Here Mr. Samuel Weller, who had silently eaten his oysterswith tranquil smiles, cried, 'Hear!' in a very loud voice.

--'Has vispered to me,' resumed his father, 'that it vould bebetter to dewote the liquor to vishin' you success and prosperity,and thankin' you for the manner in which you've brought thishere business through. Here's your health, sir.'

'Hold hard there,' interposed the mottled-faced gentleman,with sudden energy; 'your eyes on me, gen'l'm'n!'

Saying this, the mottled-faced gentleman rose, as did the othergentlemen. The mottled-faced gentleman reviewed the company,and slowly lifted his hand, upon which every man (including himof the mottled countenance) drew a long breath, and lifted histumbler to his lips. In one instant, the mottled-faced gentlemandepressed his hand again, and every glass was set down empty.It is impossible to describe the thrilling effect produced by thisstriking ceremony. At once dignified, solemn, and impressive, itcombined every element of grandeur.

'Well, gentlemen,' said Mr. Pell, 'all I can say is, that suchmarks of confidence must be very gratifying to a professionalman. I don't wish to say anything that might appear egotistical,gentlemen, but I'm very glad, for your own sakes, that you cameto me; that's all. If you had gone to any low member of theprofession, it's my firm conviction, and I assure you of it as afact, that you would have found yourselves in Queer Streetbefore this. I could have wished my noble friend had been aliveto have seen my management of this case. I don't say it out ofpride, but I think-- However, gentlemen, I won't trouble youwith that. I'm generally to be found here, gentlemen, but if I'mnot here, or over the way, that's my address. You'll find my termsvery cheap and reasonable, and no man attends more to hisclients than I do, and I hope I know a little of my professionbesides. If you have any opportunity of recommending me toany of your friends, gentlemen, I shall be very much obliged toyou, and so will they too, when they come to know me. Yourhealths, gentlemen.'

With this expression of his feelings, Mr. Solomon Pell laidthree small written cards before Mr. Weller's friends, and,looking at the clock again, feared it was time to be walking.Upon this hint Mr. Weller settled the bill, and, issuing forth, theexecutor, legatee, attorney, and umpires, directed their stepstowards the city.

The office of Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, of the Stock Exchange,was in a first floor up a court behind the Bank of England; thehouse of Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, was at Brixton, Surrey; thehorse and stanhope of Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, were at anadjacent livery stable; the groom of Wilkins Flasher, Esquire,was on his way to the West End to deliver some game; the clerkof Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, had gone to his dinner; andso Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, himself, cried, 'Come in,' whenMr. Pell and his companions knocked at the counting-house door.

'Good-morning, Sir,' said Pell, bowing obsequiously. 'We wantto make a little transfer, if you please.'

'Oh, just come in, will you?' said Mr. Flasher. 'Sit down aminute; I'll attend to you directly.'

'Thank you, Sir,' said Pell, 'there's no hurry. Take a chair,Mr. Weller.'

Mr. Weller took a chair, and Sam took a box, and the umpirestook what they could get, and looked at the almanac and one ortwo papers which were wafered against the wall, with as muchopen-eyed reverence as if they had been the finest efforts of theold masters.

'Well, I'll bet you half a dozen of claret on it; come!' saidWilkins Flasher, Esquire, resuming the conversation to whichMr. Pell's entrance had caused a momentary interruption.

This was addressed to a very smart young gentleman who worehis hat on his right whisker, and was lounging over the desk,killing flies with a ruler. Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, was balancinghimself on two legs of an office stool, spearing a wafer-box witha penknife, which he dropped every now and then with greatdexterity into the very centre of a small red wafer that was stuckoutside. Both gentlemen had very open waistcoats and veryrolling collars, and very small boots, and very big rings, and verylittle watches, and very large guard-chains, and symmetricalinexpressibles, and scented pocket-handkerchiefs.

'I never bet half a dozen!' said the other gentleman. 'I'll takea dozen.'

'Done, Simmery, done!' said Wilkins Flasher, Esquire.

'P. P., mind,' observed the other.

'Of course,' replied Wilkins Flasher, Esquire. Wilkins Flasher,Esquire, entered it in a little book, with a gold pencil-case, andthe other gentleman entered it also, in another little book withanother gold pencil-case.

'I see there's a notice up this morning about Boffer,' observedMr. Simmery. 'Poor devil, he's expelled the house!'

'I'll bet you ten guineas to five, he cuts his throat,' said WilkinsFlasher, Esquire.

'Done,' replied Mr. Simmery.

'Stop! I bar,' said Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, thoughtfully.'Perhaps he may hang himself.'

'Very good,' rejoined Mr. Simmery, pulling out the goldpencil-case again. 'I've no objection to take you that way. Say,makes away with himself.'

'Kills himself, in fact,' said Wilkins Flasher, Esquire.

'Just so,' replied Mr. Simmery, putting it down. '"Flasher--ten guineas to five, Boffer kills himself." Within what time shallwe say?'

'A fortnight?' suggested Wilkins Flasher, Esquire.

'Con-found it, no,' rejoined Mr. Simmery, stopping for aninstant to smash a fly with the ruler. 'Say a week.'

'Split the difference,' said Wilkins Flasher, Esquire. 'Make itten days.'

'Well; ten days,'rejoined Mr. Simmery.

So it was entered down on the little books that Boffer was tokill himself within ten days, or Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, was tohand over to Frank Simmery, Esquire, the sum of ten guineas;and that if Boffer did kill himself within that time, FrankSimmery, Esquire, would pay to Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, fiveguineas, instead.

'I'm very sorry he has failed,' said Wilkins Flasher, Esquire.'Capital dinners he gave.'

'Fine port he had too,' remarked Mr. Simmery. 'We are goingto send our butler to the sale to-morrow, to pick up some of thatsixty-four.'

'The devil you are!' said Wilkins Flasher, Esquire. 'My man'sgoing too. Five guineas my man outbids your man.'

'Done.'

Another entry was made in the little books, with the goldpencil-cases; and Mr. Simmery, having by this time killed all theflies and taken all the bets, strolled away to the Stock Exchangeto see what was going forward.

Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, now condescended to receive Mr.Solomon Pell's instructions, and having filled up some printedforms, requested the party to follow him to the bank, whichthey did: Mr. Weller and his three friends staring at all theybeheld in unbounded astonishment, and Sam encounteringeverything with a coolness which nothing could disturb.

Crossing a courtyard which was all noise and bustle, andpassing a couple of porters who seemed dressed to match thered fire engine which was wheeled away into a corner, theypassed into an office where their business was to be transacted,and where Pell and Mr. Flasher left them standing for a fewmoments, while they went upstairs into the Will Office.

'Wot place is this here?' whispered the mottled-faced gentlemanto the elder Mr. Weller.

'Counsel's Office,' replied the executor in a whisper.

'Wot are them gen'l'men a-settin' behind the counters?' askedthe hoarse coachman.

'Reduced counsels, I s'pose,' replied Mr. Weller. 'Ain't theythe reduced counsels, Samivel?'

'Wy, you don't suppose the reduced counsels is alive, do you?'inquired Sam, with some disdain.

'How should I know?' retorted Mr. Weller; 'I thought theylooked wery like it. Wot are they, then?'

'Clerks,' replied Sam.

'Wot are they all a-eatin' ham sangwidges for?' inquired his father.

''Cos it's in their dooty, I suppose,' replied Sam, 'it's a part o'the system; they're alvays a-doin' it here, all day long!'Mr. Weller and his friends had scarcely had a moment toreflect upon this singular regulation as connected with themonetary system of the country, when they were rejoined by Pelland Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, who led them to a part of thecounter above which was a round blackboard with a large 'W.' on it.

'Wot's that for, Sir?' inquired Mr. Weller, directing Pell'sattention to the target in question.

'The first letter of the name of the deceased,' replied Pell.

'I say,' said Mr. Weller, turning round to the umpires, there'ssomethin' wrong here. We's our letter--this won't do.'

The referees at once gave it as their decided opinion that thebusiness could not be legally proceeded with, under the letterW., and in all probability it would have stood over for one dayat least, had it not been for the prompt, though, at first sight,undutiful behaviour of Sam, who, seizing his father by the skirtof the coat, dragged him to the counter, and pinned him there,until he had affixed his signature to a couple of instruments;which, from Mr. Weller's habit of printing, was a work of somuch labour and time, that the officiating clerk peeled and atethree Ribstone pippins while it was performing.

As the elder Mr. Weller insisted on selling out his portionforthwith, they proceeded from the bank to the gate of the StockExchange, to which Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, after a shortabsence, returned with a cheque on Smith, Payne, & Smith, forfive hundred and thirty pounds; that being the money to whichMr. Weller, at the market price of the day, was entitled, inconsideration of the balance of the second Mrs. Weller's fundedsavings. Sam's two hundred pounds stood transferred to hisname, and Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, having been paid hiscommission, dropped the money carelessly into his coat pocket,and lounged back to his office.

Mr. Weller was at first obstinately determined on cashing thecheque in nothing but sovereigns; but it being represented by theumpires that by so doing he must incur the expense of a smallsack to carry them home in, he consented to receive the amountin five-pound notes.

'My son,' said Mr. Weller, as they came out of the banking-house--'my son and me has a wery partickler engagement thisarternoon, and I should like to have this here bis'ness settled outof hand, so let's jest go straight avay someveres, vere ve canhordit the accounts.'

A quiet room was soon found, and the accounts were producedand audited. Mr. Pell's bill was taxed by Sam, and some chargeswere disallowed by the umpires; but, notwithstanding Mr. Pell'sdeclaration, accompanied with many solemn asseverations thatthey were really too hard upon him, it was by very many degreesthe best professional job he had ever had, and one on which heboarded, lodged, and washed, for six months afterwards.

The umpires having partaken of a dram, shook hands anddeparted, as they had to drive out of town that night. Mr.Solomon Pell, finding that nothing more was going forward,either in the eating or drinking way, took a friendly leave, andSam and his father were left alone.

'There!' said Mr. Weller, thrusting his pocket-book in his sidepocket. 'Vith the bills for the lease, and that, there's elevenhundred and eighty pound here. Now, Samivel, my boy, turn thehorses' heads to the George and Wulter!'

CHAPTER LVIAN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE TAKES PLACE BETWEENMr. PICKWICK AND SAMUEL WELLER, AT WHICH HISPARENT ASSISTS--AN OLD GENTLEMAN IN A SNUFF-COLOURED SUIT ARRIVES UNEXPECTEDLY

Mr. Pickwick was sitting alone, musing over many things, and thinkingamong other considerations how he could best provide for the youngcouple whose present unsettled condition was matter of constantregret and anxiety to him, when Mary stepped lightly into the room,and, advancing to the table, said, rather hastily--

'Oh, if you please, Sir, Samuel is downstairs, and he says mayhis father see you?'

'Surely,' replied Mr. Pickwick.

'Thank you, Sir,' said Mary, tripping towards the door again.

'Sam has not been here long, has he?' inquired Mr. Pickwick.

'Oh, no, Sir,' replied Mary eagerly. 'He has only just comehome. He is not going to ask you for any more leave, Sir, he says.'

Mary might have been conscious that she had communicatedthis last intelligence with more warmth than seemed actuallynecessary, or she might have observed the good-humoured smilewith which Mr. Pickwick regarded her, when she had finishedspeaking. She certainly held down her head, and examined thecorner of a very smart little apron, with more closeness thanthere appeared any absolute occasion for.

'Tell them they can come up at once, by all means,' saidMr. Pickwick.

Mary, apparently much relieved, hurried away with her message.

Mr. Pickwick took two or three turns up and down the room;and, rubbing his chin with his left hand as he did so, appearedlost in thought.

'Well, well,' said Mr. Pickwick, at length in a kind but somewhatmelancholy tone, 'it is the best way in which I could rewardhim for his attachment and fidelity; let it be so, in Heaven'sname. It is the fate of a lonely old man, that those about himshould form new and different attachments and leave him. I haveno right to expect that it should be otherwise with me. No, no,'added Mr. Pickwick more cheerfully, 'it would be selfish andungrateful. I ought to be happy to have an opportunity ofproviding for him so well. I am. Of course I am.'

Mr. Pickwick had been so absorbed in these reflections, that aknock at the door was three or four times repeated before heheard it. Hastily seating himself, and calling up his accustomedpleasant looks, he gave the required permission, and Sam Wellerentered, followed by his father.

Title: The Pickwick Papers
Author: Charles Dickens
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