76 POSTHUMOUS TAPERS OF
tion upon the head of any member of the family who should suggiest the propriety of liis retiring for the night ; and Mr. Snodgrass had sunk into a chair, with an expression of the most abject and hopeless misery that the human mind can imagine, portrayed in every lineament of his expressive face.
" Is anything the matter?" inquired the three ladies.
" Nothin' the matter," replied Mr. Pickwick. " We — we're — all right. — I say, Wardle, we're all right, ain't we?"
" I shouhl think so," replied the jolly host. — " My dears, here's my friend Mr. Jingle — Mr. Pickwick's friend, Mr. Jingle, come 'pon — little visit."
" Is anything the matter with Mr. Snodgrass Sir?" inquired Emily, with great anxiety.
" Nothing the matter, Ma'am," replied the stranger. *' Cricket dinner — glorious party — capital songs — old port — claret — good — very good — wine. Ma'am — wine."
- ' It wasn't the wine," murmured Mr. Snodgrass, in a broken voice.
- ' It was the salmon." (Somehow or other, it never is the wine, in
these cases).
'* Pladn't they better go to bed Ma'am ? " inquired Emma. " Two of the boys will carry the gentlemen up stairs."
" I won't go to bed," said Mr Winkle, firmly.
" No living boy shall carry me," said Mr. Pickwick, stoutly; — and he went on smiling as before.
- • Hurrah !" gasped Mr. Winkle faintly.
"Hurrah !" echoed Mr. Pickwick, taking off his hat and dashing it on the floor, and insanely casting his spectacles into the middle of the kitchen. — At this humorous feat he laughed outright.
" Let's — have — 'nother — bottle," cried Mr. Winkle, commencing in a very loud key, and ending in a very faint one. His head dropped upon his breast ; and, muttering his invincible determination not to go to his bed, and a sanguinary regret that he had not " done for old Tup- man " in the morning, he fell fast asleep ; in which condition he was borne to his apartment by two young giants under the personal super- intendence of the fat boy, to whose protecting care Mr. Snodgrass shortly afterwards confided his own person. Mr. Pickwick accepted the proffered arm of Mr. Tupman and quietly disappeared, smiling more than ever ; and Mr. Wardle after taking as affectionate a leave of the whole family as if he were ordered for immediate execution, consigned to Mr. Trundle the honour of conveying him up stairs, and retired, with a very futile attempt to look impressively solemn and dignified.
" What a shocking scene !" said the spinster aunt.
" Dis-gusting ! " ejaculated both the young ladies.
- ' Dreadful — dreadful I" said Jingle, looking very grave; he was
about a bottle and a half ahead of any of his companions. " Horrid spectacle — very."
" What a nice man !" whispered the spinster aunt to Mr. Tupman.
" Good-looking, too ! " whispered Emily Wardle.
" Oh, decidedly," observed the spinster aunt.
Mr. Tupman thought of the widow at Rochester: and his mind was
i
