THE PICKWICK CLUB. 541
afforded a clue to the feelings with which he received the announce- ment of his son's marriage, which INIr. Pickwick knew was in the very first half-dozen lines.
He read the letter to the last word, folded it again with all the care- fulness and precision of a man of business ; and, just when IMr. Pick- wick expected some great outbreak of feeling, dipped a pen in the ink- stand, and said as quietly as if he were speaking on the most ordinary counting-house topic —
What is Nathaniel's address, Mr. Pickwick?"
" The George and Vulture, at present," replied that gentleman.
" George and Vulture. Where is that } "
" Sun Court, Cornhill."
- ' In the City.>"
" Yes."
The old gentleman methodically indorsed the address on the back of the letter ; and then placing it in the desk, which he locked, said as he got off the stool and put the bunch of keys in his pocket —
'* I suppose there is nothing else which need detain us, Mr. Pickwick r"
" Nothing else, my dear Sir ! " observed that warm-hearted person in indignant amazement. " Nothing else ! Have you no opinion to express on this momentous event in our young friend's life ; no as- surance to convey to him, through me, of the continuance of your affec- tion and protection ; nothing to say which will cheer and sustain him, and the anxious girl who looks to him for comfort and support } My dear Sir, consider."
" I will consider," replied the old gentleman. " I have nothing to say just now. I am a man of business, Mr. Pickwick ; I never commit myself hastily in any affair, and from what I see of this, I by no means like the appearance of it. A thousand pounds is not much, Mr. Pickwick."
- ' You're very right, Sir," interposed Ben Allen, just awake enough
to know that he had spent his thousand pounds without the smallest diflBcultv. " You're an intelligent man; Bob, he's a very knowing fellow this."
" I am very happy to find that you do me the justice to make the admission. Sir," said Mr. Winkle, senior, looking contemptuously at Ben Allen, who was shaking his h"ead profoundly. " The fact is, Mr. Pickwick, that when I gave my son a roving license for a year or so to see something of men and manners (which he has done under your aus- pices), so that he might not enter into life a mere boarding-school milk- sop to be gulled by every body, I never bargained for this. He knows that very well, so if 1 uithdraw my countenance from him on this account, he has no call to be surprised. He shall hear from me, Mr. Pickwick. Good night. Sir. Margaret, open the door."
All this time Bob Sawyer had been nudging Mr. Ben Allen to say something on the right side ; and Ben accordingly now burst out, without the slightest preliminary notice, into a brief but impassioned piece of eloquence.
