially provided himself for the occasion, and thegreat 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, inmy last garden expedition, at night; eh, Sam?' said Mr. Pickwick,looking good-humouredly round at his follower, who wastrudging behind.

'Wery nice things, if they're managed properly, Sir,' repliedMr. Weller; 'but wen you don't want to be seen, I think they'remore useful arter the candle's gone out, than wen it's alight.'

Mr. Pickwick appeared struck by Sam's remarks, for he putthe lantern 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 theirway along, and threw a very brilliant little tunnel of light beforethem, about a foot in diameter. It was very pretty to look at, butseemed to have the effect of rendering surrounding objectsrather darker than before.

At length they arrived at the large stone. Here Sam recommendedhis master and Mr. Winkle to seat themselves, whilehe reconnoitred, and ascertained whether Mary was yet in waiting.

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 found themselvesin the garden. Here everybody said, 'Hush!' a good manytimes; and that being done, no one seemed to have any verydistinct apprehension of what was to be done next.

'Is Miss Allen in the garden yet, Mary?' inquired Mr. Winkle,much agitated.

'I don't know, sir,' replied the pretty housemaid. 'The bestthing to be done, sir, will be for Mr. Weller to give you a hoist upinto the tree, and perhaps Mr. Pickwick will have the goodnessto see that nobody comes up the lane, while I watch at the otherend of the garden. Goodness gracious, what's that?'

'That 'ere blessed lantern 'ull be the death on us all,' exclaimedSam peevishly. 'Take care wot you're a-doin' on, sir; you'rea-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,' remonstrated 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 effectshe had so unintentionally produced. 'I never saw such a powerfulreflector.'

'It'll be vun too powerful for us, if you keep blazin' avay inthat manner, 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.Help me 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 exertions almost supernaturalin a gentleman of his years and weight, contrived to get uponSam's back; and Sam gently raising himself up, and Mr. Pickwickholding on fast by the top of the wall, while Mr. Winkleclasped him tight by the legs, they contrived by these means tobring his spectacles 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 allto go away. I am so dreadfully frightened. Dear, dear Mr.Pickwick, don't stop there. You'll fall down and kill yourself, Iknow 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 youcan conweniently 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 clandestine 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 thatI am 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 broughthim suddenly to the ground. He was up again in an instanthowever; and bidding Mr. Winkle make haste and get the interviewover, ran out into the lane to keep watch, with all thecourage and ardour of youth. Mr. Winkle himself, inspired bythe occasion, was on the wall in a moment, merely pausing torequest Sam to be careful 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 amiable 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 encomium upon his friend.He had dropped from the wall; thrown himself at Arabella'sfeet; and by this time was pleading the sincerity of his passionwith an eloquence worthy even of Mr. Pickwick himself.

While these things were going on in the open air, an elderlygentleman of scientific attainments was seated in his library, twoor three houses off, writing a philosophical treatise, 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 whatnatural causes these appearances were to be assigned.

They were not meteors; they were too low. They were notglow-worms; they were too high. They were not will-o'-the-wisps; they were not fireflies; they were not fireworks. What couldthey be? Some extraordinary and wonderful phenomenon ofnature, which no philosopher had ever seen before; somethingwhich it had been reserved for him alone to discover, and whichhe should immortalise his name by chronicling for the benefit ofposterity. Full of this idea, the scientific gentleman seized hispen again, and committed to paper sundry notes of theseunparalleled appearances, with the date, day, hour, minute, andprecise second at which they were visible: all of which were toform the data of a voluminous treatise of great research and deeplearning, which should astonish all the atmospherical wiseacresthat ever drew breath in any part of the civilised globe.

He threw himself back in his easy-chair, wrapped incontemplations of his future greatness. The mysterious light appearedmore brilliantly than before, dancing, to all appearance, up anddown 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 lightagain became 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 meditated.

'I should say it was thieves, Sir,' said Pruffle at length.

'You're a fool, and may go downstairs,' said the scientific gentleman.

'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 inevitably be the case if the speculation of the ingeniousMr. Pruffle were not stifled in its birth. He put on his hat andwalked quickly down the garden, determined to investigate thematter to the very bottom.

Now, 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 thatway; occasionally drawing back the slide of the dark lantern tokeep himself from the ditch. The alarm was no sooner given,than Mr. Winkle scrambled back over the wall, and Arabella raninto the house; the garden gate was shut, and the three adventurerswere making the best of their way down the lane, whenthey were startled by the scientific gentleman unlocking hisgarden gate.

Title: The Pickwick Papers
Author: Charles Dickens
Viewed 229898 times

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